When laser cutting machine working on metal,stainless steel and carbon steel are the most widely used materials. Compared with highly reflective metals such as aluminum alloy and brass, these two metals have better absorption of light, so laser cutting are more popular in cutting stainless steel and carbon steel.
What's the difference between a powerful laser cutting machine when processing stainless steel and carbon steel, and which material is most suitable for cutting with a laser cutting machine?
The cutting process is very different
When using a laser cutting machine to process stainless steel, because stainless steel contains 10% -20% chromium, iron and chromium are easily exothermic with oxygen during cutting. The chromium oxide has the characteristic of preventing oxygen from entering the interior of the molten material, which makes The amount of oxygen entering the melting layer is reduced, the melting layer is not completely oxidized, and the reaction is reduced, which reduces the cutting speed.
When using a laser cutting machine to process carbon steel, oxygen is usually used as an auxiliary gas. More than 99% of the cutting of low-carbon steel is iron. The oxidation reaction of iron also generates a lot of heat. Using oxygen as an auxiliary can reduce the laser energy Requirements, and the low melting point viscosity of the oxide makes the adhesion to the surrounding steel plate is also low, such slag is also easily blown away by oxygen, leaving a smooth cut surface without residue.
Skills in processing different materials
When laser cutting mirror stainless steel, in order to prevent the board from serious burns, a laser film is required. Although protected by a film, there is still a slight burn on the edges. At this time, it is necessary to strictly control the laser cutting process parameters during processing to maintain the good corrosion resistance of such materials. The most important process parameters that affect the quality of stainless steel cutting are cutting speed, laser power, oxygen pressure, and focus.
With the increase of the power of the cutting machine, the laser cutting machine can process thicker and thicker carbon steel. When cutting thicker low-carbon steel plates, a larger diameter nozzle and low pressure oxygen pressure are needed, which can prevent cutting Burn the edges of the incision.