Laser cutting is a contemporary and common mechanism of employing a laser to cut materials in the construction industry and for more artistic applications as well. The significance of laser cutting primarily lies in its precision and smooth finish whilst adding seamless beauty to the final product. For this reason, it has become a commonly utilized medium in various industries. However, this novel technique comes with its own set of pros and cons.
Several dealers such as spectrum laser cutting and resort to this medium due to its primary advantage of precision. When compared with thermal cutting, another commonly used mechanism, laser cutting can deliver an accuracy of about +/-0.1 mm per cut. And the most striking feature is that it requires no after-treatment and no added tolerance. The next advantage lies in its flexibility. Laser cutting does not pose the requirement of exchanging tools for separate cuts. The same setup is suitable to cut a variety of materials in different shapes with the same thickness. And there is absolutely no issue with intricacy either.
Laser cutting is a proven master on the side of agility when compared with traditional cutting methods especially when it comes to more complex cuts. When compared to other cutting methods such as plasma or flame cutting, laser cutting is a definite winner. It can boil down the power of the laser cutter to the exact point. The next big factor is that laser power requires very minimal manpower since modern laser cutting machines are highly automated. A well-experienced machine operator plays a major role in the final quality and the speed at which the machine operates. This in turn results in the requirement of very little manpower.
One of the big disadvantages of laser cutting is that there is a die necessity for experts who can handle the machines. Since machines are highly automated, the requirement for manpower only arises when there is a necessity to operate the machine to ensure that the final product delivers a smooth product of supreme quality. Therefore, there is a high demand for specialist cutters who could be hard to find. Laser cutting machines are mostly twice the price of waterjet or plasma cutters. Even though there is an advantage over the running cost being minimal and it’s profitable in the long run, the initial investment is quite high. Another advantage of laser cutting is that it is suitable to cut different materials. However, on the flip side, the thermal cutting methods employed in the system make material melt resulting in the emission of dangerous gases and fumes. Therefore this often results in the necessity of a costly ventilation system to mitigate the safety factor of working environments. Laser cutting is not similar to other thermal cutting methods. You cannot cut very thick plates. The largest suitable thickness depends on the machines available and the level of expertise. Thus, as much as laser cutting seems like a very efficient and lucrative option, it surely is. It comes with its own set of drawbacks which should be paid careful attention to with a mitigation plan.
