2023-05-30
Laser cutting is an interesting style of manufacturing typically used on materials that come in “sheet” thicknesses. It uses a high-powered laser to physically cut through sheet materials. The concentrated beam generates a lot of power and heat, which is used to slice through a variety of materials such as double-sided tapes, plastics and metals.
The laser is affixed to the head of a CNC gantry. Typically, the gantry has 3 axes of motion. It can move in the x, y, and z directions. The sheet sits flat on the table of the laser cutter, and the head moves around to make the shape.
The operation itself is very fast. This setting can be fine-tuned and varies from machine to machine. At 7-swords, we program our laser cutters to prioritize quality with speed being the second priority. This results in smoother cuts and still yields very fast turnaround times for parts.
Laser cutters work by uploading a 2D flat pattern of the part you want to make. There is a program in the CNC laser cutter that determines the path, speed, z distance, and different parameters. After hitting the “go” button, the laser cutter will go through the operation without pausing.
A laser cutter isn’t restricted to just cutting outlines of parts. It can also create internal holes in various different geometries. The key is that it has to cut the internal features before cutting the outside shape. This gives designers a lot of freedom.
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