Industrial manufacturing usually uses subtractive manufacturing processes to fabricate products. Sheet metal laser cutting, a critical production step, is a prime example of such a process. The process focuses a laser beam on the surface of the material. It is then caused to burn, vaporize or melt and produce the desired result.
Because laser cutting is a precise technique. So it simplifies the difficulty of manufacturing complex components. Yonglihao Machinery can provide you with high quality metal laser cutting services. Keep reading to learn about sheet metal sheet metal laser cutting.
Table of Contents
What is Sheet Metal Laser Cutting?
Sheet metal fabrication is one of the most common industrial manufacturing processes. As a result, sheet metal laser cutting appears to be among the most popular methods. Laser cutting uses a high-power light beam (laser) to cut flat and thin metal sheets. The process is guided by optics and computer numerical control (CNC) technology. This is the reason why laser cut parts have high precision.
History of Sheet Metal Laser Cutting
Laser cutting technology has been around for more than 60 years. The first attempts to cut metal sheets date back to 1960. By 1964, CO2 lasers were being used for precise features like welding clock springs. Laser cutting offers the advantages of automation and high precision over other cutting methods. This makes it popular for sensitive manufacturing and mass production.
Fibre lasers were originally manufactured in the 1960s. However, it wasn’t until the late 1980s that they were commercially available. The 1990s are recognized as the golden age of laser technology. Because they saw the introduction of various high-power lasers, such as solid-state lasers. Which greatly enhanced efficiency and production. By the early 2000s, laser cutting services had become a widely accepted manufacturing technology for a variety of industries, including automotive and aerospace.
Types of Lasers for Sheet Metal Cutting
There are three types of lasers used to cut materials in industrial manufacturing. Each laser cutter has unique characteristics that set it apart from the others. With that said, here’s a complete overview of the three types of laser cutters.
Fiber Lasers
Fibre laser cutting equipment is among the most powerful precision cutting instruments. They are solid-state lasers that use seed lasers to magnify the beam through specific glass fibres. They are effective at cutting metals, alloys, and nonmetals like glass, plastics, and wood. Aside from simple cutting activities, they are appropriate for metal engraving and annealing.
Fibre lasers have a larger kerf than other lasers due to their higher power. They have a lengthy service life of at least 25,000 hours and hence require less maintenance. They generate some of the most durable and robust beams. However, they are best suited to cut to materials with less than 20 mm thickness.
CO₂ Lasers
CO2 lasers generate light beams by passing electricity through a tube containing a gas mixture. The gas mixture consists mainly of carbon dioxide and noble gases. Helium and nitrogen, in particular, are the most commonly used gases in lasers.
However, they are less powerful than fibre lasers. CO₂ laser devices can only cut nonmetal materials such as wood, acrylic, and plastic. In some cases, they can also be used for laser cutting of sheet metal. Examples include thin aluminium sheets and other non-ferrous metals.
Crystal Lasers
Crystal laser cutters are available in two forms: Nd: YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet) and Me: YVO (neodymium-doped yttrium ortho vanadate, YVO4) crystals. Both are extremely powerful cutting machines. However, they are rather expensive and have just half the life expectancy of fibre lasers (8,000 to 15,000 hours). They cut coated and uncoated metals, non-metals and polymers. In addition, crystal lasers can cut ceramics under certain conditions.
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Three Sheet Metal Laser Cutting Processes
Laser cutting sheet metal is a thermal process that uses a laser beam to cut away portions of a metal sheet. There are three main methods for cutting sheet metal.
Laser Beam Fusion Cutting
Fusion cutting employs an inert cutting gas, often nitrogen or argon, to propel molten material from the cutting torch. The use of inert gas avoids oxidation at the cutting edge without interfering with the process. The procedure is appropriate for flat and thin sheets, as well as for materials that must fulfil high visual standards with minimal post-processing.
Laser Beam Flame Cutting
The molten material is expelled using oxygen gas during laser beam flame cutting. It creates an exothermic reaction, increasing the overall energy input of the operation. The method is suited for cutting mild steel and other sheet metals, as well as fusible materials such as ceramics.
Laser beam sublimation cutting
This type of laser cutting uses the laser to vaporize portions of the material that are less melted. Similar to fusion cutting, inert gases such as nitrogen, helium, or argon are used as cutting gases to ensure that the cutting edges are devoid of oxidants. Although sluggish, it generates high-quality edges for precise cutting.
Advantages of Sheet Metal Laser Cutting
Here are five significant benefits of this production approach:
High Precision Cuts
Laser-cutting manufacturing uses a light beam to cut metals with extreme precision. The laser melts and evaporates materials with greater accuracy and precision than many conventional cutting processes. Some die cutting equipment have tolerance levels of 1 to 3 mm. However, laser cutters may cut with accuracy as low as 0.003mm.
High Sheet Utilization
Laser cutters enable the utilization of a substantial percentage of the fabrication materials. The process leaves little or no room for waste. Because the machine maximizes the amount of useable parts on the metal sheet. As a result, you don’t have to worry about giving excess materials. You can purchase the correct amount and be confident that it will be sufficient.
Extreme Cutting Versatility
Laser cutting processes are extremely adaptable and versatile. A single laser cutter works well for a variety of cutting tasks. Such as simple cuts, sophisticated cuts with detailed details, marks, drilling, and engravings. As a result, manufacturers are not required to replace tooling at regular intervals during the process.
Low Power Utilization
In contrast to certain other cutting equipment, laser cutters do not require the movement of separate sections of the device. This enables them to efficiently chop out chunks of material without using too much energy. While laser cutters can operate on 10kW of energy. But most other operations can take up to five times that amount.
Little or No Damage
Perhaps you believe that exposing materials to heat during laser cutting will result in warping, distortion, or even total damage. Well, this is not true. Heat-affected parts in laser cutting are minor and pose little hazard to feature or component tolerance following fabrication.
Disadvantages of Sheet Metal Laser Cutting
Despite its many advantages, laser cutting sheet metal has several drawbacks. Let us discuss these.
Need for a Specialist Operator
To fully utilize your laser cutters, you may need to hire an expert to operate the machine for part creation. An expert, for example, will rapidly notice a mistake or an incorrect setup that could jeopardize production processes or even the machine’s integrity.
Limits on Metal Thickness
Although laser cutting works well with a wide range of materials, including metal sheets. However, it is best to use other cutting methods when working with thick metals. Typical laser cutters are ideal for cutting aluminium sheets with a maximum thickness of 15 mm and steel with a thickness of 6 mm.
Harmful Gases
When cutting plastic, laser cutters emit large amounts of hazardous fumes. This is because they melt and evaporate the plastic substance. As a result, it is critical to perform laser cutting in a well-ventilated area or a safe work environment.
High Initial Investment
Top-quality laser cutters are expensive. A basic laser cutter can cost around $3000, which is twice as much as waterjet or plasma cutters. Therefore, engaging in laser cutting services as a business requires a significant initial expenditure.
Design Tip for Laser Cutting Parts
For an effective and efficient usage of laser cutting services on your items. You must follow the tips listed below when designing your laser cutting product.
The Metal to Be Cut Should not Be Too Thick.
Thickness is an important component to consider in laser cutting operations. It is directly related to the power of the laser. As a result, as the thickness increases, the laser’s ability to penetrate and cut the material decreases. However, boosting the laser’s power may enhance the possibility of cutting such material.
Remember the Kerf
The laser’s design necessitates a consideration of what is known as Kerf. Kerf is the substance that evaporates as the laser beam strikes the laser cutting material. It’s not just in laser cutting. It’s seen in other subtractive machining procedures. Kerf laser cutting is caused by the thickness of the laser beam. So, it is vital to consider this throughout the design stage.
Choose the Right Material
The most critical consideration before performing a laser cutting operation is selecting the appropriate material. Choosing a material is determined by the attributes desired for the finished product. Material qualities, such as stiffness, translucency, and elasticity, vary. Yonglihao Machinery offers a variety of sheet metal laser cutting options, as well as plastics and paper.
Spacings Are Important
To eliminate errors and provide the finest possible results, laser cutting requires precise spacing. The minimum gap should equal the material’s thickness. For example, in sheet metal laser cutting, if the sheet metal is 2 mm thick. Then the distance between the two routes should be 2 mm. It is especially vital if you plan to work on various laser cut sheet metal designs.
Convert Your Text into Anchor Points and Curves
Not all laser operations involve text cutting. If you must include text, make sure the letters are spaced apart and in large font. This ensures a smoother operation and the greatest results. If the letters are near together, they may overlap. It will result in an unintelligible inscription.
Should I Invest in a Laser Cutting Machine or Select a Service?
Laser cutting services are vital to a wide range of industrial processes. Whether it’s small equipment manufacturing or large organizations such as the aerospace and automotive industries. The technique is a highly successful and efficient procedure that may be used with a wide variety of materials.
However, the wise choice for small-scale manufacturing enterprises is to choose a service rather than investing in a machine. Because this is an amazing method to save money while still providing quality to clients. However, if there is more money, investing in laser cutting equipment may be very beneficial. This is because the instrument offers several advantages.
Anyway, the choice is entirely up to the producers. If you decide to hire a service, contact Yonglihao Machinery. Yonglihao Machinery can provide you with high quality laser cutting services.
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Why Choose Yonglihao Machinery?
Are you seeking a firm that can ensure high-quality laser cutting services? Then Yonglihao Machinery is the ideal solution for your fabrication needs.
We are a reputable firm that offers sheet metal fabrication services for rapid prototype and custom production. We guarantee high quality sheet metal laser cutting services. In addition, we can provide cost-effective on-demand solutions according to your requirements.
We also provide both low-volume prototypes and large-scale production. With Yonglihao Machinery, you can be confident that your products will be free of sheet metal fabrication issues. Especially when working with unique items with complicated details. Furthermore, we provide top-tier CNC services, 3D printing, and die casting services.
Alternatives for Laser Cutting
If you don’t want to employ laser cutting and aren’t sure how to cut forms out of sheet metal. Then here are some high-end alternatives for your production needs.
EDM
Wire EDM works similarly to laser cutting. This is because it also uses heat to remove material. It employs electrical discharges (sparks) to cut the desired shape from a material. When compared to laser cutting, EDM produces a smoother surface finish with a smaller heat impacted zone. It can also be used to cut through tough materials.
CNC Milling
CNC milling uses high-speed rotary cutters to shape materials. Milling operations work well with metals, alloys, and nonmetals. They are a high-precision subtractive manufacturing technology, similar to laser cutting. The major difference between the two methods is that milling employs cutting tools – revolving cutters – to carve out or shape designs. Laser cutting uses light beams to melt or burn off design shapes.
Plasma Cutting
Plasma cutting is a process that uses a stream of hot ion gas to cut sheet metal. An electric spark generates a large amount of heat in a compressed gas, such as air, hydrogen or argon, which causes atoms to move. The molecules then keep hitting each other, separating them from the gas. Compared to a laser cutter, a plasma cutter can cut much thicker metals.
Conclusion
Laser cutting is a technology used in rapid prototyping to cut materials. This page discussed the operation, its history, several types, and other information you may be familiar with. We trust you learnt something about laser cutting. However, you can rely on Yonglihao Machinery to provide the best laser cutting services.