Laser cutting is one of the thermal cutting methods. It uses a focused high-power density laser beam to irradiate the workpiece to quickly melt, vaporize, ablate or reach the ignition point of the irradiated material. At the same time, the molten material is blown away by the high-speed airflow coaxial with the beam. , So as to realize the work piece is cut apart.

 1. Laser cutting application

 Most laser cutting machines are controlled by CNC programs or made into cutting robots. As a precision processing method, laser cutting can cut almost all materials, including two-dimensional or three-dimensional cutting of thin metal plates.

 In the field of automobile manufacturing, the cutting technology of space curves such as car roof windows has been widely used. German Volkswagen uses a laser with a power of 500W to cut complex-shaped body sheets and various curved parts. In the aerospace field, laser cutting technology is mainly used for cutting special aviation materials, such as titanium alloys, aluminum alloys, nickel alloys, chromium alloys, stainless steel, beryllium oxide, composite materials, plastics, ceramics, and quartz. The aerospace parts processed by laser cutting include engine flame tube, titanium alloy thin-walled casing, aircraft frame, titanium alloy skin, wing stringer, tail wall panel, helicopter main rotor, space shuttle ceramic insulation tile, etc.

  Laser cutting technology also has a wide range of applications in the field of non-metallic materials. Not only can cut materials with high hardness and brittleness, such as silicon nitride, ceramics, quartz, etc.; it can also cut and process flexible materials, such as cloth, paper, plastic plates, rubber, etc., such as using laser to cut clothing, which can save clothing 10 %～12%, increase the efficacy by more than 3 times.

  2. Laser cutting materials

  1. Structural steel

 Better results will be obtained when this material is cut with oxygen. When oxygen is used as the processing gas, the cutting edge will be slightly oxidized. For plates with a thickness of 4mm, nitrogen can be used as a processing gas for high-pressure cutting. In this case, the cutting edge will not be oxidized. For plates with a thickness of more than 10mm, using a special pole plate for the laser and oiling the surface of the workpiece during processing can achieve better results.

 2. Stainless steel

Oxygen can be used when oxidation of the cutting end surface is acceptable; if nitrogen is used to obtain a non-oxidized and burr-free edge, no further treatment is required. Coating the oil film on the surface of the plate will get a better perforation effect without reducing the processing quality.

 3. Aluminum

With high reflectivity and thermal conductivity, aluminum with a thickness of 6mm or less can be cut, depending on the alloy type and laser capability. When cutting with oxygen, the cutting surface is rough and hard. When using nitrogen, the cutting surface is smooth. Pure aluminum is very difficult to cut because of its high purity. Aluminum can only be cut when a "reflection absorption" device is installed on the system. Otherwise, the reflection will destroy the optical components.

 4. Titanium

The titanium sheet is cut with argon and nitrogen as the processing gas. Other parameters can refer to nickel-chromium steel.

5. Copper and brass

Both materials have high reflectivity and very good thermal conductivity. Brass with thickness less than 1mm can be cut with nitrogen; copper with thickness less than 2mm can be cut, and the processing gas must be oxygen. Copper and brass can be cut only when a "reflection absorption" device is installed on the system. Otherwise, the reflection will destroy the optical components.

3. Calculation method of laser cutting machine processing cost

For friends who are exposed to laser cutting products for the first time, calculating the processing fee is a headache. If the manufacturer directly quotes, I always feel that it is high, and I am reluctant to pay for it. Let me calculate it by myself. A standard of measurement, because I don’t know if this price is the real price, I just need to recognize the manufacturer of laser cutting processing. Today, the editor will help you solve this problem and teach you how to calculate the cost of laser cutting.

Laser cutting processing is settled by the hour and varies by region:

Generally between 400-1000 per hour, regional differences are also relatively large, Hefei, Zhejiang, Shenzhen are cheaper; Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and other places are relatively more expensive.

This is clearly different from your region. Because the prices of sheet metal materials and labor costs are different in the region, the quotations will also be different, but the price fluctuations are definitely within this range, but Beyond this range.

Laser cutting processing cost calculation multiple relationship

When calculating the cost, many companies do not necessarily calculate according to laser cutting processing, but quote according to the length of the cutting line. Carbon steel plates are generally 1.5 times the thickness of the plate per meter, which means that 4mm carbon steel plates are cut per meter. Fee=4*1.5=6 yuan/meter.

The algorithm on the market price is generally: the price of cutting one meter = the thickness of the material to be cut × 1.5 (the price does not include the material cost, and the customer takes the material for processing)

example:

The price of laser cutting one meter of 6mm low carbon steel plate is: 6 (plate thickness)×1.5=9 yuan/meter

The price of 10 mm low carbon steel laser cutting for one meter is: 10 (plate thickness)×1.5=15 yuan/meter

The price of a meter of 12mm low carbon steel laser cutting is: 12 (plate thickness)×1.5=18 yuan/meter

According to this formula, the price of cutting one meter of different thickness can be obtained.

The price per meter of stainless steel is generally 2.5 times the thickness of the plate, and the price per meter of aluminum plate is generally 4 times the thickness of the plate.

At the same time, if a hole is to be cut in the middle of the plate, a perforation fee will be charged. The perforation fee generally ranges from 0.4 to 2 yuan depending on the thickness of the plate.

Some companies have to close the empty operation, generally the total price is multiplied by 1.2 times, some companies do not close the empty operation, the price of large quantities can be cheaper.

Of course, the specific price has a lot to do with the size of the processing volume, the shape of the parts (compared to all small holes, it cannot be calculated by the number of meters), whether it includes freight, whether it is processed with materials, etc. Therefore, the general factory or processing plant will fluctuate and will automatically measure it according to the quantity.