Abstract
The article presents the results of an experimental study of the influence of laser cutting parameters on the dimensional accuracy of an inter-saw spacer belt for a fiber separator. The study was aimed at determining the effect of cutting height and cutting speed on the thickness of the belt blank manufactured from sheet steel using laser technology. A second-order orthogonal experimental design was applied to investigate the relationship between the controlled factors and the resulting dimensional parameter. The experiments were performed using a Bodor A3 2000W MAX CNC laser cutting machine on 1.5 mm thick steel sheet. Cutting height was varied from 0.6 to 0.8 mm, while cutting speed was varied from 7000 to 8000 mm/min. Five repeated measurements were performed for each experimental condition using a 0–25 mm micrometer. Statistical processing of the experimental data demonstrated the repeatability of the experiments and confirmed the adequacy of the obtained regression model according to the Fisher criterion. The analysis showed that the belt thickness varied from 17.697 to 18.230 mm depending on the cutting conditions. The maximum belt width of 18.23 mm was obtained at a cutting speed of 7000 mm/min and a cutting height of 0.7 mm. The obtained results can be used to select appropriate laser cutting parameters for manufacturing inter-saw spacer belts with improved dimensional accuracy.