Lasers are incredibly versatile tools that enable machinists to make the most of their production processes. However, as a technology, laser cutting is relatively complex, with dozens of laser types, lasing materials, and industrial applications. To better grasp the breadth of the laser world and adapt your industrial machining techniques to it, you should explore the science and applications with a guide to understanding laser tube cutting and its benefits.
Laser Cutting 101
The laser cutting industry is quite expansive, making use of innovative manufacturing methods. Before we dive into the details of the laser tube cutting, you must understand the mechanics behind the machine. Here are the basics of laser cutting and its implementations.
The Science Behind It
Lasers come in all sizes and intensities, ranging from household cat toys to metal-slicing beams. Your first impression may be to question how these polar opposite products could operate with the same technology. Well, let’s examine the word itself.
Laser—or, more accurately, LASER—is an acronym that stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Lasers convert electrical energy into highly focused beams. A beam’s intensity and strength rely upon the laser’s construction. The lasing material and collimation precision will dictate the coherency and, thus, the focus of a laser beam. A pet toy will have significantly less coherency and far weaker lasing material than an industrial machining laser.
Lasers exist on a range of intensity based on the type of electromagnetic radiation they emit. This spectrum extends beyond visible light on both ends, dipping into ultraviolet and infrared radiation types. In an industrial setting, you will most often encounter CO2-, neodymium-doped yttrium-, and fiber-based lasers. These gas and solid-state lasers make for formidable machining tools, easily marking or slicing through an array of materials.
Lasers and Machines
Lasers do not occur in nature; they are entirely human-made creations that harness the power of light, elemental properties, and optics. Though lasers are machines themselves, engineers have taken these gadgets and further improvised on them. Now, there is an entire array of technologies that utilize lasers for guiding or machining purposes.
Industrial Equipment
One of the most common laser-based tools is the laser cutter. These tools make the most of a laser’s power when intensified and refined to a pinpoint. Laser cutting machines vary in size, capabilities, and applications based on the type of laser they use. For example, one laser cutting machine may specialize in artistic wood-marking, another in etching serial numbers into metal, and still another in slicing acrylic sheets. Whether a laser cutting machine performs actual cutting, engraving, or marking, the laser comes in handy for a variety of shop work.
Commonplace Gadgets
The media and entertainment industries couldn’t function without the laser-based recording power of DVDs and CDs. Audio-visual equipment capitalizes on the light-based components of low-powered lasers to read and translate information via Blu-Ray players and CD-ROM drives. Additionally, lasers are a part of printers, copiers, and fax machines. These laser-guided systems align and print text and images according to the laser-based feedback.
Laser-Based Manufacturing
In the manufacturing realm, lasers offer a fine solution to many machining problems. Do you need exacting precision that human hands cannot fashion, even with handheld tools? Do you need CNC machining options with effective laser tools? No matter what you need laser tech for, few technological marriages are as perfect as laser and manufacturing machines.
Laser Tube Cutting Applications
Laser cutting machines are a general category, with specific tools like the laser tube cutter as subcategories. The fiber laser tube cutting machine, like ours at Mac-Tech, offers technicians the ideal solution for cutting tubes, etching designs, and crafting structural shapes. These items can cut through a wide variety of materials, including a solid piece of metal.
The World of Laser Tube Cutters
Not all laser tube cutters are the same. There are slight variations in machine capacities and functionalities that make them the ideal time-saving tool for your operation. A laser tube cutter is the perfect tool for your needs, whether you have to prepare a tube before bending or weld several tubes together.
Two or Three Axes
There are two distinct models of laser tube cutters when it comes to cutting dimensionality: two- and three-axis cutters. The two-axis model is ideal for cutting items to length by utilizing the power of perpendicular right angles to make precise cuts into materials. The three-axis type offers a greater range of movement, enabling technicians to cut at a tilt and chamfer products.
Why You Need Laser Tube Cutters
Let’s get down to it. The laser tube cutter has plenty of excellent applications that fit the needs of dozens of industrial plants. If you want the best tools for your shop, explore just how much easier your life could be with one of these tools at your command.
Obtain Perfect Precision
Precision is a manufacturing ideal, especially if your clients expect it from you. Don’t leave your machining operations to chance with the prevalence of human error. Obtain perfect precision with a focused laser beam.
Explore Multiple Materials
Material choice is paramount in industrial efforts, so find a machine that is versatile in its application. The last thing you want is to have a laser-based machine with a weak laser that can’t cut metal. Find a laser tube cutter that can handle the hardness and density of metal sheets and tubes. If you ever need to revamp your supply or expand your operation into new territory, this machine will continue to work with whatever materials you feed it.
Work Twice As Fast and Half As Hard
Laser cutters offer unheard-of efficiency, making what would take hours into a minutes-long project. Work twice as fast and half as hard with CNC machining techniques that allow you to plug and play, inputting specifications that the machine will then carry out. Maximize your workforce with a set of laser tube cutters at your command.
With this guide to understanding laser tube cutting and its benefits, you can make the most of your manufacturing procedures. If you have any questions about laser tube cutting or want to explore the idea of installing one in your plant, reach out to our experts at Mac-Tech today. We are ready and able to help you maximize your industrial processes and make the most of your hard work.