Laser Cutting Process

Laser cutting is the most precise process for cuts on almost all types of materials. It makes use of a high-powered laser to cut the material to the exact specifications that are set in the controlling software. The laser cutting machines follow the instructions that are fed in it to produce the desired cut. The software converts the digital settings before the laser administers them to deliver precise and clean cuts. The laser converting applications are utilized for drilling, laser welding, laser ablations, laser etches, scores, laser perforation, kiss-cuts, and cuts.

The laser cutting process is more efficient than mechanical cutting and tooling because it is more accurate and costs less. The digital control supports easy cutting pattern changes and unlimited cutting paths that wouldn’t be practical while using a mechanical machine. To perform the task, the laser melts, burns, or vaporizes the material and leaves behind a sharp and clean edge. The materials that can be processed through laser include photovoltaics, metals, abrasives, textiles, films, plastics, adhesive tapes, paper, and paper board. However, the area of specialization for Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Indiana is steel laser cutting. The company can work on virtually any type of project that requires this technique.

There are basically two types of lasers that are used in cutting services. These include the YAG laser and the CO2 laser. The primary use of the CO2 laser is to cut, bore, and even engrave. The experts use radio frequency energy to create these lasers. You can use them to cut stainless steel, aluminum material, and mild steel among others. The CO2 laser comes in four different variants which include slab, transverse flow, slow axial flow, and fast axial flow.

Axial flow resonators normally circulate a mixture of nitrogen, helium, and carbon dioxide with a blower or turbine at various velocities. On the other hand, the transverse flow lasers typically circulate the mix much slower. The slab resonators possess the static gas fields that don’t require pressurization. The YAG lasers are utilized for extremely high-power engraving and boring. YAG lasers are very powerful and hence can engrave strong materials such as ceramics and metal.

To produce the laser beam, you have to stimulate the lasing material. In some cases, CO2 or electrical lamps or discharges within a closed area are used to carry out this exercise. After stimulating the material, you reflect the beam of a partial mirror to a point where it gathers sufficient energy to enable it to escape as a visible light beam. The light beam is then directed to a lens that now focuses the beam. The beam is utilized in piercing before making a cut.

You must rotate the beam polarization during the cutting to make sure that you have a smooth edge. The two main cutting methods are the melt and blow and vaporization. In vaporization cutting, you utilize the laser heat to bring the surface to a boiling point and then burn a hole. As the vapor continues to erode the walls of the hole. Vaporization is appropriate for materials that don’t melt such as thermoset plastic, carbon, and wood. Therefore, it is not applicable to metal laser cutting. In the melt and blow laser cutting, you heat the material until it melts and then a gas jet used to blow away the melted part. This process is widely used in cutting metals.

The laser cutting process is more advantageous than mechanical cutting. Labor involvement is the laser is less intensive and the process is more cost-effective. It also has a better precision of the cut as the laser doesn’t wear during the cutting. Besides, there are lower possibilities that the material that you are cutting will get contaminates or warp. Laser cutting can also work on a broad range of materials and use to controlling software to guarantee your safety. We have firms that offer professional laser cutting solutions for all the industrial cutting solutions. Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Indiana deals in steel laser cutting and fabrication. Therefore, you stand to benefit a lot of the high level of specialization that the employees carry.

You could be wondering how a beam of light can cut through hard surfaces like metals, wood, and even glass. If you are using a traditional beam of light, you will really have a tough time. However, using a concentrated laser beam makes the whole process a breeze. Thanks to the innovations in modern cutting technology.

Once you program a pattern in the laser cutter, it will continuously cut the exact copies of the patter from one piece to another. The edges that laser cutting produce are very clean in comparison to what traditional cutting techniques deliver. Apart from cutting the items, the laser is also used to cut small and highly detailed holes with excellent edge quality.

The other thing you need to understand is that laser beams don’t wear because of cutting. It results in less straining on the equipment that is used in the cutting. The laser has now come of edge and proves to be highly reliable and advantageous. It is the best alternative to the other cutting methods that are in the market.

In summary, the laser cutting process concentrates high energy amounts into a small and well-defined spot. The resultant heat energy that the laser creates vaporizes materials from these good areas. A gas or mixture of gases like nitrogen, CO2, oxygen, and/or helium is used in blowing the vaporized materials out of the kerf. The energy of the beam is applied in the place where it is required directly. This minimizes the HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) that surrounds the area that is being cut.