Evolution of Chip-Deformation Mechanisms with Increasing Temperature in Laser-Assisted Microcutting of Amorphous Alloy

NiP coating with an amorphous structure is a commonly used mold material for manufacturing resin optical components. However, due to the inhomogeneous deformation characteristics of amorphous alloys, chippings and burrs are easily produced at the edge of microstructures. Laser-assisted microcutting has proven to effectively inhibit the generation of these defects but the evolution of chip-deformation mechanisms with different laser power remains to be explored. In this study, a simulation of the temperature field under nanosecond laser irradiation was conducted and the laser-assisted cutting of NiP was considered, using the same irradiation parameters. Through the analysis of chip morphology under different conditions, it is found that the temperature in the deformation zone mainly affects the morphology of the secondary shear bands but has no effect on the number of nucleation in the primary and secondary shear bands. The proper temperature in the shear deformation zone can improve the deformation ability of the secondary shear band, thus making the shearing process more stable. This research will prove helpful to understand the material deformation mechanisms to guide the selection of laser parameters in the laser assisted cutting of amorphous alloy.