"Super-Fast Knife"-Application of Laser Cutting in Sheet Metal Processing

Sheet metal processing, which occupies one-third of the world's metal processing, has a wide range of applications and has appeared in almost all industries. If the cutting process of sheet metal (thickness of metal sheet is less than 6mm) is nothing more than laser cutting, plasma cutting, flame cutting, shearing machine, stamping, etc. Among them, laser cutting has risen and flourished in recent years. In the field of metal sheet cutting, from micron-level ultra-thin plates to tens of millimeters thick plates, effective cutting can be performed. In a sense, laser cutting machines have brought a technological revolution to sheet metal processing. Compared with traditional cutting methods, laser cutting is easier to understand and learn, and has certain advantages in terms of processing effects and speed required by businesses. Therefore, it is believed that laser cutting machines will be the trend in the choice of cutting methods in the future.

So, why is laser cutting so good? Let's take a look at some of the origins and principles related to laser cutting technology. Laser technology is one of the four major inventions of the twentieth century, which are synonymous with atomic energy, semiconductors, and computers. However, this technology did not break through the original technical bottleneck until the 21st century. At the same time, the combination of laser technology and advanced equipment promoted the development of advanced equipment manufacturing. The application of laser technology has penetrated into various industrial fields such as metal processing, steel, aerospace, automobile manufacturing, medical equipment and so on.

The high-density laser beam is used to irradiate the material to be cut, so that the material is quickly heated to the vaporization temperature and evaporated to form a hole. As the beam moves to the material, the hole continuously forms a very narrow (such as about 0.1mm) slit. Cutting of materials-this is LaserCutting. Laser cutting has high efficiency, high energy density and flexibility. It is the only choice in the sheet metal cutting industry in terms of accuracy, speed and efficiency. As a precision machining method, laser cutting can cut almost all materials, including 2D or 3D cutting of thin metal plates. The laser can be focused into a very small spot, which can be finely and precisely processed, such as the processing of fine slits and micro holes. In addition, it does not require a tool when processing, which is non-contact processing and no mechanical deformation. Some traditional difficult-to-cut or low-quality plates can be easily solved after laser cutting, especially in the cutting of some carbon steel plates.

In recent years, laser cutting technology has gradually become the housekeeping skill of various manufacturers, and due to its wide application, it can be divided into: laser vaporization cutting, laser melting and melting cutting, laser oxygen cutting and laser There are four types of scribing and controlling fracture. It is worth mentioning that laser melting and cutting can cut all meltable materials, such as metal.

When cutting stainless steel with a laser, most of them use high-pressure nitrogen and coaxial injection of laser beam to blow away the molten metal so that no oxide is formed on the cutting surface. This is a good method, but it is more expensive than traditional oxygen cutting. One way to replace pure nitrogen is to use filtered plant compressed air, which consists of 78% nitrogen. The use of filtered compressed air in laser cutting is faster than the use of oxygen or nitrogen-generally 300ipm to 320ipm. Although some initial investment is required for some equipment, filtering, and compressed air, the long-term cost is relative to The cost of "traditional" auxiliary gases is still low. Laser energy is now in a focal position, and the use of compressed air can generate plasma spheres on the surface of metal, the effect is similar to the cutting effect produced by electric CNC plasma cutting machine. Plasma transfers heat more efficiently than light.