Laser cutting copper is difficult due to its heat and light resistance, but it can be done. The laser burns the edges, creating a darker color, but this is only visual. Laser cutting allows for easy design addition, but it’s not commonly used industrially. Brass is a more viable option.
Laser cut copper is like regular copper, except it is processed using a laser rather than other means. The mechanical properties of copper mean that laser cutting of copper is typically difficult to accomplish due to the way the metal reacts to heat and light. The laser has to be turned up very high when cutting copper, so the edges usually get burned, although this rarely affects the quality or efficiency of the metal. One benefit of using laser cutting is that it is easier for workers to add designs to the copper. This copper is not usually used industrially due to how difficult it is to make.
Copper has two special properties that make laser cutting difficult. It can withstand a lot of heat, and because lasers work on heat, this method of thermal cutting has difficulty piercing through copper. The other property is how copper reflects light; lasers are made of light, so copper is able to resist the laser quite well. While these properties are often useful for other purposes, they make laser-cut copper difficult to produce.
Although it is able to resist heat and light, it is possible to cut copper with a laser. When laser-cut copper is made, the laser typically has to be raised very high to overcome the natural resistance of the copper. As a result, the laser tends to burn the edges when it finally drills through the copper. This makes the edges a darker color, but this discoloration is only visual and rarely affects the use of the metal. It’s sometimes used specifically for this aesthetic, because some people like darker copper.
There is a great benefit to laser cutting copper that can be difficult to replicate with hand cut copper. With a laser cutting program, workers can enter a design into the computer and the laser will engrave it into the copper. Doing this by hand often requires a lot of skill and training, although there are other crafting equipment capable of adding designs to the copper.
Its natural resistance to heat and light means copper has many industrial purposes. To make copper a viable option for industrial use, it should be easy to create so parts can be mass-produced. Laser cut copper is rarely used for anything industrial. It is most commonly used by small shops and for custom made parts. Brass, a copper alloy, is a more viable option, because it’s much easier to cut with a laser.
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