Parametric evaluation of CO₂ laser cutting on kerf geometry and bottom HAZ in 3D-printed ABS plates

The thin plates made from ABS through the FFF method have been tested by CO2 laser cutting with different parameters as follows: Kerf Open Deviation (KOD), Kerf Angle (KA), and Bottom Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ) for performance evaluation. Among such parameters include the type of plate thickness (1 and 1.5 mm), laser power (85, 92.5, and 100 W), and cutting speed (4, 7, 10 mm/s), while a full factorial design was incorporated for the experiment. The analysis of the effects indicated for certain output quality indicators by means of main effects plots, ANOVA, and regression modeling, has been used to infer how the input parameters have affected these quality indicators. It was shown that KOD minimum value (0.472 mm) will be at 1 mm thickness, 85 W, and 7 mm/s speed, while minimum KA (10.5°) occurs at 1.5 mm thickness and 85 W power. Minimum value of Bottom HAZ (0.222 mm) was measured at 1 mm thickness, with an 85 W power at a cutting speed of 10 mm/s. According to ANOVA outcomes, thickness of plate has the highest influence on both KOD and KA, whereas speed of cutting was the dominant factor for Bottom HAZ. The regression models developed for all the responses show very high accuracy, with R 2 values of 87.33%, 94.47%, and 93.92% for KOD, KA, and bottom HAZ, respectively, thus confirming their predictive abilities.