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Comparison of Working Principles
Ever wondered how a plasma cutter works? It usually uses oxygen or nitrogen as the working gas, and also uses the high-temperature heat of the plasma arc to locally melt and evaporate the metal at the workpiece kerf, while the high-speed momentum of the plasma is used to exclude the melted metal and form a notch.
So how does a laser cutter work? It is the use of laser generated by the laser beam through a series of mirrors for transmission, and finally by the focusing lens irradiation to the surface of the workpiece, in the focal point of the local high temperature, so that the workpiece instantly heated and melted or vaporized, while the use of auxiliary gases to blow away the slag at the notch, to achieve the purpose of cutting.
Application Comparison
The laser cutting machine has a wide range of applications, both metallic and non-metallic, it can cut non-metallic items such as wood, fabrics, leather, as well as foam and paper with the CO2 laser cutting machine and metal with the fiber laser cutting machine. Small deformation of the plate. Plasma cutting machine can be used to cut a variety of metal materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, carbon steel, brass, gold and silver. Plasma cutting thermal effect is obvious, low precision, the cutting surface is not easy to secondary processing.
Cutting thickness comparison
The thickness of laser cut carbon steel for industrial applications is generally under 20 mm. Cutting capacity is generally below 40mm. The industrial application of stainless steel is generally below 16mm, and the cutting capacity is generally below 25mm. Moreover, as the thickness of the workpiece increases, the cutting speed decreases significantly. The thickness of plasma cut metal is 0-120mm, the best quality plasma system cutting thickness range is around 20mm, the most cost-effective.
Comparison of Cutting Accuracy
Laser cutting slit is narrow, both sides of the slit are parallel and perpendicular to the surface, and the dimensional accuracy of the cut parts can reach ±0.2mm, while plasma can reach within 1mm.
Cutting Speed Comparison
The cutting speed of a 2mm thick mild steel plate can reach 600cm/min with a 1000W laser, and the cutting speed of a 5mm thick polypropylene resin plate can reach 1200cm/min. Plasma cutting is slower and less accurate, more suitable for thicker plates but with a beveled end face.
Comparison of cut widths
Compared to plasma cutting, laser cutting is more accurate. The slit is also smaller, about 0.5 mm. Plasma cutting has a larger slit than laser cutting, about 1-2 mm.
Comparison of Cutting Quality
The roughness of the workpiece is better with laser cutting than with plasma cutting. The thinner the material, the more pronounced the roughness.
Comparison of Advantages and Disadvantages
Laser Cutting Machines
Pros
- Small laser cutting grooves: the laser cut surface can be used directly for welding without grinding.
- Fast laser cutting speeds: plate cutting speeds of up to 10 m/min are much higher than plasma cutting speeds.
- High cutting quality: small distortions, low surface roughness values, oblique slicing.
- High accuracy: laser cutting machines have an accuracy of up to 0.05mm and a repeatable positioning accuracy of up to 0.02mm.
- Laser cutting materials: metal, wood, plastic, rubber, PVC, leather, textiles, organic glass and other materials, widely used.
Disadvantages
Laser cutting is expensive, with high initial investment and maintenance costs. Currently, laser cutting of thin plates is more cost-effective, but when thin plates are cut less efficiently, laser cutting may not be appropriate unless quality requirements are high.
Plasma Cutting Machine
Advantages
Higher cutting speeds can be achieved during thick plate cutting, higher than laser and flame cutting. Less expensive than laser equipment and lower maintenance costs than laser cutters.
Disadvantages
- Poor perpendicularity of the cutting surface: Poor perpendicularity results in a large bevel on one side of the cutting surface.
- During the cutting process, more slag is produced on the surface. The slag must be polished after cutting as it does not affect the quality of the process, which also increases labor costs.
- Generation of harmful gases and arc: The principle of plasma cutting determines that harmful dust and arc will be generated during the cutting process. However, there are ways to avoid the defects of underwater plasma cutting.
- The consumption of tools in the later stage will be higher. Cutting nozzles mainly rely on imports and are relatively costly.
The choice between plasma and laser cutting ultimately depends on factors such as material thickness, required accuracy, budgetary constraints and specific application requirements.
Both technologies continue to evolve, offering increasingly advanced capabilities and expanding the range of applications in a variety of industries. Whether for large-scale industrial manufacturing or precision cutting of complex designs, plasma and laser cutting remain indispensable tools in modern metalworking.