Laser Processing for Manufacturing Styrofoam Pattern

주물용 스티로폼 목형 제작을 위한 레이저 가공 공정 개발

The process of styrofoam pattern that has been used for material of press die pattern depends chiefly on handwork. Laser manufacturing system developed to increase precision and efficiency of process that is also able to convert the design easily. Applying the RP(rapid prototyping) concept reversely, the unnecessary part of section is vapored away by heat source of laser beam after converting 3-D CAD model into cross-sectional shape information. Laser beam is line-scanned in plane specimens to measure the depth and width of cut, surface roughness, cross-sectional shape as converting laser power, scanning speed, cutting gas pressure. With these basic data, plane surface, inclined surface, hole, outer contour trimming process is experimented and optimum condition are obtained. In plane and inclined surface experiments, 15W laser power and 50mm/s scanning speed make superior processing property and 30W, 10mm/s make processing efficiency increase in trimming process. With these results, simple patterns were manufactured and the possibility of applying laser manufacturing system to styrofoam pattern was convinced.