Laser Cutting Primer

A laser cutter uses a laser beam to cut through a material with the help of a computer system to give the laser cutter instructions. The laser nears the material undergoing cutting from the side. If there is no edge of an object to approach, then a piercing can be made. The laser beam is pulsed and concentrated onto the material to be sliced so that a puncture is made and cutting can be continued. Oftentimes, a spray of air, oil or water onto the object occurs subsequent to the cutting to clean away left-behind steel. It can additionally prevent “splash back” of material onto the cutting lens. Laser beams are focused by means of lenses. A laser beam can be focused enough to be 0.004 inch. Lasers require a vast amount of energy to perform. This may be the sole disadvantage that they hold in the manufacturing environment. Lasers can slice a large amount of materials including steel, wood, aluminum foam, plastic, fabric, leather, vinyl, paper, rubber, acrylic, film, ceramics and glass.

Laser Types

One category of laser is a CO2 laser. In this type of laser, a mixture of gas is brought to an energized level so that the laser to perform. The mixture holds the elements nitrogen, carbon and helium. Another type of laser used in laser cutting is a neodymium (Nd) laser. This laser employs the exact employability as the CO2 laser, but employs a crystal with small quantities of neodymium in it instead of a mixture of gas for the medium. A third type of laser is the laser referred to as neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd-YAG). The difference between this laser and the neodymium laser is just in employability. The neodymium laser has a slow speed of repetition and can be used in high energy uses and for boring. Nd-YAG is employed for engraving and boring but is very high energy.

Methods of Cutting

There are many methods that a laser slices an object. In vaporization, which is for materials like non-ferrous metals, the material is heated quicker than it can dissipate the heat and vaporization occurs. The material reaches an extremely high temperature, 50,000 degrees, the cut or kerf becomes longer, and vaporization continues. In the cutting process referred to as melt and blow, a high pressure gas blows the molten material away from the cutting zone. The cutting material is usually a metal. In thermal stress cracking, a brittle material meets with the laser’s heat and a stress crack is produced. The crack is followed through with the laser beam to continue the cut. This process is usually used during cutting of glass. There are several other methods of cutting with a laser as well.

Advantages of Using a Laser Cutter

By using a laser beam to slice, the object is not contaminated during the cutting action since the material being cut does not meet with a cutting tool. The employment of the laser cutter also speeds up the production line processes. The light beam is also very accurate, offering an extremely decisive cut. There is less erosion on the machinery involved since there is no laser wear. This also saves on costs since there is less repair involved in the machinery. From cutting to engraving, laser cutters have several applications and there are many advantages to employing a laser in the process of cutting in a manufacturing environment.

Marc Anderes is a co-founder of Maloya Laser which specializes in Metal Manufacturing and Laser Cutting with advanced laser technologies, targeting aerospace, scientific, transportation, medical and machinery needs.