Applying an On-line Crack Detection Technique For Laser Cutting by Controlled Fracture

A new laser cutting system, which uses a laser to induce controlled fracture and combines an image processing technique for crack detection and compensation of the laser path to control crack direction, is proposed in this study. The laser cutting is based on the controlled fracture technique, the laser beam strikes the surface of a thin brittle plate which results in a stable fracture. The cutting of the material results from crack propagation along the cutting path. Because the crack propagation at the crack tip is slower than the moving laser beam, the actual fracture trajectory will deviate from the desired trajectory, for example, when cutting a curve or a right angle, especially at high cutting speed. In order to eliminate the deviation, the actual position of the crack tip must be detected on-line and the path of the laser beam must be modified. The compensation is based on the lagging distance between the crack tip and the laser spot. The laser cutting system comprises a CO2 laser, a digital image-processing system, and an XYZ positioning table. The cutting of right angles for silicon wafers and the cutting of circular arcs for alumina ceramics are carried out to validate the system. The image processing speed of the crack detection system is 0.1 s per detection, which is fast enough for continuous on-line crack detection, so that the method can be applied for any complicated curve cutting.