Laser Cutting Process
The laser cutting process has for a long time been synonymous with all the prices and clean products for a good reason. The laser cutting process is reliable and versatile and can apply to a broad range of materials. It also offers several unique benefits over what the traditional metal cutting techniques offer. In fact, laser cutting is currently the industry standard in several industrial sectors. It encompasses everything from aerospace to automotive and semiconductor manufacturing. Even the medical industry can also benefit a lot from this adaptive manufacturing technique. Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Illinois specializes in steel laser cutting and metal fabrication. It is one of the firms that have taken the laser cutting process to the next level. It is good to go for a company that understands how to use this technique in and out if you want to get the best results.
How Does the Laser Cutting Technique Work?
Laser cutting has now emerged among the most popular techniques of manufacturing that are available in the market. We have a countless number of industries that are using the laser cutting process all over the globe. Its primary application entails the removal of excess material. With the laser cutting process, you will be able to achieve optimal precision from the process.
The laser cutting process is primarily a thermal-based one. In this case, the expert focuses a laser beam to melt a highly targeted area of the material that you want to cut. The process completes the process by combining heat and pressure that is directed through the nozzle. Even though the process seems to be simple, it requires a professional to complete with the right precision. The gas jet helps to eject the molten materials in order to create a small kerf. The process is best implemented using the best laser cutting equipment and professionals.
The process is used primarily in cutting metals. Remember a laser has the capacity of handling virtually anything that is thrown in it. You can use it to cut brass, aluminum, tungsten, nickel, and steel. You can also use the process to cut reflective metals including silver and gold. You can also use the process to cut the non-metallic metals such as plastics, rubber, and polymers.
In most cases, you use laser cutting in the critical manufacturing process that involves the cutting of silicon. This technique is crucial in the production of the high-tech components like solar panels, semiconductors, and microelectronic parts. What Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Illinois specialize in is steel laser cutting and metal fabrication.
Benefits of the Laser Cutting Process
So many factors contribute towards the widely spreading popularity of the laser cutting process. The top benefit of the laser cutting process is the high level of precision and accuracy. It is one of the key advantages of this technique over the traditional ones. With laser cutting, you also have a guarantee of optimal performance whenever you need clean cuts and smooth edges. The reason is that laser energy uses a highly focused beam to cut. It means that it can hold very tight tolerances around the preferred cutting region.
Laser cutting is utilized within the boundaries of strictly defined regions without calling for additional heat. You can also work on sections of materials that are much narrower in comparison to what the other techniques deliver. Besides, the laser heat affected zone tends to be relatively smaller. It means that there is less impact on the material that you are working on by the distortion or warping that results from changes to its microstructure. Unlike the other competing techniques, laser cutting tends to produce geometries that are highly complex and with excellent tolerance levels and better precision.
As we mentioned earlier, you can use the laser technology to cut through materials of all thicknesses. The operators can easily manipulate the machine to deliver any shape as per your needs. It does not matter whether the customer needs a mobile phone casing or vehicle body. The laser process has the capacity to deliver all these products.
Also, the laser cutting process is very fast and you can easily repeat it with a high level of precision. Given the resultant kerf width, the technique enables high levels of sheet utilization by allowing efficient part nesting. It allows you to save on the utilization of materials and reduce the costs that are associated with the overall scrap waste.
In addition, the laser cutting process adapts easily to the manufacturing demands that keep on changing. This is in terms of both the market needs and production volume. The equipment that is used in the laser cutting process can be repurposed and set up for specific needs at a faster rate than the tools that are used in the traditional cutting processes. Typically, the materials that are cut using the laser technology don’t need any additional cleanup. Therefore, using the laser cutting process increases the throughput and also eliminates the other secondary operations. It makes sure that the product is available to clients within the shortest time possible.
How to Work with Laser Cutting
As we have seen, the laser cutting process offers clear benefits over the traditional methods of manufacturing. The technique combines pressure and highly focused energy which allows for cutting on narrower and much smaller areas of metal materials. It comes with highly significant reductions in scrap levels and heat wastages. Thanks to the compact area of impact and high precision cutting of the laser process that allows you to create complex geometrical shapes with cleaner cut finishes and smoother edges. Because of this, the laser cutting process has now become the go-to manufacturing technology for aerospace, metal works, automotive, and microelectronics industries among others.
To make sure that you are choosing the correct laser cutting, whether it is rotary die-cutting or laser die-cutting, you have to make sure that you are partnering with a trustworthy manufacturer. In the selection process, you have to identify a professional that will deliver unique solutions that are tailored you the precision of your cutting needs.
You can use laser cutting to work on various materials like metal and it comes with so many benefits. Laser cutting technology is mostly utilized in the industrial manufacturing application. However, you can also use it for hobbyists, learning institutions, and small businesses. It is a computer numeric controlled task or CNC. You use a computer to create the design before sending it to the machine. The machine will go-ahead to create the design in the materials that you are cutting.
The first time to use the laser cutting process was in 1965. The very first laser machine was invented by the Western Electric Engineering Research Center. The primary role of this machine was drilling holes in diamond dies.
In the modern world, there are three common types of lasers that are used. These include the CO2 laser, the neodymium, and the neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet. The CO2 laser is utilized for cutting, engraving, and boring. The other two laser cutting machines have the same style but different applications. Neodymium executes boring tasks that call for high energy with low repetitions. Lastly, neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet works best is the best choice if the task calls for engraving and high power. You can use all these laser cutting processes for welding.
The laser cutting process eliminates machining in certain engineering jobs hence reducing the cost of manufacturing. The technology also allows you to create complex shapes with a very high level of precision. The laser cutting process does not contaminate the working pieces and reduces the chances of warping. Lastly, there are some materials that you cannot cut using any other technique other than the laser cutting process.
The only downfall of the laser cutting process is that it needs a lot of power. To get accurate results from this process, avoid sharp angles i.e. anything that is less than ten degrees. The process can not accurately make sharp turns hence resulting in a final product that is more rounded. You also need to avoid intricate designs. After heating the metal, the cutter can’t cut a very high level of detail with extreme accuracy. The best company for laser cutting in the region is Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Illinois.
The resources that have allowed us to offer the best quality services at affordable rates. If you need any of them, feel free to request a free quotation from our team now. We have a highly skilled team of professionals who are more than willing to make your dreams come true. You can be sure of getting the real value for your money and reporting a high level of customer satisfaction when you choose to contact our company.
Our core offerings and services at Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Illinois includes, but is not limited to, the following:
We service multiple cities throughout the state of Illinois. We provide all the services listed above, and much more in every city throughout Illinois.
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