Lasers are now used to cut into and puncture a variety of industrial materials. Each type of laser cutting is geared toward the type of material being fabricated. It ensures that the material remains intact and viable to be used after it is laser cut. These methods are among the most commonly used in laser cutting today.
Vaporization
Vaporization cutting, as its name implies, evaporates surface areas on the materials that are being fabricated. It is most commonly used on materials like wood, thermoset plastics, and carbon.
During this type of cutting, the fabricator focuses the laser on a specific area of the material to create what is called a keyhole. The creation of the keyhole makes the surface of the material softer and more pliable so that a deeper keyhole can be created. It allows for punctures to be made that are deep, even in appearance and finished around the edges.
Thermal Stress Cracking
Thermal stress cracking is a type of laser cutting that is most often used on glass. Glass is a brittle material that is susceptible to cracking while being fabricated. With thermal stress cracking, the glass is allowed to crack, albeit under controlled circumstances, and the laser guides the crack in the desired direction and to the desired depth. To create the crack, the fabricator localizes the laser onto the surface of the material until the glass cracks.
Melt and Blow
Melt and blow laser cutting is most often used on metals. It involves using high-pressure gas to blow molten material over the metals' surfaces, making the surfaces more pliable and easier to fabricate. The blown molten material also raises the internal pressure of the metal being worked on so that is easier to cut.
Reactive Cutting
Reactive cutting is akin to oxygen torch welding with the exception of the laser being used as an igniting source. It is most often used to cut into carbon steel. It allows fabricators to cut into thick pieces of steel with very little effort.
These examples are a few of the methods used in laser cutting today. Each one is catered to a specific material. They also give the fabricator working on the material a significant amount of control to puncture, crack, or cut into thick and tough materials. They utilize lasers as a heat source to make the materials' surfaces softer and easier to work with during fabrication.
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