Laser cutting offers clear and tangible advantages over traditional manufacturing processes. Laser cutting’s combination of highly focused energy and pressure allows for operators to cut on a much smaller and narrower area of material, with significantly reduced heat waste and scrap levels. Because of its highly precise and compact area of impact, laser cutting allows for the creation of complex geometrical shapes with smoother edges and cleaner-cut finishes.
For these reasons, laser cutting has become a renowned manufacturing method for automotive, aerospace, and metalworking projects.
Continue reading for a more in-depth examination of the unique benefits associated with laser cutting.
Why Use Laser Cut Parts?
The key benefit of using laser cutting techniques is to reduce the mechanical stress that a sheet metal form undergoes while being cut. Lasers not only eliminate the impact stress that can adversely affect sheet metal products during cutting, the heated zone is incredibly small. By that merit, this means that the rest of the work piece is exposed to little or no heat, preserving the properties of the material being handled.
Also, considering that laser cuts can be made very close to one another without negatively affecting the sheet metal, they help minimize waste— closer cuts allow you to make more parts per square foot of sheet metal you use.
What are the Unique Benefits of Laser Cutting?
There are several key factors that contribute to the widespread popularity of laser cutting for metal fabrication projects. First and foremost, laser cutting offers unparalleled accuracy and precision, which are both key advantages over other traditional techniques. Beyond that, whenever clean cuts and smoother edge finishes are required, laser cutting guarantees top-notch performance, as the user of laser energy to cut using a highly focused beam can hold tight tolerances around the desired cutting region.
Consider that laser cutting is used within the confines of strictly defined areas, without needing additional heat, much narrower sections of material can be worked with compared to other techniques.
Laser cutting has a very small heat affected zone (HAZ), which means that the material being worked on is less impacted by warping or distortion resulting from changes to its microstructure. Unlike other cutting techniques, laser cutting can produce highly complex geometries with better precision and excellent levels of tolerance.
Laser cutting is incredibly diverse, as it can be used to cut through materials of nearly all thicknesses— lasers are also easily manipulated to deliver any needed shape. Perhaps best of all, the laser cutting process is very fast and can be easily repeated with high levels of precision. Due to the resultant kerf width, this method allows for higher levels of sheet utilization by enabling efficient part nesting— this makes it possible to save on material use and lessen the costs associated with overall scrap waste.
The manufacturing industry features ever-changing demands, and laser cutting is uniquely suited to adapt to these demands, both in terms of production volume and market needs. Additionally, laser cutting easily adapts to ever-changing manufacturing demands, both in terms of production volume and market needs. The equipment used for laser cutting can be set up and repurposed for specific needs much faster than the tools associated with traditional cutting processes. And since the materials cut with lasers typically do not require additional cleanup, the use of laser cutting increases throughput and eliminates other secondary operations, allowing the product to be made available to clients in less time.
Tips to Find a CT Laser Cutting Services Partner
As you can imagine, success in any fabrication project is entirely dependent on absolute accuracy; finding a company with skilled workers who can perform precision laser cutting for your parts and comments is crucial to ensure high quality products. Consider the following questions when you are seeking a CT laser cutting services partner:
Does the company have on-site testing capabilities? Detailed inspections are necessary to guarantee the accuracy of laser cutting processes and fabrication procedures. Look for a company that can conduct these tests on-site and offer quick feedback on the precision achieved for your components— this is helpful for evaluating the quality of their services.
Is the company accessible and easy to work with? Does the prospective fabrication and laser cutting partner offer the ability for you to scan and transmit drawings electronically? This can help to greatly speed up the production process while improving overall productivity. Keep in mind: companies that can receive a wide variety of electronic formats are quite helpful in providing added flexibility and improved speed for last minute changes and adjustments to necessary parts and components for your company.
Has the company proven to be a reliable presence in the industry? Search for a company with a stellar track record of quality and on-time delivery. Ultimately, hiring an experienced laser cutting firm with a reputation for dependability can help you to manage supply chains more effectively. Scour through company reviews and look through a gallery of their recent projects— if the company is proud of their work, they should be showing it off!
Interested in Beginning a Laser Cutting Project with CAMM Metals?
Starting a project from scratch? Do you have more questions about our services and capabilities? Let us know how we can help answer your questions or request a quote! We can fabricate any order, whether it includes prototypes, components, or final assemblies. We adhere to the belief that high quality results can only be achieved through the use of high quality equipment. Our technicians operate the Prima Power PLATINO® Fiber 2D laser cutting machine, offering the fastest cutting speeds on the market!
