Various types of laser cutting technology

This comprehensive guide covers various types and techniques of laser cutting methods.

Different types of lasers used for cutting

There are three main types of lasers used for cutting. We will explain them in detail below:

Gas laser

Gas laser cutting (usually called CO2 laser cutting) is done using a carbon dioxide hybrid laser. Laser is generated by electrically stimulating the carbon dioxide mixture.

When gas laser cutting was first invented in 1964, it was not enough to cut metal. Since then, this technology has continued to develop, and although it is still more suitable for cutting non-metals, it can also cut metals. With a wavelength of 10.6 microns, it can be used in many medical and industrial environments.

Gas laser cutting also uses nitrogen. Nitrogen works well with metals such as steel and aluminum. Please ensure that the nitrogen is pure, otherwise the metal used may be oxidized.

Crystal laser

Crystal laser cutting is made of Nd: YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) and Nd: YVO (neodymium-doped orthovanadate) Yttrium) made of laser technology. These crystals are part of a solid group, allowing extremely high power cutting, both for cutting metals and non-metals.

The cutting technology based on crystal laser can also be traced back to 1964. It was created in the same laboratory as the gas laser-Bell Labs. With a wavelength of 1.064 microns, it is suitable for a variety of applications from medicine to military and manufacturing.

The biggest disadvantage of the crystal laser machine is that its components are very expensive, such as pump diodes. The life expectancy of crystal lasers is shorter than other machines on the market, about 8,000 to 15,000 hours, which means that longer times may cost more, not to mention that expensive pump diodes must be replaced regularly.

Fiber laser

Fiber laser has similarities with crystal technology. In fact, fiber also belongs to the solid-state family, and its wavelength is also 1.064 microns .

The biggest advantage of fiber laser is that compared with the first two cutting types, it has a longer service life, which is about 100,000 hours. It requires very little maintenance and replacement parts are very cheap.

Different technologies

In addition to the different types of laser cutting that have been introduced above, there are several other technologies that can use laser cutting .

Marking

Marking is a process that can also be done with a fiber laser. The principle is to melt the surface layer of the material to leave a mark.

Engraving

Engraving is very similar to marking. The difference is that its purpose is to make a dark engraving mark, which is usually used to create barcodes, etc. application.

Drilling

Drilling is another common process that can be used with fiber lasers. Drilling involves creating burst holes or dents in the material.