Laser Processing
Principle of the Laser.
The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated
emission of radiation".
the laser cutting process
Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to vaporize materials, resulting in a cut edge. While
typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, it is now used by schools, small businesses,
architecture, and hobbyists.
The laser beam is generally focused using a high-quality lens on the work zone.
The quality of the beam has a direct impact on the focused spot size. The narrowest part of the
focused beam is generally less than 0.0125 inches (0.32 mm) in diameter.
Depending upon the material thickness, kerf widths as small as 0.004 inches (0.10 mm) are possible.
In order to be able to start cutting from somewhere other than the edge, a pierce is done before
every cut.
Piercing usually involves a high-power pulsed laser beam which slowly makes a hole in the material,
taking around 5–15 seconds for 0.5-inch-thick (13 mm) stainless steel.
Main items of laser system
Formation of coherent monochromatic laser beam
1. Active medium (laser source)
2. Lasent (energy source)
3. Mirrors
4. Resonator
main types of lasers
.CO2 laser
It is suited for cutting, boring, and engraving.
CO2 lasers are used for the industrial cutting of many materials including titanium, stainless
steel, mild steel, aluminium, plastic, wood, engineered wood, wax, fabrics, and paper. YAG
lasers are primarily used for cutting and scribing metals and ceramics
Neodymium (Nd) is used for boring and where high energy but low repetition are required
Neodymium yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers are identical in style and differ only in
the application. Nd.
The Nd:YAG laser is used where very high power is needed and for boring and engraving. Both
CO2 and Nd/Nd:YAG lasers can be used for welding.
Machine configurations
• There are generally three different configurations of industrial laser cutting machines: moving
material, hybrid, and flying optics systems. These refer to the way that the laser beam is moved over
the material to be cut or processed. For all of these, the axes of motion are typically designated X
and Y axis. If the cutting head may be controlled, it is designated as the Z-axis.
• Hybrid lasers provide a table that moves in one axis (usually the X-axis) and moves the head along
the shorter (Y) axis.
• Flying optics lasers feature a stationary table and a cutting head (with a laser beam) that moves over
the workpiece in both of the horizontal dimensions. Flying optics cutters keep the workpiece
stationary during processing and often do not require material clamping. The moving mass is
constant, so dynamics are not affected by varying the size of the workpiece. Flying optics machines
are the fastest type, which is advantageous when cutting thinner workpieces.
Main items of laser system
1. Active medium (laser source)
2. Lasent (energy source)
3. Mirrors
4. Resonator
Power consumption
• The main disadvantage of laser cutting is the high power consumption. Industrial laser
efficiency may range from 5% to 45%.[18] The power consumption and efficiency of any
particular laser will vary depending on output power and operating parameters. This will
depend on the type of laser and how well the laser is matched to the work at hand. The
amount of laser cutting power required, known as heat input, for a particular job depends
on the material type, thickness, process (reactive/inert) used, and desired cutting rate.
Production and cutting rates
• The maximum cutting rate (production rate) is limited by a number of factors including
laser power, material thickness, process type (reactive or inert), and material properties.
Common industrial systems (≥1 kW) will cut carbon steel metal from 0.51 – 13 mm in
thickness. For many purposes, a laser can be up to thirty times faster than standard
sawing
The narrow beam emitted by the laser is expanded and directed through
a lens to focus the beam in a concentrated area (1 – 25 m) diameter to
provide a spot of high power density.
Temperature in this spot (focus) could reach thousands of degrees.
Laser beam machining (LBM) is a method of cutting in which the work
material to melted and vaporized by a narrow beam of intense monochro-
matic light (a laser beam).
When the beam strikes the workpiece, the heat produced melts and
vaporizes even the most refractory work materials. It can make small
holes in thin material and can produce small, precision cuts. By con-
trolling the energy of the beam at lower levels, the laser method can also
be used to weld.
Laser material interaction
Influence of incident angel on the spatter formation
The most common laser cutting materials
1. Acrylic. Acrylic (PMMA) is a transparent plastic material known for its outstanding strength, optical clarity, and stiffness. ...
2. Plywood. Plywood is made from bonded wood veneers. ...
3. MDF. ...
4. Cardboard. ...
5. POM.
• POM (PolyOxyMethylene, Delrin®, or acetal copolymer) is an engineering material used in applications
requiring strength, chemical resistance, and dimensional stability such as machine parts. CO2 lasers give
the best results, but a fiber laser can be used for marking/engraving.
6. Foam. ...
7. Metal. ...
What Cannot be laser cut?
8. Leather. Artificial, Acetate, Nylon, Cellophane, Viscose, Rayon, Spandex, etc. Even
9. Paper cutting approved materials results in the laser cutters being an unsafe
10. Plastic environment for food, in addition to the damage that laser cutting food
could cause. Our C02 laser cutters can etch certain coated metals; they
11. Cork ()الفلين
cannot cut metal.
12. Textiles
Limited Materials To Laser Cut
some materials are unsuitable for laser cutting because of
their interaction with laser energy. More reasons are listed below:
1.Many plastics melt away from the cut and cannot be cut cleanly.
2.Some materials have an IR absorption spectrum, making them
prone to more heating and less burning.
3.Some materials are highly reflective, so a large part of the laser
energy is wasted.
4.Some materials tend to catch fire during cutting.
5.Some materials release dangerous or toxic vapors when cut
and will harm people and/or machines.
Types of lasers
The type of laser depends mainly on the active medium.
Solid – Liquid – Gas state
Ex:
• CO2 laser
• ND YAG laser
• Fiber laser
Advantages of LBM
• Applicability to any known material .
• Applicability in normal environmental condition.
• No physical contact between tool and workpiece so
no force between applied on the workpiece.
• Accuracy and ability to make very small hole and cut.
• High cutting speed WRT other Non-conventional
processes
• Suitability for cutting ceramic and other that are
readily damaged by heat shock.
Disadvantages of LBM
• High capital and operating cost.
• limited applicability (thin workpiece and removal
of small amount of material).
• High power is required for thick plates processing.
• High skill operators are required.
• High level of safety precautions is required.
• Non-uniformity of holes and cuts.
• It is not efficient with high reflective surfaces.
Applications of LBM
• Laser beam machining can be applied to various metals,
major use has been on ceramics.
• It is suitable for drilling very small holes.
• Very fine and accurate cutting and welding.
• Depositioning - 3D printing.
• Guidance of Rockets- weapon.
• New trends in nuclear applications
• PCB
Some Applications of LBM
