The present study examines the measurement and prediction of the penetration time during CO2 laser cutting of mild steel workpieces at various pressures of oxygen and argon-oxygen mixtures. Three different measurement techniques are introduced, namely optical, thermocouple and wire methods. The Fourier heat transfer equation is examined and a quasi-steady solution is obtained for the temperature distribution inside the material. The data available for the cutting quality are then related to the penetration time.
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