What Is Laser Cutting And How Is It Used In Metalworking?

Laser cutting, as futuristic as it sounds, is the technology that uses a laser to cut metal

. It is a process predominantly used in the industrial manufacturing realm. Industrial laser cutters are used mostly to cut flat sheet material, structural materials or piping metals. The laser cuts the material by burning, melting, or blowing it away. Most people don't know that the word laser is an acronym that stands for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation." Laser formation involves the controlled channeling of these emissions. It is manifested in the form of a low divergence beam that can be manipulated with various reflective surfaces.

A laser beam is generated by stimulating a lasing material by electrical discharges or lamps within a closed container. There are many different ways to produce a laser beam, and there are similarly different types of procedures that these lasers employ to cut different material. Here is a partial list of the methods: vaporization, melt and blow, melt blow and burn, thermal stress cracking, scribing, cold cutting and burning stabilized laser cutting.

What are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Laser Cutting?:

During mechanical cutting, by saw, for example, machines can be contaminated by the materials they are cutting and can also be dulled by frequent extended use. Lasers do not dull, and are not contaminated by the materials they are cutting. Precision in laser beams is also higher than that of typical industrial cutting materials. Exact measurements in cutting can be more accurately achieved. In short, custom laser cutting produces greater consistency from part to part, and allows for more accurate replication of these exact results.

Laser cutting also gives you cleaner, burr-free cuts, quicker production, minimal operator intervention (which means there is less likelihood of human error), and greater accuracy means less wasted metal and lower costs to the manufacturer.

Mechanical cutting, on the other hand, is relatively simple machining by comparison, and requires less energy than laser cutting. This demand for energy is the the main weakness in the laser cutting process. The other consideration is that the laser cutting process requires cooling. The coolant, in this case, is typically water, and it is easily obtained and utilized. In most laser cutting procedures, water is a commonly used coolant, and is circulated through a chiller or heat transfer system.

What are the Types of Laser Cutting?:

There are three main types of laser cutting; CO2, "Nd," and "Nd-YAG." The CO2 laser is used to cut, bore, or engrave. "Nd" cutting is used for boring when there are high-energy requirements but low repetition. "Nd-YAG" laser is used where high power is needed. Each type of laser can also be used for welding. A typical laser machining apparatus consists of a power supply for producing a laser beam, a work piece positioning table, laser material, a method of stimulation, mirrors, and a focusing lens. The work piece is fixated by straps, clamps, tabs, magnets, or suction cups.

by: Tom Bonine

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