What is Laser Cutting? | Advantages of Laser Cutting
In the last four decades, laser cutting has not just gained immense importance but has also become an indispensable part of the manufacturing world. From product manufacturing to fabrication and beyond, laser, has become an industry required daily by automotive, switch gear, earth moving equipment and ship building industry without any limits. You can find laser products almost everywhere. Laser is used for cutting almost all metals & plastics, performing eye surgeries, and whatnot.
Due to ongoing developments in laser which is improving their efficiency and power, new methods and processes based on laser are being discovered. Total approach of manufacturing industries has changed due to invention of laser. The Industries have benefited by application of laser technology in place of conventional tools.
But still, there is a lot of information about laser technology that most people are unaware of. In this article, we will discuss everything about laser cutting, from its definition to its uses and benefits. Keep reading!
What Is Laser Cutting?
Laser Cutting is a process of cutting profiles on the materials. It is a very effective technology that is not only used for industrial purposes but is also used for prototype developers and commercial artists.
In general, Laser is a tool with sharp focused high power density source of energy. Being light, it can be conveyed onto workpiece by optical fibre cables, lenses and mirrors. It does not have any weight and does not exert any pressure on the job / workpiece. Laser cutting is non contact type process. So, no forceful clamping is necessary.
The job can be as thin as 10 microns or as thick as 25 mm or more. Also, because of its unique properties, it can process the jobs from close ( < 1mm) or from distance ( < 300 mm).
It is used in situations where processing is to be done on very difficult to approach locations where traditional tools cannot reach. Being zero weight, having zero inertia, it can be rapidly positioned or moved just by deflecting mirrors, so it is helpful in reducing cycle times.
Laser cutting is an amazing technology that results in higher efficiency and lower cost.
Benefits of Laser Cutting
Below are the main reasons behind the growing popularity of laser cutting machine :
- Highly Versatile
Laser cutting is a very versatile technology when it comes to materials. Laser cutters can work with a wide variety of materials including metals, ceramics, and a many non-metals as well.
- Faster & Accurate
Laser cutting is a lot faster and more accurate than other machining processes. This is the reason why many manufacturers use it for mass production.
- Less Waste
Laser cutting results in clean and precise cuts without resulting in a lot of scraps. Moreover, the turnaround times is also less with laser machines.
These are just a handful of advantages of laser cutting. It offers many more benefits in terms of accuracy, efficiency, cost, and time.
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Applications of uses of laser cutting machine
- Industrial manufacturing: Laser cutting is commonly used in industrial manufacturing to cut and shape a variety of materials, such as metal, plastic, wood, and ceramics.
- Automotive industry: Laser cutting is used to cut and shape various components of vehicles, including body panels, engine parts, and exhaust systems.
- Aerospace industry: Laser cutting is used to manufacture components for aircraft, such as turbine blades, wing spars, and fuselage panels.
- Jewelry making: Laser cutting is used to create intricate designs and shapes in precious metals, such as gold and silver, for the production of jewelry.
- Sign making: Laser cutting is used to create custom signs and lettering, particularly in acrylic and wood.
- Architecture: Laser cutting is used to cut and shape materials used in architectural models, as well as to create decorative features and patterns in building facades.
- Packaging: Laser cutting is used to create complex and precise packaging designs, particularly in cardboard and other paper-based materials.
Overall, laser cutting is a versatile and precise manufacturing process that has a wide range of applications in many different industries.
- Metals: Laser cutting works on a wide range of metals. A laser cutting machine is a highly precise tool that can efficiently make a large number of components such as parts of cars, and more. It can be used when work piece has lower thickness from 6mm upto 25 mm with higher speed. Moreover, different types of metals undergo different types of operations in laser cutting. Most of the time, unique shapes such as hydro-formed parts, vehicle frames or parts in spacecraft need laser cutting for higher precision. Note that the results given by laser cutting machines are much better than those given by plasma cutting.
- Medical Industry: Laser cutting plays a very important role in the medical industry, where higher precision is required. This technology fulfills the high volume demands of the medical industry by delivering higher accuracy and efficiency. Most medical devices and equipment, including orthopedic devices, surgical equipment, and cardiovascular devices require laser cutting for higher precision.
- Engraving and Marking: Engraving and marking is another area where laser technology plays an important role. Laser marking machines are used for marking logos, QR codes, part no.s , traceability on metal, plastic, or wooden articles. A growing number of manufacturers turn to laser technology for cutting and welding.