Have you enjoyed the benefits of a laser cutting machine?
When you are a hobbyist or carrying out a one-off repair or modification, there are plenty of ways that you could cut a sheet of metal. You could use a saw to create the shape you need, or if you have a press, a guillotine or other cutting tools, you could shape the design manually. While these methods can be effective if you have the right skills, they can be slow and time-consuming. If you are involved in a more commercial operation or need multiple copies of an item, it is best to look for an alternative solution. One of the most popular ways of producing a design in metal is metal laser cutting.
How does metal laser cutting work?
Unlike traditional metal cutting that relies on a physical blade, laser cutting uses a beam of light to burn through the metal. There are numerous advantages to this approach, but the primary benefit must be that the laser is controlled by a computer. The computer is programmed to make all of the required cuts. The machine moves through the programmed sequence perfectly. Since the entire process is already programmed, it can be repeated as many times as needed, and the result will be the same every time. Human error is eliminated from the process, and waste is kept to a minimum.
Increased complexity
Repeatability is not the only advantage of this approach. For metal, laser cutting allows the production of far more complex designs than would be possible using manual tooling. Laser cutting opens the possibility of creating almost any design you can imagine. Unlike a craftsman who may be limited by their skill or the tools available to them, laser cutting can make the precision cuts that are needed in any pattern.
Reduced production time
If you have ever worked in a production environment, you will be aware that much of the time is not spent producing products, but in setting up machinery and changing between jobs. In a metalworking environment, this setting up could involve changing blades or adjusting the equipment to make a particular cut. However, that all changes when for metal, laser cutting is the chosen option. Laser cutting does not require any tooling. Instead of different sizes or shapes of blades, there is only a laser. Once the correct program is loaded, the machine is ready to start cutting. Over time, laser cutting can save hours of production time and reduce costs.
Contact a local metal laser cutting service to learn more.