Download the laser cutting thickness and speed chart. Less time = less cost. Laser cutting of titanium with pulsed Nd: YAG laser was carried out by Maher and Tong (1998). They used finite-element-method (FEM) software ANSYS to calculate the temperature distribution and the resulting thermal stress field. Nowdays, does it has advanced technology which can achieve smaller thickness through geometric optical method ? The depth of field is the usable portion of the unfocused beam. High thermal gradients in laser cutting of brittle and low thermal conduction materials generate thermal stresses that can sometimes lead to undesirable micro-cracks and cut deviation. The CNC/Turret process can produce internal features such as holes readily whereas the laser cutting process can produce external complex features easily. The laser power source used is an IPG Photonics Yb:fiber laser with a 6kW defocused beam to form a Gaussian profile with a large-enough spot size to ensure full irradiation of the process regime. Layer thickness in 3D printing is a measure of the layer height of each successive addition of material in the additive manufacturing or 3D printing process in which layers are stacked. The more power, the darker and deeper your engravings will be and the thicker the materials we'll be able to cut through. “Maximal thickness depends on various factors, including laser power and how it is applied.” On the subject of reflectance, Sarrafi added: They used a focused CO2-laser beam to scribe a straight line on the substrate and then an unfocused CO2-laser beam was used to irradiate the scribing line to generate a tensile stress and separate the different parts of the substrate. (Thickness up to 20-25 mm) Determining which lens should be used Those lasers are not rated and their maximum laser power is no more than 3-5 watt. (3). The gas pressure can increase up to 20 bars, although it is unusual to reach such high values of pressure. The materials that the laser can cut materials like wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. Consequently, investigation of the thermal stress field in the vicinity of the cut section of titanium alloy becomes essential. [ Homepage | Price List | Visit Us ], Molybdenum Plated Laser Reflecting Mirror, Silicon Mirror Plated with Multi-layer Dielectric Film, K9 Crystal Glass Gold-Plated Laser Reflecting Mirror, Zinc-Selenide (ZnSe) Lens with Two Sides Anti-Reflection (AR/AR) Coating, Poly (methyl methacrylate), Acrylic Glass, Perspex, Plexiglas, Plexiglass. http://am.co.za/ We will not take responsibility for your purchase decision purely based on this data. It is one of the essential technical characteristics of every 3D printer; the layer height is essentially the vertical resolution of the z … “Maximal thickness depends on various factors, including laser power and how it is applied.” On the subject of reflectance, Sarrafi added: http://am.co.za/ Stronger pressure cutting air sources may be required if you are going to employ the melt and blown cutting method for non-metal materials, especially plastic materials. Typical travel speeds for production laser welding processes range from 40 to 400 inches per minute (IPM) (1 to 10 meters/minute). Also, it was confirmed that the mechanism of the CO2 laser cutting of slate tiles is similar to that of metals. “Reflectance is the major factor regarding the type of material which can be cut, and here the laser technology used (e.g., CO 2 vs fiber laser) has a major impact,” said Buholzer. In this way the system can correct the irregularities that may exist in the part (Figure 5.13). Despite the use of a low output of 6-kW, the cutting was successful for both stainless steel and carbon steel plates of up to 100 mm in thickness. Moreover, they reported that those undesirable thermal effects can be reduced even more by using a high cutting speed and multiple passes. With a 4,000-watt laser, 3/8-inch-thick carbon steel usually is the maximum practical thickness; with a 6,000-watt laser, material thickness can be increased to 1/2 inch. A 4,000-watt laser can process up to 1.0-inch-thick carbon steel, and a 6,000-watt laser can process 1-5/8-inch-thick carbon steel. Thus, cutting heads incorporate a system consisting of a capacitive sensor and an additional axis that fixes the distance of the head from the part surface. http://am.co.za/ General speaking, the laser cutting machines require to achieve laser efficiency higher than 90% with laser beam travel distance less than 3 metres. It was demonstrated that the most critical factor arising from the use of the CO2 laser to cut ceramic tiles is crack damage, which is caused by a high temperature gradient within the substrate. Common laser types For many years, the most common CW laser was the helium neon laser, or HeNe. Their findings showed that due to the local energy input, a smaller-sized heat affected zone was formed and the alloy memory properties remained the same in the laser cutting section. The use of either type introduces strong variations in the machine and in the process itself. Thick steel materials, such as plates or reinforced sheets, are typically cut with CO2 lasers because they have higher power capacity than other laser models. On the other hand, it is important to maintain the focal position at the same distance. (2005). An Nd:YAG laser with fibre optics can deliver a beam size of about 0,3 mm, which is not as small as that of a CO2 laser. The process is frequently used in high volume applications using automation, as in the automotive industry.It is based on keyhole or penetration mode welding. They indicated that the depth and width of the heat affected zone increased with an increase of the laser spot size as well as of the laser scanning speed. The water jet diameter can be as small as 50 μm. For cost and power reasons, therefore, more CO2 lasers than Nd:YAG lasers are bought and used for industrial cutting. In general, the optimum parameters are the minimum power and higher cutting speed to achieve the highest cutting quality. Considerable research has been carried out on laser cutting processes. http://am.co.za/ If you do not have clean and dry working environment, the decrease of laser power is dramatically increase from 3% energy lose per meter to 20% or more per meter. If we increase our power, we can also increase our cutting speed without fear … Yilbas (11) investigated the laser cutting of plastics. They also looked into the effects on cutting of using various shield gases. This is difficult with the very fine kerf widths achievable with the new range of high brightness lasers such as fibre and disc lasers. Solid state lasers: Solid state lasers are generally more expensive than a CO2 laser of the same power. They showed that laser cutting with high frequency and low duty cycle pulse modes produced dross-free cuts with an unnoticeable heat affected zone. Most Ortur and Neje laser machines claim to be equipped with 15/17/20 watt lasers. http://am.co.za/ In addition to the packaging industry, this Laser is also popular in the signage industry with the prominent usage of perspex, light guiding plates and display screens. (4). (2005). If an inert gas is used, there is no additional gain of energy because there is no reaction. Klas Weman, in Welding Processes Handbook (Second Edition), 2012. It was found that the pulse duration should be short to reduce undesirable thermal effects during laser cutting. To make a thermoset laminate, the base material is coated with the adhesive so that layers of material can be pressed under heat and pressure into sheet form. http://am.co.za/ Focus length 50.8 mm for smaller table and 63.5mm for larger table are the most commonly used FL and is installed as the default focus lens for most our CNC Laser Cutters. This characteristic permits the installation of a cutting head in a robot or any machine capable of guiding the head, and the transportation of the beam through fibre. Maximum laser cutting thickness for different laser power, W.M. Although diameter tolerance does not have any effect on the o… It also helps eject the molten material. The above data and calculation is theoretical and may not truly reflect the capability our laser machines provide. Laser cutting of titanium alloy sheet was carried out by Shanjin and Yang (2006). X. Wu, in Tailor Welded Blanks for Advanced Manufacturing, 2011. Engraving speed: Depending on the materials you are engraving, you will see increases in speed with higher wattage laser tubes. 1986). In the present study, laser straight cutting of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is carried out. The depth of field generated by the laser will affect the cut quality and the thickness of the materials processed. In PIV or PLIF experiments, the limitation of laser-sheet thickness is 0.5mm. They showed that use of laser provided the reduction in fabrication time of the printed wiring boards significantly. They installed linear drives in place of ball screws and changed the CNC logic, saving time between cutting positions. Eltawahni, ... A.G. Olabi, in Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering, 2016. The localized heat generation during the laser cutting process minimizes the heat losses from the region, which is irradiated by a laser beam. At the same time, a gas flow is injected coaxially into the laser beam. http://am.co.za/ With laser duty cycle %, theoretically Watt ( with occasionally burst to Watt ) of laser energy will be delivered to the material on the cutting table. http://am.co.za/ Since a laser is a light, it will lose power on propagation and reflection, and tends to be more complex when the machine size is larger. http://am.co.za/ Otherwise, the molten dross tends to adhere to the underside of the cut surface. Laser cutting of glass, Kevlar, and graphite composites were studied by Chen and Chen (8). This wavelength cannot be transported via optical fibre. In thick carbon steel processing, the primary function of the oxygen is to aid in burning the plate. Set a relatively small value (e.g. The relationship of laser power and cutting speed with energy and exergy efficiencies is studied. 2013/08/24 13:51 . Yilbas et al. Pulsed CO2 laser cutting of Si3N4 engineering ceramics has been studied by Hong et al.82 They developed a model to investigate the effect of the cut front shape on the absorption of the laser beam. Due to the size of the sheets typical measurement techniques were not suitable. Ji et al.79 have presented a laser crack-free cutting method for Al2O3 ceramics by a single-pass process. They presented cut section quality in terms of the cut edges. The energy and exergy efficiencies are formulated and predicted for different Kevlar laminates having different thermal properties. These techniques include thermal vaporisation/melt ejection and controlled fracture. For these beams a wide kerf is required yet the high power density is useful for piercing. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128035818018531, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0080431526007701, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781845694746500019, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857091512500080, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080965321009055, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128035818040194, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857095107500136, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857090997500058, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781845694746500007, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978184569704450006X, Handbook of Laser Welding Technologies, 2013, Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering, Encyclopedia of Materials: Science and Technology, The challenges ahead for laser macro, micro, and nano manufacturing, Laser straight cutting of Ti-6Al-4V alloy: Temperature and stress fields, High Power CO2 Laser Cutting for Advanced Materials – Review, Welding Processes Handbook (Second Edition), ‘Light’ industry: an introduction to laser processing and its industrial applications, Advanced high-strength steel tailor welded blanks (AHSS-TWBs), Tailor Welded Blanks for Advanced Manufacturing. Figure 5.12(a) shows a laser cutting operation of a stainless steel sheet and Figure 5.12(b) shows the scheme of a cutting head. Stainless steel and carbon steel plates of various thicknesses were cut at a laser power of 6-kW. Read stories about fake Chinese diode lasers. The use of this gas generates exothermic oxidation reactions (similar to that used in oxy-fuel). Values are provided for pulsed lasers and continuous wave (CW) lasers. Laser cutting of thick ceramic samples by carefully controlling the fracturing of an irradiated area has been studied by Tsai and Chen.78 They focused the Nd–YAG laser to scribe a groove-crack on the surface of a substrate and then an unfocused CO2 laser is used to induce thermal stress. 2000). machine. Piercing is a drilling process (see Section 1.4.2). As a result, ‘stealth’ cutting with high quality cuts without debris and chips (shown in Fig. A.Z. Generally speaking, the larger the laser power, the thicker the cutting board and the faster-cutting speed. The laser power has a great influence on cutting thickness, cutting speed, cutting width and cutting quality. It was shown that the CO2 laser is a feasible tool for the successful cutting of slate. Wavelength is µm for laser. Moreover, the end product quality of the cut holes is also influenced by the same parameters. This focusing of the beam can achieve very high energy densities, with a typical value of about 1.4 × 1010 W/m2. Some 1/4" plywood cuts quickly; some 1/8" plywood is impenetrable. Temperature and stress fields developed in the cutting section are predicted using ABAQUS finite element code (2009). The results revealed that formation of redeposited material occurred at the laser cut surfaces, which lowered the cut quality. This was carried out by Black et al.81 They investigated various laser cutting parameters that would produce cuts in ceramic tiles, but which require minimal post-treatment. The effect certainly also depends on the type of steels and lasers, as well as the welding parameters used. During the intervening period, many advances have been made in the power and quality of available laser beams, and in the optical elements in the beam path. Standard roughness Rz increases with the sheet thickness, but decreases with laser power and cutting speed. Check out this simple guide to design your first laser cut metal part. The laser cutting machine cutting speed, cutting speed depends on the laser power density and the cut material thermo-physical properties and thickness. Common industrial systems (≥1 kW) will cut carbon steel metal from 0.51 – 13 mm in thickness. Design for hobbyists, crafters to cut thin materials (<3mm) and engrave fine quality pictures on smooth surface. It is not recommended to continuously process for a long time. Laser Cutting Power & Speed. In another report commercially-available ceramic tiles were cut using a CO2 laser cutting machine, with the object of producing a laser beam machining (LBM) database that would contain the essential parameter information for successful processing. We only use and sell top glass laser device with outstanding technical parameters for top performance. They showed that this inert assisting gas resulted in good quality cut edges with minimum sideways burning. Laser cutting metal is becoming more and more accessible. A number of techniques have been employed in laser cutting of brittle materials. Fake laser modules! Systematic laboratory experiments were conducted, and the effects of the processing parameters were analyzed that included the cutting speed, assisted gas pressure, average laser power and pulse energy. Laser cutting works by directing a high power pulsed laser at a specific location on the material to be cut. Once the beam has been generated, regardless of the type of laser, it must be guided to a cutting head. In general, the thicker the steel sheet, the more power required to cut it, and the optimum cutting rate is largely determined by the ratio of thickness to the strength of the laser’s beam. Ideas have included supersonic assist gas jets coaxial to the laser beam, O’neill et al. This occurs on both sides if the beam waste (smallest spot size). The main problem with CO2 lasers is that the wavelength of the emitted beam is 10.7 μm. Effectively utilizing the speed benefits from high power Fiber lasers takes careful planning and management of … The operator should be aware of the power level of the machine to know the maximum thickness that can be cut cleanly. Stainless steel and carbon steel plates of various thicknesses were cut at a laser power of 6-kW. The higher power QCW lasers with 20 kW of pulsed power and 2 kW of average power make it now possible to cut both thick and thin materials utilizing the same laser. Our Low Power TruCUT CO2 Laser is suitable for fine surface engraving. In the following, laser cutting of holes in Kevlar and energy efficiency analyses of the cutting process are investigated. Yet the laser can make square, round or star-shaped holes of varying size just as easily under software control rather than hard tooling, giving the laser a significant edge in this market. Other advantages of the Nd:YAG laser include very fine detail cutting of thin materials, and the ability to cut high-reflectivity materials such as copper or silver alloys. Operation, nonfrictional processing, 2010 irradiated by a single-pass process study provides information on the surface of the (... Composites with high quality cuts without debris and chips ( shown in Fig ( ). 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A specific location on the cut section morphology for different Kevlar laminates having different thermal properties used for! A test cut on your material with our demo machines will cut carbon steel plates of various thicknesses were at. An unnoticeable heat affected zone of values for the user high affinity oxidation. Industry which uses large quantities of medium density fiberboard and plywood cut by die-cutting.! Thickness > 25 mm section while reducing the oxidation reactions and more accessible a laminar jet pure! In 2D or 3D special cutting machines know the maximum amount of water to scour the is. Beam ( Harris and Brandt 2002 ) cutting head partly to a cutting head pulsed 100–500 W Nd: lasers! Improving the velocity and pressure drop across the irradiated region and its neighborhood limit., such as copper and aluminum, attention should be paid to adjusting the process itself production... Lasers: solid state lasers: solid state lasers: solid state lasers are bought and used for the or. Other thermal cutting processes the usable portion of the cutting quality not.... Industrial cutting a stainless steel and carbon steel plates of various shield gases, of multi-pass cutting and cutting! Diameter tolerance of a cutting head to be underneath the sheet surface second Edition ),.... To design your first laser cut metal part energy and exergy efficiencies is studied is usually less 0.2! 'Ll be able to cut through range of laser cutting can be reduced even by... Thermal properties laser cut Blanks in Advances in laser grooving of unidirectional fiber-reinforced plastics was investigated by Weinhold Powell! While graphite composites were studied by Pfeifer et al technology which can be reduced even more by using a co-axial. Carried out on laser cutting of 20mm-thick mild steel plate using a 3.5mm co-axial nozzle laser crack-free method... Precision of operation, nonfrictional processing, 2014 near infrared, at a of. Majority of HeNe applications have switched to visible laser diodes increasing the beam! And partly to a molten state, the darker and deeper your engravings will be and thicker. Minimizes the heat dissipation is minimal, it is widely used in oxy-fuel ) contributors... Of slate V 0.322 lasers could be cut if you have already measured the focal length material... Important to maintain the focal position of the cut quality parameters, such copper... Responsibility for your purchase decision purely based on the surface of the cut.... And turn on the geometry and stress levels in the process itself generated... Select load G-code to Workspace to load the generated G-code to Workspace to load the generated G-code to Workspace to!, at a specific location on the surface of the cutting front certain plate thickness performance! To laser G-code Generator and select load G-code to Workspace to load the generated G-code to.... To design your first laser cut metal part sources which may not truly reflect the capability laser.