How To Adjust The Cutting Quality of Laser Cutting Machine?

In modern manufacturing, laser cutting machines, as an efficient and precise processing tool, have been widely used in various industries, including automobiles, aerospace, electronics, construction and other fields. The popularity of this technology is not only due to its excellent cutting accuracy and flexibility, but also because it can efficiently process a variety of materials, such as metals, plastics and wood, to meet the growing production needs.

Cutting quality directly affects production efficiency and the quality of the final product. High-quality cutting not only ensures the accuracy and consistency of parts, but also effectively reduces rework and waste in subsequent processing links. This not only saves material costs and time, but also improves the overall efficiency of the production line. Conversely, low-quality cutting may cause parts to not meet specifications, which in turn affects the performance and safety of the product, causing corporate reputation loss and economic losses. Therefore, ensuring the cutting quality of laser cutting machines is crucial and has become one of the core issues of concern to manufacturing practitioners.

This article will explore how to improve the cutting quality of laser cutting machines through reasonable parameter adjustment and maintenance measures to help companies maintain their leading edge in the fierce market competition.

Cutting quality refers to the overall quality level achieved by the finished parts during laser cutting or other cutting processes, including the comprehensive performance of its appearance, size, shape and physical properties. High cutting quality not only reflects the effectiveness of the cutting process, but also directly affects subsequent processing, product performance and end-user satisfaction. The following are important characteristics and evaluation indicators of cutting quality.

1. Define cutting quality and its characteristics

Definition: Cutting quality describes the overall performance of the finished parts in terms of size, shape, appearance and physical properties after the cutting process and the degree to which it meets the design requirements.

Features:

Consistency: All cut pieces can maintain consistent cutting quality under the same standard.

Repeatability: Similar cutting effects can be produced under the same cutting conditions.

Adaptability: High-quality cutting effects can be maintained when cutting different types of materials.

2. Cutting edge smoothness

The smoothness of the cutting edge is one of the important indicators for evaluating cutting quality. The ideal cutting edge should be:

Smooth and burr-free: The edge is smooth, without obvious burrs and sawtooth.

Uniformity: There is no obvious difference in height, and the shape and thickness of the edge remain consistent.

Influencing factors: cutting speed, laser power, focus position and gas assist will affect the smoothness of the edge.

3. Cutting accuracy and tolerance

Cutting accuracy refers to the difference between the actual size of the finished part and the designed size, usually expressed in tolerance. Important aspects include:

Dimensional accuracy: The size of the part after cutting should be controlled within the specified tolerance range.

Shape accuracy: Including the accuracy of curves, straight lines and angles to ensure that the shape of the part meets the design requirements.

4. Material integrity

The integrity of the material after cutting refers to the fact that the material is not affected by heat or physically deformed during the cutting process, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Heat-affected zone: Whether the heat conduction during the cutting process causes the material performance to deteriorate.

Physical state: Whether the material after cutting maintains its original physical and mechanical properties.

5. Indicators for evaluating cutting quality

When evaluating cutting quality, you can refer to the following indicators:

Surface roughness: Use a roughness meter to measure the surface characteristics of the cut edge.

Dimensional tolerance: Compare the difference between the actual cutting size and the designed size.

Burr height: Measure the height of the burr and calculate its impact on the cutting quality.

Heat-affected zone: Observe the heat-affected zone of the cutting edge and its physical state through a microscope.

Material defects: Check for cracks, precipitates or other defects.

Cutting quality is a multi-dimensional measurement that covers the smoothness of the cutting edge, the accuracy and tolerance of the cutting, the integrity of the material, etc., which together constitute important criteria for a high-quality laser cutting process. Through effective quality assessment and control, manufacturers can improve the overall quality and market competitiveness of their products.

Laser cutting quality is affected by multiple factors, which can be divided into the characteristics of the laser system itself, cutting conditions, material properties, and operating processes.

1. Laser system characteristics

Laser type: Different types of lasers (such as CO2 lasers, fiber lasers, etc.) have different wavelengths and energy densities, which affect the ability to cut materials and edge quality.

Laser power: Higher laser power can increase cutting speed and cutting depth, but it may also lead to an increase in the heat-affected zone, thereby affecting the smoothness of the cut edge.

Spot size: The choice of focal position and spot diameter will directly affect the cutting accuracy and surface quality. Too large a spot will result in insufficient cutting.

2. Cutting conditions

Cutting speed: A reasonable cutting speed is the key to ensuring cutting quality. Too fast may result in incomplete cutting, while too slow may cause excessive heating and thermal effects.

Gas type and pressure: The type and pressure of auxiliary gas (such as oxygen, nitrogen or air) will affect the cutting effect. For example, oxygen can increase cutting speed but may increase burrs; nitrogen helps reduce oxidation and improve smoothness.

Focal length setting: The focal length of the laser directly affects the heat concentration and beam quality. The correct focal length setting can improve the cutting quality.

3. Material properties

Material type: Different materials (such as metals, plastics, ceramics, etc.) respond differently to lasers, and the cutting quality will also vary greatly. Among metal materials, steel, aluminum, and copper have different cutting characteristics.

Material thickness: Thicker materials usually require higher laser power and slower cutting speeds, which has a direct impact on cutting quality.

Material state: The surface treatment state (such as oxide layer, coating, etc.) and chemical composition of the material will also significantly affect the cutting quality.

4. Operation process

Cutting path design: A reasonable cutting path can effectively reduce the movement time and the number of cuts, thereby improving efficiency and cutting quality.

Equipment maintenance and calibration: Regular maintenance and calibration of laser cutting equipment can ensure that the equipment operates in the best condition, thereby improving cutting quality.

Operator skills: The operator's experience and technical level will also affect the cutting quality. Skilled operation can reduce errors and improve cutting consistency.

5. Environmental factors

Temperature and humidity: Changes in ambient temperature and humidity may affect the propagation of the laser and the properties of the material, thereby affecting the cutting quality.

Dust and contaminants: Dust and other contaminants in the working environment may adhere to the surface of the material and affect the laser cutting effect.

Laser cutting quality is the result of the combined effect of multiple variables. Understanding these factors and optimizing them can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of cutting. For specific applications, manufacturers should comprehensively consider the selection of laser equipment, the setting of operating parameters and the selection of materials to achieve the best cutting quality.

Detection and evaluation of laser cutting quality is an important part of ensuring that the cut products meet the design specifications. Cutting quality detection and evaluation can be implemented by the following methods:

1. Implement cutting quality detection methods

● Visual inspection:

Check the appearance of the cut edge with the naked eye or a magnifying glass to observe whether there are obvious burns, burrs, cracks or other defects.

Check whether the cut surface is smooth, the color is uniform, and whether there is oxidation.

● Dimension measurement:

Use calipers, gauges or three-dimensional measuring instruments to measure the dimensions of the cut pieces, including length, width, height and aperture, to ensure that they are consistent with the design specifications.

For special dimensional accuracy requirements, more detailed three-dimensional measurements are performed to ensure that each dimension meets the tolerance range.

● Cutting edge quality evaluation:

Evaluate the neatness of the cut edge and whether there are burrs or uneven heights. Microscopes or optical measuring instruments can be used for more detailed inspections.

Use samples of different degrees of cutting for comparison to judge the performance of the cutting equipment.

● Aperture and hole position detection:

Use special aperture measurement tools (such as internal diameter micrometers, plug-in gauges, etc.) to detect the diameter and position of the cut holes to ensure that they meet the design requirements.

Measure the position accuracy of the hole relative to the edge and other important features of the cut piece.

● Mechanical property testing of laser cut parts:

Perform tensile, bending or impact tests to evaluate whether the material properties of the cut area are affected. Check the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the material during cutting.

2. Use cutting edge, hole diameter and other quality indicators for evaluation

● Cutting edge quality indicators:

Smoothness: Detect the smoothness of the cutting edge. Ideally, the edge should be free of obvious burrs and roughness.

Scorch degree: Evaluate whether the cut surface has discoloration or scorching. This can affect subsequent spraying or connection processes.

Angle consistency: Especially in complex shape cutting, check whether the cutting edge angle meets the design requirements.

● Aperture and hole position quality indicators:

Aperture size: The diameter of each hole should be confirmed by measuring tools to be consistent with the design drawing.

Hole position deviation: Determine the deviation of the hole position relative to the predetermined position to ensure the accuracy of the processing.

● Correlation between cutting speed and quality:

Collect and analyze the data on the impact of cutting speed on cutting quality, so as to make scientific adjustments to cutting parameters. For example, too fast speed leads to unclean cutting, too slow speed leads to too large heat affected zone, etc.

● Compatibility of the final product:

If the cut part needs to be matched with other components, evaluate its compatibility to ensure that the finished cut part can be assembled correctly.

● Repeatability:

When cutting the same material and the same settings multiple times, check the repeatability of the cutting to evaluate the stability and reliability of the laser cutting machine.

Combining the above detection and evaluation methods, you can fully understand the quality of laser cutting and ensure the compliance and reliability of the cut product. This is crucial to improving production efficiency and reducing resource waste.