Laser cutting works by having a high-powered, highly-focused laser beam run through a material, leaving a clean cut with a smooth finish. This beam can be either pulsed, meaning the cut is delivered in pulses, or continuous wave, meaning the beam is kept focused on the material until the cut is delivered.
Cutting with lasers starts by piercing the material with a hole, and then continues the cut from there. The beam intensity, length and heat output can be controlled, allowing the cut to be delivered in different ways and in different times.
The process is, in some ways, similar to drilling and engraving. Drilling involves the creation of popped ‘thru-holes’ in materials, but occasionally these holes are created as dents rather than thru-holes. These dents, acting like engravings, are also considered ‘cuts’ in a material.
CNC laser cutting has proven to be one of the most efficient and cost-effective choices for precision metal cutting. In design and application, laser equipment is unique from other cutting machines, the most obvious difference being that the laser does not come into contact with the metal being cut.
A CNC laser cutter is a piece of computer numerical control (CNC) equipment that marks, cuts, or engraves a material to form custom shapes using a focused, high-powered laser beam. Its one-of-a-kind design and operation make it extremely precise, especially when cutting intricate shapes and small holes.
Computer numerical control: Computer numerical control (CNC) is a method of automating machine tool control that employs software embedded in a microcomputer attached to the tool. It is commonly used in manufacturing for metal and plastic part machining.