Methodology of generic modeling as applied to energy coupling of CO2 laser material interaction

Energy coupling is a key phenomenon in material processing techniques that use lasers. It is a complex physical process, which involves numerous parameters, such as material's refractive index, laser wavelength, angle of incidence, polarization, temperature, power, power intensity, surface roughness and surface coating. Although there are some empirical and theoretical models of the dependence of the energy coupling efficiency, also termed absorptivity on individual and/or blocks of parameters, to date, there is no comprehensive model that addresses the wide array of parameters that affect energy coupling for laser material interaction. To address this need, several of the available models are examined, and a generic methodology is introduced and used to de-couple, classify and re-categorize the parameters. The process of creating a general model that combines the influences of the selected crucial parameters is presented. Current limitation and restrictions of the model are addressed.