A Comprehensive Guide to Laser Cutting Technology

We use many variants of cutting processes in different industries. Laser cutting is not an exception. It is widely used for different applications such as metal, nonmetal, ceramic, or so. 

A technology that we looked up to as a conventional form of cutting has its own techniques and processes that provide a whole new range of possibilities for industrial applications.

Besides, manufacturers like Precitec Laser Parts and Prima Laser Parts leave no stone unturned, ensuring different lasers such as Gas lasers, Crystal lasers, and Fiber lasers make the cutting swift and fast. To help you understand it better, we have listed down different techniques and types of lasers.

Types of Laser Used for Cutting

Generally, there are three main types of lasers. They are:

1. Gas Lasers

Gas laser cutting is also known as CO2 cutting. It uses an electrical simulating, i.e., carbon dioxide mixture for cutting. 

The gas laser cutting has its roots dating back to 1964. Back then, the laser was not strong enough to cut metal. Though it is now, the nonmetals remain the specialty. The laser has a wavelength of 10.6 and is widely used in medical and industrial sections. 

For cutting metals such as steel and aluminum, it uses nitrogen. Given the consequences, it is wise to take precautionary measures and ensure that nitrogen is pure. If it is not, the metal may oxidize.

2. Crystal Lasers

The lasers use crystals made from nd: YAG 

(neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) and nd: YVO 

(neodymium-doped yttrium ortho-vanadate). The crystals are of a solid-state group and can cut both metals and nonmetals.

Crystal lasers have a wavelength of 1.064 meters, and you can use it for multiple industrial applications, including medical, dentistry, military, and manufacturing. 

The drawback of using a crystal laser cutting process is that it is made of expensive pump diodes. Up to that, they have a shorter life expectancy than other lasers available in the market. The service life is around 8000-15000 hours. With time, the need to replace pump diodes or other parts can only cost you more.

Manufacturers like Precitec Laser Parts and Prima Laser Parts ensure that the machines are of good quality. So if you are ever looking for one, make sure you check them out. 

3. Fiber Lasers

Here comes the fiber laser cutting, the most popular and widely used process. Optical fibers are of a solid-state group and are quite similar to crystal lasers.

They also have a wavelength of 1.064 meters.

In comparison to CO2 laser cutting, they offer faster speed, less power consumption, and significantly reduced operational costs. 

What makes fiber laser cutting demanding is its service life. The lasers have a life of around 25,000 working hours, far more than the other two. It requires less maintenance. The replacement parts are inexpensive.

With types, it is quite clear that laser technology is a state of the art technology that requires experienced hands with advanced tools.

Different Laser Techniques

As we saw different types of lasers and laser cutting processes, there are different things that we can do with laser technology. Let us check them out. 

1. Marking

Marking is a process in which the laser melts the surface of the material and marks it. 

2. Engraving

Engraving is quite similar to marking. However, here the mark created is quite deep. Barcode creation is an example of it. 

3. Drilling

Drilling is a process that involves the creation of popping holes and dents in the material.

What does it mean for Businesses? 

The vast range of techniques and types means that laser technology is a futuristic approach. It can benefit a vast range of industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, semiconductors, and medical.

Even hobbyists and artists can use laser technology to create complex shapes and designs for their artistic purposes.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/a-comprehensive-guide-to-laser-cutting-technology

Glass vs. Metal CO2 Laser Tubes: Which one to Choose?

When looking to buy a CO2 laser machine, it is important to consider a number of primary attributes. One of the primary attributes that bifurcate the type of laser tube which machine uses is its laser source.  There are major two options including water-cooled glass tubes and air-cooled metal tubes. Let’s look at the differences between glass and metal laser tubes. 

Metal Laser Tubes

Metal laser tubes use radio frequency to fire a fast pulsing laser with quick repeatability. Most of the metal tubes use air cooling system excluding higher wattages. They perform the engraving process with ultra-fine detail as they have a smaller laser spot size. They have a longer life span of 10-12 years, given they have premium parts like bystronic parts or prima spare parts, before the need for the refurbishing of gas arises. Its turnaround time in some cases can be quite long.

Glass Laser Tubes

Glass laser tubes come at a lower cost. They produce laser with the direct current. It produces good-quality beams which work well for laser cutting. However, here are some of its drawbacks.

There are some safety issues as it operates with a water-cooling system. The DC power supply excite the CO2 gas in a glass laser tube. It needs high voltages for the operations. And combining such levels of voltage with a water-cooling system, it might create some safety hazards.

Glass tubes need water-cooled temperatures as it is a poor thermal conductor. Hence, in order to remove the heat from the system, it is important to keep water circulating. If there is no water-cooling system in place, a glass laser tube would overheat and become inoperable. It might increase your production cost. It also introduces other points which can come as your maintenance cost.

The DC process limits the rate at which the laser tube can work. While the laser engraving process is running in progress, it doesn’t fire in one continuous burst. Rather, it “pulses” while moving and working across the material. When DC-excited laser tubes work on the piece, they tend to pulsate less. It significantly reduces engraving speeds and lowers quality.

Plus, there will be concerns over the lifetime of DC-excited glass tubes if they don’t have premium parts like bystronic parts or prima spare parts. Glass is naturally a fragile element. After a period of time, DC-excitation process can bombard a tube’s optics and electrodes with ions. It increases the chance of deterioration over time. Most of them come with a 6-month warranty. At the time of system failures, you will have to purchase a brand-new laser tube, which will increase your costs and waste. 

Here’s the one-on-one comparison between two:

Cost: DC laser tubes are cheaper than metal tubes. This cost difference is a result of lower technology and manufacturing cost.

Cutting Performance: To be realistic, both laser tubes are appropriate at their place. However, because the RF lasers work on a pulse base, these materials show a slightly rough edge. With that difference, the quality of the final results is hardly noticeable to most of the users. 

Performance: Metal laser tubes generate a smaller spot size out of the output window of the laser. For high precision engraving, this smaller spot size would make a difference. There are various applications where this advantage would be clearly visible. 

Longevity: RF lasers last 4-5 times longer compared to DC lasers. Its longevity can help offset the initial higher cost of the RF laser. Due to its capacity of refilling, the process can be more expensive than the replacement cost of a new DC laser.

Comparing the overall results, both of these tubes are perfect at their own place. Understand their use cases, their making, their parts like bystronic parts, and choose which is more perfect for your business model.