Materials cannot change their surface microstructure unless they are cutting. Laser cutting is one of the most common techniques for cutting materials for machining. It facilitates the creation of patterns in accordance with designs and desired outcomes. This method entails melting, burning, and vaporizing materials in the presence of a strong laser beam. While this process is quite useful, it is critical to grasp the numerous laser cutting benefits and drawbacks.
The cutting process is done with the help of a laser cutter. And the laser cutter uses a fine laser beam to focus on the material. However, before you begin cutting, you must have a clear aim in mind based on your designs or patterns. In the past, it was difficult to cut certain hard materials using conventional processes. However, with the arrival of a laser cutter, it has become easier.
Here, we’ll walk you through all you need to know about laser cutting. It also discusses how it works and the benefits and drawbacks of laser cutting.
Table of Contents
What is Laser Cutting, and How Does it Work?
Many manufacturing industries now use computer numerical control machines to accelerate their production processes. These devices use a variety of process, including laser cutting service. All computer numerical control machines issue commands to machines after converting the digitalized drawing into a computer language.
This language provides the device with the instructions needed to execute the designs. The link between the language and the machine is analogous to sending a picture to a printer. Also, laser cutting machines work in the same way, and they can complete designs quickly.
The laser cutting product’s design enables for the usage of 2D vector files to guide lasers. It is composed of a laser resonator. This resonator contains glass fibers or, in certain cases, a gas mixture of crystal bodies. The material cutting procedure used by the designer determines the constituent resonator. The input of energy to the mixture will begin the cutting process. The laser is then focussed after the mixture passes through various mirror lenses.
How Does Laser Cutting Work?
Before delving into laser cutting benefits and drawbacks, it’s important to understand how it works. Laser cutting machines work similarly to CNC machines, but with a higher power laser. The laser will guide the material or beam by using CNC and optics. The gadget will cut into the material and control the movements using the given CNC or G-code.
The material will melt, vaporize, and burn after the laser beam has been focused. In addition, you can achieve a high-quality finished edge surface by blowing the material with gas. The formation of a laser beam occurs in a closed container by activating lasing materials with lamps or electrical discharge.
Following an internal reflection through a partial mirror, the lasing materials are amplified. The process continues until enough energy is accumulated in the form of coherent monochromatic light. Using fiber optics or mirrors to focus on the work area improves the intensity of the light.
The diameter of a laser beam is less than 0.32 mm at its thinnest edge. In contrast, the kerf width could be as tiny as 0.10 mm. However, this is determined by the material’s thickness. If the cutting with the laser cutting machine does not begin at the material’s edge, utilize the piercing process.
The piercing procedure allows the laser to create a hole in the material with high power. For example, burning through a 13 mm stainless steel sheet takes 5 to 15 seconds.
Advantages of Laser Cutting
The benefits of laser cutting technology are considerable. Some of the benefits are discussed below:
High Precision and Accuracy
The laser cuts into materials with remarkable precision, using a focussed beam of light. The laser is powerful and tiny, but its accuracy in melting and evaporating materials is unrivaled. Typically, the laser’s tolerance range is between 0.003 and 0.006 millimeters.
Plasma cutters have a tolerance level of roughly 0.02 mm, which is higher than laser cutting. Similarly, other cutting tools have tolerances ranging from 1 to 3 mm and higher. Assume you require a machine with high precision and accuracy during the production process. Then the laser cutters are typically used in these situations. As a result, laser cutting is used in the aircraft industry, which demands extremely high tolerances.
Low Cost and More Affordable
One of the benefits of laser technology is the cost advantage it provides over other CNC machines of comparable quality. There is no need to create a bespoke tool using laser cutting technology. You do not need to adjust the gadget for any job because no additional cutting tools are required.
Additionally, because there is no physical contact, the surface does not wear out. Because the mechanical parts of the laser cutter are small, maintenance is less expensive than with other machining technologies. The machine also has a lower running cost when compared to standard manufacturing tools.
Used for Jobs with Extreme Complexity
Many tasks that would be too difficult for other cutting technologies are simple for laser cutters. Laser technology can function on even the thinnest edges of materials. While the cut area may be slightly distorted or warped, a laser cutter may swiftly create complicated designs. Laser cutting has a high tolerance level and can accommodate a wide range of materials.
Increased Sheet Utilization with Less Waste
When you utilize a laser cutter with materials, just a small portion of them will go to waste. This distinguishes laser cutting from other machines that use a significant percentage of the material. A laser cutter allows producers to make the most of their materials. The cost of production also falls when resources are used more efficiently and waste is reduced.
Damage Prevention
Another advantage of laser cutting is that it prevents material damage, even in the narrowest materials. Many people feel that the device’s warping or material damage is unavoidable. The conventional perception is that laser cutting involves the use of high heat.
It is important to notice that heat only affects a tiny area of the material and has no effect on its tolerance. The laser cuts through sheets at a rapid pace, thus cutting takes less time. As a result, producers can easily prevent material warping and distortion.
Low Power Consumption
In actuality, cutting with electricity requires a lot of power. The laser cutter, on the other hand, consumes less energy because it has no other movable parts. Machines with moveable parts, on the other hand, are more energy-intensive. Due to the laser cutter cuts through a material really quickly. This helps save time and energy. When energy consumption is reduced, the cost of operating decreases.
Compatible with a Wide Range of Materials
It’s interesting that the machine can work on a wide range of materials. Laser cutting is used for a variety of process, including marking, drilling, and engraving. It’s worth noting that you don’t have to switch or replace tools to complete all of these different tasks.
Laser cutting is capable of cutting more than only metals. It can also cut materials such as wood, aluminum, plastic, copper and brass. Laser cutting is a versatile technology that can quickly cut through practically any type of material. Yonglihao Machinery always uses the best materials to produce high-quality sheet metal manufactured goods.
The Disadvantages of Laser Cutting
Despite the numerous advantages of laser cutting, there are a few drawbacks that you should understand. We will go over some of them below.
Evaporation of Certain Materials
When you cut certain materials, such as plastics, evaporation occurs. This is a serious drawback to laser cutting. Although this disadvantage is manageable, experienced machine operators may readily overcome it. To avoid this issue, the specialists adjust some of the device’s configurations. However, the cost of implementing these modifications is extremely expensive these days.
Requires Technical Expertise
A professional operator is necessary to use all of the machine’s features and detect problems fast. If the device is not properly configured, it will impact the materials and cause considerable damage to the laser cutting. Hiring an operating specialist is crucial, but it costs a lot of money because there are only so many qualified individuals. To save time on commuting, do online meetings using video interviewing software. It will be easier and more flexible.
Limitations on Metal Thickness
Although laser cutting works with practically any material, even sheets. However, it is recommended to use a different technology to cut thick metals. The available machine can be used to identify the thickest sheets, however this requires the presence of a trained operator. Most manufacturers employ a range of 15 to 20 mm on average.
Upfront Costs
If you want to get a laser cutting equipment, you may need to pay a significant amount of money. For example, when comparing plasma cutting to laser cutting, the latter is about twice as expensive. The cost of purchasing the equipment is prohibitively expensive, but you will eventually earn more than that amount.
The Production of Harmful Fumes and Gases
We noted before that laser cutting works with a variety of materials. The fact that laser cutting can be used on practically any material has a disadvantage. Each material that melts during thermal cutting produces gasses and toxic fumes. These hazardous gasses are typically produced when working with polymers.
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Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication Services
Knowing the benefits and drawbacks of laser cutting isn’t enough. In addition, collaborating with the correct production partner is essential. Yonglihao Machinery offers the best sheet metal fabrication services for your project.
In addition, Yonglihao Machinery have a team of experts who are always experienced. They have extensive knowledge of laser cutting and other manufacturing technologies. We guarantee that our sheet metal fabrication services will provide quality products at cheap pricing.
Yonglihao Machinery are also an ISO 9001:2015-certified company. You may be confident that all of our materials and procedures are industry-leading. With DfM analysis, we provide professional recommendations for improving your designs. Contact us today and get a quick quote.
Conclusion
The introduction of laser cutting offers tremendous benefits to the manufacturing industry. The equipment allows for the cutting of multiple materials at once, saving time and money on operations.
In addition, it is also widely used in the aerospace and automotive industries. Understanding the advantages and cons of laser cutting will allow you to make the best decision for your project. Furthermore, you can always contact Yonglihao Machinery for assistance with your laser cutting needs.
FAQ
What Does Laser Cutting Do?
Laser cutting can be used to make some high precision parts. Therefore, it is widely used in various industries such as automotive and aerospace. In addition, it contributes to the achievement of results in accordance with the designs created prior to operating the machine. The laser cutter can cut practically any material, including metals, chrome, aluminum, and plastics.
Is Laser Cutting Expensive?
The machine’s cost is determined by the type of material you intend to cut. This is because different materials require varying watt lasers. For example, cutting difficult woods, metals, and dense materials requires a greater watt laser than cutting thinner ones. In general, laser cutting is pricey. However, if you consider the big picture, it is worthwhile.
Why Is Laser Cutting Ideal for Mass Production?
One advantage of laser cutting is that the machine produces and replicates results with high precision and accuracy. As a manufacturer, you want to make sure your product is of the best quality. This is what laser cutting offers: the ability to produce the same product with precision and accuracy in large quantities. Other advantages of laser cutting include time savings and lower production costs.
What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Laser Beam Machining?
Laser beam machining has numerous benefits, as well as a few small drawbacks. One of the advantages is that it can cut through any material and does not require tooling. Furthermore, it does not wear out the surfaces and operates with excellent accuracy and precision.
The biggest disadvantage of laser beam machining is that it costs a lot of money to maintain. In addition, when plastics are melted, they can emit toxic gasses.