Objective  Thin-wall components exhibit characteristics such as lightweight, high strength to weight ratio, excellent heat dissipation, and good vibration and acoustic performance. In the aerospace industry, a growing demand for thin-wall components is observed, making precision laser cutting of thin-wall metal components a hot research topic for scholars at home and abroad. With the diversification of design for thin-wall metal components in the industrial sector, there are higher requirements for the quality of cut surfaces, even during high speed laser cutting. Laser cutting quality can be affected by many factors, but there have been limited studies on the comprehensive and interrelated effects of process parameters such as defocus amount, cutting speed, and laser power on burr thickness and slag splash zone width, particularly for ultrathin metal materials. Therefore, this study conducted laser cutting experiments on 0.2 mm thick 304 stainless steel sheets to analyze the mechanisms behind burr and slag splash formation. By adjusting process parameters such as cutting speed, laser power, and defocus amount, the study systematically summarized the variations in burr thickness and slag splash zone width for laser cutting of 304 stainless steel workpieces. Through process optimization, the study aimed at identifying the best combination of processing parameters.

  Methods  A single factor experimental approach (Tab.1) was employed in this article to investigate the effects of power and defocus distance at different laser velocities on the thickness of burrs and the width of the slag splash zone. The applicable parameter ranges for laser cutting of thin-wall components were summarized. Optimal parameters for laser cutting were identified through comparative experiments (Tab.2). The clamping method for stainless steel thin plates was optimized, and the hypothesis is validated using experimental results (Fig.12).

  Results and Discussions   Variation patterns of burr thickness (Fig.1, Fig.3) and slag splash zone width (Fig.5, Fig.7) at different cutting speeds, powers, and defocus amounts were summarized using single factor experimental methods. An analysis and optimization of the cutting technique for stainless steel thin plates was conducted, resulting in the identification of the optimal combination of processing parameters. Additionally, the best clamping methods for thin-wall metal components were determined, considering various processing conditions and shapes.

  Conclusions  The burr thickness increases with an increase in laser power, decreases initially, and then increases with an increase in cutting speed. It also gradually increases with an increase in the focus position. The width of the slag splash zone increases with higher laser power, decreases as cutting speed increases, and exhibits minor fluctuations with an increase in the focus position. A comparison was conducted to assess the impact of different clamping methods on laser cutting results, leading to the determination of laser processing clamping methods for thin-wall metal parts. When the required workpiece shape is relatively simple, and precision requirements are not high, pneumatic clamping can be employed for processing. However, for more complex shapes with smaller sizes and higher precision requirements, supporting type is necessary. Based on the analysis of processing results, better processing results can be achieved for 0.2 mm thick 304 stainless steel sheets when the laser power is set to 125 W, the cutting speed is 10 m/min, the auxiliary gas pressure is 1.2 MPa, and the focus position ranges between −0.3 mm and −0.5 mm.