Cutting Complex Metal Blanks Just Got Easier, Faster and More Affordable

There are thousands of products that are manufactured using metal parts cut the old fashion way. This article is focused on laser cutting technologies that are faster and a more affordable way of cutting metal parts. Almost all kinds of metals such as the mild steel, aluminum, and nickle alloys can be cut using the advanced laser technologies that are available.

Laser cutting achieves high precision cuts as well as improved production speed compared to punch presses and shears. Lasers are highly programmable and don’t require any tooling.
The laser cutting helps get more complex parts done with less waste.There are two primary types of laser technologies that are available for cutting complex parts, One is CO2 lasers and the other is solid state fiber laser cutting machines. One of the major benefits of fiber lasers is the minimized energy consumption compared to CO2 laser machines currently on the market.

Fiber Lasers

Fiber lasers tend to do a better job with thinner metal sheets. TruDisk solid-state lasers enable you to work quickly, particularly in thin sheet metal. This is possible because they emit abeam with a wavelength of approximately 1.03 µm, which is absorbed significantly more intensely than the wavelength of CO2 lasers: these lasers transfer more energy to the sheet metal, enabling cutting to be carried out more quickly.

CO2 Lasers

CO2 lasers are particularly effective for any applications that require especially smooth and high-quality cut edges. They are the right choice for cutting edges that will be visible and where smooth edges matter for the further processing of your part. CO2 lasers are an older type of laser technology, which means that in general, the price to acquire them has come down over time.  Yet, it’s a technology that has continued to evolve beautifully, even as prices fall. CO2 lasers, while not as fast as their fiber cousins, are extremely flexible and adaptable for use on the most common types of materials, such as aluminum and steel, and on a range of material thicknesses.

When investigating a laser cutting service for your next fabricated metal part, it would be wise to quote out a few companies that do metal fabrication with lasers and ask them about the quality of the cutting surface for the metal parts you are making. If you are just doing a laser cut for metal blanks that don’t require any forming, you may not be concerned with the type of machine. But if you are doing some custom laser cutting of more complex parts that need additional forming, then we recommend that a fiber laser cutting service get involved in the project. Not every metal fabrication shop in Philadelphia is created equal.