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LASER CUTTING TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

Laser cutting technology has been around for decades, in fact in 1965 the first production laser cutting machine was used to drill holes in diamond dies. Laser cutting was introduced into the Sheetmetal market back in the 1980s and quickly changed the way we manufacture parts. Managing director John Siciliano’s dream was to one day own his own laser cutter, in 2019 his dream is realised with his company’s procurement of a brand-new state of the art Fiber Laser. The Japanese made Amada ENSIS 3KW fiber can value add to QSM existing clients by delivering high quality cut parts on time and under budget.

With QSM Fabrication’s experience in manufacturing we understand that there is lot that goes into the fabrication of a part. It doesn’t just start or stop at cutting. Before you can begin the cutting process there is drafting and programming of the laser cut part. With 3d modeling and CAD based software, a DXF file is programmed into the laser cutting machine as an NC file. Parts can literally take seconds to cut with a tolerance of 0.1mm. However, if the parts are programmed incorrectly, or the flat pattern development is incorrect, then the company will realise waste and downtime. QSM Fabrication helps with this issue and offers a solution by not only cutting, but also developing a correct flat pattern that can later be folded, rolled and welded to the correct tolerances.

TYPES OF LASER TECHNOLOGY

Fiber laser cutting technology is considered a revolutionary change because it has impacted the entire status quo in Sheetmetal fabrication. And the opportunities are easy to realise. The primary advantages of cutting flat sheet metal with Fiber laser are derived from its monolithic Fiber to Fiber compact solid-state design configuration that is maintenance free and provides a lower cost of operation that can be achieve with comparable Co2 lasers.

In CO2 lasers, the laser beam travels from the laser resonator, which creates the beam, through the machine’s beam path. It may be bounced in different directions by several mirrors, or beam benders, before it is finally focused onto the plate. These Mirrors deteriorate over time and affects the cutting quality and replacement costs are passed onto the customer. In contrast a fiber laser generates the beam inside a fiber core, so the delivery of the beam doesn’t require complicated or sensitive optics. The beam is generated and confined inside the small core of the fiber, this means that the beam is very straight, and that it can be focused on a very small dot.

The Focal Point Energy comparison between a CO2 laser and a Fiber laser is outstanding. A 4400watt CO2 laser (7.5” Lens) delivers a focal point of 0.05cm diameter, however a Fiber laser using less than half the energy 2000watt (6” Lens) has a much smaller focal point of 0.015cm diameter. A Fiber Laser uses less power, is more accurate and the cutting quality is greater.

QSM LASER’S MACHINE

As mentioned previously, QSM has procured a Japanese made Amada ENSIS-3015-RI Fiber Laser. What does that mean? That means the flat cutting bed size is 3000mm long x 1500mm wide, but Rotary Index (RI) can also process round, square, rectangle, C-channel, and angle iron, making it the most versatile Rotary Index laser cutting system available. The ENSIS beam control technology manipulates of the fibre laser beam so that it isperfectly matched to the material\thickness being processed, reducing the cost of consumables and increasing productivity and efficiency. The 3000watt power unit allows us to cut 20mm Carbon Steel, 12mm Stainless Steel, 12mm Aluminium, 6mm Brass and 6mm Copper.

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