What Are the Main Industrial Applications of Laser Cutting?
Although laser cutting is a process that is often used in schools as well as by hobbyists and craftspeople, its primary function is in industrial settings. Due to the great accuracy of laser cutting which can be repeated many, many times without failing, there can be little wonder why it has become the norm in manufacturing and fabrication settings. These days, the process is one that is favoured in numerous industrial sectors. What are some of the main ones in which you will find lasers today?
Aluminium Cutting For Aerospace Parts
Aluminium is a metal that is particularly useful for the aerospace industry since it is both strong and lightweight. It is used for all sorts of internal components in aircraft as well as for large sections of fuselage. Laser cutting is frequently used to form all sorts of parts of the aerospace sector because of the very high levels of quality control that is needed in the industry.
Veneer Cutting For Domestic Products
When very thin sections of wood are required for products like engineered wood flooring or furniture, lasers will often be used to do the precise cutting work. This is because extremely thin sections of wood can be produced this way by contrast with conventional sawing techniques. As such, product manufacturers and furniture makers can achieve a great deal of cost control with little wasted material.
PCBs For the Electronics Industry
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are found in all sorts of consumer and professional electronics products nowadays. It is common for these to be cut to the preferred size by laser cutting devices, especially when very small or miniaturised products are being made. As such, nearly all smartphones, for example, made in recent years will have PCBs — and other components — in them that have been cut by lasers.
Blanking For the Sheet Metal Processing Sector
Cutting metal to specific dimensions is a job that is increasingly carried out by computer-controlled laser cutters. However, it is not merely about shaping sheet metal to the desired size where laser cutting technology can be involved. So-called blanking, where sections of metal are effectively punched out from sheets, is also a process that is increasingly being conducted by lasers.
Thermoplastic Cutting for the Plastic Fabricators
A great number of thermoplastics are suited to laser cutters. The speed with which cuts are made means that the plastics will not deform as they are exposed to the high temperatures that are generated when a cut is in process. All sorts of fabricators working with plastics to make items now use laser technology for its increased speed and reliability.
