THE EFFECTS OF LASER MICRO-ENGRAVING VARIABLES ON THE SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE Ti-6Al-7Nb ALLOY

Abstract

This investigation aims to analyze the impact of scanning direction, scanning speed, and power level (%) on the surface roughness of Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy specimens subjected to laser micro-engraving. The laser micro-engraving process was carried out by scanning the predetermined geometric configuration six times. Factorial analysis was implemented to determine the impact of system parameters on the surface roughness. Throughout the micro-engraving operations, line spacing, frequency, and pulse width parameters were maintained at a consistent value of 0.03 mm, 100 kHz, and 300 ns, respectively. The optimal conditions for achieving the lowest surface roughness were observed at a scanning speed of 700 mm/s, a power level of 60%, and a scanning direction of 90°. Moreover, in accordance with the experimental parameters employed in this investigation, it was observed that increasing the scanning speed while maintaining a constant power level (%) reduced surface roughness. There was a direct correlation between the increase in power level (%) and a corresponding increase in surface roughness.