It’s hard to believe that a beam of light can cut through thick wood or even a bar of steel. Here are five more amazing facts you probably didn’t know about laser cutters.
1. Laser Cutting is More Than 50 Years Old
Most people think laser cutting is a brand new technology. However, the first laser cutting machine was built in the 1950s. It wasn’t until the 1970s that laser cutting became a common manufacturing process, spurred by the development of computing technology.
2. There Are More Than 25,000 Applications for High-Power Laser Cutting
Today’s laser cutters can cut a wide variety of materials, including paper, wood, fabrics, acrylic, and various other plastics. The most common manufacturing laser, the CO² laser, excels at cutting low-alloy and non-allowed steels; stainless steel; titanium and its alloys; nickel; and aluminum.
3. A Laser’s Intensity Determines the Thickness it Can Cut
Lasers are usually measured in terms of power, or the total energy emitted in the form of laser light per second (in Watts). In the past, the laser’s strength was measured in gillettes, or the number of razor blades that the beam could cut through. Today, the strongest laser beam can cut through a hydrogen bomb.
4. Laser Cutting Has Tons of Advantages
Laser cutting may be more expensive than other forms of cutting, but it also has many unique advantages. It’s a non-contact process, so there is minimal damage caused to the material you are working with. It has low maintenance costs, and only needs inexpensive replacement parts. And it is much safer using than other processes, as the beam is enclosed within a light box. Finally, laser cutting is known for being accurate. It can measure the accuracy up to a billionth of a meter.
If you are shopping for new or used laser cutting machines, or other types of used machinery, AMSI can help. Give us a call today to explore our inventory of laser cutters, 3D printers, and other manufacturing machines.
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