The Role of the Assist Gas Nature in Laser Cutting of Aluminum Alloys

Laser cutting is a standard industrial process for cutting sheet metals. The process relies on the removal of the melted material with the aid of a pressurized assist gas. Among the main variables controlling the process, the assist gas type is an essential factor. This gas is normally chosen taking into account the material to be processed and the required cut quality. While the effect of the utilization of different assist gas is perfectly studied in cutting steels, the influence of the assist gas type during laser cutting of aluminum alloys is not well studied. This work presents a study on the influence of different assist gases (argon, nitrogen, oxygen and air) on the edge quality and its surface chemistry during laser cutting of a typical Al-Cu alloy.