Types of Metal Cutting and Their Benefits

Release Time:2023-02-22

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laser cutting table
Custom metal fabricators often turn to CNC laser cutters when extreme precision is required. The technology uses a focused and powerful laser beam to burn through common metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, mild steel and titanium. The cutting beam is very thin and can cut material as small as 0.12" to 0.4", making it ideal for cutting complex shapes and engraving.

laser cutting
Laser cutting uses a thin, focused, powerful laser beam to cut or engrave a variety of materials, including certain metals as well as plastic, wood and cardboard. This process results in rapid heating, melting and evaporation of unwanted materials. Therefore, laser cutting is considered a subtractive manufacturing process.

Because of its extreme precision, laser cutting is often used to cut complex shapes and small holes in materials. It typically has a machining tolerance of about 0.002 inches and a minimum cut seam size of about 0.006 inches, allowing it to achieve intricate designs with minimal cutting and engraving. Laser cutting is also fast, making it one of the most efficient and effective types of metal cutting available.

Lasers can cut thin to slightly thicker materials, typically 0.12 inches to 0.4 inches thick. Laser cutting can be used on many common metals, including aluminum, stainless steel, mild steel and titanium. A coolant is usually used throughout the process to avoid any negative effects from the heat of the laser.

On the industrial side, laser cutting is often used to achieve precision in automotive or aerospace applications. It can also be used to enhance safety when cutting in hazardous environments, for large projects such as nuclear decommissioning.

Laser cutting uses high-powered lasers that penetrate metal. The lasers are controlled by a computer. The combination of lasers and computer programs provides extreme precision that can be maintained throughout production because lasers do not wear down like metal tools. These characteristics make laser cutting a good choice in three situations.

First, laser cutting is preferred if your project contains a high level of detail or has tight tolerances. For example, if you need parts with engraved text or artistic designs, lasers are the most effective way to add them to cut pieces. It is also suitable for parts where all parts must be seamlessly joined after cutting and assembly.

Second, laser cutting often makes sense if you need a one-off custom part or have very limited production runs. Tooling and setup costs can make the cost per part prohibitive if other techniques are used in this case. However, lasers can be quickly programmed via computer, so setup costs are low even for single-piece orders.

Third, if you have a longer production cycle, laser cutting may also be a good choice. For example, if you want to produce thousands of identical parts, this can provide an efficient way to cut them all. Since the laser won't wear out, you don't have to worry about replacing or sharpening your cutting equipment mid-run.

Despite its many benefits, laser cutting also has a downside. High power lasers consume a lot of energy, which can add to the production cost of some projects, and even high power lasers can take a while to cut through some thick slices. If your project requires shaping a very thick piece of metal, there may be more affordable cutting options.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Laser Cutting and Waterjet Cutting
In terms of speed and precision, a laser cutting table is clearly the better choice. This method of fabrication can produce beautiful, intricate, and precise cuts, making it a popular choice for artistic custom builders. Waterjets, while efficient, can only do basic cutting and are more commonly used to create sheet metal and other mass-produced products. Custom fabricators use waterjet cutters when heat introduction can be an issue, when thick sheet metal needs to be machined, and when the final product requires less precision.
In controlled environments such as metal fabrication facilities, the efficiencies offered by oxyfuel cutting can help reduce time and production costs. Oxyfuel cutting can also be performed in settings outside of standard manufacturing facilities. All the equipment required for oxyfuel cutting is portable, so a qualified technician can use this method to work in the field.

If your project involves cutting many pieces, especially if the metal being cut is thin sheet, the economics of this process make it a natural choice. For example, if you need metal parts for mass-produced metal tools, utensils, or toys, oxyfuel cutting can help you reduce your cost of goods.

Alternatively, flame cutting also makes sense if you need to repair structures or equipment in the field. Since cutting can be done on-site, a technician can come out and see exactly what needs to be repaired and cut an order in the same trip. With oxyfuel cutting, they don't need to make two separate trips, one to find and another to install the facility cut pieces.

Waterjet cutting is known for its cost-effectiveness, versatility and high efficiency. This technique is rapidly gaining popularity as more engineers and manufacturers adopt it to cut thicker materials. Considering the hardness and thickness of the material, waterjet cutting does not have many restrictions on the materials that can be cut. It also means that thin materials can be stacked so that multiple pieces can be cut at once, increasing efficiency.

For context, many other industrial cutting methods can lose precision at ½ inch to 2 inch thicknesses and can only handle a specific subset of materials, whereas a waterjet can reliably cut up to 15 inches of solid material such as Stainless Steel. This limits the need for secondary cutting or machining operations to several different types of projects using various materials, saving time and money.

While many types of materials require heat when cutting and forming, others require a low-heat processing environment to avoid common problems such as melting, warping, discoloration, tool wear, severe corrosion, or dimensional inaccuracies. Waterjet cutting offers a unique opportunity to cut material without generating any heat, making it ideal for certain materials. Between this quality and its ability to cut thick materials, waterjet cutting can be used to cut almost any material, organic or inorganic.

Baiwei laser cutting machine is committed to providing high-quality metal parts and high-quality services to customers in various industries such as food, beverage, dairy products, rail transit, and automobiles. CMD offers laser cutting and waterjet cutting capabilities to complete any custom machining, fabrication or welding project with high precision and on-time delivery.

If you need metal cutting, please contact us. Learn which technology is best for your project. We perform laser cutting, oxyfuel cutting and other cutting techniques.

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