Current Research and Development in Laser Beam Machining (LBM): A Review

Laser Beam Machining (LBM) is a non conventional process in which material removal takes place through melting and vaporization of metal when the laser beam comes in contact with the metal surface. There are so many process parameters which affect the quality of machined surface cut by LBM. But, the laser power, cutting speed, assist gas pressure, nozzle distance, focal length, pulse frequency and pulse width are most important. However, the important performance measures in LBM are surface roughness (SR), material removal rate (MRR), kerf width, heat affected zone (HAZ) and surface hardness. This paper reviews the research work carried out from the inception to the development of LBM within past few years. It reports on the LBM research relating to performance measures improvement, monitoring and process control, process variables optimization. The paper also discusses the future trend of research work in the area of LBM.