Pick Your Next Laser Cutting Machine for Metal Fabrication

The Future of Laser Metal Cutter

The future of laser metal cutting technology is an exciting and rapidly evolving field that promises to revolutionize the manufacturing industry. As new innovations in laser technology emerge, metal laser cutters will continue to become faster, more accurate, and more versatile. Some of the developments that we can expect to see in the future include more powerful laser sources, improved automation and control systems, and the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

What Is Metal Laser Cutter?

A metal laser cutter is an automatic CNC metal cutting machine that uses a laser beam to cut specified shapes and contours out of metal sheets, plates, bars, panels, profiles, straps, tubes and pipes, which is the best metal cutting solution for hobbyists and industrial manufacturers.

A laser metal cutting machine is an eco-friendly precision cutting tool kit that comes with a CNC controller for automatic sheet metal and tube fabrication to create individual shapes and outlines, as well as perform various roughing and finishing for metal strips, rods and profiles, which consists of bed frame, power supply, generator, reflection path, cutting head, chiller, control panel and software.

What Are Laser Metal Cutters Used For?

A laser metal cutting system is applied in industrial manufacturing, school education, small business, home use, small shop and home store for sheet metal fabrication, aviation, spaceflight, electronics, electrical appliances, kitchenware, auto parts, office supplies, furniture kitchen dining, subway parts, automobile, machinery, precision components, ships, metallurgical equipment, elevator, household appliances, metal signs, logos, tags, profiles, letters, words, arts, crafts, gifts, tool fabrication, foils, adornment, advertising and other metalworking industries.

Most organic and inorganic materials can be cut by laser. In the metal fabrication industry, which occupies a heavy weight in industrial manufacturing, many metals, regardless of their hardness, can be cut without deformation. Of course, for high-reflectivity materials such as gold, silver, copper and aluminum alloys, they are also good heat transfer conductors, so laser cutting is difficult or even impossible to cut (some difficult materials can be cut using pulsed laser beams, due to the extremely high peak power of the pulse wave, the absorption coefficient of the material to the beam will increase sharply instantly).

They can cut stainless steel, carbon steel, tool steel, galvanized steel, spring steel, alloy, iron, aluminum, copper, brass, silver, gold, titanium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, chromium, lead and other metals in hobby use, home business, small shop, commercial use, and industrial manufacturing.

Stainless Steel

For the manufacturing industry dominated by stainless steel sheets, the laser metal cutter is an effective cutting tool. When the heat input is strictly controlled, the width of the heat affected zone of the trimming edge can be limited, thereby ensuring good stainless steel The corrosion-resistant type. Laser cut of stainless steel uses the energy released when the beam is irradiated to the surface of the steel plate to melt and evaporate the stainless steel. For the manufacturing industry that uses stainless steel sheets as the main component, laser cut of stainless steel is a fast and effective cutting method. The important process parameters that affect the cutting quality of stainless steel are cutting speed, power supply, air pressure and so on.

Carbon Steel

The thickness of the laser cut of carbon steel plate can reach 70mm, the slit of carbon steel cut by oxidation flux cutting mechanism can be controlled within a satisfactory width range, and the slit of thin plate can be narrowed to about 0.1mm.

Copper & Alloys

Pure copper (purple copper) is too high reflectivity, laser cut of brass (copper alloy) should use higher power, auxiliary gas using air or oxygen, can cut thinner plates. Pure copper and brass has high reflectivity and very good thermal conductivity. Pure copper and brass can only be cut when a "reflective absorption" device is installed on the system, otherwise the reflection will destroy the optical components.

Aluminum & Alloys

The cut of aluminum plates is easy to do with fiber lasers, which have high performance whether it is cutting aluminum or aluminum alloy.

Nickel & Alloys

They are also known as high-temperature alloys with many types, most of them can be laser oxidized and flux-cutting with good cuts.

Titanium & Alloys

Pure titanium can be well coupled with the heat energy converted by the focused beam. When the auxiliary gas uses oxygen, the chemical reaction is violent and the cutting speed is fast, but it is easy to form an oxide layer at the cutting edge, which may also cause over-burning. Therefore, the use of air as an auxiliary gas can ensure the cutting quality. Laser cut of titanium alloys is commonly used in aircraft manufacturing. Titanium plates are cut with nitrogen and nitrogen as working gases.

Technical Parameters - Specifications

Pros & Cons

Pros

You can get benefits of excellent beam quality, high efficiency, high speed, easy operations, low cost, low maintenance, stable running, super flexible optical effects for laser metal cutters, which are easy to flexible industrial manufacturing requirements.

✅ High precision and best stability: The use of heavy duty bed frame, high precision ball screw transmission mechanism, optimized CNC system control, which can meet the processing of precision parts, and the dynamic performance is stable, and it can work for a long time.

✅ The cutting section is of high quality: The mechanical follow-up cutting head system is adopted, the cutting head follows the height of the plate, and the position of the cutting point is always maintained, so that the cutting seam is smooth.

✅ High performance: For thin sheet metal cutting, it can replace CO2 laser machine, CNC punching machine and shearing machine, the cost of the whole laser metal cutting machine is equivalent to 1/4 of CO2 laser machine and 1/2 of CNC punching machine.

✅ Low cost of use and high cutting speed. No consumables, environmental protection, long service life.

✅ Easy to use: Whether you are a beginner or a professional, whether you are a young adult or an old man, you can easily operate it.

Cons

Although laser cutting machines are the preferred equipment for precision metal cutting, depending on factors such as metal thickness, your budget, and production requirements, they also present several notable drawbacks:

❎ High upfront investment and ongoing maintenance costs.

❎ Risks associated with reflective metal materials.

❎ Material deformation or micro-cracking caused by thermal effects.

❎ Limitations on cutting thickness.

❎ High energy consumption.

❎ Safety risks and hazards related to harmful fumes.

Expert Skills

When using a laser metal cutting machine, it is necessary to pay attention to some small details and precautions. Only by mastering the use skills can the machine cutting efficiency be higher.

Corner Melting

When decelerating to cut the corners of thin sheets, the laser can overheat and melt the corners. A small radius is generated at the corner to maintain the high-speed cutting and avoid the phenomenon of overheating and melting of the steel plate when cutting the corner, so as to achieve good cutting quality, reduce cutting time and improve manufacturing force.

Part Spacing

Usually, when cutting thick plates and hot plates, the distance between parts should be large. Because the heat of the thick plates and hot plates is greatly affected, it is easy to burn edges when cutting sharp corners and small graphics, which will affect the cutting quality.

Lead Settings

In the process of cutting thicker plates, in order to make the slits well connected and prevent burns at the beginning and end points, a transition line is often drawn at the beginning and end of the cutting, which are called lead and tail lines respectively. The lead and tail lines are important to the workpiece itself. It is useless, so it should be placed outside the category of workpieces, and at the same time, be careful not to set the leads at sharp corners and other places that are not easy to dissipate heat. The connection between the lead wire and the slit adopts a circular arc transition as much as possible to make the mechanical movement stable and avoid burns caused by corner stop.

Co-Edging

Two or more parts are co-edged into a combination, and a large number of regular graphics are co-edged as much as possible. Co-edging cutting can greatly shorten the cutting time and save raw materials.

Part Collision

In order to increase production efficiency, some metal laser cutters work 24 hours a day, and use unmanned automatic loading and unloading devices to hit the overturned parts after cutting, causing damage to the cutting head and interruption of manufacturing, causing great losses. When you need to sort, pay attention to the following three points:

• Choose a suitable cutting path, avoid the cut parts, and reduce collisions.

• Plan the cutting route reasonably to reduce the cutting time.

• Automatically or manually combine multiple small parts with micro-connections. After cutting, the removed parts can easily disconnect the micro-connections.

Safety Rules & Precautions

While enjoying the high-efficiency and beauty of laser metal cutting, how to do a good job of safety protection during use, so that the machine can perform better and reduce the radiation to the human body?

Check Before Operation

Whether the main controller casing, power supply casing, switching power supply casing, motor driver casing, data line casing, machine tool guide rail, motor casing, exhaust fan casing, and the main grounding point are well connected. Poor grounding will shorten the life span. High voltage discharge will damage the control circuit and even threaten life safety.

Be Careful When Handling

Light Path: When cutting and debugging the light path, please be careful not to let any part of the body touch the light path to avoid injury.

Energy: The magnitude of the laser current determines the magnitude of the energy, but when the current is greater than the allowable value, the energy will drop, and if the current exceeds the allowable value for a long time, it will greatly affect the service life.

Ambient Temperature: When the ambient temperature is higher than the maximum allowable value, the equipment will not get sufficient heat dissipation, which will reduce the operating stability of the equipment. When the ambient temperature is lower than the minimum allowable value, it may cause the water to freeze.

Cooling water temperature: When the cooling water temperature is greater than the maximum allowable value, the laser energy efficiency will drop rapidly. When the cooling water temperature is lower than the minimum allowable value, it will cause the water to freeze.

Ambient Humidity: Excessive humidity will cause high-voltage discharge, endangering personal safety, and will also cause damage to the power supply.

Power Supply: The fluctuation of the power supply voltage will cause the equipment to work unstable. If the voltage is too high, it will cause permanent damage to the power supply system of the equipment. In order to avoid the electrical appliances and circuits of the machine from being burned out due to excessive voltage, please install a power regulator of more than 2000W.

It's Prohibited To Use In The Following Cases

Do not turn on the machine during severe weather such as thunder and lightning.

Untrained operators are not allowed to operate the machine alone.

Harm To Human Body And Protective Measures

Respiratory Tract Protection

The high temperature generated by the laser cooperates with the gas to complete various processing. At the same time, it also produces a large amount of dust, especially when processing some special metal materials. The generated dust contains some chemical components, which will cause harm to the human body if inhaled.

Therefore, when operating a metal laser cutter, attention should be paid to the protection of the respiratory tract. Install the supporting dust removal device, try to operate in an environment with unobstructed air, and wear a mask as much as possible. Do not touch the cut parts immediately to avoid scalding by residual heat.

Eye Protection

A laser metal cutter will cause damage to the retina or cornea of the eye when it is working. When arranging the cutting site, the following measures can be taken to reduce the reflection or radiation of ultraviolet rays:

• Darken the wall finish at the job site to reduce radiation.

• Install protective screens or curtains to reduce UV radiation.

• Wear protective dark-tinted eyes or goggles, or a welding cap to protect the eyes from the glare of the flame, ultraviolet and infrared rays from the plasma arc.

• Others in the working area should not look directly at the arc or flame during cutting.

Skin Protection

Laser cutting has certain damage to skin tissue, which can be repaired by itself. It should be noted that long-term exposure to laser beam may cause skin burns or leave scars. Therefore, when working with a laser metal cutter, the protection of the skin must also be given great attention.

For safety reasons, it is recommended that the operator wear long-sleeved clothes to prevent skin burns caused by direct laser radiation and prevent scalding caused by molten slag splashing on the skin. Do not touch the cut parts immediately, and wear gloves to avoid burns due to residual heat.

Care & Maintenance

In order to achieve a better operating state of the metal laser cutter, regular maintenance is also essential, and the following points should be paid attention to in maintenance:

• Daily cleaning is required to keep it clean and tidy.

• After the machine stops working, check whether the X, Y, and Z axes of the machine tool can return to the origin. If not, check whether the position of the origin switch is offset.

• The daily slag discharge drag chain needs to be cleaned.

• Clean up the sticky matter on the filter screen of the air outlet in time to ensure the smooth flow of the ventilation duct.

• The cutting nozzle needs to be cleaned every 1 hour of operation, and replaced every 2-3 months.

• Clean the focusing lens, keep the lens surface free of residue, and replace it every 2-3 months.

• Check the temperature of the cooling water, the temperature of the water inlet of the generator should be kept between 19°C and 22°C.

• Clean up the dust on the cooling fins of the water cooler and freeze dryer. To ensure the heat dissipation efficiency, the dust should be removed.

• Frequently inspect the working status of the voltage regulator to monitor whether the input and output voltages are normal.

• Monitor and check whether the switch of the mechanical shutter is normal.

• Auxiliary gas is output high-pressure gas, pay attention to the surrounding environment and personal safety when using the gas.

• Switching sequence:

Start-up

Open air, water-cooled unit, cold dryer, air compressor, main engine, and generator should be baked for 10 minutes if conditions permit.

Shutdown

First press the high pressure, then the low pressure, and turn off the generator after the turbine stops rotating without sound. Followed by the water-cooled unit, air compressor, gas, cold dryer, machine power off can be left behind, and finally turn off the voltage stabilizer cabinet.

Start With the Shape of Your Work

Before comparing wattage, sort your parts into flat, tubular, and formed. Flat work belongs on a sheet metal laser cutter, which is what most fabricators buy first. Frames, railings, furniture, and structural work belong on a tube laser cutter, built around chucks and a feeder rather than a flat bed. Parts already bent or pressed into shape need a beam that can reach around them, which is a different machine again. Sorting a month of job sheets into those three piles tells you more about which machine to buy than any specification table. Power decides thickness, but format decides whether the machine can hold your workpiece at all. Getting this order wrong is how shops end up with an excellent machine that cannot touch half their orders.

A Tube Laser Changes How You Design

Buying a tube laser is less about speed than about redesigning parts. Because the machine cuts holes, slots, copes, and joint profiles anywhere along a length, welded assemblies can be designed to locate themselves: tabs on one member drop into slots on another, so frames align without jigs, measuring, or marking. Welders stop fitting parts and start assembling them, which is where most of the labour saving actually appears. Fish-mouth copes for round tube come off the machine ready to weld instead of being ground by hand. The saw, drill press, and notcher all lose work at once, and with them the marking-out errors that come from transferring dimensions by hand. Long feeders handle stock up to around twelve metres, so full mill lengths go in without being cut down first. Shops working heavy sections can add bevel cutting, which prepares the weld edge in the same pass and removes a grinding stage that otherwise eats hours.

One Machine or Two?

A dual-purpose machine cuts sheet and tube on one frame, which suits shops where tube is a regular but minor part of the mix. The compromise is scheduling: the laser can only do one job at a time, so a long tube run stops all sheet work. When both queues stay busy, two dedicated machines out-produce one combined machine despite the higher price, and they keep running when one needs service. A useful test is to ask how many hours a week each type of work would actually demand. For odd jobs beyond either, a handheld cutting gun handles site work and repairs, while a robotic cutting cell trims formed and pressed parts no flat bed can hold, reaching around curves at angles a gantry cannot manage.

Matching Format To Your Parts

Metal Laser Buying Checklist

✓ Sort your work into flat, tube, and formed first.

✓ Design tabs and slots once you own a tube laser.

✓ Check tube length and diameter limits, not just power.

✓ Count how often both machines would run at once.

✓ Keep a handheld option in mind for site work.

Buyer's Guide

A laser metal cutter can come with a price from a few thousand to as much as ten thousand dollars. Therefore, it is never going to be an affordable option to pick up. To save your budget, you may think about picking up an affordable option, but do it only when you have enough knowledge about which one will be a good option and which one will not. In that case, choosing from a trusted manufacturer that will ensure good after-purchase support will be a better option to buy from. In case you face any difficulties after making the purchase, you will have the option to ask for help or support.

At the same time, check for all the technical issues that will allow the machine to work functionally well. In that case, the software should be compatible with the devices to which you will connect the machine.

Last but not the least, always choose a user-friendly interface so that you do not have to face any issues with the machine.

STYLECNC Will Be A Good Option

Yes, we are talking about our own brand and it is because we trust in ourselves. With tremendous and excellent customer support and after-purchase response, we work at making our customers happy to all extent. Choose your next metal laser cutter from STYLECNC and we can bet you will thank yourself later.