Matters Needing Attention in Laser Cutting Different Materials

As the application field of laser plate cutting becomes more and more extensive, more and more materials are applicable. But there are different characteristics of different materials, so the matters needing attention when using laser cutting are also different. The following is a brief analysis of the main materials used in laser cutting:

1. Carbon steel

When laser cutting steel plate, cutting with oxygen will get better results. When oxygen is used as the processing gas, the cutting edge will be slightly oxidized. For plates with a thickness of 4mm, nitrogen can be used as a processing gas for high-pressure cutting. Under that case, the cutting edge will not be oxidized. For plates with a thickness of more than 10mm, it will be better when using a special pole plate for the laser and oiling the surface of the workpiece during processing.

2. Stainless steel

When laser cutting stainless steel plates, if edge oxidation is unimportant, oxygen can be used as the processing gas; nitrogen can be used as the processing gas to obtain an oxidation-free and burr-free edge without further processing. Coating the oil film on the surface of the plate will get a better perforation effect without reducing the processing quality.

3. Aluminum

Because aluminum has high reflectivity and thermal conductivity, aluminum with a thickness of 6mm or less can be cut. When cutting with oxygen, the cutting surface is rough and hard; while using nitrogen, the cutting surface is smooth. Pure aluminum is tough to cut because of its high purity. Aluminum can only be cut when a "reflection absorption" device is installed on the system, otherwise, the reflection will destroy the optical components.

4. Copper

Copper has high reflectivity and excellent thermal conductivity. Laser cutting brass with a thickness of less than 1mm can be cut with nitrogen; copper with a thickness of 2mm can be cut, and the processing gas must be oxygen.

5. Synthetic materials

When cutting synthetic materials, keep in mind the dangers of cutting and the dangerous substances that may be emitted. Synthetic materials that can be processed by laser board cutting are thermoplastics, thermosetting materials, and synthetic rubber.