When you need to cut through pieces of metal, plastic, or wood with precision, there are different techniques that you can use to slice through these materials. The more common methods include either waterjet cutting or laser cutting.
Laser cutting uses a high-powered laser. The laser reflects off optics which guide and heat the laser up. Finding out about the advantages and disadvantages of laser cutting can assist you in finding out whether this technique is the ideal method to make precise and small cuts on the material you plan to work with, or when an option like waterjet cutting may work better.
The Disadvantages Of Laser Cutting
- Laser Cutting Is Not The Best Choice When Working With Mixed Materials
Certain items that you might want to cut contain a mixture of materials. For instance, you might have a product that has metal on one side and wood or plastic on the other side. Or the item may be made up of a sandwich of materials that contain wood, plastic, and metal. Lasers are not great to cut through a mixture of materials. The laser is usually not hot enough in order to cut through certain materials and maybe too hot when it comes to others. When it comes to mixed materials a better option would be waterjet cutting.
- Laser Cutting Produces Dust And Smoke
Another drawback associated with laser cutting has to do with the dust and smoke produced by this method of cutting. This can cause the area that you are working in to become dusty and smoky making it hard to breathe in a confined space.
The Advantages Of Laser Cutting
- Laser Cutting Can Produce Precision Cuts
Perhaps the main advantage linked to laser cutting is its ability to make precise and tiny cuts. When trying to cut through a small item, the cuts should be accurate and precise. This is often a challenging task with other types of cutting techniques, but very easy when you use laser cutting.
- Laser Cutting Works Well On Various Types Of Solid Materials
Another advantage linked to laser cutting is that these lasers are able to easily cut through different solid materials. Some of the other cutting techniques only work well on either 1 or 2 material types. If you plan to cut through several different types of solid materials, you may need to invest in different machines or devices to perform different types of cutting methods. On the other hand, a laser cutter can save you money and time with its ability to cut through different materials.