High precision laser cutting : the most wanted

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LASER technology acronym comes from Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation and has been a synonym for high quality and efficiency in materials processing since the 1960s. Laser Cutting is effective in several sectors where production rate and speed are of the essence. With laser cutting technology it becomes easy to cut in all types of materials with ultra high degree of precision. Laser Cutting allows freedom of design and it improves the production efficiency.

What is Laser Cutting?

LASER technology comes from Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation and has been a synonym for efficiency and quality in materials processing since their advent in the 1960s. The most popular application of lasers is for cutting.
The laser beam is a column of very high intensity light of a single wavelength. The focused laser beam is directed at the material, which then melts, burns, vaporizes or is blown away, leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish. A continuous cut is produced by moving the laser beam or workpiece under CNC Computer Numerical Control. Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials.

High Precision Laser Cutting @Flight Festival 2019 Edition

How does it work?

Laser Cutting consists in cutting or engraving a material by means of a laser. Laser Cutting can be used on a number of materials such as plastic, wood, cardboard, etc. The process involves cutting material using a powerful and highly accurate laser that focuses on a small area of the material.

The high power density results in rapid heating, melting and partial or complete vaporizing of the material. Usually, a computer directs the high-power laser at the material and traces the path. Laser cutters are generally best suited to thin materials having less than 12 mm thickness.

What is the difference between CO2, Fiber and YAG lasers?

Laser machines available in the market differ by the laser source they use. There are nowadays three main types of laser families that have the efficiency and output power to perform large-scale material processing.

The main differences between CO 2 Lasers and Nd-YAG/Fiber laser is the wavelength of the beam that it produces. Fiber and Nd-YAG emit at a wavelength of 1.06 microns and are well suited for processing metals, the technology we use at HCG.

1// CO 2 laser: the Carbon Dioxide gas sealed inside the laser is “pumped” using an electrical curing which creates the stream of photons. It is generally used for cutting, boring, welding, and engraving.
2// Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd-YAG) laser: the YAG is pumped using a lamp or diode to emit the stream of photons. It is generally used for cutting, welding, and inscribing metals and ceramics.
3// Fiber laser: it utilizes semiconductor diodes as the pumping mechanism and an optical fiber doped with a rare-earth element as the lasing medium.

The Benefits of Laser Cutting

Laser Cutting is effective in several sectors where production rate and speed are of the essence. With laser cutting technology it becomes easy to cut in all types of materials with ultra high degree of precision (up to 5 microns tolerance), specifically where traditional methods having inevitably become inefficient. If traditional manufacturing processes impose constraints and multiple limitations, Laser Cutting allows freedom of design on one hand and on the other it improves the production efficiency.

Using precision laser cutting over other cutting technologies such as plasma or oxy-fuel brings many benefits:

#1 Precision : High-quality surface finish and positional accuracy
#2 Timings : A fast processing method due to high speed of production
#3 Efficiency : Material saving due to reduced deformation of material
#4 Automation : Computer-generated repetition of motion yields unmatched part production repeatability and accuracy.
#5 Cost-effective : rapid design changes require no tooling, the setup timings are minimal, maximum software flexibility.
#6 Safety: It’s a very safe process, being a non-contact process, decreased noise and decreased risk of operator injury compared to other manufacturing processes.
#7 ECO friendly: it’s safer and cleaner since it does not use chemicals or other toxic materials.

Multiple uses of High Precision Laser Cutting

Laser cutting has become nowadays the technology of choice for the micro components manufacturers, due to its micron tolerances and its flexibility in handling contours. The most common precision cutting applications include parts for models and prototypes, 3D parts from tubular material, parts from plated metals and several components for the medical industry, medical implants and stents for example.

Find out valuable facts about hydraulics and the metallic industry here : https://hydrauliccenter.ro/en/news-en.