Laser Metal Cutting Machine: How Laser Beams Interact with Metal Materials

Laser metal cutting machine is a cutting equipment widely used in industrial fields. It uses high-energy laser beams to process various metal materials (carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, etc.) to achieve precise and fast cutting.

Laser metal cutting machines can produce high-temperature, high-energy-density areas on the metal surface by adjusting the energy and focus position of the laser beam. This allows the metal material to melt or vaporize quickly for cutting.

How Laser Metal Cutting Machines Work

The working principle of Chittak's product mainly involves the interaction process between the laser beam and the metal material.

When the laser beam irradiates the metal surface, the laser energy is absorbed by the metal, causing the metal surface temperature to rise rapidly. When the metal surface temperature reaches the melting point, the metal begins to melt, forming a pool of liquid metal. As the laser beam moves, the liquid metal pool moves along the cutting line to complete the cutting of the metal material.

Key Factors Affecting the Effect of Laser Metal Cutting Machines

The interaction process between laser metal cutting machines and metal materials is affected by many factors, including the power of the laser beam, focusing method, scanning speed, etc.

First, the power of the laser beam determines the heating rate of the metal material and the final cutting effect.

On the one hand, too low power will result in insufficient laser beam energy on the metal surface, making it difficult to heat the metal quickly to reach the melting point. This can lead to poor cut quality, including uneven cuts and slow cutting speeds.

On the other hand, too high a power may cause the metal to overheat and vaporize, deforming and thickening the cutting line and even damaging the cutting machine.

Secondly, the focusing method affects the energy density distribution of the laser beam. Different focusing methods can achieve cutting lines of different shapes and sizes.

Common focusing methods include convex lenses and concave lenses. The convex lens focuses the laser beam into a small spot, suitable for fine cutting and detail processing. The concave lens focuses the laser beam into an elliptical shape, suitable for processing thick plates and rough machining.

Choosing the right focusing method can improve cutting efficiency and quality. A focus that is too small may result in slow cutting speed and low processing efficiency. Over-focusing may result in rough cutting lines, affecting cut quality.

Therefore, in practical applications, it is necessary to select an appropriate focusing method according to processing requirements and material characteristics to ensure the best cutting effect.

Finally, the scanning speed affects the residence time of the laser beam on the metal surface. Scanning too fast may result in insufficient irradiation time between the laser beam and the metal material to completely melt or vaporize the metal, resulting in reduced cutting quality and problems (such as rough cuts and uneven edges). Scanning speed that is too slow will increase the irradiation time of the laser and metal, increasing processing time and cost.

In practical applications, it is necessary to select an appropriate scanning speed based on factors such as the type, thickness, and cutting line requirements of the metal material. 

Generally speaking, for thinner metal materials, you can choose a faster scanning speed, while for thicker metal materials, the scanning speed needs to be appropriately reduced to ensure a balance between cutting quality and processing efficiency.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, laser metal cutting machines achieve precise and rapid cutting of metal materials by controlling the interaction process between the laser beam and the metal material.

With the continuous development of laser technology, the application of laser metal cutting machines in industrial production will become more and more extensive, bringing more innovation and development opportunities to the metal processing field.