Surface microstructural change of materials cannot occur unless they undergo cutting processes. One of the major techniques for cutting materials for machining is laser cutting. It helps to create patterns according to designs and required outcomes. This process involves melting, burning, and vaporizing materials in the presence of a powerful laser beam. While this process is very effective, it is essential to understand the various laser cutting advantages and disadvantages.
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The cutting process is successful with the help of a laser cutter which uses a thin laser beam by focusing on the material. However, before you can start cutting, there must have been a specified target you have in mind based on your designs or patterns. Manufacturers find it hard to cut through some hard materials. However, with the introduction of a laser cutter, it is now easy.
Here, we will guide you through what you need to know about laser cutting. It also covers how it works and the advantages and disadvantages of laser cutting.
Many manufacturing industries use computer numerical control machines nowadays to speed up their production processes. These machines use several processes, and one of them is laser cutting. All computer numerical control machines involve giving commands to machines after transforming the digitalized drawing into a computer language.
This language gives the device the instruction needed for executing the designs. The relationship between the language and the machine is like when you send a picture to a printer. Also, this is the same way laser cutting machines work, and they can execute the designs in a short time.
The laser cutting product design allows it to use 2D vector files for guiding lasers. It is made up of a laser resonator. This resonator has glass fibers or sometimes may contain a gas mixture of crystal bodies. The constituent resonator depends on the designer&#;s method to cut the materials. The application of the energy to the mix will begin the process of cutting. Then, the laser is focused after sending the mixture through different mirror lenses.
Before diving into laser cutting advantages and disadvantages, it is essential to understand how it works. The way how laser cutting machines work is similar to CNC machines work, but it uses a high-power laser. The laser will guide the material or beam by directing itself through CNC and optics. The device will use the CNC, or G-code provided, to cut into the material and control the motion.
Melting, vaporizing, and burning the material will occur after focusing the laser beam. Also, you can acquire a finished edge surface of high quality when you blow the material with a jet of gas. The creation of a laser beam occurs in a closed container by stimulating lasing materials through lamps or electrical discharge.
The amplification of the lasing materials then takes place after reflecting internally through a partial mirror. The phenomenon continues until enough energy is built up in the form of a stream of coherent monochromatic light to allow for its escape. The intensity of the light increases after using fiber optics or mirrors to focus on the work area.
The diameter of a laser beam is below 0.32 mm at its thinnest edge. In contrast, there is a possibility of the kerf width to be as little as 0.10 mm. This, however, depends on the thickness of the material. If the cutting of the material with the laser cutting machine will not begin from the material&#;s edge, then use the piercing process.
The piercing process allows the laser to make a hole in the material using high power. For instance, burning through a 13 mm stainless steel sheet will take 5 to 15 seconds.
The advantages of laser cutting technology are enormous. Some of these advantages are discussed below:
The precision at which the laser cuts into materials is high, and it is by delivering a focused beam of light. The laser is powerful and small, but the accuracy with which it melts and evaporates materials is unparalleled. Most times, the tolerance range of the laser is from 0.003 mm to 0.006 mm.
The tolerance level of a plasma cutter is around 0.02 mm, which is higher than that of laser cutting. Likewise, other cutting tools have tolerance levels between 1 to 3 mm and above. Suppose there is a need for a machine with high precision and accuracy during manufacturing processes. In that case, the go-to tool is usually laser cutters. Thus, the aerospace industry that requires a tight tolerance level uses laser cutting.
The economic edge laser cutting has over other CNC machines of the same caliber is one of the advantages of laser technology. There is no need to build a custom tool with the laser cutting technology. You do not also need to modify the device for any project since no extra cutting tools are needed.
Also, there is no wearing out of the surface since there is no physical contact. The cost of maintenance is less than other machining technologies since the laser cutter&#;s mechanical parts are not much. The cost of operating the machine is also lesser compared to traditional tools for manufacturing.
Many jobs that may be too complex for other cutting technologies are simple for laser cutters. The laser technology can work on the thinnest edge of a material. While the cut area may experience a slight distortion or warping, you can quickly produce complex geometries using a laser cutter. The tolerance level of laser cutting is broad, and it can accommodate a large number of materials.
When you use a laser cutter with materials, just a tiny amount of the materials will go to waste. This makes laser cutting stand out from other machines with a considerable portion of the material. With a laser cutter, manufacturers can make maximum use of materials. The cost of production also decreases due to the higher utilization of the resources and less waste material.
Another advantage of laser cutting is avoiding damages, even to the narrowest materials. Many people tend to believe the misinformation about the device that warping or damaging the materials is unavoidable. The popular belief has the premise of using high heat in the laser cutting process. You should note that heat affects only a small area of the material and does not affect the tolerance. The speed at which the laser cuts through sheets is breakneck, so cutting takes lesser time. Therefore, manufacturers can easily avoid warping and distortion.
In reality, you need much power to effect cutting with power. However, the laser cutter not having any other movable parts reduces the energy consumed. In contrast, machines with movable parts tend to consume more energy. Also, the time it takes for the laser cutter to cut through a material is very fast. This helps save time and power. When there is a decrease in the energy consumed, the cost of operation also reduces.
The ability of the machine to work on an extensive array of materials is interesting. Besides cutting materials, laser cutting helps with other processes like marking, drilling, and engraving. It is worthy of note that you do not need to switch or replace tools to do all these different works.
Laser cutting does not limit itself to cutting metals alone. Other laser cutting materials include wood, aluminum, plastic, copper, and brass. Laser cutting is a versatile process since it can easily cut through almost all different kinds of materials. A bonus tip: RapidDirect always takes advantages of the best material to manufacture high precision sheet metal fabricated products.
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Despite the many benefits of laser cutting, it also has a few downsides you should know. We will discuss some of them below.
When you cut some materials such as plastics, evaporation tends to occur. This is a significant downside to laser cutting. Although this disadvantage is manageable, professional machine operators can easily maneuver the disadvantage. The professionals change some of the arrangements of the device to prevent this problem. However, the cost of actualizing these changes is very high these days.
A professional operator is required to use all the machine&#;s features and identify a problem quickly. If the device is not set up correctly, it will affect the materials and cause more significant damage to the laser cutting. Hiring an operating specialist is essential, and this comes with a lot of money since there is a limit to qualified professionals available. To save time on commuting, you can have online meetings through video interviewing software; it would be easier and more flexible.
Although laser cutting is compatible with almost every material, including sheets, it is preferable to use another system to cut thick metals. You can determine the thickest sheets from the available machine, which also requires the presence of a specialist operator. The most comprehensive range most manufacturing companies use is 15 to 20 mm on average.
If you want to procure a laser cutting machine, you may have to spend a large sum of money. For example, when you compare plasma cutting with laser cutting, the latter costs almost two times plasma cutting. The money needed for getting the machine is very high, although you will later make more than that in the long run.
We mentioned earlier that laser cutting is compatible with various materials. The compatibility of laser cutting with almost all materials has a downside to it. Each material that will melt during the thermal cutting leads to gases and harmful fumes. The production of these toxic gases is usually typical when the material you are working with is plastics.
Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of laser cutting is not enough, working with the right manufacturing partner is also crucial. RapidDirect provides the best sheet metal fabrication serivces for your projects. RapidDirect boasts highly skilled technicians who have proficient knowledge of laser cutting and other fabricating technologies. We ensure that our sheet metal fabrication services give quality parts at competitive prices.
We are also an ISO : certified company. Therefore, you can be sure that all our materials and techniques are industry-leading. With DfM analysis, we offer professional suggestions to improve your designs. Upload your design model today to get an instant quote.
The introduction of laser cutting provides immeasurable benefits for the manufacturing industries. The machine helps cut many materials within a period, thereby saving time and reducing the cost of operation. It also has widespread usage in industries such as aerospace and automotive industries. Understanding the laser cutting advantages and disadvantages will help you make the best choice for your project. Moreover, you can always contact RapidDirect for help with your laser cutting services.
Laser cutting helps produce some fantastic products, and it is used in many industries such as the automotive and aerospace industries. It helps achieve results according to the designs made before operating the machine. The laser cutter can cut through almost all materials, including metals, chrome, aluminum, and plastics.
Is Laser Cutting Expensive?The cost of the machine depends on the kind of material you want to use it to cut because different materials require different watt lasers. For example, the type of watt laser required for cutting rugged woods, metals, and dense materials is higher than those needed to cut thinner materials. Generally, laser cutting is costly. However, if you look at the bigger picture, it is worth it.
Why is Laser Cutting Perfect for Mass Production?One of the advantages of using laser cutting is the high precision and accuracy of the machine in producing and replicating results. As a manufacturing industry, when making a product, you will want to ensure it is of the highest quality. This is what laser cutting offers, producing the same product with precision and accuracy in high volume. Other advantages such as the time saving and reducing the cost of production are other things that make laser cutting perfect for mass production.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Laser Beam Machining?Laser beam machining has many advantages, and there are some minor disadvantages. Some of the benefits include that it can cut through all materials and does not require tooling costs. Also, it does not experience wearing out of the surfaces and works with high accuracy and precision. The major disadvantage of laser beam machining is that it requires a massive amount of money to maintain. It can also produce harmful gases when melting plastics.
If you&#;re looking to make your business more efficient and streamlined, laser cutting can help you. Compared to mechanical cutting, it can save your business a significant amount of time due to its high cutting speed.
On the contrary, compared to other cutting methods, this process can hold some downsides, like a required skill set to operate. Therefore, it can be beneficial and a hindrance to you if you&#;re in the automotive, medical, woodwork, painting, HVAC, packaging, and electronic industries.
These aren&#;t the only industries that adopt laser cutting technology; there are a lot more due to the advantages laser cutting offers.
Laser cutting is gaining major attraction, and it&#;s forecasted to be around $6.44 billion by . This figure is a massive example of why laser cutters are taking the lead over more traditional methods.
But to know if you should adopt this approach for your business over other types, you must look at laser technology more in-depth. Therefore, this post will cover more about what it is, its advantages and disadvantages, and how to choose the right one.
Laser cutting is a process that uses laser technology to cut materials. The laser produces a focused beam of intense light, which cuts through the material at very high temperatures.
This technology has been around since the mid-s, offering an incredibly precise and efficient method to work with various materials, even those that are very delicate. To use laser cutters, operators must load pre-programmed instructions into the machines. Hence, it knows where and how to accurately direct laser beams for maximum efficiency for each material type.
Today&#;s laser cutting machines offer higher speeds and capabilities than ever before, allowing them to produce highly sophisticated designs with near perfection. High accuracy and repeatability levels make it easy to see why Laser Cutting has become so popular across many industries.
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The main way laser technology operates is its extremely precise high-power laser distributed through an optic. It then strictly follows a CNC or C-code of the required design or pattern that needs to be cut onto the materials.
The laser beam at its narrowest is under 0. inches/0.32 mm in diameter and has key widths as little as 0.004 inches/0.10mm depending on the cutting materials. As soon as it focuses on the material, it burns through it. After that, the material melts and vaporizes, creating a premium cut and smooth edge.
Once a laser cutting machine starts, it typically follows a set computer program. Computer programs on these machines will go into specific details, requesting the person to input information about the type of metal or material and the pattern it needs to cut.
Laser beams differ slightly due to the material and intended result. Based on the pattern you require, the laser beam will move around at different points and change based on its focal length. It does this to achieve different cutting layers and depths of the material. This is especially beneficial if you&#;re in the medical industry, as it has a lot of precision.
There are three different types of laser cutters that you can use for your business:
The CO2 laser cutter is one of the most popular types as they&#;re the most cost-effective to buy. Their primary use is for cutting metals due to their ability to cut through strong materials. A Co2 laser has a long vacuum-sealed tube containing gas, most carbon dioxide, and nitrogen mixed in. As soon as the tube comes into contact with electricity, the molecular gas becomes stimulated, and intense light is emitted.
Once the light exits the tube, it&#;s redirected by mirrors through a lens onto the material. By this point, the material it&#;s focused on becomes very hot, causing the laser to cut through the material due to thermal separation.
These laser cutters generate different light beams and tend to cut through much stronger and thicker metals using smaller wavelengths. They tend to have a higher intensity than others and have higher power.
Fiber laser cutters operate in a similar way to fiber optic lights. This is because light enters a glass tube with different types of glass with reflective properties. The light tends to bounce down the tube, gaining strength as it moves.
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Moreover, the fiber optics cause the laser to reduce down to a smaller yet finer diameter creating greater details and precision when cutting and engraving. Today, fiber lasers can cut up to 2&#; of material. As fiber lasers tend to have high precision, they&#;re much bigger and more expensive. Compared to other cutters, they don&#;t need as much maintenance or replacement parts.
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This cutting method boasts lots of advantages, such as:
These laser cutters offer more precision than other thermal cutters on the market. On average, an efficient laser cutter has an accuracy of +/-0.1 mm, providing opportunities for high precision without having to intervene during the process or afterward. This means a laser cutting machine can consistently produce good replicas if required.
When comparing laser cutting services next to other methods, it&#;s a lot faster, especially when you wish to create more complex cuts. It is also quicker to cut thick materials than a typical plasma or flame cutter.
One of the major advantages of this machine is that it requires less manpower to operate it. You only need an experienced machine operator to oversee the machine, the product&#;s final quality, and the cutting seed. In comparison, it needs less labor and upfront costs to intervene at each stage. Similarly, some machines also have feeding systems and follow-up conveyors, making them operate more quickly.
With laser cutting, there&#;s no need to worry about quality. They often produce cuts of a higher standard compared to other machines. They often don&#;t need additional processing, and materials are less likely to be damaged or deformed. This is because these machines have a small heat-affected zone, which allows you to produce more reliable and consistent parts.
These cutting tools are often contactless, making them subject to less wear and tear. Because of this, you don&#;t need to replace the tools quickly, as they don&#;t wear out easily. This saves you time, and the materials you cut into are consistent with quality.
Due to the efficient technology in laser cutters, you don&#;t need to worry about your system going down. The technology is straightforward and high-end; you can set up the machine and use the program immediately. With this machine, you don&#;t need to worry about significant backups or delays.
Unlike typical processes with laser cutting technology, there&#;s little mess behind the production process. There&#;s no deburr or sanding at the end, as the laser produces a smooth finish when it comes to the cut. The products often have such high quality at the end that you can send them straight off to shipping (if you wish).
If you find you have a sudden change in design or want to make changes during the middle of production, you can do. These machines can quickly pivot and adapt to your changes as soon as you input them into the software.
When purchasing a laser cutter, you should also consider the disadvantages. They are:
Depending on the laser used, the machine may need more energy to operate it. Moreover, a thicker material like metal could take up a lot of power and resources to cut into.
While these machines have less manpower to operate them, they still need skilled and experienced operators. Experienced operators running these machines are quite costly to hire. These professionals must know how to utilize them properly, looking at the efficiency, cut, and quality. However, hiring the right one can save you time and headaches during the entire process.
Compared to other cutting, and thermal methods, it&#;s difficult for this machine to cut thick plates. The amount of thickness it can cut into is all based on the machine type and operator using it. If you do use thick materials with this machine, its speed can be reduced drastically.
Sometimes the fumes this machine produces can be dangerous if you inhale them. Depending on the material the machine is cutting, toxic fumes can occur, which may require good ventilation to get rid of them. Therefore if you&#;re cutting plastic, you&#;ll need to invest in a good ventilation system to eliminate the fumes.
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If you&#;re looking to buy a good laser cutter, you&#;ll want to consider the following before purchasing:
One of the first things to consider is the power output of the cutter. By knowing the power, you&#;ll be able to determine the number of materials it can cut and the thickness of the material. Therefore, knowing the power will give you a good indicator of the machine&#;s suitability for your manufacturing process.
Another heavy influence over your choice of laser cutting machine is your budget. You&#;ll want to look at the overall cost of the machine to help you decide. Some companies also provide options to customize your machine based on your requirements.
When using a good laser cutting machine, you&#;ll want it to run as long as possible to maximize your business&#;s efficiency. Depending on the machine, excessive heat can be generated due to the current and friction from moving parts. To avoid overheating, you should see if the machine has a built-in cooling system or a high-quality chiller to stop the machine from overheating and breaking.
To ensure consistent and well-cut materials, you should buy machines of the highest quality. Yet, when it comes to this industry, there are many counterfeit ones causing difficulties with operations. To avoid this, you should buy certified ones from well-known companies.
While many laser cutting machines come with a variety of software, you&#;ll want to pick the one that is easier for you and your staff to use. Alongside this, you should look for software that includes the features you need for your machine, i.e., units to save you from conversions, materials, etc.
Another vital factor to take into account is the bed size the machine can handle. This term covers the dimensions of the area where the material you&#;re using to cut sits. The larger the bed size, the more room the machine will have to cut bigger materials in one go. Therefore, you&#;ll want to pay close attention to the bed size based on the model of the laser cutting machine.
Before buying any machine, you&#;ll want to see how much room you have in your factory or production area. Once you have an idea, you should know the floor size of the machine to give you further insight if it fits well easily.
Some laser cutting machines come with add-ons to enhance your cutting. For instance, some have rotary tools to help engrave round objects more easily. Others come with additional software features and more.
Ideally, the best cutters are the ones that don&#;t need much maintenance. However, every machine requires some care to function correctly. To know the scope of work involved, you&#;ll want to read the manual before buying.
To ensure you get the most out of your laser cutter, you may want to do the following:
Before using any laser cutter, you must have the right material. Material qualities can be opaque, translucent, rigid, flexible, etc. Therefore you&#;ll want to know the properties of the material first. Think about the design guidelines, the thickness of the material, and the color. Then once you&#;ve selected the suitable material, look at the machine to see if it works well with it.
While many laser cutting machines can allow you to cut through thick materials and large quantities, you&#;ll want to know the size of the laser cutting material. After all, the size of the material can dedicate the size and scope of the project. Therefore you&#;ll want to look at the dimensions suggested in the materials design guidelines first.
You&#;ll want to consider the minimum spacing required when using the machine. Spacing is important as it can reduce the likelihood of errors and help you achieve the best results in laser cutting. It&#;s essential to know the minimum spacing in the middle of two paths must be equal to your material thickness. Following this will make your object more resistant and less likely to break under the machine.
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Laser cutting has many advantages and disadvantages; however, the benefits outweigh the downsides. While laser cutters can be expensive for your business initially, they&#;re a worthwhile investment as they require less manpower.
Other laser cutting advantages exist. These machines are responsive and come with some of the world&#;s best technology built into them. Due to the software they use, there&#;s little setup time required, and they are easy to use by a skilled operator.
The software these machines use makes them highly versatile, allowing you to change mid-production if needed. They can also run independently with little supervision, so these machines are less subject to wear and tear than other cutting methods. Moreover, they&#;re highly accurate and provide clean cuts with smooth edges compared to other machines.
Like all machines, they have a few downsides like the cost to buy, toxic fumes, expertise involved to run, and high power used. However, these are cons that you can easily solve in the long run.
When buying a laser cutter, you&#;ll want to consider the price, floor space, ventilation, maintenance, software requirements, and more. At Baison Laser, we can help find the right laser based on your needs; contact us for an application evaluation.
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