Laser-cutting machines are commonly used in the manufacturing industry to accurately fabricate plastic and metal objects. This article is a quick guide to the three best laser-cutting machines.
Crystal
The very first lasers utilized crystals. In the 1960s, scientists discovered that artificially created rubies could be used to focus light with incredible efficiency. A crystal laser works by using a crystal material to generate a laser beam. The crystal is pumped with a high-energy light source, such as a flash lamp or a diode laser, which excites the neodymium ions within the crystal. This creates a population inversion within the crystal, where a higher number of electrons are in an excited state than in the ground state. The excited electrons then release their energy as laser light through stimulated emission.
Crystal lasers are suitable for use in a laser cutting machine because they are capable of generating high-power laser beams that are able to penetrate and cut through metal materials. They also have a relatively long laser cavity, which allows for a stable and efficient laser beam.
Crystal lasers are capable of generating laser beams with a high degree of spatial and temporal coherence, which is important for metal cutting. This results in a laser beam with a small spot size, which allows for precise cuts. The high-power laser beam produced by a crystal laser is able to cut through thicker metal materials than other types of laser cutting machines.
C02
C02 lasers are the most common kinds of lasers used in the creation of cutting machines. The basic operation of one of these machines involves the extreme exposure of gas to an electric charge within a tube. This then generates light beams. The light beams are amplified and focused with mirrors to create a strong laser beam. C02 lasers are relatively cheap in comparison to crystal and fiber types; they can cut a wide range of materials but aren’t the best type to choose for hard metals.
Fiber
A fiber laser cutting machine is a type of laser cutting machine that uses a fiber laser as its source of energy. The fiber laser is a high-power laser that is generated by a fiber optic cable. The fiber laser beam is then transmitted to the cutting head, where it is focused onto the material being cut. The material absorbs the laser energy and is heated to the point of melting or vaporizing, depending on the material’s properties and the laser’s power.
Fiber laser cutting machines can be used to cut a wide range of metal materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, and mild steel. They are also used to cut other materials, such as plastic and glass.
Fiber laser cutting machines differ from crystal and CO2 laser cutting machines in several ways. The most important – and obvious – the difference is the source of the laser. Fiber lasers are typically more efficient than crystal lasers and CO2 lasers, as they can generate more laser energy per unit of electrical power. Additionally, most fiber lasers have a much smaller beam diameter than crystal or gas devices, which allows for finer cutting details and increased precision. Fiber lasers tend to be a little more compact and require less maintenance than other kinds of cutting lasers. This makes them attractive machines for commercial clients that want to maximize their efficiency.
