As the name implies, laser cutting is a process that creates patterns and designs by using a laser that cuts through the material. This laser beam is thin, focused, and very powerful light that melts, burns, or vaporizes the material being cut. It is applicable for cutting various materials such as metal, glass, gemstone, plastic, and paper. The laser beam is also capable of making intricate designs on parts without the need for any custom-designed tool. Laser cutters were first introduced in 1961 by Patel. Two years later, it was developed into the first-ever kind of CO2 laser that is still being used today in modern-day applications.
Nowadays, laser cutting has become widely popular and is used by a lot of industries including automotive, medicine, electronics, aerospace, and semiconductors. But one of the most common applications of a laser cutter is for cutting metal such as tungsten, steel, aluminum, brass, nickel, and many more metal alloys. This is because lasers provide smooth finishes and clean cuts. One of the most interesting applications of a laser cutter is in the field of surgery wherein laser beams are being used to replace the scalpel in vaporizing human tissue. A perfect example is eye surgery where high-precision surgical procedures are critical.
Three Main Varieties of Laser Cutting
As for the major varieties of laser cutting, here are the top three most common today:
● Flame cutting. This laser cutting uses oxygen as the assist gas, which is blown into the kerf at high pressure. The heated material reacts with the oxygen and starts to burn and oxidize, expelling more energy and assisting the laser beam.
● Fusion Cutting. This variety uses inert gas like nitrogen in blowing away the material. It uses less power as the material is first heated up by the laser until it reaches its melting point and the inert gas blows it.
● Remote Cutting. In this last method, the cutter is using a high-intensity laser to partially ablate the material, which enables the cutting of thin sheets without requiring an assist gas.
If you have further queries about the laser cutting process, just call us up and we would be more than happy to assist you with your questions.
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