Through hole-cutting conic posture optimization for a redundant 3D laser cutting machine

Productively reducing the time required to cut numerous through holes in automotive workpieces is crucial for enhancing parts manufacturing in the 3D laser cutting process. However, the conventional cutting strategy, in which the laser beam maintains a stationary posture along the hole path, lacks flexibility and fails to effectively leverage processing tolerances. In this study, we conduct a thorough analysis of the kinematics of a six-axis redundant laser cutting machine and resolve through a decoupling method with singularity management. We propose an innovative conic posture cutting strategy for 3D laser hole-cutting with thin materials. This approach adopts the geometry of a cone as the posture while cutting the hole path. In order to obtain the optimal vertex of the cone while minimizing the taper error generated by the conic posture and kinetic energy consumption of the actuators during motion, we formulate a multi-objective optimization problem and solve it using a genetic algorithm. Furthermore, we enhance the optimization by adopting a time minimization approach. Through the implementation of a B-pillar workpiece cutting experiment, we have successfully validated the credibility of our proposed cutting strategy, thereby demonstrating an enhancement of time on 26 hole-cutting paths.