A laser cutter is used to cut a sheet of metal.
In industrial laser machining, there are many different types of laser cutting systems for different types of materials. Laser cutting is preferable to mechanical cutting for thick flat sheet material or when precision machined parts are required. Although lasers used in welding, such as neodymium (Nd) lasers, can be used in laser cutting, the most common type of laser is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Most industrial laser cutting machines have a material table and a laser head, and these parts are assembled into three basic machine configurations: moving material, flying optics, and hybrid systems.
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There are several different types of lasers commonly used in industrial cutting systems: CO 2 or Nd lasers are the most common. In general, Nd lasers are used for applications such as hole drilling or metal engraving, as well as for welding. CO 2 lasers are generally used for laser cutting because the laser is more powerful and capable of cutting dense materials.
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The carbon dioxide laser used in laser cutting systems is so named because the amplification chamber where the laser is produced is filled with carbon dioxide gas. Industrial CO 2 laser cutting machines typically produce a laser that is a fraction of a millimeter thick and can cut different thicknesses of material depending on the machine configuration. Among industrial CO 2 laser cutting machines there are three configurations.
The first machine configuration used in laser cutting systems is called moving material. This setup involves a table of material that moves while the laser head is held at a fixed point. Moving material laser cutting machines are most commonly used to accurately cut flat and thick sheet material. These types of laser cutting systems are also equipped with special accessories that remove molten material.
Flying optical laser systems are configured as opposed to moving material systems, where the material is stationary while the laser or lasers move over it in two axes. These types of laser cutting machines are often more expensive because they can have more than one laser head, which requires more electrical power. Flying optical systems often require careful calibration and a trained professional to operate.
The third most common configuration in laser cutting systems is known as a hybrid configuration, which combines the previous two. Generally, both the laser beam and the material can move. Hybrid cutting systems are a popular technology in the laser cutting industry because they can be more energy efficient and cut.