Lasers have been used in a wide range of industrial settings since around the middle of the 20th century. Laser processing technology has developed a great deal in many different industrial applications since then. Now, it is used for more industrial processes than ever before. There are a number of different technologies that can be used for laser cutting, including laser vaporisation and laser melting, to name but two. What are some of the most common applications for laser cutting in Australia these days?
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Metal Cutting
In many cases, lasers are used to cut sections of metal into similarly sized pieces. Sheet sections of steel are a typical example of this sort of work. When manufacturing businesses and fabricators require a large number of components to be cut from a single section of steel, it is very common for laser cutting machines to be deployed since they will operate extremely quickly and with a high degree of accuracy. It is often preferable to using saws or punch dies to cut out sections of metals due to this level of precision. These days, computer-controlled laser cutters are able to maximise the amount of metal that is formed into these sections, thereby helping to minimise wastage.
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Laser Etching
As well as cutting all the way through a workpiece, it is possible to remove just a few layers from it with a laser. This is akin to scratching the surface of a workpiece. As such, this form of laser cutting is often referred to as laser engraving or etching. What's more, you can see this used in all sorts of industries these days. Sometimes, it is a process that is used to finish a workplace in a particular way, perhaps with a pattern. There again, it can be used to add serial numbers or other forms of identification markings that are indelible.
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Processing a Variety of Materials
As well as its widespread use as a means of cutting through metal, modern laser cutters can deal with a much wider range of materials. For instance, it is now used in the textile industry to cut sections of cloth in a highly repetitive manner. This makes it ideal for mass production factories that make consumer clothing, for example. However, it can also be used to cut a wide range of plastics as well. As such, it can be found as a process that is exploited in the toy-making industry as well as forming components for car production. When very thin sections of material need to be produced, the high precision control systems of laser cutters are also often to be found, for example, to form laminates for the furniture-making industry.