Taguchi's Method for Optimum Cutting of Acrylic Materials on a 40-Watt CNC Laser Cutting Machine

Abstract

Optimization through parameter variation testing is a technique used in manufacturing to produce the best product in machine processing. This study aims to optimise the parameters of the 40-watt CNC laser cutting machine, on the laser power, cutting speed, and focusing distance of the lens to find the optimal value in the variation of surface roughness response and geometric accuracy on acrylic materials with a thickness of 3 mm and 5 mm. The research method uses Taguchi as a technique to obtain optimisation values through cutting parameters that have a significant effect on acrylic test pieces. Based on the parameter variance analysis results, the roughness quality of the optimum cutting of acrylic material using a CNC laser cutting machine is influenced by cutting speed, lens focal length, and acrylic thickness. The thicker it is, the lower the cutting speed must be to produce smoother cutting quality. With the knowledge of the optimum value, the acrylic cutting process is more effective and efficient.