Industrial laser cutting uses focused beams of light to cut precise shapes from materials like steel and polycarbonate. There are three main machine configurations: moving material, flying optics, and hybrid systems. Laser cutting provides clean edges and flexibility, but is slower and less efficient for mass production.
Industrial laser cutting is a manufacturing process in which focused beams of light are used to punch holes and cut shapes from sheet steel, polycarbonate and other materials with high precision. The three main types of industrial laser cutting machine configurations are moving material, flying optics and hybrid systems. While laser cutting provides a very clean edge and flexible process, it is not always suitable for large-scale production.
Laser cutting works by using highly focused light as a sort of “blade” to cut specific patterns in the sheet material. Depending on the power of the laser used, this material can range from sheets of paper to pieces of steel more than 2 inches (5.08 cm) thick. Most industrial processes, however, involve cutting metal or plastic.
Most laser cutting machines have two main components: a head, from which the laser beam is projected, and the table, where the material to be cut is placed. These two primary pieces are constant, but can be arranged in various configurations depending on the use of the production system.
A moving material setup keeps the head stationary and moves the table to cut patterns. This system tends to be slow, but its construction is relatively simple because the laser optics do not have to be constantly adjusted. Flying optics configurations are the reverse; the table is held stationary while the head moves, making the machine faster but requiring a much more complicated optical system to keep the laser beam focused while it is constantly moving. Hybrid systems combine the two, moving both the table and the head but in different directions.
Industrial laser cutting has several distinct advantages over other types of machining. Many people choose to use this process because the laser beam gives a very clean and precise cut. The nature of the process means that there is very little heat or pressure distortion and other types of deformation. Also, although laser cutting machines were first used in the 1960s, the advent of advanced computer technology means modern manufacturers can easily input and change the patterns they wish to cut. This flexibility has made laser cutting popular for making one-off prototypes, although it can also be implemented in large-scale production.
While industrial laser cutting can be a very useful tool, it has its limitations. The drawing-like cutting process means that mass production using this method tends to be much slower than using mechanical cutting. Lasers are generally power inefficient systems, and so industrial lasers used for cutting tend to range from 1,000 watts all the way up to 8,000 watts and beyond, not an insignificant power consumption.
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