Exploring the machining characteristics of aluminum 6061 using nanosecond pulse fiber laser machine

Abstract

The present study aims to probe the influence of nanosecond laser parameters on the surface quality of aluminum material (Al 6061) using a full factorial design approach. Additionally, the study utilizes the Harris Hawks optimization (HHO) algorithm to determine the optimized laser parameters for achieving desirable surface features on straight-cut aluminum samples. Subsequently, the machined samples are analyzed through optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The evaluation criteria for the present study are taper, surface roughness, and heat-affected zone (HAZ) thickness. The results revealed that average laser power significantly impacted the taper (17.01%), and scanning speed contributed significantly to the taper (26.62%). The average power and scanning speed combined showed the most substantial influence on taper (47.76%). Furthermore, the average power had the most significant effect on the heat-affected zone (77.76%) and surface roughness (SR) (72.22%). The optimal conditions determined by the HHO were a pulse frequency of 100 Hz, a scanning speed of 10 mm/s, and an average power of 40 W, resulting in heat-affected zone = 36.047, surface roughness = 5.496, and taper angle = 23.188. These findings hold significant implications for enhancing the surface characteristics of aluminum in laser machining processes, thereby benefiting industries such as aerospace, automotive, and electronics.