Table of contents：
Understand the working principle of laser cutting
Characteristics of laser cutting
Expand the scope of application of laser cutting
Laser cutting and primary and secondary education in China
The future of laser cutting in China
On the stage of industrial manufacturing, laser cutting technology is like an extremely precise artist, reshaping our understanding of material processing with its unique charm and unlimited potential.Today, let us explore the secrets of this “modern craftsman” and uncover the mystery of laser cutting technology.
1. How laser cutting works：
Overview of working principle：
Laser cutting technology is currently an advanced cutting technology in the world that combines the essence of optics, machinery, computer control and other disciplines. The laser cutting machine uses a high-power density laser beam to illuminate the workpiece, so that the material quickly reaches a state of melting, vaporization or ablation, so as to achieve the purpose of processing.
Explanation of working principle：
The core of this technology lies in a small and concentrated laser beam. After the laser beam is focused through the optical system, it can concentrate energy in a very small area, so that the irradiated material is quickly heated to a temperature of melting or vaporization in a very short period of time.
As the laser beam moves, precise cutting gaps will form on the material. In order to improve the cutting effect, auxiliary gases are usually used in combination to help blow away the molten material and make the cutting process cleaner and smoother.
2. Characteristics of laser cutting：
High precision: Due to the small laser spot, high energy density, and compared with traditional mechanical cutting, laser cutting does not need to touch the surface of the material, does not produce mechanical stress, and the deformation of the material is minimal. Therefore, the laser-cut seam is narrow, the finished product is of high quality, and it has the characteristics of high precision.
High efficiency: Laser cutting has a fast cutting speed and a high degree of automation. Continuous cutting of complex patterns can be achieved through computer programming, which greatly improves production efficiency.
High flexibility: Laser cutting has no restrictions on the shape of the workpiece, and has unlimited profiling and cutting capabilities. This means that whether it is simple or complex parts, laser cutting can be formed and cut accurately and quickly at once.
High adaptability: Laser cutting has good adaptability to materials. It can cut both hard and brittle materials, such as glass, ceramics, PCD composite sheets, and semiconductors, as well as soft and elastic materials, such as plastics, rubber, etc., It can handle a wide variety of materials, covering almost all common industrial materials.
Of course, in addition to the above advantages, laser cutting also has some limitations：
(1) Equipment is more expensive.
As a high-power heavy-duty equipment, laser cutting machines range from tens of thousands to millions of pieces of equipment.
(2) There are restrictions on cutting plates.
Due to the limitations of laser power and equipment volume, laser cutting can only cut medium and small thickness plates and pipes, and as the thickness of the workpiece increases, the cutting speed decreases significantly.
3. Scope of application of laser cutting：
In the application field, laser cutting technology is everywhere. From automobile manufacturing to aerospace, from the electronics industry to medical devices, to metal crafts in our daily lives, laser cutting technology is silently playing a role behind it, which also makes it one of the most mature technologies in laser processing technology. Technology.
Laser cutting technology has a variety of application forms, including vaporization cutting, melting cutting, oxygen-assisted melting cutting and controlled fracture cutting.
Vaporization cutting：Vaporization cutting is mainly used for very thin metal materials and non-metallic materials, such as paper, cloth, wood, plastic, etc., because such materials can be directly turned into vapor and removed under the action of laser.
Melting and cutting：Melting and cutting are used for thicker metal materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, etc. The material is heated to the melting point by a laser beam, and then the molten material is removed by means of a high-speed air flow to complete the cutting.
Oxygen-assisted melting and cutting：Oxygen-assisted melting cutting combines the high energy density of the laser with the chemical reactivity of oxygen to achieve high-efficiency and high-quality material cutting.
The material is heated to the ignition temperature by a laser, and then high-pressure oxygen or other active gases are sprayed. These active gases oxidize with the heated metal material, producing a lot of oxidizing heat, thereby forming an incision on the material.
Control fracture cutting：Controlled fracture cutting is mainly suitable for brittle materials that are easily damaged by heat. Mainly through the laser beam, a small area of the material is quickly heated, resulting in a large thermal gradient and serious mechanical deformation on the material, resulting in cracks inside the material, and then cutting.
4. Laser cutting and primary and secondary education：
Today, laser cutting machines are no longer equipment that can be controlled by senior professionals. Many primary and middle schools are equipped with small and medium-sized laser cutting machines as essential equipment for engineering education, scientific and technological activities, labor education, information technology and other courses.
The study of laser cutting technology can not only help primary and middle school students understand modern digital processing technology and learn two-dimensional and three-dimensional drawing and design technology, but also help her (him) master an important skill to realize their creativity, while significantly improving their own scientific literacy.
In addition, we can also use laser cutting technology to realize the design of teaching aids, mechanical structures, and various cultural and creative works.
5. The future of laser cutting：
With the development and progress of the times, laser cutting technology is also constantly evolving.
The emergence of fiber lasers has greatly increased the power of laser cutting machines, and the cutting thickness and speed have been significantly improved. In addition, the development of multi-axis laser cutting technology has made laser cutting no longer limited to planes, but can dance freely in three-dimensional space, bringing more possibilities for design and manufacturing.
In the future, laser cutting technology will continue to be deeply integrated with cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, and the level of intelligence and automation will be further improved. We can foresee that laser cutting technology will go further and further on the road of precision manufacturing, carving out a finer and brighter chapter for our industrial civilization.