Determining cutting speeds for the CO₂ laser machining of decorative ceramic tile

This paper presents a comparison of theoretically predicted optimum cutting speeds for decorative ceramic tile with experimentally derived data. Four well-established theoretical analyses are considered and applied to the laser cutting of ceramic tile, i.e. Rosenthal's moving point heat-source model, and the heat-balance approaches of Powell, Steen and Chryssolouris. The theoretical results are subsequently compared and contrasted with actual cutting data taken from an existing laser machining database. Empirical models developed by the author are described which have been successfully used to predict cutting speeds for various thicknesses of ceramic tile.