The concept of laser technology can be traced back to the early 1960s, when the first laser was developed. Laser cutting was initially used in scientific research, and then rapidly developed and was applied to the industrial field in the 1970s. Laser cutting is a type of CNC cutting process and is the preferred process for rapid prototyping, machining, and finishing manufacturing projects, and is widely used in various industries.
Introduction to Laser Cutting
Laser cutting is a precise and efficient process that uses a high-powered laser beam to cut materials. The technology uses a focused beam to melt, burn or vaporize the material, resulting in clean, precise cuts.
The Laser Cutting Process
How Laser Cutting Works
Laser cutting works by directing a high-powered laser beam onto the surface of a material, where it either melts, burns, or vaporizes the targeted area, creating a cut. The laser beam is typically focused through a lens or directed by mirrors to achieve the desired precision and intensity. This process is controlled by a computer, which ensures accuracy and consistency, making it ideal for complex and detailed designs.
Key Components of a Laser Cutting System
A laser cutting system consists of several crucial components:
- Laser Generator: Produces the laser beam.
- Cutting Head: Focuses and directs the laser beam onto the material.
- CNC Controller: Controls the movement of the cutting head and the material.
- Assist Gas System: Uses gases like oxygen, nitrogen, or air to blow away molten material and improve cutting quality.
- Cooling System: Prevents overheating of the laser and other components.
Step-by-Step Process of Laser Cutting
- Design Preparation: A CAD (Computer-Aided Design) file is created, specifying the design to be cut.
- Material Positioning: The material to be cut is placed on the cutting bed.
- Laser Alignment: The laser is calibrated and aligned to ensure precision.
- Cutting Execution: The CNC controller guides the laser head to follow the design path, cutting through the material.
- Quality Check: The finished product is inspected for accuracy and quality.
Types of Laser Cutting
Type of Laser Cutter | Mechanism and Features | Common Uses and Advantages |
CO2 Laser Cutters | – Operates using a gas mixture (CO2, nitrogen, helium) excited by an electrical discharge. – Produces a high-intensity infrared light beam. – Suitable for cutting, engraving, and boring. | – Ideal for non-metal materials like wood, acrylic, glass, and plastics. – Capable of high precision and smooth edges. – Cost-effective for medium-thickness materials. |
Fiber Laser Cutters | – Utilizes a solid-state laser where the active gain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth elements. – Generates a high-powered laser beam with excellent beam quality. – Known for high efficiency and maintenance-free operation. | – Best for cutting metals, including steel, aluminum, and brass. – Faster cutting speeds and lower running costs compared to CO2 lasers. – Capable of cutting thin and reflective materials with high accuracy. |
Materials Suitable for Laser Cutting
Metal Materials
Laser cutting is highly effective for various metal materials, including steel, aluminum, and copper. These metals are widely used in industries due to their strength and durability.
-Types of Metals
- Steel: Commonly used in construction, automotive, and machinery.
- Aluminum: Preferred for lightweight and corrosion-resistant applications.
- Copper: Excellent for electrical components due to its conductivity.
-Applications and Benefits
Steel: Ideal for structural components, frames, and enclosures.
Aluminum: Used in aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics.
Copper: Essential for electrical wiring and heat exchangers.
Laser cutting ensures high precision and minimal waste, enhancing productivity and cost-efficiency.
Non-Metal Materials
Laser cutting is also suitable for a variety of non-metal materials, such as plastics, wood, and acrylic.
-Types of Non-Metals
- Plastics: Includes materials like PVC, ABS, and polycarbonate.
- Wood: Types include plywood, MDF, and natural wood.
- Acrylic: Often used for signage and display cases.
-Applications and Benefits
Plastics: Used in packaging, automotive interiors, and consumer products.
Wood: Ideal for furniture, decorative items, and architectural models.
Acrylic: Preferred for clear, durable, and aesthetic display solutions.
Laser cutting of non-metals offers clean edges and intricate designs, making it perfect for detailed and creative projects.
Applications of Laser Cutting
- Signage Manufacturing
Laser cutting has always been the preferred process for stainless steel logos on billboards. Laser cutting can make billboard logos cut more cleanly and smoothly, enhancing the visual appeal of the sign.
- Sheet Metal Processing
Laser cutting is a vital step in sheet metal processing. Precise cutting facilitates subsequent processes such as bending, grinding and welding. Precise laser cutting ensures that metal parts fit perfectly, reducing the need for additional adjustments and improving overall efficiency.
- Enclosure and Cabinet Manufacturing
It can produce the complex shapes and designs that are often required for custom cases and cabinets. The ability to cut materials such as steel and aluminum with high precision ensures that the final product meets strict quality standards. Laser cutting also speeds up the manufacturing process, shortens delivery time and improves productivity.
Benefits of laser cutting
1. High precision. Laser cutting can produce highly accurate cuts with minimal tolerances, ensuring consistent results even for complex designs.
2. Reduced material waste and improved quality of the final product.
3. Versatile, able to cut a wide range of materials, including metal, plastic, and wood.
4. It can reduce production time compared to traditional cutting methods.
5. Improve productivity and save business costs.
Limitations of laser cutting
1. Initial setup costs can be high, which is a significant investment for small businesses
2. The process requires a lot of energy consumption, which can lead to higher operating costs. Some materials, especially those with high reflectivity or low melting points, can be difficult to cut with lasers and may require other methods.
The main disadvantage of laser cutting is the high power consumption. The efficiency of industrial lasers ranges from 5% to 45%. The laser cutting power (called heat input) required for a specific job depends on the material type, thickness, process used (reactive/inert) and the required cutting speed.
Heat input power of CO2 laser cutting machine under different thickness and different materials(W) | |||||
Material | Material Thickness | ||||
Stainless Steel | 0.51mm | 1.0mm | 2.0mm | 3.2mm | 6.4mm |
Aluminum | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1500 | 2500 |
Mild Steel | – | 400 | – | 500 | – |
Titanium | 250 | 210 | 210 | – | – |
Splint | – | – | – | – | 650 |
Boron/Epoxy | – | – | – | 3000 | – |
3. There are safety issues, because laser cutting involves high temperatures and strong light, and appropriate safety measures need to be taken to protect workers. CNC laser cutting is a little safer.
Factors Affecting the Cutting Accuracy of CNC Laser Cutting
1.Size of Laser Condensation from the Laser Generator
If the spot after laser concentration is very small, the cutting accuracy is very high. If the beam emitted by the laser is conical, under this condition, the thicker the workpiece, the lower the accuracy will be, so the larger the slit will be.
2.Precision of the Workbench
A stable and accurately calibrated workbench ensures that the material remains in the correct position throughout the cutting process. Any misalignment or instability can cause the material to move, resulting in inaccurate cuts. High-precision CNC machines often feature advanced workbench designs that minimize vibrations and maintain exact positioning, thus enhancing the overall cutting accuracy.
3.Conical Shape of the Laser Beam
The conical shape of the laser beam can impact the precision of the cut. As the laser beam travels from the generator to the material, it may diverge slightly, forming a conical shape. This divergence can cause variations in the cut width, especially in thicker materials. To mitigate this effect, high-quality lasers and focusing lenses are used to maintain a more parallel beam. Additionally, adjusting the focal length and using beam shaping techniques can help achieve a more uniform cut.
Laser Cutting vs. Laser Milling
Laser Cutting and Laser Milling are both advanced manufacturing processes that utilize laser technology, but they serve different purposes and operate differently:
- Purpose:
- Laser Cutting: Primarily used to slice through materials, creating clean and precise cuts. It is ideal for producing shapes, patterns, and outlines in materials such as metals, plastics, and wood.
- Laser Milling: Used to remove material layer by layer from a surface to achieve a specific shape or depth, similar to traditional milling. It is suitable for creating detailed 3D structures and intricate surface textures.
- Process:
- Laser Cutting: The laser beam cuts entirely through the material, separating it into parts. It is typically used for flat sheets of material.
- Laser Milling: The laser removes material by ablation, gradually eroding the surface to form cavities, channels, or complex 3D shapes.
- Applications:
- Laser Cutting: Commonly used in manufacturing for tasks such as sheet metal cutting, signage production, and creating components with fine details.
- Laser Milling: Often used in creating molds, dies, and detailed engravings, as well as in industries requiring high-precision surface modifications.
Conclusion
Laser cutting is a high-precision and high-accuracy processing technology, which plays an important role in rapid prototyping. EAISIAHOME is one of the most powerful CNC machining manufacturers in China, with experienced CNC engineers and product developers, who can help you solve technical problems in product manufacturing in one stop.
