Processing of AZ31B magnesium alloy using water-jet guided laser

Non-destructive high-precision processing of magnesium alloy has long been a major challenge due to its high metallic activity. A novel processing technique, the water-jet guided laser (WJGL) has emerged as a potential solution to address the challenges associated with cutting 4 mm-thick magnesium alloy sheets. In this paper, the 532 nm nanosecond laser beam, transmitted through a water jet at a pressure of 30 MPa, was employed to cut samples, resulting in high-quality grooves and surfaces. After parameter optimization (a laser power of 12 W and a cutting speed of 50 mm/s), the surface oxygen content was significantly reduced to 3.97 %. Concurrently, the minimum surface roughness achieved was 1.251 mu m, and the corrosion rate was lowered by 49 %. Compared to conventional nanosecond laser processing, the WJGL exhibits superior cutting quality and enhanced cutting efficiency. Thus, our results highlight the considerable potential of the WJGL in processing materials with high metallic activity. Further leveraging the advantages of WJGL relies on greater efforts to address the challenges of maintaining consistent energy transfer efficiency. This efficiency is currently hindered by water accumulation in the deep grooves.