Table of Contents
History of laser cutting technology
Laser system cutting is considered to be an industrial laser technology that is used in numerous fields. The first laser beams were introduced in 1960 when the physicist Theodore Maiman employed a synthetic ruby crystal to create the prototype that allowed making a straight laser beam. The technology of laser cutting was presented only in 1963 by the electrical engineer Kumar Patel, who used a CO2 laser, due to which laser system cutting became cheaper and more efficient.
The development of laser technology enables the mining industry to give laser systems a practical application; some laser modules are able to cut a 1-mm-thick steel sheet. CO2 laser systems are a common laser cutting device for cutting and engraving materials such as cardboard, plywood, MDF, or acrylic etc.
Laser cutting vs. laser engraving
The fact is that the processes of laser system cutting and engraving are both subtractive manufacturing techniques. A solid object is used in the process, and then the material is removed by the laser beam in order to produce a required image. These two laser technologies are not identical and have a distinction. A laser beam during laser system cutting hits the surface of a material and heats it up until it melts or vaporizes completely to leave a clean cut. The process of engraving by a CO2 laser is similar to cutting; the intensity of the laser beam is lower, and it only leaves a mark on the material’s surface rather than cutting it.
Key benefits of laser system cutting
Even though other technologies allow achieving similar results, laser system cutting offers the following benefits over other cutting techniques that include:
- high level of accuracy results in engraving more detailed images and cleaner cuts.
- high production speed;
- wide variety of materials that can be cut by the laser system without any damage;
- high accessibility compared to other techniques;
- the opportunity of laser application with any vector software;
- no wastes such as sawdust;
- laser technology for cutting purposes is very safe and reliable with the right equipment.
Laser system cutting is not yet ideal and needs some improvements to overcome other similar techniques.