Cutting is a common process performed in the manufacturing industry. Materials, as well as preassembled workpieces, often require cutting. While some manufacturing companies use cutting shears, others use newer and more advanced methods, such as laser cutting. Laser cutting lives up to its namesake by exposing materials and workpieces to a high-powered laser, thus cutting through it. It offers several advantages for manufacturing companies, including the following.
#1) Supports All Materials
Laser cutting supports nearly all types of materials. From aluminum and copper to stainless steel and even titanium, it can easily cut through otherwise strong and hard materials Laser cutting essentially uses a laser to melt the material in a concentrated area. As the laser beam heats up, it will melt the material to which it’s exposed. Because of the laser beam’s high temperature, it can cut through nearly all types of materials, regardless of strength or hardness.
#2) Smooth Edges
Another advantage of laser cutting in manufacturing is that it creates smooth edges. Traditional cutting shears, of course, often create jagged edges. When you cut a piece of material with a pair of shears, the edges will have a sharp and jagged surface. Laser cutting doesn’t suffer from this same problem. Since it uses heat, it will melt the material while subsequently creating smooth edges.
#3) Extreme Precision
Laser cutting is very precise. Using it, manufacturing companies can cut through materials to achieve specific dimensions with extreme precision. Some laser cutting machines, in fact, have a dimensional accuracy of roughly 0.0005 inches. That’s far more precise than the dimensional accuracy of traditional cutting methods, such as shears. With its extreme precision, laser cutting is a popular choice among manufacturing companies.
There are different types of laser cutting machines. Some of them use CO2 lasers, whereas others use neodymium (Nd) lasers. Regardless, they can all cut through materials with extreme precision.
#4) Automated
Laser cutting can be automated. It supports Computer Numerical Control (CNC) systems. There are CNC laser cutting machines that work in conjunction with a computer program. You can program the cutting process on a computer. The laser cutting machine will then follow those instructions to cut the material according to your specifications.
#5) Energy Efficient
While it still requires energy, laser cutting is considered more energy efficient than many other cutting methods. It allows manufacturing companies to quickly and easily perform cutting processes. Because of the fast speeds at which it operates, laser cutting typically consumes less energy than other cutting processes.
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