Figure 7

Investigation of thermal effects after laser machining: (a) the thermal penetration depth is plotted relative to the radial distance from the laser beam centre measured by infrared thermography. The profiles were selected from the recorded frame where the radial distance from the beam centre at a temperature greater than 50 °C was at a maximum. A 50 °C reference line is also plotted. (b) The cooling behaviour was studied through the use of temporal plots evaluating the maximum temperature along a radial profile from the beam centre relative to the time passed since peak temperature was achieved