A study on laser processing of wood

The carbon dioxide (CO2) laser woodcutting has been used as an alternative to traditional wood machining processes. Smaller kerf width and non-contact machining were among the advantages and unique features of laser woodcutting. On the other hand, conventional wood machining such as sawing involves the application of force to separate chips from the workpiece until the desired size of workpiece is achieved. The focus of this research is to study and identify the quality of CO2 laser woodcutting. Various species of Malaysian wood have been used for this study. The initial experiment was carried out by studying the dimensional accuracy and material removal rate which reveals the trend of the laser woodcutting process. [Continues.]