The diameter of a laser beam is usually in the range of 0.1mm to 0.3mm. The power of such beams ranges between 1 to 3 kW. The power of the machine is decided by looking at the substrate material.
If you want to cut steel or iron, you might get your work done with 1 or 2 kW. But, for metals like copper and aluminum, which possess good reflective and conductive properties, you might want to look for power beams of 6 kW.
If we take a look at the components of a laser cutter, we get two major components; the Laser resonator and the cutting head. Let’s see what’s their worth.
The laser resonator is the powerhouse of any laser cutting machine. It consists of a glass tube with two mirrors placed with their faces facing each other. The tube consists of gases like CO2, hydrogen, nitrogen, and helium.
Then come the diodes which charge up this mixture of gas. In some cases, electric discharge is also used to charge this mixture. This charging of gases emits energy which comes out in the form of the laser beam.
After the resonator emits the laser beam, it goes in various directions after getting reflected from mirrors that are strategically placed inside the machine. After reaching the cutting head, the laser beam is magnified and focused on the point of interest.
This cutting head transforms the laser beam into something that cuts through the substrate material or engraves on it. Before reaching the substrate, the laser beam passes through a nozzle along with compressed gases like nitrogen or oxygen.
When the beam cuts or engraves the material, it melts the substrate which is then blown out by nitrogen. The cutting head is the mechanical part of the machinery that makes its movement across the substrate with the help of chains and belts.
The quality of operation is defined by the distance between the nozzle and the metal. It should be accurate enough to make sure the result is precise and as per the customer’s requirement. Factors like the intensity of the beam and speed of the laser beam and cutting head also determine the output quality.
Before we go towards the types of laser cutting or engraving machines, let’s remove a common confusion among people first. People often confuse marking and engraving. There is a difference between both. Let us briefly explain.
Marking is the kind of operation in which the laser does not penetrate fully into the substrate material. It only changes the properties and the appearance of the material. When the laser comes in contact with the substrate, it creates high contrast marks because of the heat of the beam.
As the term indicates, laser engraving removes the material from the surface leaving a cavity behind. This cavity is basically what your information is. The heat of the laser first melts the material and then vaporizes it immediately to create sharp impressions.
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