What is laser cutting?

A laser beam is a concentrated beam of light, often focusing up to 15 kw of power onto an area a few millimeters in diameter. When materials suitable for laser cutting are exposed to the beam, they vaporize.

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Modern CNC laser cutting machines combine this technology with an extremely precise motion control system, allowing the laser head to cut out shapes in a wide range of metal sheet.

What metals can be laser cut?

One of the big advantages to laser cutting, is that almost any material can be cut, from thin metals to thick ones, as well as wood and certain types of plastic – although the latter two use a different process to the ones we’ll be discussing here.

Laser cutting has no problems cutting most grades of:

• Mild steel / Low Carbon steel
• Cold rolled steel
• Stainless Steel
• Aluminum
• Titanium
• Brass
• Copper

What thicknesses can be laser cut? With the advent of Co2 laser cutting, the same accuracy and speed of thinner materials can be applied to thicker materials too.

Metals Supermarkets offers laser cutting from 0.5mm – 20mm thick, in all the materials listed above.

Advantages of laser cutting

1. Speed: Once programmed, parts can be cut in a matter of seconds, much faster than the alternative methods of plasma or waterjet cutting.
2. Accuracy: The control systems on modern CNC machines, including a laser cutter, are extremely accurate, meaning parts can be cut to within a tolerance of 0.2mm.
3. Low cost: Because of the high speed of laser cutting, each part can be much cheaper to laser cut than using conventional processes. The low power consumption also makes them easier on the wallet.
4. Cut any material: Cold cutting techniques such as machining, routing and sawing can cut thin metals but struggle with high strength materials such as AR400. Laser cutting is not affected by the material’s hardness and offers extreme precision.

Disadvantages of laser cutting

1. Lead time: High power laser machines are expensive, and as such they need to be cutting parts all the time to justify their cost. This can mean lead times can be longer in some cases.
2. Expensive barriers to entry: Installing a laser cutter in your facility would be great for production, but they are extremely expensive.
3. Heat input: Because the laser beam vaporizes the material, it can create a localized HAZ or heat affected zone, which can require secondary processing in some use cases
4. Difficulty with reflective materials: Some lasers struggle with reflective metals such as brass or polished stainless steel.

Industry applications

Laser cutting, especially in conjunction with bending or folding, is seen in nearly every industry in some way.

From car parts to computer cases, brackets for the medical industry to store remodeling, laser cutting can provide a great way to make brackets, signs, covers and any other light to medium weight part in metal.

Typical industries utilizing laser cutting:

• Fabrication
• Machining
• Machine manufacturing
• Auto manufacturing
• Electronics manufacturing

Prep work before laser cutting

When designing for laser cutting sheet metal, there are a few things to be aware of, to make use of the process’s advantages, as well as being clear on its limitations

• Holes: Typically, holes should not be less in diameter than the thickness of the material. This is known as a 1:1 minimum hole size, but it can differ with certain materials and processes.
• Slots: Slots can be used to align parts to each other, these should have allowance for the width of the cut, known as the kerf.
• Size: Knowing the maximum sheet size, as well as the bed size will help save costs, by allowing for less wastage. Speak to your local store for more information.
• Unsupported areas: Particularly important for stencils and signs, letters that leave ‘islands’ of material should have ‘bridges’ of sufficient thickness to hold all the parts in place. This is important in letters such as a, b, d, e, g and so on.

Types of laser cutting

There are two commercially used types of laser for metal cutting, Co2 and Fiber.

Co2 Laser cutting

The former is an older process, whereby an electrical current is passed through a chamber of Co2 gas, this excites the particles in the tube, and once focused using mirrors and lenses, produces an intense beam of light.

Co2 lasers operate at around 20% efficiency, meaning much of the power drawn by the laser tube is converted to waste heat and light, rather than laser power.

Co2 lasers range from 100’s of watts for paper, card and cloth, to 20kw for the thickest of metals.

Fiber lasers

First introduced in , these use a solid state laser power generation source rather than a gas tube. Benefiting from various advances in technology these laser cutters can process a wider variety of materials than Co2.

One of the benefits of a fiber laser is their ability to cut reflective materials. This is thanks to the way the laser is transmitted to the workpiece, and makes them a better choice for brass, copper and polished stainless steels and aluminums.

The biggest benefit to the commercial operator is that a Fiber laser is much more efficient and cost effective, converting almost 80% of their input energy into cutting power. This means the parts can be made cheaper and the machines require less infrastructure changes to install.

What is the best laser for cutting metal?

Both Fiber and Co2 lasers are regularly used for cutting metal, but like most choices, each one of these laser systems has its drawbacks and benefits.

A Fiber laser can cut a large variety of materials with brass and copper having some exceptions, as many Co2 lasers cannot process certain grades of these. But these lasers are much more expensive.

That being said, Co2 lasers use more energy than a Fiber laser, and often cost more to maintain. A Fiber laser is definitely the better choice for most materials, if the budget can allow.

Both are tailored for flat rolled products; with other shapes (angles, beams, tubes), a 6-axis laser cutter is required.

Owning laser cutters vs using a service

In manufacturing there are sub-contracting companies for almost every type of service, from laser cutting and welding to assembly and large volume production.

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This is because all of these services require high volumes of orders to be financially viable. They have to pay for skilled operators, upfront investments and space.

On the other hand, retaining manufacturing in-house gives flexibility and closer control on lead times and scheduling. We’ll weigh up the options below by laying out the key steps to the process:

Owning a laser

1. Secure funds to purchase, or sign up to a lease, to acquire the machine.
2. Find and employ trained staff to run the machine and design parts.
3. Ensure it has enough work to be viable. A laser cutter can cost in excess of $500,000 to install. It will need to be running at least 8 hours a day to pay a return.
4. Pay an hourly rate of around $4-10 for consumables such as gas, lenses and power.
5. Cut parts on your own schedule.

Using Metal Supermarkets’ service

At Metal Supermarkets, we offer a fast turnaround time on laser cut orders, we can also advise you on part design, material selection and more. To order with us simply:

Metal Laser Cutting Machine for Home: Everything You Need to Know

Metal laser cutting technology has revolutionized industrial manufacturing as an essential tool for mass production. Thanks to advancements in compact design and user-friendly interfaces, metal laser cutters are making their way into home workshops and small businesses, allowing entrepreneurs and innovators to produce high-quality metal components and products with ease. 

In this article, we'll explore the transformative potential of metal laser-cutting machines for small-scale production and business applications. From the fundamental principles of laser-cutting technology to the wide array of materials and projects these machines can handle, we'll provide you with the knowledge you need to harness this cutting-edge technology. 

Whether you're looking to streamline your manufacturing process, expand your product offerings, or bring your creative visions to life, OMTech's metal laser cutting solutions offer the precision, versatility, and reliability to elevate your operations to the next level. 

What Laser Is Best for Metal Cutting? 

Fiber lasers are the best lasers for metal cutting. They offer high power and precision and can cut through various metals, such as stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, and more. 

Why Fiber Lasers Are Best for Metal Cutting

• Focused Beam: Fiber lasers produce extremely high-power density beams by focusing a significant amount of energy into a small spot. This intense heat rapidly melts and vaporizes the metal material for clean and precise cuts.
• Efficient Energy Conversion: The fiber laser design efficiently converts electrical energy into laser light, resulting in higher power output and lower operational costs.
• Low Divergence: Fiber laser beams have a low divergence, meaning they spread out very little, even over long distances. This ensures a tight focus on the workpiece, leading to finer cuts and better edge quality.
• Single-Mode Operation: Many fiber lasers operate in a single-mode, which results in a highly coherent beam. This coherence enhances the precision and consistency of the cutting process.
• Electrical to Optical Conversion: Fiber lasers offer high electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency, meaning a larger portion of the input electrical energy is converted into laser light. This reduces energy consumption and lowers operating costs.
• Wide Range of Metals: Fiber lasers can effectively cut a wide range of metals, including stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, copper alloys, and more. Their versatility is attributed to the ability to adjust laser parameters to match different material properties.

Can a Home Laser Cutter Cut Metal?

Home laser cutters that utilize CO2 or diode laser sources are unable to cut through metal. CO2 lasers are primarily used for cutting and engraving non-metal objects. Diodes can be used to engrave certain metals like copper and brass, but are unable to cut through metal due to their relatively low power. 

At-home fiber lasers typically have lower power outputs of less than 100 watts, limiting their ability to just engraving metal instead of cutting through it. A fiber laser that cuts through metals generally requires more power and tends to be much larger in size. These fiber machines are designed to deliver intense laser beams capable of melting and vaporizing even the toughest materials. 

Key characteristics of high-power fiber lasers for thick metal cutting:

• High Power Output: These lasers often operate in the multi-kilowatt range. The higher the power, the thicker the material you can cut.
• Excellent Beam Quality: A high-quality beam ensures a tight focus, which is crucial for deep penetration and clean cuts.
• Robust Construction: These machines are built with heavy-duty components and robust cooling systems to withstand the intense heat generated during the cutting process.
• Large Footprint: Due to their powerful components and robust construction, these machines tend to have a larger physical footprint than lower-power models.

Why are these machines so large?

• Large Power Supply: The power supply required to drive such high-power lasers can be substantial, leading to larger equipment.
• Robust Cooling System: To dissipate the heat generated, these machines often require large and efficient cooling systems.
• Beam Delivery Optics: The optics used to deliver the laser beam to the cutting head can also contribute to the overall size of the machine.
• Safety Features: To ensure operator safety, these machines often have additional safety features, such as larger enclosures and more robust safety interlocks, which can increase the overall size.

Is There a Metal Laser Cutting Machine for Home? 

Yes, there are metal laser-cutting machines for homes if you have a large workshop. Metal laser cutters like the OMTech FC-22 and FC-22C fiber laser metal cutters are compact enough to be utilized in garages or vast at-home workshops. The FC-22, measuring 106.3×70.9×80.9 inches, and the FC-22C, measuring 66.8×69.6×66.2 inches, both offer a 23.6×23.6-inch work area, significantly smaller than traditional industrial metal cutters.

Here’s why this machine should be your go-to tool for any metal-cutting task:

Exceptional Cutting Performance

• High-Speed Cutting: The FC-22 exceeds expectations with a cutting speed of 42 meters per minute (27.56 inches per second), making your workflow faster and more productive.
• Powerful Laser: The W laser effortlessly slices through materials up to 4mm in stainless steel and 10mm in carbon steel, ensuring precise and efficient results. Its broad material compatibility also includes aluminum and other metals.

Efficient Working Area

• Expansive Workspace: With a 23.6" x 23.6" effective processing area and a maximum sheet width of 24.8 inches, the FC-22’s work surface is 50% larger than many competitors, allowing you to tackle bigger projects with ease and fewer interruptions.

Superior Precision and Safety

• Precision Cutting: The high-power laser delivers clean, sharp cuts, reducing the need for post-processing and ensuring professional-grade results right out of the machine.
• Enhanced Safety: The fully enclosed design, paired with an OD6+ safety observation window, protects you from laser exposure while providing clear visibility of the cutting process. Safety relays and interlocks add an extra layer of security.

Unmatched Flexibility and User-Friendliness

• Dual Feed Design: The FC-22’s enclosed model allows for the processing of extra-long materials, while the FC-22C’s open-frame design simplifies material changes, giving you the flexibility to handle a variety of projects seamlessly.
• Ease of Use: Pre-configured with a built-in W chiller and laser, the FC-22 is ready for immediate use straight out of the box. Its user-friendly setup ensures smooth operation for both seasoned professionals and beginners.

Versatile Applications

• Wide Range of Uses: From creative DIY endeavors to industrial manufacturing, the FC-22 adapts to various industries, including advertising signage, electrical cabinet sheet metal fabrication, mechanical parts, kitchenware, metal crafts, saw blades, circuit boards, hardware, and measuring tools.

Cost-Effective Excellence

• Value for Money: The enclosed bed model of the FC-22 is priced affordably at $27,500. Compared to many other models, it offers a faster cutting speed, higher power, and a larger work area, ensuring you get the best bang for your buck.

In summary, the OMTech FC-22 and FC-22C are ideal metal laser-cutting machines for individuals, small businesses, and factories. Whether you’re working on intricate signage, metal fabrication, or any other metalworking project, this machine combines cutting-edge technology with user-centric design to deliver exceptional results every time.

Conclusion

Metal laser cutting technology, once the domain of industrial manufacturers, is now accessible for home workshops and small businesses thanks to machines like the OMTech FC-22 and FC-22C. Their exceptional cutting performance, robust safety features, and expansive work area make them a powerful and reliable tool for any metalworking project. Their ease of setup and use makes them suitable for both seasoned professionals and beginners.

Furthermore, the versatility of FC-22 and FC-22C extends to a wide range of applications, from intricate architectural designs to precise metal fabrication and custom DIY projects. The machine's ability to handle various materials such as stainless steel, carbon steel, and aluminum ensures that your creative and professional projects meet the highest standards of quality. Investing in the FC-22 or FC-22C not only streamlines your workflow but also opens up new possibilities for innovation and craftsmanship in your home workshop.

Don't miss the opportunity to elevate your home workshop capabilities with the OMTech FC-22 and FC-22C Fiber Laser Cutters. Whether you're working on custom signage, metal fabrication, or intricate DIY projects, this state-of-the-art metal cutter ensures precise, efficient, and safe operation. Equip your workshop with the best—consider the OMTech FC-22 or FC-22C for all your metal-cutting needs.

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