Laser Cutting Machine Operating Fundamentals

Laser cutters operate by focusing a stream of light made of photons, or laser, on a focused site on a piece of material in order to cut it rather than using a solid object, like a blade, to slice through the material.  A computer system enabled with vector graphical software will also be needed.  Instructions are communicated to the laser cutter through software which deciphers design geometry to numerical CNC machine code.  A laser can also take in data from drawings made with the help of computer-aided design (CAD) software.

Configurations of Laser Cutting Machines

The configurations of the machine are characterized based on the way the laser beam will hit the object to be cut.  There are three main setups that work on the X and Y axes.  The first is called moving material.  In this setup, the object that will be sliced is put beneath the cutter head.  The next setup is the hybrid laser.  Both the table and the cutter head move in opposite axes, giving the best stability of the beam’s pathway. The third configuration is referred to as the flying optic setup, employed by Maloya, where the cutting head is the part of the machine that is moving.  The material being cut is not moved and this type of setup creates neat work.  Its rate of motion is also the quickest among the three setups.  The flying optic system helps in work flow speed since clamping of the material being cut is not necessary.  Some machines use six axes.

Laser Cutting Work flow

Loading and unloading can take up valuable production time but the speed of laser cutting should make up for this time.  The unnecessary need for material clamping can also save time.  Also take into account whether workers will have to keep turning the laser cutter on and off or can keep it on continuously.  Workers may have to turn turn off the power to unload the machine and interrupt the flow of cutting.  
Lighting is another consideration in a manufacturing environment.  Light emitting diode (LED) lighting is coming onto the scene for work areas to save on energy.  More green ways of lighting manufacturing environments are becoming available such as using motion sensors so lights are not used when no one is working.

Laser Cutting Equipment and Maintenance

With the costs invested in laser cutting machines, sufficient upkeep can ensure that they operate optimally and safely.  Undesirable cuts can be produced if the machine is not running at its peak performance level.  Process control such as inspecting cutting nozzles, lenses and other optics should be conducted regularly.  Simply making regular checks on their alignment can save many headaches later. Air sources can affect focal lenses of the cutting machine.  Making sure the lenses are clean is of utmost importance.  Operators can tell if a focal lens is dirty by visual inspection and checking it with a polarize.   A lens can then be cleaned with alcohol and fine tissue or replaced. Laser optical components are considered consumables.  Chiller units need to be maintained as well.  They should be started prior to cutting.  A laser cutter will not be as fast if it has not been maintained.  Replaceable parts should also be kept available for easy replacement.  Keep exhaust systems up to par as well.

Training on Laser Cutting Systems

Laser cutter training should include hands-on and classroom training.  It should include basic usage of the laser cutter including turning it on and off, operation and programming of the machine, safety and maintenance.   Oftentimes the supplier of a machine will provide training to the purchaser.  Other training could include the creation and loading of drawings, scaling, and rotation.  Other things to be learned are file usage, code, databases, laser tables and metrics.  CAD and computers need to be comprehended to use a laser cutter.  One should understand how to measure thicknesses of materials in relation to whether the laser cutters can cut them effectively.  Blueprint reading should also be a skill held by a laser cutter user.  Users need to be trained in quality control and geometric tolerance to know the how precise the laser cutter can get.  Material Requirements Planning (MRP) involves planning everything needed for a job as well as inventory taking.  Software is used for these tasks.  Proper training on these systems is essential as the common problem with them is the data often is erroneous.  Some of these errors can be eliminated through training.
One should be able to use tools for measuring including calipers or a vernier caliper which can offer measurements that are more accurate.  Other basic tools someone should be able to use are a ruler, protractor, compass and basic mathematical tools.

Quality Control

In order to keep improving work flow processes, Corrective Action Requests (CARs) and Corrective Action Notifications (CANs) can be carried out.  This involves problem reporting, problem causes, and future problem preventions.  There is work flow quality management software that will handle this.  For example, if something happens, a notification in a certain form such as an email will be sent to the designer who will handle it.  Problem correction will be the next step.
Much knowledge and skill is needed to use a laser cutter.  Having the wherewithal to operate the laser cutter correctly in a proper environment will keep a machine working optimally for a long period of time.

Roger Hug is the Vice President of Sales Engineering of Maloya Laser, leaders in <A href=”http://www.maloyalaser.com/turnkey_products.php”>turnkey product manufacturing</a> and <A href=”http://www.maloyalaser.com/contract_manufacturing.php”>contract metal manufacturing</a> servicing machinery, aerospace, medical, scientific and transportation needs with Laser Cutting technologies.