laser cutting
(1) Laser melting cutting
Like laser deep-fusion welding, a laser is used to heat a workpiece to melt it, and then a non-oxidizing gas is sprayed to remove molten material to form a slit. Most metal materials are cut into such cuts.
(2) Laser gasification cutting
When a high power density laser is applied to the surface of the material, the material is heated to a vaporization point in a very short time and escapes as a liquid or solid particulate by gas or gas impact to form a slit. Since the material has a large heat of vaporization, it is often cut with a non-metallic material.
(3) Laser combustion cutting
The laser heat is used to heat the workpiece to its ignition point, and then it is burned with an active gas (such as oxygen, air), and the combustion products are removed to form a cut. The principle is similar to oxygen cutting, except that a laser is used as a preheating heat source. This method is mainly used for cutting metal materials such as steel, titanium and aluminum.
Because the laser spot is small, the slit is thin. Generally, the width of the carbon steel slit can be as small as 0.1~0.2mm. The two sides of the slit are parallel and perpendicular to the surface. Generally, it can be directly used after cutting. The heat affected zone is only 0.01. ~01mm, and the deformation is small. High-speed cutting can be achieved, but at present, only medium and small thickness materials can be cut due to laser power and equipment volume limitations. Moreover, as the thickness of the workpiece increases, the cutting speed drops significantly.