Laser cutting is an ever-evolving technology that is highly effective in various forms of manufacturing. This cutting method doesn&#;t suit every manufacturing situation. In many cases, however, it does offer advantages over both traditional cutting methods and similar cutting methods, such as waterjet and thermal cutting.
The effectiveness of laser cutting can be seen in the growth of its use. In , the market value for laser cutting machines was over $5 billion, with an expected cumulative annual growth rate of 7.5% over the next ten years, according to a report by GMI Insights.
Manufacturers, hobbyists, designers, small businesses and technologists can all use laser cutting as a method for cutting, engraving or welding even the most intricate parts and designs. Laser cutting often lends itself to large scale production, but it can be used for both large scale manufacturing runs or smaller scale projects.
In this article, we&#;ll look at the advantages and disadvantages that laser cutting offers and also at how the process of laser cutting works.
Laser cutting is a process whereby a highly focused beam of light (laser beam) is used to cut a material.
The process that underlays laser cutting is thermal separation. Laser-cutting tools generate laser beams with enough energy that they vaporize or raise the temperature of a material beyond its melting point, causing thermal separation.
Modern lasers use computer-controlled machines to perform accurate, fast and repeatable cuts. Highly skilled and experienced technicians set the path of the laser with the aid of computer numerical control (CNC). The machine then follows the direction via its motion control system to create the desired cuts or designs.
The two basic types of laser cutting machines used in metal fabrication are solid-state and gas-state lasers.
In turn, the most popular types of solid-state and gas-state lasers are CO&#; and fiber lasers respectively.
CO2 Lasers
These lasers work by using an electric current to stimulate a mixture of carbon dioxide, helium and nitrogen. Once stimulated, this gas mixture produces light, which is then amplified by a series of reflective devices to produce a laser beam. CO2 laser machines emit beams with a 10.6μm wavelength.
With laser beams of this wavelength, they are effective at processing or cutting non-metallic materials as well as metallic materials. These laser machines can also process thicker (>5mm) non-metallic materials faster than fiber laser machines and with a better finish.
One of the downsides to CO2 laser machines is that they require more maintenance. These machines have more internal parts, such as mirrors or electrodes, that are subject to wear, erosion or plating. These parts may need maintenance, replacement or correction (to the alignment, for example) to maintain a high level of output.
Fig. 1: CO2 Laser Cutting Machine
Fiber Lasers
The energy beams in fiber lasers are produced by laser diodes and optical fiber treated with rare earth elements like erbium (Er). Fiber lasers offer certain advantages over other types of laser cutters and are perhaps the most commonly used laser-cutting tool for industrial applications.
Fig. 2: Fiber Laser Cutting Machine
Laser cutting can be used across multiple industries and for a variety of use cases. They are, however, most popular in industries requiring high precision and repeatability. As laser cutting requires no tooling and minimal set up, it&#;s widely used for customized signs and craft goods as well.
Laser cutters are often used in the automotive industry, for example, with sheet metal vehicle parts often cut with lasers. Other automotive parts that are often cut with lasers are the gears in a mechanical setup.
Examples of laser-cut parts across a range of industries include:
Fig. 3: Laser Cut Parts
Laser cutting offers a number of advantages over traditional mechanical cutting methods (such as die punching or saw cutting) as well as other similar techniques, such as plasma cutting or waterjet cutting.
Many of the advantages stem from the fact that laser cutters cut with a narrow beam with a favorable wavelength and from the fact that there is a good level of energy containment in the cutting process.
Next, we&#;ll share why these properties create advantages over other cutting methods.
Higher Accuracy and Smaller Kerf Sizes
Accuracy - The beam from laser machines is extremely focused and only touches a small surface area on the material, meaning that they produce very accurate and focused cuts. With accuracy levels of ±0.1 mm, laser cutters are often best where a high level of precision is required.
Kerf - The narrow area of focus with a laser beam also results in smaller kerf widths compared to other methods. Kerf is the width of the area of material removed during the cutting process.
The kerf laser cutting makes is barely larger than the size of the beam. It is possible to produce kerf widths as narrow as 0.1mm with laser cutting, although kerf widths vary between 0.1mm and 1mm. The kerf thickness depends on the laser cutter being used and the material being cut.
In comparison, waterjet cutting produces a kerf width of around 0.9mm, while oxy-fuel and plasma cutting produce kerf sizes of 1.1mm and 3.8mm, respectively. To compare laser cutting to manual cutting methods, mechanical or hand saws generally produce a kerf size of about 3.175mm (10x the kerf of a laser cutter).
Having a smaller kerf size has the following advantages:
High Levels of Repeatability
Laser cutters produce complex, precision parts in a repeatable and efficient manner, and this allows manufacturers to create multiple exact copies of the same parts over large production runs or even in separate production runs.
Laser cutting machines are CNC controlled, and generally operated using complex software to optimize part path, machine speed and sheet metal utilization. As well as this, laser cutters also cut without making contact with the material they are cutting. No wear or degradation occurs at the laser cutters cutting edge, meaning that the cutting action does not vary across a production run. This compares to saw cutting, for example, where the blade may deteriorate or become misshaped during production.
This advantage applies when comparing laser cutting to mechanical cutting methods, such as saw cutting. Waterjet cutting and plasma cutting offer similar levels of repeatability as laser cutting.
Less Material Contamination in the Cut Area
Many mechanical cutting methods require cutting oils to reduce friction and otherwise aid in the cutting process. Cutting oil can, however, be tough to remove after cutting, even with the aid of processes like shot blasting. This cutting oil can hinder later processes, such as the proper adhesion of finishes or protective coatings that are applied to a part after cutting, for example.
Laser cutting does not share this drawback because there&#;s rarely any need to use coolants or lubricants while cutting.
Limited Post-Cut Finishing Requirements
Laser cutting produces high-quality cut edges, which reduces the need for secondary finishing. In many cases, no secondary finishing is required after laser cutting.
The accurate, clean cuts that laser cutters leave usually have fewer surface imperfections related to the cutting process, such as burrs or excess material, that need to be removed after cutting. The effect of friction and wear forces that can cause surface imperfections like warping or mechanical distortions is also often avoided.
Laser cutting is often much preferable in this respect, when compared to mechanical cutting methods, such as saw cutting, shearing or drilling.
Removing surface imperfections and completing other finishing processes can significantly increase production costs. Where laser cutting avoids the use of these processes, both time and money can be saved.
As well as there being reduced need for finishing with laser cutting, there is also usually no need to clean laser cut parts after cutting. Again, this can be an advantage over other cutting methods.
Laser Cutting Offers More Flexibility
The flexibility of laser cutting presents itself in two folds.
The first is in its cutting versatility and in the broad range of custom designs and shapes that can be produced through laser cutting. Often laser cutting is the best thing for highly complex and intricate parts. When compared to other methods, such as sawing, CNC milling, flame cutting and even plasma cutting, laser cutting is much more adaptable.
Often laser cutting can quickly do in one cutting process what might need several alternative cutting processes. Certain part geometries or designs that are possible with laser cutting may not be possible at all with other methods.
As well as being able to perform many different types of cut, laser cutting can also be used for a range of different material types and thicknesses. One point worth noting, in this regard, is that laser cutting can be used to cut plastics and wood, whereas plasma cutting cannot.
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Laser Cutting Offers the Best Sheet Utilization
Fig. 4: Laser Cutting Sheet Metal
As a combined result of the smaller kerf widths, lower levels of mechanical distortion, little to no surface imperfections and tighter tolerances, it&#;s possible to cut more parts from the same sheet with laser cutting.
With laser cutting, it&#;s possible to use as much as 94%+ of a sheet. This reduces cost and waste which translates directly to lower part costs than other cutting methods.
Fiber lasers are particularly good when it comes to sheet utilization.
Laser Cutting Provides Superior Speed
Laser cutters can reach speeds of up to inches ( cm) per minute. As such, they offer superior cutting speed compared to traditional cutting methods like wire cutting and bandsaw cutting.
Cutting with a bandsaw, for example, will take about 10 times as long as it takes with a laser cutter. Using a wire cutter may take up to 100 times the amount of time. Plasma and water jet cutting are also generally slower than laser cutting, except on very thick materials or in cases where the laser wattage is relatively low.
On top of this, the entire laser-cutting process is automated. There&#;s no need to halt the process to adjust the sheet metal or machinery when cutting intricate parts. All these factors increase the speed of production.
Factor Laser Cutting Waterjet Cutting Plasma Cutting Mechanical Cutting Precision/Tolerances ± 0. mm ± 0. mm ± 0.254 mm - ± 0.762 mm Thicker, but depends on process Intricate Design Capabilities Most Capable Most Capable Some not possible Many not possible No Mechanical Distortion Yes Yes No, especially with thin metal sheets No No Thermal Distortion No Yes No No Material Costs (Less Waste) Yes Yes More waste than with laser and waterjet cutting High waste levels with many methods Tooling Costs None None None Sometimes Low &#; Medium Volume Production X X X Yes Composite/Multi-layer Material Requires higher laser power Capable X Yes Thick Materials Not capable Capable Capable Capable Range of Suitable Materials Metals, plastic, wood, glass Metal, glass, wood Electrically conductive metals Metals, plastic, wood, glassTable 1: Comparison of Cutting Technologies: Laser, Waterjet, Plasma, and Mechanical
For all its advantages, laser cutting does also have some drawbacks. These include:
Hazardous Vapors and Fumes from Melting Materials
Laser cutting uses heat to melt or vaporize materials, which may generate hazardous vapors and fumes that pose significant health risks to machinery operatives. This makes it unsuitable for certain materials.
Some of materials that should not be fabricated with laser cutters are:
Other disadvantages related to the cutting process include the risk of eye damage to operatives during cutting and the risk of producing sharp cut edges.
Limitation On Material Thickness
Laser cutters are limited when it comes to maximum cutting depths. Waterjet cutters, CO2 cutters and many mechanical cutting methods can all cut thicker materials than laser cutters.
There are also variations in maximum thickness between CO2 and fiber lasers. The thicker a material is, the greater the power required to cut through it, and CO2 lasers are able to cut the thickest materials because of their higher power outputs.
When laser cutters are used to cut thicker materials than they are designed for, issues such as poor edge finishes and lost materials due to melting can arise.
Laser cutters are still great when used for the correct material thicknesses. Komaspec can laser cut materials, within the range of accepted thickness, at the following tolerances:
Table 2: Laser Cutting Capabilities: Material Thickness and Tolerances
Material Hardening
The high temperature of cutting with a laser beam can alter the structure of the material being cut, which, when followed by rapid cooling, may create a hardened zone at the cut area. This is referred to as the &#;heat affected zone,&#; or HAZ
Per this research paper, the &#;microhardness in the hardening zone increases as laser power increases,&#; so while this is generally not an issue with thin or quickly cut parts as heat transfer is minimal, it becomes more troublesome with very thick and slow-cut parts, as more heat is transferred to the material and as a result the HAZ will be larger.
The hardening of laser cut edges due to processing may be problematic in some applications. Parts that require finishing processes, such as with powder coating or painting, for example, may need additional processing following laser cutting before the finish can be applied. The addition of this step increases both the turnaround time and total processing cost.
Material Limitations
Laser cutting can be used on a wide range of metallic and non-metallic materials. It can, in fact, be used on more materials than both waterjet cutting and plasma cutting. There are limitations, however, and there can be further limitations with certain laser cutter types and when assistive gases are used during cutting.
Type of Laser / Material to be Cut CO2 CO2 NITROGEN ASSIST CO2 O2 ASSIST FIBER LASER Carbon Steel &#; &#; &#; Stainless Steel &#; &#; Copper &#; &#; &#; Aluminium &#; &#; &#; Titanium &#; &#; &#; Plastic &#; &#; Glass &#; Paper &#; Wood &#; Stone &#;Table 3: CO&#; vs. Fiber Laser Cutting: Material Comparison
The biggest advantage with laser cutting is that it allows for fast, highly accurate and highly repeatable production of cut metal and plastic parts.
There are also no upfront costs in ordering laser cut parts with Komaspec.
Komaspec is an on-demand provider of sheet metal parts capable of servicing your custom metal needs. Our capabilities include laser cutting, laser engraving, threading and chamfering and many more. We even offer instant quotation and DFM capabilities through our sister company, Komacut. Upload your drawings today for factory direct, real-time pricing.
For years, laser cutting was reserved for large industrial firms with the capital to pay for hefty, multifaceted machines. No small or medium-sized business would have a chance of gaining access to laser cutting services. At Thunder Laser USA, we realized that start-ups could make serious money from a variety of uses of this machine. As such, we make and sell low-cost, high-quality laser cutters so anyone can get in on the manufacturing process.
There are other methods of cutting, but a laser cutter lets you cut, engrave and etch materials with minimal mess and noise. Discover further advantages of laser cutting and find out more about how the laser cutting process works.
Laser cutting, etching and engraving are digital manufacturing processes that take 2D vector images and create 3D designs. The laser cutter is made from a resonator that houses a CO2 laser within a glass chamber. When you apply power, it&#;s directed to the glass using a variety of mirrored lenses, which creates a heat reaction. This heat is applied to the surface of the material in the form of a laser beam, which either cuts through the whole thing, engraves the surface or leaves a mark on the substrate (also known as etching).
Production and manufacturing processes have been evolving at an unprecedented rate in recent years. As innovations continue to evolve, the people who drive the changes find ways to improve quality while making the technology more accessible. While conventional forms of cutting and engraving worked fine, there was undeniable demand for a more efficient, safer and more reliable process that could handle the rise in demand on production and manufacturing.Laser cutting was the solution. It lets operators work faster than older methods, for longer and with more precision. This means you can create products that are more functional but smaller and without any unnecessary components. As such, this type of machine is now indispensable for a range of industries, such as medical devices, electronics, aerospace and automotive.Even more exciting is the fact that, in recent years, laser cutting machines can do more than cut sheet metal for industry. You can use a range of different materials, such as acrylic, wood, cardboard, stainless steel and glass. There are also three different cutting methods that you can use &#; so the possibilities are endless if you&#;re a budding entrepreneur on the hunt for ideas.
If laser cutting machines sound awesome already, there&#;s so much more to learn. They offer the best quality-to-value ratio of any cutting tool by a long shot. Here are the top 10 benefits of laser cutting:
When it comes to laser cutting benefits, one of the top ones has to be versatility. You can use a laser for a broad range of applications, not just cutting out shapes. Drilling, marking and engraving are all possible, and you don&#;t need to switch tools or have any prior experience with design or manufacturing to learn how to use one. Plus, you can use a laser cutting machine for practically any type of material, from ferrous metals like copper, brass and aluminum to wood, composites, plastic and even certain fabrics. You can use a laser to cut through practically anything.
Precision is the other major advantage of using a laser compared to pretty much any other method of cutting. You can even cut complex shapes and patterns with precision using a laser, no matter how small the details are. There are design guidelines for every material you could possibly use, so make sure you check those before going ahead. By paying close attention to these, you&#;ll minimize waste and create exceptional products.The high level of accuracy comes from how small and powerful the laser cutter is. The laser evaporates the material by melting it, with tolerances generally being between 0.003 inches and 0.006 inches. When it comes to high accuracy and precision, a laser cutter is undoubtedly the best choice.
Because the laser has several modes that complement each other, you can create uniquely detailed designs using cutting and engraving. Once you&#;ve cut out the desired shape, you can engrave a pattern, picture or name onto it for personalized products &#; or add finishing touches for perfectly professional-looking goods.Furthermore, the high heat doesn&#;t lead to warping and distortion, as some people might assume. The heat-affected zone is usually quite small and doesn&#;t tend to cause any issues with the tolerance of the component or part. As a result, lasers are great for cutting very thin materials. The laser cuts so quickly that the material doesn&#;t have time to warp from excessive heat. If there is any discoloration on the heat-affected zone, it&#;s easy to machine away.
What many people don&#;t realize is that the laser never actually comes into contact with the material it cuts, engraves or etches. The heat generated by the laser is what makes the difference to the surface. Because there&#;s no physical contact with the surface, there&#;s less chance of warping or discoloration. There&#;s also less chance that the machine&#;s mechanism will get worn or damaged over time because it never physically touches anything. This gives operators additional peace of mind, because you know you&#;ll spend less on waste and repairs. Plus, the process isn&#;t as messy as other forms of cutting and engraving.
Laser cutters are economical, even when it comes to time-sensitive or limited-run products. This is because there&#;s only one tool, so you don&#;t need to waste time changing tools or custom-building them for each project you take on board. Creating a part or component with a laser cutting machine is simple &#; you just need your material, the machine and a schematic drawing that&#;s loaded into the machine&#;s computer. This means that even small-batch producers can use this type of equipment to get an excellent ROI &#; especially compared to other methods of production.
Another one of the major advantages of laser cutting is that it lets you work quickly, from the start to the end of the process. Everything is done digitally, so you don&#;t need to physically draw the design and upload it. Instead, you create a 2D image using a computer and then load that into the machine. Once you&#;ve programmed the laser cutter, it takes your design and creates a perfect replica. All the person commissioning each project needs to do is approve your design and sizing. Then you can quickly get on with manufacturing their goods.
Although the idea of using a laser that evaporates material using sheer heat sounds like it might be dangerous, it&#;s actually much safer than most other methods. While we&#;d recommend wearing goggles, it&#;s not strictly necessary. As you can imagine, using a sharp object to cut through material is much more dangerous, as is using a water jet cutter with abrasive materials that can potentially fly into your face and eyes.
If you&#;re looking to work smarter, not harder, and keep production costs as low as possible, laser cutting is the ideal option. Although the laser itself uses quite a lot of energy to burn through materials, the machine doesn&#;t include any other moving parts, unlike other cutting tools such as presses, which need massive amounts of energy to apply cutting force.For example, a turret punch might consume as much as 36 kW of energy at full capacity, compared to a laser cutting machine that requires around 10 kW. This is even the case when cutting thicker materials such as aluminum.
Another major benefit that stems from the accuracy and precision of laser cutting is the fact it uses a high percentage of the sheet material. When you nest cuts correctly, the laser maximizes the number of usable parts and components from pretty much any sheet of material. This results in lower costs for your overall project, mainly because you waste less of your raw material during the cutting process. It also means your business is more sustainable because you&#;re not purchasing large amounts of material to throw in the trash.
Lastly, laser cutting provides freedom that you can&#;t get with any other type of cutting manufacturing process. When it comes to design styles, quantities and materials, the laser provides the best of all worlds. All you need is inexpensive software to design the product and material guidelines; learning how to use the machine is easy. There are pretty much zero constraints when using laser cutting technology.
People who are considering buying a laser cutting machine to get into business have many different options. Some of the most popular and lucrative uses include:
When it comes to designing and making memorabilia, laser cutting presents so many different opportunities. On the one hand, you could start a company that specializes in manufacturing memorabilia. This might include adding branded designs onto objects for a range of companies or designing unique merchandise and including replicas of popular designs.On the other hand, you could buy a laser cutting machine for your existing business. Instead of outsourcing merch, create it in house. Not only will you save on costs but you&#;ll also have full creative control and be in charge of lead times and supplier costs.
Creating signage is an excellent venture for an operation that revolves around a laser cutter. This is because it&#;s something that most homes, businesses and individuals need at some point. You can create a whole variety of signs for pretty much any application &#; whether it&#;s for offices, bathrooms, door numbers, roll-up banners, murals, window graphics or wayfinding.Because there are so many applications for this type of manufacturing, you don&#;t need to tie yourself down to one niche. You can become a generalist, and the chances of ever running out of work are very slim, provided you deliver excellent quality work on time.
Business cards are a great choice of venture for a budding entrepreneur because they&#;re something that practically every decision-maker needs. In today&#;s digital marketplace, you&#;re not limited to your local area, either, and this particular industry is an excellent choice for someone who&#;s looking to tap into an international market.You can cut them from cardboard, paper and even metal &#; and then etch or engrave the designs and names into the chosen material. Most people see business cards as a status symbol, so the more elaborate you make your product, the more you can charge for it.
One of the most versatile options for a business owner with a laser cutting machine is to carry out engravings. In particular, schools and sports clubs require trophies and awards on a regular basis &#; so you can build up a decent company with just a few regular clients to start with. As your reputation grows and great reviews appear online, you&#;ll be able to expand your business to meet increasing demands without needing to retool.
Another idea for a start-up using a laser cutter is designing and creating personalized crockery. Most restaurants now understand the value of having branded items, such as glassware, cutlery, napkins and uniforms. Plus, this type of product makes an excellent gift for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.
If you&#;re ready to get your own laser cutting machine and start creating awesome designs, check out the full range at Thunder Laser USA.
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