Laser cutting has proved itself to be a great boon for precision parts manufacturing industry.
In fact, laser cutting can cut just about any type of material with exceptionally high level of accuracy and tight tolerance. Laser cutting has really made its mark in the last couple of decades or so due to its accurate precision and less time wastage. With the help of Laser Cutting Metal, several industries across the globe have been able to cut down on amount of wastage and time consumed as compared to traditional metal cutting methods.
This article is composed with intention to compare laser cutting with other methods of cutting to showcase how and why laser is indeed the right choice for high-precision cutting. Read on to find more about it.
Laser Cutting vs Mechanical Cutting
Mechanical and metal laser cutting are two most commonly and widely used cutting processes of today. Both of these methods do the same task albeit with different equipment and technology, with each method having its own advantages and disadvantages. Mechanical cutting involves the use of milling machines, lathes and drill presses. Since there is a direct contact between the actual surface and blades of cutting machine, it results in a lot of wear-tear and creation of rough edges which needed to be smoothen out to impart a proper finishing touch to the metal. Also, there is a significant wastage around the edges necessitating the need to clean up everyday as more time is consumed. On the other hand, laser cutting is a far more cleaner, efficient, accurate and precise method of cutting metal through emission of a high-powered beam which marks and cuts the metal, resulting in smooth edges and less wastage. Unlike metal cutting, there's no direct contact between the laser device and the material, resulting in very less contamination and accidental marking.
Laser Cutting Metal vs Plasma Cutting
Though there's no cut and dry answer to which one of these two cutting techniques is better than other, there are some common rules that separate the both processes. Plasma cutting uses a mixture of gases in order to perform bevel cuts on parts as required. Plasma cutting is utilized typically for parts that have simple shapes, without multiple cut outs or intricate notching. On the other hand, laser cutting is utilized to a great effect when a part has high tolerance specifications, needs a precise and accurate cut, and/or calls for unique hole geometries. Not each and every part requires to be cut by a single cutting method; it depends on the nature of the surface and marking and forming requirements.
Laser Cutting vs Flame Cutting
Flame cutting is a process which is also known as Oxy Fuel Gas Cutting, Oxygen Burning, Steel Burning, etc,. It is a thermo chemical process which cuts metal through the chemical reaction of oxygen with the base metal. Laser cutting is more effective as compared to flame cutting as it can perform on any type of material at quick speed and high precision. Although flame cutting does not require any electricity, it is no match for more faster and efficient laser cutting which is expensive but yields more precise and accurate results.
