Laser Cutting Technology
Traditional methods of cutting different types of materials using manual saws and other similar tools is way behind in industrial usage, for years every facility in the world that needs certain shapes, design, etc. uses lasers to do this for them. Today even some schools and trades-people use them for smaller tasks. The operation itself is quite easy, all you need is to direct the beam of laser on the surface with small help of CNC and you’ll get nice finish, clear lines and smooth surface after cutting. Lasers are able to cut through almost anything no matter the shape of the object submitted to cutting.
Laser cutting machines that are being used vary, depending on what kind of use they are put on. Techniques they are using can go from melting, burning, vaporizing, what is important is that the end result is the same. Choice of the kind of laser you’ll use is based on the material of the object that needs to be cut.
Laser cutting dethroned mechanical cutting because of its easy workhold and minimal contamination of workplace. There is no edge cutting so not a single piece is wasted around the workspace. Also, lasers are way more precise and can perform actions that would be impossible or very hard to perform using traditional ways. Precision means time saving which is essential in the current business world. The strength of the laser may vary from the size of machine meaning you could easily cut through both thick and thin materials.
Main types of lasers used for cutting are CO2, Nd (neodymium) and Nd-YAG (neodymium yttrium-aluminium-garnet). All three types can be used for welding while other operations could be done with only one of these. The CO2 laser is used for boring, engraving and cutting, Nd is used when high energy with low repetition is required and Nd-YAG is usually applied when there is need of high power for both boring and engraving.
Laser cutting machines are also divided into three categories: moving material, flying optics systems, and hybrid. Names come from the way the laser moves around the material that is being processed. The slowest and the most unpractical are moving material lasers since their optic is fixed and material has to be moved around the workstation. The good side of these machines is in their constant distance between the laser and workpiece. Flying optics machines have moving cutting head which speeds up the cutting process while you just sit and enjoy. These machines are the fastest and workpiece stays static while lasers cut in both of the horizontal dimensions. Hybrid laser cutting machines are good for their simpler beam delivery system which comes from their moving table (moving in X axis) and moving of cutting head (in Y axis) resulting constant beam delivery path length. This method saves power and gives more capacity per watt than other systems. One more benefit that most of the industrial lasers can perform is pulsing which is great for cutting and piercing.
The only downside of using lasers is the amount of power they use while operating. Of course, the power consumption will vary with every type of laser and the operation, but the efficiency of the regular industrial laser may go from 5 to 45 percent. Power required for the laser will be affected by the type of material, process, thickness, and cutting rate.