Laser cutting machines are increasingly widely used in the field of metal processing due to their efficient cutting capabilities and excellent cutting quality. However, there is still no unified standard in the world to evaluate the quality of laser cutting, which leads to many people being unable to accurately judge the processing quality when purchasing laser cutting machines, thus falling into the dilemma of blind selection.
Ⅰ.Quality of Processing can be Evaluated Mainly from the Following Aspects
1. Smooth cutting surface, few lines, no brittle fracture:
During laser cutting, due to the high temperature, the traces of molten material will not appear in the cut vertically below the laser beam, but will be ejected behind the laser beam to form curved lines. These lines are formed closely following the movement of the laser beam. To improve this problem, the feed rate can be reduced at the end of the cutting process, which can greatly reduce the formation of lines and ensure a smoother cutting surface.
2. Narrow kerf width:
The kerf width usually does not directly affect the cutting quality. The cutting width is particularly important only when a particularly precise contour needs to be formed inside the component. This is because the cutting width determines the minimum inner diameter of the contour. As the thickness of the sheet increases, the cutting width also increases. Therefore, in order to maintain high precision, the workpiece should remain constant within the processing area of the fiber laser cutter regardless of how the incision width changes.
3. Good verticality of the slit and small heat-affected zone:
When the thickness of the processed material exceeds 18 mm, the verticality of the cutting edge becomes particularly important. Away from the focus, the laser beam becomes divergent, which causes the cutting edge to deviate from the vertical line, usually by a few hundredths of a millimeter. The position of the focus affects the width of the cut towards the top or bottom. The more vertical the cutting edge, the higher the cutting quality.
4. Thermal impact of the cutting material:
As a thermal cutting processing equipment, the fiber laser cutter is bound to have a thermal impact on the material during use.
Ⅱ.Thermal Impact is Mainly Reflected in the Following Aspects
1. Heat-affected zone:
During the laser cutting process, the area near the incision will be heated, and the structure of the material itself will change, such as some materials will harden. The heat-affected zone refers to the area where the internal structure of the material changes due to high temperature.
2. Depression and corrosion:
The surface of the cutting edge may depressed and corroded, which will affect the appearance and cutting quality of the laser cutting machine. Depression and corrosion usually caused by cutting errors and need to avoided as much as possible.
3. Material deformation:
If the parts heated rapidly during the cutting process, the material may deform. This is particularly important in fine processing, because the contours and connecting pieces are usually only a few tenths of a millimeter wide. By controlling the laser power and using short laser pulses, the heat absorption of the parts reduced and deformation can avoided.
Ⅲ.Laser Cutting Machine Maintenance and Care
High precision and high stability are the key to long-term stable operation, consistency and reliability of laser cutting machines and annealing equipment. Routine maintenance and care of the equipment are also crucial. Regular inspection and calibration can ensure the normal operation of the equipment and avoid processing quality problems caused by equipment failure.
1. Regular inspection:
Laser cutting machines and annealing equipment may have various mechanical or electrical problems after long-term operation. Regular inspection of various parts of the equipment, especially the laser, optical path system, cooling system, etc., can timely detect and solve potential problems and avoid affecting normal production.
2. Calibration and adjustment:
The accuracy of the laser cutting machine depends largely on whether its calibration is accurate. Regular equipment calibration to ensure the alignment of the laser beam, the precise setting of the focal length, and the correct position of each moving axis can significantly improve the cutting quality.
3. Cleaning and lubrication:
Equipment cleaning and lubrication are equally important. The laser cutting machine will generate a large amount of metal dust and waste slag during operation. If these impurities not cleaned in time, they may affect the normal operation of the equipment. Regular cleaning of the equipment and lubrication of key components can extend the service life of the equipment.
4. Update and upgrade:
With the advancement of technology, laser cutting machines and annealing equipment also constantly updated and upgraded. Timely understanding and adopting the latest technology and equipment can improve production efficiency and product quality and maintain competitiveness.
Final Thoughts
Through the above measures, the processing quality of the laser cutting machine effectively improved, the service life of the equipment can extended, and efficient and stable operation in metal processing can ensured.
