What Are The Advantages Of Laser Cutting?
Posted on 28 November, 2016 at Laser Cutting
Laser cutting involves a high power laser beam being directed to a cutting head via a series of fixed and moving mirrors or by fibre optic. At the head, the beam is focused to a pinpoint and projected through a small nozzle. A jet of air, oxygen or nitrogen is also passed through the nozzle. The intense energy of the beam created literally vaporises the material being cut.
But what are the advantages of laser cutting over other methods?
- It is highly accurate and is currently the only technology capable of cutting or marking intricate drawings down to +/- 0.1mm. The end result will be as close to what you wanted as possible.
- The beam is able to cut through a variety of different materials, not just metallic ones, including cardboard and timber. Please see our Materials page for more information on what we can and cannot cut.
- There is no need to change tools when cutting and marking; the same beam is able to perform all tasks. This ensures that no time is wasted changing tools, ensuring fast processing times.
- The beam has a very narrow heat-affected zone, particularly when compared with other thermal cutting methods. This minimises the deformation caused to the part by localised heat exposure.
- There isn’t any contact between the cutting head and the sheet, which means that there isn’t any force applied. Other methods apply force to the sheet, which can deform or scratch it beyond repair.
- Intricate details such as very small holes, slots, etc. can be produced – all with clean, burr-free edges. We can also perform rotary laser cuts for round tubes and pipes.
- Real-time control of the laser power eliminates overheating on sharp corners and tight curves. The pulse piercing function provides pin prick pierces in thick materials, allowing small details.
- The machines are incredibly fast, which means that projects can be finished as quickly as possible. Travelling at up to 169 metres per minute, with over 3G acceleration, the end results speak for themselves.
As you can see, there are a number of benefits associated with laser cutting, from the delivery of precise cuts, to clean and burr free edges. Arrow Laser can laser cut a variety of materials, including: metals, plastics, timbers, fibreglass sheet, mica, cardboard, rubber, carpet and more. Please get in touch with us today to learn more about our services.