RESEARCH PAPER 98 Volume 2, Issue 2, March-April 2012 Available Online at www.gpublication.com/jcer ISSN No.: 2250 - 2637 ©Genxcellence Publication 2011, All Rights Reserved Transforming Linear Laser Cutting machine Into Laser Lathing – An Empirical Investigation & Evaluation of Roundness Quality S.R. Subramonian*, A.Z. Khalim, Hussein, N. I. S, R. Izamshah, M. Amran and M. Hadzley Department of Manufacturing Process, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Durian Tunggal, Melaka Malaysia sivarao@utem.edu.my Abstract Lasers are widely used in industries as cutting tools due to ultra-flexibility cutting capabilities in obtaining high quality end product while posing advantage of quick set up, non-mechanical contact mechanics, and small region of heat affected zone. This paper presents the laser lathing performance of 2D CO2 flatbed laser cutting machine by investigating the roundness quality. A specially designed mechanism was developed to clamp and spin a steel rod of 10mm diameter cylindrical workpiece on X to Y sacrificial table. Three significant cutting parameters were controlled in this experiment namely; cutting speed, spinning speed and depth of cut. The experiments were carried out based on DOE full factorial matrix design. The results were realistic, promising and efficient as compared to manual lathes within the same range of workpiece properties and dimension. Keywords 3D laser machining, laser cutting, laser turning, CO2 laser machining, 2D flatbed laser INTRODUCTION Lasers are widely known for rapid and precise cutting as compared to mechanical cutting. The ability of machining intricate profiles with small region of heat affected zone has placed laser machines in high volume production lines. One great advantage possessed by laser cutting is non-contact machining which provides wide range of applications for super hard, flexible, non- metallic materials, etc..High quality end product produced by laser eliminates the secondary process in manufacturing of precision parts. Accuracy and tolerance are very important especially dealing with automotive industry which deals with critical burr-free components. Tolerances produced by lasers are much tighter and lasers can easily produce parts at micro level which is almost impossible by conventional lathes. In engineering, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) is very important because it is a system for defining and communicating engineering tolerances. Roundness is one of the GD&T systems. Measuring of roundness is a biggest challenge in metrology department. Roundness is related to a circle or cylinder part which is measured by precision tools such as micrometer, verniercaliper, and also automated modern CNC roundness tester. Nowadays in modern industry, machining process demands low cost products with closed specification. To achieve the specification needs, characteristic such as cutting parameter, machining time, machining cost play vital role which requires one to look into them seriously. REVIEW OF PREVIOUS WORK The important issue in three-dimensional laser shaping is improving the dimensional accuracy along the optical axis without decreasing the materials removing rate. The concept of performing three-dimensional laser shaping has been performed using Nd-Yag by [1]. A fully automated 3D laser micromachining based on the main concept of geometrical flexibility integrating two UV laser sources, excimer and diode pumped solid state laser (DPSS) in ns pulse regime with six degrees of freedom to machine complex parts [2]. A new 'machine tool' for advanced material processing conceptualizing two converging laser beams was introduced to build optical system around a beam splitter that generates two beams from the same laser head [3]. Three-dimensional (3D) laser machining was done using two laser beams to improve the material removal rate and energy efficiency of laser machining [4]. Laser machining of 3D micro part based on layer by layer pealing concept carried out by controlling three main parameters namely power, repetition rate and speed of laser process [5]. Three-dimensional laser machining has been carried out on composite materials using two intersecting laser beams to create grooves on a workpiece where, the volume of material is removed when the two grooves converge [6]. Three-dimensional laser machining allows implementation of turning, milling, and threading, and grooving were investigated where, issues of material removal rate, surface quality, and process control of laser was discussed [7]. A three-dimensional laser machining concept was developed and investigated kinematically in applications of gear making, threading, turning, and milling in completing a die set [8]. Three dimensional laser concepts were focused mainly in laser machining and laser welding by incorporating one or two laser beams simultaneously at industrial level along with their advantages and limitations [9]. The relationship of processes parameters of pulsed Nd:YAG laser-turning operation for production of micro-groove on cylindrical workpiece