It is a machine that can cut, mark, and engrave thin materials such as sheet metal by laser irradiation.
It is not a machine tool that cuts like turning or turning, but a machine tool that does not touch the material directly and processes it without contact. Since the material used is thin metal such as sheet metal, steel plate, and stainless steel, it is classified as sheet metal machine.
In addition, laser cutting is not mechanical shearing such as shearing or press machine, so there is a feature that there is little sagging or burr on the cutting surface and a good cutting surface can be obtained.
Laser processing mechanism
I think you had an experiment when you were an elementary school student who used a magnifying glass to make a hole in paper on a sunny day. The principle of laser marking is the same as making a hole with a magnifying glass, so if you think that sunlight has changed to a laser, it will be easier to understand.
Focusing the laser beam with a special lens and irradiating it at the focal point of the lens, it becomes powerful enough to cut (melt) an iron plate of about 3 cm.
What is laser processing?
Laser processing is processing using the laser beam as it is. This is a type of metal processing that is the same as press working and drilling, where a laser is used to cut metal or wood, etc.
By using a laser processing machine, it has become possible to quickly process a large amount of products and materials that were originally processed by hand.
Not only metal and wood, but also rubber materials and fabrics that are soft and difficult to process are easier to perform surface treatments such as letters and symbols, and the widespread use of laser processing has greatly expanded the range of processing.
It has become possible to easily perform complicated processing that is difficult by hand, and it is now introduced in various industries.
Although it is different from processing, it is one of various industries, and in recent years, the introduction of lasers has been advancing in medical treatment.
I use laser scalpels to control bleeding during surgery, and apply lasers to cavities to treat my teeth.
Laser processing principle
When you hear the word laser, do you imagine high heat and high firepower?
There are many scenes in which the laser you see on TV or games melts your body even if you touch it for a moment, or the surrounding buildings and metal are instantly cut off when you swing the laser light around.
Even metal can be cut or punched instantly, so if you pass through the human body, the part you touch will be treated in a moment.
It is extremely dangerous, so be careful when handling the laser processing machine, including during maintenance
Wave of light and vibration of heat
The principle of laser processing is based on waves and vibrations.
The power of a laser is why it is so powerful that it melts metal into light because it combines the waves of light.
Let’s chew and explain.
Usually, light is emitted in all directions like sunlight and electric lights, and the colours of light are mixed together.
The colour of sunlight and electric light is white, but the reason why it looks white is because a number of lights are combined.
Paint has the property of turning black by mixing many colours, but the human eye is made so that light can appear white by mixing many colours.
White light such as sunlight has many colours, so the light waves do not match.
However, the laser light is concentrated at one point, and because it is monochromatic, the light waves are uniform.
As shown in the image above, when light with wavelengths, peaks, and valleys is passed through a lens inside the laser processing machine, dense light is produced and the power is dramatically increased.
To give an easy-to-understand example, it seems that if the water spouting from the hose is made thinner with a water spray nozzle, the force with which the water comes out increases.