Predictive visualization of fiber laser cutting topography via deep learning with image inpainting

Laser cutting is a fast, precise, and noncontact processing technique widely applied throughout industry. However, parameter specific defects can be formed while cutting, negatively impacting the cut quality. While light-matter interactions are highly nonlinear and are, therefore, challenging to model analytically, deep learning offers the capability of modeling these interactions directly from data. Here, we show that deep learning can be used to scale up visual predictions for parameter specific defects produced in cutting as well as for predicting defects for parameters not measured experimentally. Furthermore, visual predictions can be used to model the relationship between laser cutting defects and laser cutting parameters.