What are the Key Principles Behind Laser Cutting Technology?

1）What does laser cutting technology rely on for cutting?

At its core, laser cutting technology utilizes a high-powered laser beam, which is directed through a series of lenses and mirrors to create an intense focal point. This concentrated energy generates heat that can reach temperatures sufficient to melt or vaporize a variety of materials, including metals, plastics, wood, and textiles. The precision of the laser allows for intricate designs and complex shapes to be cut with ease, making it an invaluable asset in the fields of aerospace, automotive, electronics, and even artistic applications.

The technology operates on several principles, primarily involving either the thermal or the non-thermal cutting methods. In thermal cutting, the laser beam heats the material to the point of fusion or vaporization, while in non-thermal cutting, methods such as ablation are employed. The latter involves the removal of material through a rapid process of evaporation, further showcasing the versatility of laser cutting.

Laser cutting works in a continuous or repeated pulse mode. During the cutting process, the laser beam is focused into a very small light spot (the minimum diameter can be less than 0.1mm), so that the focus reaches a very high power density (can exceed At this time, the heat input of the beam (converted by light energy) far exceeds the part reflected, conducted or diffused by the material. The material is quickly heated to the melting and vaporization temperature. At the same time, a high-speed airflow blows the melted or vaporized material out from the bottom of the material from a coaxial or non-coaxial direction.

As the beam and the material move relative to each other, the hole forms a very narrow (0.1 ~ 0.3mm) slit to separate the material. The figure below shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the laser cutting head. In addition to the lens, it also has a coaxial nozzle that ejects an auxiliary gas flow

2）Characteristics of laser cutting technology

Compared with traditional cutting technology, what are the characteristics of laser cutting technology?

The characteristics of laser cutting can be summarized as follows:

① Good cutting quality, good kerf geometry, the two sides of the cut are nearly parallel and perpendicular to the bottom surface;

② No sticky slag, narrow kerf, small heat-affected zone, and basically no workpiece deformation;

③ Laser can cut a variety of materials, gas cutting can only cut low-carbon steel, medium-carbon steel and alloy steel with low Cr content, while laser can cut metals, non-metals, metal-based and non-metal-based composite materials, leather and wood;

④ High cutting efficiency;

⑤ Non-contact processing;

⑥ Low noise;

⑦ Low pollution.