Description
Laser Cutting
Aerospace’s Sheet Metal processes include laser cutting, which uses a high-power laser to create products for industrial applications. Through Aerospace’s network of highly-skilled manufacturing partners, you can utilize a wide variety of lasers, including Fiber and CO2 lasers. Each type of laser has its own purpose and area in which it excels. In general, laser cutting consumes less energy and is more precise than other types of sheet metal processes like plasma cutting. However, laser cutting also has a lower threshold when it comes to the thickness of the material it can be used for. Any material thicker than 4 inches would be better suited for different types of cutting.
Advantages
Advantages Of Laser Cutting
High Durable Parts
Much like CNC machining, using waterjet cutting ensures top durability and high quality of end-use production and functional prototypes.
Quick turnaround
With the use of the latest technologies in waterjet cutting processes and production, Aerospace can deliver your parts within days from the time your order is placed.
Plenty Of Materials
Sheet metals have a wide range of options including
conductivity, weight, strength, as well as corrosion resistance.
Scalability Potential
With on-demand waterjet cutting processes that are more cost-effective than CNC machining, you can have runs ranging from 1-10,000 parts.
Finishes Are Customizable
Offered finishes include painting, powder coating, plating, and anodizing to cover all of your design needs.
Laser Cutting Process
Multi-Axis CNC Milling
- 3 Axis Machining
- 4 Axis Machining
- 5 Axis Machining
- Right Angle Milling
CNC Lathe and Live
Available upon request for EDM parts that are complex and need high-precision
tolerances.
Wire EDM
Action Tooling with Dual Spindle Lathes.
Materials
Laser Cutting Materials
finishes
Laser Cutting Finishes
A finish with minimal post-processing.
Type II anodized finish is corrosion resistant and can have a variety of colors, while Type II anodized finish is also wear-resistant and thicker than Type I.
A strong finish resistant to corrosion and wear created by spraying powdered paint over the part and baking it in an oven.
A simple matte and smooth finish.
Chem Film (Chromate Conversion Coating) — a finish with corrosion resistance and good conductivity that can have a yellow or gold color and acts as a good base for paint.
A custom finish tailored exactly for your unique needs.
Applications For Laser Cutting
Chassis
Production of chassis parts requires high precision in order for the dimensions to fit the standard, as most chassis are used for housing electromechanical controls.
Brackets
Custom brackets that can have fasteners and hardware fully built in are suitable for both high corrosion-resistance parts as well as lightweight applications.
Enclosures
Consoles, consolets, rackmounts, and other types of enclosures are usually used as product device cases, boxes, and panels, and can be produced with sheet metal in a cost-effective way.
overview
Laser Cutting Overview
Laser cutters use a high-powered laser beam to cut industrial sheet metal and perform welding, but there are other possibilities for use as well, such as rubber, aluminum, wood, and glass. CNC technology is used to manage and direct the high-density laser beam, which delivers
electrical energy directly to the material. With a jet of nitrogen or oxygen, the processed material is then blown away, vaporized, melted, or burned.
Laser cutters provide an almost unparalleled speed of production as well as a decrease in workpiece contamination. Using them also reduces the chance of material warping, which is present in other CNC processes. They’re ideal for fast prototyping as they create precise, clean cuts.
There are three main types of laser cutters:
CO2 lasers — common thanks to the high power output ratio and high energy efficiency.
Nd lasers — like CO2 lasers they have high energy, but their repetition efficiency is low, so their usefulness is limited to certain cases.
Nd:Yag lasers — meant for cutting thicker materials, but owing to their higher power, they are more costly to use.
Industries that use Laser Cutting
One of the first adopters of the laser cutting processes is the automotive industry, which still advances the technology today. Other industries that use laser cutters are aerospace and defense, robotics, industrial automation, semiconductors, microelectronics, medical industry, electronics, and robotics.
Metal Finishing, Fabrication & CNC Machining
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