Automation Application - Robotic Laser Cutting
Laser cutting is a very useful manufacturing process to cut different types of materials including paper, wood, plastic, and metal, by melting the material in the beam path. It cuts out complex shapes, which are used to assemble a larger object. Laser cutting is used primarily by manufacturers to cut metal and plastic parts.
Types:
- CNC laser cutting is a process that uses an intense laser beam to cut part shapes out of sheet material. The parts remain flat because the heat distortion is minimal.
- CO2 laser cutting is a process that uses carbon dioxide as the main lasing medium. CO2 laser cutting uses a mixture of gases such as helium and nitrogen, with CO2 being the most predominant to create a cut quality similar to that of milled edges of mild steels and can operate in continuous waves or pulses.
- Evaporative laser cutting is the process of ablating target materials, typically low vaporization temperature and low thermal conduction materials, through direct vaporization.
- Excimer laser cutting is a process that uses the noble gas compounds for lasing. Excimer lasers generate light in ultraviolet to near-ultraviolet spectra.
- Gas laser cutting is a process in which gas is used as the activating agent.
- Nitrogen cutting or inert gas cutting provides cut edges covered with melted and resolidified metal comprised of the same metal mixture of the material. Thus it has the same resistance to corrosion and is useful for food processing facilities, chemical plants and sign production.
- Moving optics laser cutting is a process in which mirrors are used to reflect the laser beam to the cutting head while the work piece material remains fixed.
- Multi-axis laser cutting is a kind of laser cutting utilizing multiple axes instead of one. The advantage of multi-axis laser cutting is the capability of cutting three-dimensional shapes, while the disadvantages are the higher expense over flat bed cutting, longer set up times and increased safety hazards.
- Oxygen assist cutting is a process in which the oxygen does the actual cutting, and the laser beam maintains the reaction.
- Pulsed laser cutting is a cutting process that uses single or train pulses, as opposed to continuous wave lasers. These pulses supply greater power at shorter intervals.
- Semiconductor laser cutting is a process utilizing semiconductor materials as the active medium.
- Solid state laser cutting is a process in which the active medium of the laser (typically not semiconductor lasers) is in a solid state.
Related Topics