Laser parameters optimization of surface treating of Al 6082-T6 with Taguchi method

In order to obtain optimum laser parameters for laser treating of Al 6082-T6, the effects of focus position, pulse energy, gas type and pulse duration used for laser surface treating were investigated. Optimum laser process parameters were intended to achieved to obtain minimum crack, porosity, roughness, defect depth, percent porosity in Heat Affected Zone (HAZ), maximum HAZ depth. The most effective parameters for ablation are Gas Type with 57.54% for Crack Length, Gas Type with 76.20% for Porosity, Gas Type with 75.92% for Roughness, Gas Type with 59.91% for Defect Depth, Gas Type with 66.01% for (HAZ) Depth, Pulse Energy with 49.39 for Percent Porosity in (HAZ). In the confirmation experiment with the proposed parameters by Taguchi method, minimum Crack Length was obtained as 208.56 (mu m/mm(2)), minimum Surface Porosity was obtained as 0.024%, the best surface Roughness was obtained as 28.29 mu m, minimum defect depth was obtained as 217 mu m, maximum HAZ depth was obtained as 3129.6 mu m, minimum Percent Porosity in (HAZ) was obtained as 6.75%. These results are better than the results obtained from 9 experiments with Taguchi method. Using the Taguchi method, accurate results were found with less experimentation.