What Does Laser Cutting Entail?

With a powerful laser beam to melt the material into exact forms, laser cutting enables businesses to produce unique designs. Its versatile technique was created fifty years ago and found usage in numerous industrial applications because it can make parts that are highly reliable for modern machine components. Like other technologies, laser cutting has also gone through several cycles of improvement, boosting its performance and still going strong. There are several restrictions on its performance, such as the fact that it can only cut steel down to a specific thickness before other cutting techniques, such as saw cutting, are needed.

Various metals, including aluminum and other steel-based alloys, can be cut using lasers, including different sheets of steel (mild steel, carbon steel, and stainless steel). Lasers can also cut non-metal materials, including porcelain, wool, and plastic. Lasers are utilized for applications such as surface texturing, laser-machined stainless parts, branding, and cutting.

How Does A Laser Cut A Material?

A typical high-intensity laser beam with a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.3 mm and a power range of 1 to 3kw is projected by laser cutting equipment. The output power can vary depending on the material's nature and thickness. Aluminum and copper alloys, two materials with strong thermal conductivity and high reflection indices, are not good candidates for laser cutting.

Additionally, they require a high power of at least 6 kw to complete the cutting action.

Key Applications

One of the main uses for laser cutting is metal cutting. For practically all industrial applications, the laser can cut various metals. For instance, a laser cutting machine can produce flawless cuts in sheet metal blanks. Lasers are used to cut section panels in the shipbuilding sector.

Laser engraving: A high-intensity laser dissolves and eliminates the material from the surface, creating the desired hollow.

Laser marks: On virtually all surfaces, lasers can quickly produce specific drawings, words, and distinctive symbols. The laser changes the material's characteristics, disclosing the markings rather than abrading or creating a hollow.

Prototype development: By cutting metal or plastic sheets, designers can quickly acquire parts. Later, such components could be welded or joined for a physical assessment.

Maintenance and repair: Compared to other manufacturing techniques like CNC and metal casting, specific parts or machine components that are out of production can be made or fixed at a lower cost.

What Kinds Of Metals Can A Laser Cut?

Steels: Mild steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, and various other steel alloys can all be sliced by lasers.

Aluminum: Materials made of aluminum are lighter and less dense than steel, making them easier to cut.

Other materials: Plastics, ceramics, wood, etc., are also processed using lasers in addition to metals.

Key Benefits

● Quicker output rates than the standard cutting method

● Easier pre-production procedure

● High process precision and accuracy

● Contactless method

● Cheaper than other cutting methods like CNC, etc.

● Numerous materials can be sliced.

● Excellent cutting edges

● A narrow cutting width

Conclusion

Various materials can be swiftly and precisely sliced with a laser and a linear axis. Cut components could be employed right away in higher-level procedures. Another advantage is its ability to produce complex designs without using specialized production tools. It is a non-contact thermal manufacturing technology.