The laser has taken the production industry beyond expectations. Who could have imagined a few decades ago that shapes could be cut out of different materials with such precision? Or that the cutting and finishing time will be reduced from hours to seconds or minutes?
At the same time, it is clear that all of these evolutions have a positive impact on the production process, and the business ultimately benefits from investing in the use of this technology.
Starting from the premise that laser cutting is a practice that can be used in different fields of activity or in relation to different materials, you will definitely wonder if metal cutting is also feasible.
All the more so knowing that among the materials used are those with an unstable chemical structure such as aluminum that is not seen as a category of heavy metals (a field that you could target on this occasion), or glass, a very fine and fragile material.
Find out the answer to all your questions!
Metal laser cutting – is it possible?
Analyzing the density of metals, we can say with certainty that we are dealing with a hardness far superior to glass or plastic. And here comes the question: is laser capable of cutting through such a material? Let’s take a look at the possibilities!
For example, metals can be divided into 5 main categories. We can talk about carbon steel which has the highest percentage of carbon, lower than the soft one. But we can also mention stainless steel, alloys or aluminum (mentioned before).
We wanted to bring these metals into discussion because they are among the most commonly used in the industry and, therefore, will be the most frequently subjected to the cutting process.
At the same time, the thickness and the chemical composition of the metal determine the potential and the degree of success of the cut-out or the efficiency that it can ensure.
With this statement we can say that yes, laser is able to cut various metals, but only as long as the power of the device and the characteristics of the metal match. For example, aluminum will be easier to drill than stainless steel, which will require a higher power laser, as well as a different environment in terms of the type of gas used.
A common aspect between metal cutting and not only, is the fact that large equipment is used for this process that implicitly requires a certain storage space, along with a suitable working environment, respectively knowledge and operation of specialized software with related staff, which allow the result to run automatically and in perfect conditions.
The benefits of cutting metals by laser
If you are already familiar with the benefits of laser cutting in general, you are already aware of the advantage of choosing to replace the old glass technologies with this modern technique. However, if you came here for the first time, you can see below some advantages.
Advantages of laser cutting:
- Increased precision and the possibility to make any cut, at any point, respectively to create numerous shapes, without deformations that can lead to the deterioration of massive pieces of raw material until obtaining the finished result as initially desired;
- Reducing the costs associated with both the raw material and the maintenance of various equipment, or the multiple staff traditionally required in cases of cutting and classic finishing;
- Saving time, due to reliability and ease of handling, etc.
In other words, if reading this article aimed at helping you determine whether a laser cutting equipment is suitable in combination with metals, we are firmly convinced that you will make the right choice.