You might have heard about this new technology, but how does laser cutting work? There are three types of laser technology: crystal, gas, and fiber. At AP Precision, we use fiber laser technology because it easily cuts through reflective metal materials like steel, copper, or brass. Laser cutting is an excellent tool for both high-output production projects or one-off custom designs. It can be used to cut a range of materials including copper, brass, steel, gold, glass, and other alloys. Laser cutting is ideal for:
- Highly-detailed projects
- Large scale or high-volume production
- Detailed, intricate parts for robotics, design, or manufacturing
- Hard-to-cut materials that cannot be processed with traditional tools
- Parts with a very low tolerance
To determine if laser cutting is right for your upcoming project, contact our team for additional information.
How Does Laser Cutting Work?
To understand how laser cutting works, it’s important to get familiar with the elements involved.
A laser cutting machine includes a beam, a fiber, and a cutting surface. The light beam passes through the fiber, which is embedded with rare earth elements. The fiber carries the laser photons through a mirrored cladding, magnifying its strength. As the laser makes contact with the material, it cuts or etches along the path laid out by a vector drawing. Laser cutting technology allows for precise cuts in materials as thick as 1”.
The Laser Cutting Process
Every laser cutting project starts with a drawing. The drawing must include vectorized data that will tell the machine where to cut on an X,Y axis. The drawing will also include data on the part size, shape of the cut, depth, and the thickness of the material. A technician will use this blueprint to program the laser cutting machine with instructions. Then, the material is laid out on the cutting bed, and the machine gets to work. After ensuring alignment, the technician programs the fiber laser to cut or etch along the indicated surface, following the path laid out by the drawing. Our laser cutting tool allows for tolerances of +/- .003″-.007″. Once the part is cut or etched, it is removed from the cutting bed. From there, it may go to be cleaned, polished, or chemically treated. Next, it is sent to our quality control team for review, then packed and shipped.
Laser Cutting for Different Applications
Laser cutting can be used for many applications. Whether you need a large quantity of delicately cut earrings or highly-precise parts for a robotic arm, laser cutting can help achieve your goals in a cost effective and efficient manner. We execute projects for a range of industries including design, robotics, architectural, computer engineering, and biotech technology. Our in-house team executes both large order and small-scale design projects, including:
- – Prototypes
- – Precision parts for robotics or electronics
- – Aeronautic & automotive elements
- – Architectural or design projects
- – Jewelry and ornamental pieces
Laser Cutting for Different Applications
Laser Cutting by the Numbers
At AP Precision, we provide the below tolerances and services in our laser cutting department:
- – Materials with a thickness of .015″-1.00″
- – Cutting tolerances of +/- .003″-.007″
- – Can be used on wood, glass, acrylic, metal, and more
Have more questions on your laser cutting project? Get in touch with our team of experts.