5 tips about laser cutting

Now, more and more metal processing companies no longer use sharp tools to cut workpieces, but use lasers, which is called laser cutting. Here are five interesting facts about laser cutting technology.

(1) It has been around for more than half a century

Although it sounds like a modern cutting process, laser cutting actually already exists More than half a century. In the mid-1960s, researchers at the Western Electrical Engineering Research Center produced the world's first laser cutting machine for cutting diamond holes.

(2) Some laser cutting machines can perform welding

According to the type of laser, the laser cutting machine can also perform the welding process. There are currently three types of lasers that are widely used: CO2, Nd:YAG and fiber lasers. All three types of lasers can perform the welding process, but the process is slightly different.

(3) The optical lens focuses the laser to only 0.001 inches

The optical lens used in the laser cutting machine plays an important role in the high-tech cutting process effect. They can focus high-power lasers to a workpiece area with a diameter of only 0.001 inches. All the heat generated by the laser is concentrated in this small area, so that high-precision cutting can be performed.

(4) Need a lot of power

Not surprisingly, laser cutting requires a lot of power. According to Wikipedia, the efficiency rating of commercial laser cutting machines is 5% to 45%. That being said, the actual power consumed by laser cutting depends on the specific type of machine and the output settings configured for it. However, compared with other cutting processes, laser cutting requires a lot of power.

(5) Laser cutting requires auxiliary gas

Laser cutting process requires auxiliary gas. When the laser heats the workpiece, the pressurized gas coaxial with the beam will blow the molten metal away to realize the cutting process.