Laser cutting and plasma cutting play a very important role in the development of manufacturing, actively promoting the improvement of industry processes. So, when cutting materials, which cutting method should be chosen? Let's take a look at the differences between the two.
I. The difference in principle between laser cutting and plasma Cutting
Laser cutting is a process that uses an amplified laser beam to cut materials. It employs optical devices to focus the laser onto a small point and achieves cutting by melting or vaporizing the local area of the workpiece at high temperatures.
Plasma cutting is achieved by emitting superheated ionized gas, namely plasma, at high speed, and then forming an electric arc within the gas. With the high-temperature and high-speed plasma arc as the heat source, it partially melts and vaporizes the conductive metal workpiece, and at the same time, the molten metal is blown away by a high-speed gas flow to achieve cutting.
Therefore, plasma cutting and laser cutting are different in principle. Plasma cutting uses plasma, while laser cutting uses amplified laser.
Ii. Applications of Laser Cutting and Plasma Cutting
Ion cutting machines are suitable for cutting, punching holes and chamfering various metal materials. They are mainly used for cutting medium-thickness metal plates and are widely applied in industries such as automobiles, pressure vessels, nuclear industry, construction machinery and ships.
Laser cutting has a wider range of applications than plasma cutting. Besides cutting various metal materials, it can also cut non-metallic materials such as wood, acrylic, ceramics, glass, rubber, and textiles. However, laser cutting is not suitable for long-term cutting of highly reflective materials like aluminum and copper, and is more suitable for cutting medium and thin plates, but with higher precision. It is widely applied in industries such as automotive manufacturing, aerospace, power and petroleum equipment manufacturing, decoration, advertising, lighting, and sheet metal processing.
Iii. Advantages and Disadvantages of Laser Cutting and Plasma Cutting
Plasma cutting is a low-cost cutting method with fast cutting speed, small heat-affected area, and it is not limited by the reflective properties of materials, allowing for the cutting of highly reflective metal materials. However, the plasma cutting groove is relatively large, the cutting surface is not smooth enough, the cutting accuracy is low, the verticality of the cutting surface is poor, and there are more chips. It may also have disadvantages such as harmful gases and arc light.
Laser cutting has the advantages of non-contact, no damage to the material surface, high cutting quality, smooth cutting surface and edge, no need for post-treatment, and a wide range of cutting materials. However, the laser cutting speed will decrease as the material thickness increases, and the cutting cost is also relatively high.
The above is the difference between laser cutting and plasma cutting. Both are very effective cutting methods. When cutting, the cutting method can be selected according to the type of material