Laser-assisted machining has shown its potential to significantly improve product quality and reduce manufacturing costs; additionally, laser-assisted turning (LAT) and laser-assisted milling (LAM) have been studied by numerous researchers. A research study on the determination of the distance between the laser heat source and the tool for laser-assisted machining, however, has not yet been attempted; we conducted such an analysis by using a finite-element method and heat-transfer equation. The results of this analysis can be used as a reference for the determination of the distance between the laser heat source and the tool for laser-assisted machining.
