Laser cutting¶
Throughout this short week we experienced laser cutting but how does it work?
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A high-power laser is used in laser cutting, and the beam or material is guided by computer numerical control (CNC) and optics. A motion control system is usually used in this procedure to follow a CNC or G-code representing the pattern that has to be cut into the material. The concentrated laser beam leaves behind a superior surface completed edge by burning, melting, vaporizing, or being blasted away by a jet of gas.
By stimulating lasing materials with electrical discharges or lights inside of closed containers, a laser beam is produced. The lasing material is internally reflected by a partial mirror, amplifying its energy until it can be released as a coherent monochromatic light stream. Mirrors or fiber optics guide the light beam via an intensifying lens to focus it on the work area.
Laser cutting types¶
Fiber Lasers
Fiber lasers are used principally for cutting and engraving metallic parts. They offer several advantages over other types of lasers, making them a logical choice in industrial applications.
CO2 Lasers
They’re particularly suited to processing non-metallic materials with moderate precision and efficiency. They are also considered viable in many metal-cutting applications. For metal processing, the absorption spectrum is adverse but various, widely used workarounds can facilitate better functionality.
Nd:YAG/Nd:YVO Lasers
Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) and Nd:YVO (neodymium-doped yttrium vanadate) lasers are fundamentally similar solid-state devices. Both emit in the near-infrared spectrum, differentiated by the medium within which the stimulated emission occurs. They are most applicable to cutting and marking of metals and a limited range of non-metals.
Direct Diode Lasers
Direct diode (or simply diode) lasers are a type of laser technology that utilizes single semiconductor junctions to generate laser light. They are increasing in market penetration in industrial applications, including: cutting, welding, and surface treatment. A direct diode laser is based on semiconductor junctions, typically made of gallium arsenide (GaAs). When a forward bias current is applied to the diode, it emits light by electroluminescence, without requiring a light source for initiation. The emitted light is then guided and focused into a laser beam by optical elements that make a stimulated emission resonant cavity with a half mirror at one end, through which the laser energy is emitted.
The type of laser cutter that we have available is the CO2 laser cutter as the materials we deal with are acrylic, wood and cardboard
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Factors to Consider¶
laser cutting depends on three main factors which are Power, Speed and Kerf these factors has to be kept in mind in addition to the material type and thickness as each material and it’s thickness as well as the thing that you want to achieve would changes the way we adjust the laser cutter’s settings.
Engraving
depending on the material and it’s thickness a low power setting might not cut through the material. The speed also has a contribution to the laser and if it cuts through as the speed means that the laser would stay at the same spot for longer making it pass through the material, so you might be able to cut through material if you have low power and low speed and it would require more power with higher speed. To know what is the most suitable setting we have to do some tests which we will come to later on.
### Focal Point Test
### Powerand Speed test
### Kerf test