LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, and it is used for a large variety of purposes. One of its crucial applications lies in cutting metal plates. It is used for metal plates with materials such as stainless steel, aluminium plates, and mild steel and the reason why lasers are used is that they are capable of making intricate designs on the plates. They are highly accurate, have small kerf width, small heat affect zone, and they can cut very small holes as well.
Laser cutting is a new age technology that employs the services of lasers for cutting through thick materials and is usually found in manufacturing applications. It is also used by hobbyists, schools, and small businesses. Lasers employ the power of optics, which is directed through a nozzle as output and cuts through material. Numerical Control is a technique, which involves the automation of machine tools, which operate with precisely programmed commands that have been encoded and stored which automate the process of manually turning levers. This forms the basis of CNC laser cutting services, and computers handle the entire laser cutting process.
The working of lasers
The beam which is emitted from the laser is of a single colour, wavelength, and very high intensity. The CO2 laser has a beam, which is infrared, and it is invisible to the human eye with a diameter of 3/4th of an inch. The beam is created through the laser resonator and passes through the machine’s beam path where it is bounced off from several mirrors or beam benders before it gets focused on the plate. The laser beam that is focused through the nozzle bore before the plate is hit. Compressed gas such as oxygen or nitrogen is also flowing through the nozzle.
The high power density causes melting, heating, and partial or complete vaporization of the material very rapidly. A typical ‘oxy-fuel’ burning procedure begins in mild steel due to the heat of the laser beam. The laser cutting gas is pure oxygen. The material is simply melted when stainless steel or aluminium is used due to the laser beam and high-pressure nitrogen blows the molten metal out of the kerf.
When a CNC laser is employed, the laser cutting nozzles is skilfully moved over the metal plate in the shape of the predetermined design, and it cuts off the metal parts, which are not a part of the design. The distance between the plate and the nozzle is supposed to be uniform and accurate, and this is maintained with the help of a capacitive height control system. The distance of the focal point relative to the plate surface is determined through the capacitive system. The quality of the cut is adjusted and affected by lowering the focal point from the surface of the plate, just above the plate surface, and below the surface of the plate.
CNC cutting procedures are used in schools and small businesses because they are a cost-effective and accurate process. CNC is an automated procedure, which makes it much better than conventional laser cutting services.