Consumer standards on product quality have soared over the past few years. Even the slightest issues in the design and manufacturing process can have a huge negative effect on a product’s quality, which may keep potential buyers from purchasing it. As a result of such issues, greater emphasis on precision, consistency, and speed, have taken center stage in the world of production.

Aside from more thorough planning during the design process, manufacturers also have to rely on more advanced production methods to ensure a perfect or near-perfect manufacturing consistency. Many of these methods employ a combination of advanced motion solutions and laser cutting techniques to achieve a higher degree of precision that is not possible with conventional processing equipment.

Types of Laser Cutting Techniques

There are several major types of laser cutting technologies, with each one being ideal for certain types of production. Here is a quick rundown of some of the techniques:

1. Vaporization

The laser beam is focused on a small point on the material’s surface, generating enough heat to cause the material to boil at the point and creating a small hole in the process. As the material boils, it is slowly eroded, and the hole expands. Vaporization is often used to cut carbon, wood, and other non-melting materials.

2. Melting

Laser is used to melt the material, and a burst of high-pressure gas blows away the molten materials instead of completely vaporizing it. This technique is often used to process metal components.

3. Thermal Crazing

The laser is focused on the material’s surface, causing a high concentration of heat at a single point. The localized heat expands the material and causes a crack, which can then be guided by moving the beam. This technique works best when used to cut glass.

4. Oxygen gas cutting

This process essentially cuts with an oxygen torch but uses a laser beam to create the ignition. It is mainly used for cutting thick, metal sheets with limited laser power.

These laser techniques require more than simply going through the materials with ease to make precise cuts. A laser head has to be properly directed to make sure the processed workpieces come out according to specifications. This means a laser head must move along a predetermined path, stopping and turning along the exact points at a set amount of speed to make perfect cuts.

The components directing the laser must be just as precise as the cutting technology that they are supposed to move. Move too fast, and the laser might not cut through; fail to stop, and the cuts would be too long. It’s a good thing, therefore, that precision linear stages incorporated into the equipment’s motion systems can position the mounted laser head according to the pre-programmed pattern. These, along with other motion solutions such as actuators and electronic motors, allow the laser to make straight, curved, or angled cuts.

Precision motion solutions also do more than just move laser heads left or right to cut simple two-dimensional shapes. With the right mix of motion solutions, three-dimensional motion is possible. This makes it possible to make cuts or holes of different depths. This can be seen in manufacturing processes that require high-precision engraving and drilling.

Manufacturing technologies are constantly undergoing evolution to adapt to the ever-changing demands of consumers. The integration of precision motion solutions into laser cutting technology is just a step towards even more advanced production techniques that will pave the way for better quality products in the future.