Studying the mechanisms of steel sheet perforation by the radiation of a continuous-wave fiber laser
Aspects of steel sheet perforation are studied experimentally. Calculations show that the mechanisms of thin sheet perforation change as the focal spot size is increased at a constant laser power. If the spot is small, the melt is removed and the film is disrupted by steel boiling in the spot center. With larger spots, the melt is removed by the force of gravity. The hole diameter grows along with the focal spot size and sheet thickness and is reduced upon an increase in laser power.