WHAT IS PRECISION LASER CUTTING?
The process of laser precision cutting refers to the extremely precise cutting or severing of an object using a continuous or pulsed laser beam. The process of laser precision cutting is used where two or three-dimensional as well as fast and above all precise processing is required.
In contrast to other cutting processes such as punching, laser precision cutting can already be used economically for batch sizes that are very small in contrast to cutting processes such as punching.
Almost all metallic materials can be cut with the laser precision cutter.
There are different methods. Manufacturers offer various combined machines that enable both operations with the punching head and the laser cutting of any contours. High-power lasers that are easy to focus are used for this. Diode-pumped fiber resonators are the state-of-the-art beam source for these high-power lasers. These so-called fiber lasers enable a constant and flexibly adjustable energy input.
POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS
Precision laser cutting is used where complex contours require processing that is largely force-free. A variety of materials can be cut with the help of the laser. The result of the process is narrow kerfs and precise cuts.
In many respects, the process is currently one of the most practical ways of cutting a material. Post-processing is unnecessary in most cases due to the enormous precision. In addition, almost burr-free cutting is possible with most materials, as little heat can penetrate the components and most materials can therefore be cut almost burr-free. It takes some knowledge and experience to adjust the parameters of the laser beam for the respective purpose. Wavelength, power and pulse energy are factors that play an important role. The microscopic ablation mechanism, as well as the thermal effects, is essentially determined by the pulse duration and irradiance.
Possibilities of 3D laser precision cutting
The technical application potential offered by laser cutting is mainly due to the high localization of laser energy input. It therefore benefits from small focus diameters and a narrow kerf width.
A high feed rate and minimal heat input are also characteristic of the laser cutting principle.