Laser cutting is a the most accurate technological process for making precise cuts about different kinds of materials, mostly metals such as aluminum, carbon steel, copper alloys and carbon steel. It is also good at cutting non-metals such as adhesive tapes, films, paper and paper board, textiles, plastics, abrasives and photovoltaics. It is commonly used in metal fabrication industries to increase cutting capacity and cutting speed, improve cutting quality, increase productivity and reduce production costs. Laser cutting is the use of highly concentrated coherent and monochromatic beam of light to cut materials to exact specifications.
It is a much more efficient process that mechanical cutting and tooling since it is much more accurate and costs less. It has digital control that allows unlimited cutting pattern changes and cutting paths that is not practical on a mechanical machine. The laser cuts the material by burning, vaporizing, or melting the material leaving a clean, sharp edge.
There are two major types of lasers, the YAG laser and the Carbon dioxide laser. The carbon dioxide laser is used for boring, cutting and engraving. These lasers have four variants, transverse flow, slow axial flow, fast axial flow and slab. Carbon dioxide laser can emit a maximum of a hundred kilowatts and a cutting of twenty to thirty meters of one millimeter thick material in a minute. YAG lasers are used for high power engraving and boring. They are powerful enough to work on stronger material like ceramics and metals.
Laser cutting has made material cutting process much easier. It provides industries to produce parts with intricate contours made in short lead times.
