How Does A Metal Laser Cutting Machine Work?

The energy of the laser is concentrated into a high-density beam in the form of light. The laser beam is transmitted to the work surface, generating enough heat to melt the material, and the high-pressure gas coaxial with the beam directly removes the fused metal to achieve the purpose of metal cutting. This shows that laser metal cutting is essentially different from CNC machining.

A laser metal cutting machine uses the laser beam emitted from the laser generator to focus on the laser beam irradiation condition of high power density through the external circuit system. The laser heat is absorbed by the workpiece material and the workpiece temperature rises sharply. After reaching the boiling point, the material begins to vaporize and form holes, as the relative position of the beam and the workpiece moves, will eventually form a slit in the material.

The technological parameters (cutting speed, laser power, gas pressure, etc.) and movement trajectory during slitting are controlled by the CNC system, and the slag at the slit is blown off by the auxiliary gas with a certain pressure. During laser-cut metal, auxiliary gas suitable for the material to be cut is also added. When cutting steel, oxygen must be used as an auxiliary gas to produce an exothermic chemical reaction with the molten metal to oxidize the material, while helping to blow away the slag in the slit. For metal parts with high processing accuracy, nitrogen can be used as an auxiliary gas in the industry.

What Are Metal Laser Cutters Used For? 

Laser metal cutting machines are widely used in industrial manufacturing of metal fabrication, school education, small businesses, home business, small shop and home shop for sheet metal fabrication, aviation, spaceflight, electronics, electrical appliances, kitchenware, auto parts, subway parts, automobile, machinery, precision components, ships, metallurgical equipment, elevator, household appliances, metal signs, metal logos, metal tags, metal profiles, metal letters, metal words, metal arts, metal crafts, metal gifts, metal tool fabrication, metal foils, adornment, advertising and other metalworking industries.

Most organic and inorganic materials can be cut by laser. In the metal fabrication industry, which occupies a heavy weight in industrial manufacturing, many metal materials, regardless of their hardness, can be cut without deformation (using the most advanced laser metal cutter to cut the thickness of industrial steel is close to 20mm). Of course, for high-reflectivity materials such as gold, silver, copper and aluminum alloys, they are also good heat transfer conductors, so laser cutting is difficult or even impossible to cut (some difficult materials can be cut using pulsed laser beams, due to the extremely high peak power of the pulse wave, the absorption coefficient of the material to the beam will increase sharply instantly).

Metal laser cutters are available for stainless steel, carbon steel, tool steel, galvanized steel, spring steel, alloy, iron, aluminum, copper, brass, silver, gold, titanium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, chromium, lead and other metals.