A laser cutting machine uses a high-powered laser beam focused onto a material to cut or engrave it. It works by heating a small area to melting or vaporization, creating precise cuts. Industrial laser cutters commonly use CO<sub>2</sub> lasers or fiber lasers. These machines are extremely versatile: they can cut metals, plastics, wood, and glass with high speed and accuracy. As one guide notes, “an industrial laser cutting machine is a versatile and powerful tool used to cut through a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, and glass”.
Type of Product Laser cutters are classified primarily by laser type and configuration:
Laser Source: The main types are CO<sub>2</sub> lasers (gas lasers emitting in mid-IR) and fiber lasers (solid-state lasers with fiber-optic gain medium). Other types include Nd:YAG and diode lasers. (Fiber lasers are covered separately below.)
Beam Delivery: CO<sub>2</sub> machines use mirrors and lenses (e.g. ZnS lens) to guide the beam; fiber lasers use optical fiber and a final focusing head.
Configuration: Bench-top hobby lasers vs large CNC tables. Some are gantry-style CNC machines, others are enclosed boxes with moving tables.
Mode of Operation: Pulsed lasers vs continuous-wave (CW). Pulsed lasers can achieve finer cuts or ablation.
Assist Gas: O<sub>2</sub>, N<sub>2</sub> or air are used with the laser to blow molten material away, aiding cutting quality.
Applications in Various Industries Laser cutting machines are widely used in fields requiring precision cutting:
Metal Fabrication: Cutting sheet metal (steel, aluminum, stainless, brass), perforations, and complex shapes for automotive, aerospace, and machinery parts.
Electronics Manufacturing: Precision cutting and drilling of PCBs (when using UV lasers) or enclosures.
Signage and Advertising: Cutting acrylic, wood, and composite sheets for signs and displays.
Medical: Cutting medical device components from metals.
Jewelry and Art: Engraving and cutting intricate designs in precious metals or glass.
Textiles and Apparel: Laser-cut patterns in fabric or leather.
Prototyping: Rapid fabrication of parts from plastics or composites where precise edges are needed.
Material Selection Considerations Components of a laser cutter must manage heat and precision:
Frame and Structure: Heavy gauge steel or welded aluminum frames to maintain rigidity and alignment of optics. The machine base must resist heat warping.
Optics: For CO<sub>2</sub> lasers, focusing lenses are typically zinc selenide (ZnS) due to IR transmission. Mirrors are polished metal with dielectric or gold coatings. For fiber lasers, the cutting head’s final lens is often coated fused silica.
Cooling System: Laser sources (CO<sub>2</sub> tubes or fiber modules) require either water cooling with copper tubing and brass fittings, or air cooling fans, so materials must conduct heat (copper/brass reservoirs).
Protective Windows: Polycarbonate or tempered glass shields protect operators from stray laser light.
Safety Enclosure: The machine enclosure is usually sheet metal (steel) with interlocks; viewing windows use special glass filtered for laser wavelength.
