The Benefits of Using decoration laser cutting machine

The laser cutting process uses a tightly focused high-energy light/radiation laser beam to create rapid, high-temperature-gradient heating of a single, small-diameter spot. This triggers rapid melting/vaporization of the target material, allowing the spot to travel down through the material thickness rapidly and precisely. 

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The hot spot is blasted with gas, blowing away the melted/vaporized material. This process exposes the cut bottom to allow renewed melting and localized cooling, enabling the cut to proceed. For lighter and more reactive metals, the gas assist uses nitrogen to minimize oxidation. Alternatively, for steel, oxygen assistance accelerates the cut process by locally oxidizing material to assist in slag clearance and reduce the reattachment of melted/cut material.

Laser cutting machines are built in a variety of formats. The most common type keeps the workpiece stationary while laser optics (mirrors) move in both the X and Y axes. Alternatively, a 'fixed optic' format keeps the laser head stationary and the workpiece moves. A third option is a hybrid of the two previous methods. All methods execute 2D and 2.5D G-code patterns using a computer-controlled programming system to deliver fully automated, complex cutting paths. Figure 1 is an example of a laser cutting process:

Laser cutting advantages include: high precision, no material contamination, high speed, unlimited 2D complexity, a wide variety of materials, and a wide variety of applications and industries.

High Precision

The narrowness of the energy beam and the precision with which the material and/or the laser optics can be moved ensures extremely high cutting quality. Laser cutting allows the execution of intricate designs that can be cut at high feed rates, even in difficult or fragile material substrates.

No Material Contamination

Traditional rotary cutter processing of materials requires coolants to be applied. The coolant can contaminate the cut parts, which must then be de-greased. Grinding processes may also require coolant/lubricant to be applied. The ablation of the grinding wheel, a natural part of the process, leaves carbide granules that are a hazard in many products. Similarly, water cutting leaves garnet residues. Laser cutting involves only energy and gases and poses no risk of material contamination of the resulting parts.

High Speed

Few production methods can come close in processing speed to laser cutting. The ability to cut a 40 mm steel sheet using a 12 kW oxygen-assisted laser provides speeds some 10x faster than a bandsaw and 50'100 times faster than wire cutting.

Unlimited 2D Complexity

Laser cutting allows intricacy through the nature of the G-code movement control method of positioning and the small size of the applied energy hot spot. Features that are only weakly attached to the main body are cut without any application of force, so the process is essentially limited by material properties, rather than process capabilities.

Variety of Materials

Laser cutting is a flexible technology that can be adapted to cut widely different materials efficiently, including: acrylic and other polymers, stainless steel, mild steel, titanium, hastelloy, and tungsten. This versatility is increasing as technology develops. For example, dual frequency lasers can be applied to cut carbon fiber reinforced composites'one frequency for the fiber, one for the bonding agent.

Variety of Applications and Industries

Laser cutting finds application in many manufacturing industries because of the combination of versatility, high processing speeds, and precision. Sheet materials are key to production across most manufacturing industries. Applications of laser cutting across industries include: airframes, ships, medical implants, electronics, prototyping, and mass production.

Laser Cutting Disadvantages

Laser cutting disadvantages include: limitations on material thickness, harmful gases and fumes, high energy consumption, and upfront costs.

Limitation on Material Thickness

Most laser cutting machines sit in the <6 kW range. Their cut depth is limited to ~12 mm in metal thickness'and they accomplish that only slowly (~10 mm/s). It requires the largest and most powerful machines to reach the practical limits of cutting. However, similar limits apply to waterjet and wire erosion cutting. All three processes perform these deeper cuts faster than can otherwise be achieved.

Harmful Gases and Fumes

While many materials'particularly metals'do not produce harmful gases in the cutting process, many polymers and some metals do. For example, PTFE and various fluoropolymers produce phosgene gas (which is incompatible with human environments) when heated to high temperatures. These materials require controlled atmosphere processing.

High Energy Consumption

Laser cutting machines have a higher energy consumption rate than other cutting tools. A 3-axis CNC machine cutting out 40 mm steel plate blanks will consume around 1/10th of the power of a laser cutting machine extracting the same part. However, if the processing time is 1 minute on the laser cutter and 20 minutes on the CNC, the net power usage is 2:1 in favor of the laser cutter. Each part will have a different profile in this regard, but the differentials are rarely simple to analyze.

The alternatives to laser cutting are wire cutting, plasma cutting, waterjet cutting, and CNC machining.

Plasma Cutting

Plasma cutting is similar to electrical discharge machining (EDM) in that it erodes material by applying an arc to ablate the substrate. However, the arc is conducted from an electrode on a superheated gas plasma stream that directs the arc and blasts out the molten material from the cut. Plasma cutting and laser cutting are similar in that both are capable of cutting metal parts. Additionally, plasma cutting is suited to heavy materials and relatively coarse processing, for example, preparing heavy steel components for architectural and ship projects. It is a much less clean process and generally requires significant post-cut cleanup to make presentable parts, unlike laser cutting.

Waterjet Cutting

Waterjet cutting is typically a small machine process for the precise processing of a wide range of materials. The garnet abrasive employed is considerably harder than the majority of processed materials, but the hardest workpieces do pose a challenge for the process. Waterjet cannot match the processing speeds of laser cutting on thicker, hard substrates. In terms of similarities, both waterjet cutting and laser cutting produce high-quality cut parts, are suitable for working with many materials, and both processes have a small kerf (cut) width.

CNC Machining

CNC machining is considered one of the more traditional methods of extracting parts from flat material stock. It is similar to laser cutting in that both produce high-precision parts, are fast, reliable, and provide excellent repeatability. Compared to laser cutting, CNC requires more setup and more processing time. CNC also delivers lower throughput/capacity and requires greater manual intervention. However, results can be of similar quality, albeit at a generally higher cost. Rotating cutting tools apply considerable forces to the cut material and can result in more extensive local heating. The main advantages of CNC processing are the ability to accommodate complex 3D designs and to perform partial depth (rather than through) cuts.

Laser cutting machines are a versatile solution to a variety of industrial and commercial challenges. With the right laser cutting machine, industrial and commercial organizations can satisfy their needs for engraving, cutting, or marking a variety of different materials, with technology that characteristically out-performs the competition. Below, we've listed five of the key benefits associated with using a laser engraver or cutting machine. Keep reading to find out how the versatility and precision offered by powerful laser technology can benefit your organization.

Laser Cutting Machines are Versatile

Laser cutting machines are versatile in the sense that they can perform different operations depending on how the user or operator configures their settings. Laser cutting, engraving, marking, and even laser etching can all be performed by the same machine with different operating conditions, and each function lends itself to different types of applications. Let's take a look at the four functions and how they differ:

Laser cutting is when a laser machine is used to cut entire shapes or sections out of the chosen material. High-powered CO2 lasers machines are the best option for cutting through plastics and metal substances, as they interact with the material directly, not just the pigment in the material. Some metals have high enough melting points that they cannot be cut with lasers, but virtually all fabrics and paper materials can easily be shaped into something new by laser cutting.

Laser engraving uses a high-powered laser to vaporize the surface of the material, leaving a visible marking with a depth between 0.02' and 0.125'. Laser engraving is a useful process for personalizing or customizing an object made from wood, leather or stainless steel, but the process may be inappropriate for industrial parts-marking application as the depth of the cut can compromise aspects of the material that are critical to its performance.

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Laser etching is a special type of laser engraving that makes extremely shallow cuts, typically just 0.001' in depth.

Laser marking is typically used to create permanent bar codes or other traceability markings on metal products, such as medical devices or automotive or aerospace components. Laser marking does not cause any physical change to the material, as it is done with only a low-powered laser. The beam causes oxidation under the surface layer of metal, causing it to change color and leaving a permanent, high-contrast marking. Laser marking is effective on flat, curved and round surfaces.

Image courtesy of Hai Tech Lasers

Caption: High-powered CO2 laser machineslike this have rapidly replaced virtually all traditional marking technologies, such as dot peen, inkjet, and labeling. Lasers create permanent and consistent markings at a low price point with a high accuracy that simply can't be matched by other marking technologies.

Vector Cutting Machines are Precise and Reliable

Mechanical and laser cutting are both common fabricating processes that are represented throughout the manufacturing sector today, but there's a reason that an increasing number of manufacturers are choosing to rely on laser cutting machines to fulfill their needs.

That reason is the unparalleled precision and reliability of a computer numerically controlled (CNC) vector cutting machine, its ability to deliver absolute consistency and help minimize risk throughout the cutting process. Compared to mechanical cutting, laser cutting offers:

• the ability to apply finish to a product, whereas machine-cut parts may require post-machining treatments to finish them
• no direct contact between the material and the laser cutter, reducing the likelihood of material contamination or an accidental marking
• less heat generated in a smaller area compared to mechanical cutting, reducing the risk that the material will become deformed or misshapen at the cutting site

The laser engraving process also outperforms its industrial counterpart, computerized rotary engraving. With lasers, the time and labor needed to set up an engraving job were reduced and laser engraving could be used to mark a wider variety of metals and other materials.

Some manufacturers continue to use chemical etching to mark their products, but laser marking is certainly a more efficient option. Thanks to its CNC interface, laser markers can produce consistent markings on a variety of materials, even of different shapes, with 99.9% accuracy. A process such as chemical etching, whose success depends on the variable absorption rate of the chosen material for the acid, often produces markings with error/defect rates of up to 50%. Chemical etching lacks both the precision and reliability of laser etching when it comes to producing high-quality, long-lasting laser marks.

Laser Cutting Works with a Variety of Materials

Have you ever wondered 'What can you cut with a laser cutter?' The answer is, almost anything. Laser cutting works by directing a highly concentrated beam of light rays, the output of a high-powered laser, through a series of lenses that magnify their intensity and onto the desired surface. When the laser beam hits the material on the targeted surface, it is either vaporized, melted, burned away, or blown away by a jet of gas.

Lasers are used to cut, etch, mark and engrave materials for a variety of applications. On the industrial side, manufacturers of automotive and aerospace parts use laser cutting machines to mark parts with unique traceability numbers or product identification codes, making it possible for regulators to trace the path of each part through the supply chain. Product designers use laser cuttings to create home decor products and other crafts. The versatile applications of laser cutting machines are due in part to the versatility of materials that can be cut by a laser, including:

• Acrylic, also known as Plexiglas, a hard plastic material that comes in many different colors
• Mylar also called polyester
• Nylon
• Two-tone acrylic
• Polyethylene and polypropylene
• Stainless steel
• Anodized aluminum
• Silicone
• Cloths such as suede, leather, hemp, and cotton
• Sheet metal, including magnetic sheets
• Papers
• Rubber products such as neoprene and viton
• Woods (balsa, birch, oak, cedar, cherry, and others)

Aerospace parts manufacturers benefit significantly from the versatility of laser engravers and cutters, as they can be used to mark wires made from rubber, custom instrumentation panels made from two-tone acrylic and mechanical components made from stainless steel.

Laser Engraving and Cutting is Extremely Safe

Laser cutting machines are becoming increasingly common on the job site, in public workshops and 'maker spaces', and even in schools ' but what are the risks?

The Laser Institute of America, in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has released a document called ANSI Z136, which establishes safety standards for operating lasers in the workplace. Under the standard, the laser in your typical laser engraving machine would be labeled as Class 3B or Class 4 ' high-powered laser beams capable of causing severe skin or eye injury.

Despite that, laser cutting machines have been designated as 'low-risk' under the standard because they are fully enclosed and interlocked. Users should never manipulate safety features or intentionally expose their skin or eyes to the laser beam ' but otherwise, laser engraving and cutting are extremely safe and low-risk technologies.

Conversely, alternatives to laser cutting can pose a significant threat to the safety of workers. The chemicals used in acid etching can be toxic if ingested and corrosive to the skin, and workers are much more likely to be injured by a mechanical fabrication process than by a laser cutter.

Image courtesy of Hai Tech Lasers

Caption: In desktop laser markers such as this one, the laser is housed within an enclosure that should always be closed when the program is active. As a result, the machine operator is never exposed to the laser beam which could be intense enough to seriously damage eyes or skin. Their compact design and inherent safety make desktop laser cutters popular for marking small medical implants or industrial components.

A Laser Cutting Machine Produces Few Waste Products

One of the best things about operating a laser cutter in your workshop or on your manufacturing line is that they don't produce any real waste and don't require any consumables.

Imagine that you're manufacturing automobile components that have to be marked for traceability and you have the choice between marking with a laser cutting machine or with chemical etching. If you choose etching, you'll need to establish relationships with suppliers that can provide you with the chemicals, acids, and the wastewater treatment equipment needed to dispose of them legally. You'll also have to generate a unique physical stencil for each unique marking, or replace a used stencil after 20-30 uses.

In contrast, the only consumable used by a laser cutting machine is electrical power so you'll have no new waste removal processes and no extra products to order.

Summary

Laser cutting and engraving machines offer significant benefits to the organizations that use them. These diverse machines can perform several applications, including engraving, cutting, or marking a wide variety of materials (stainless steel, plastics, wood, paper and more). In addition to their precision and reliability, laser cutting machines are valued for their excellent safety designation under ANSI Z136 and the fact that they produce no material waste.

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