In the sheet metal industry, an important process is metal cutting. Traditional processing methods include flame cutting and plasma cutting, but since the popularity of laser cutting machines, more and more sheet metal manufacturers choose laser cutting machines. What are the advantages of laser cutting machines over flame cutting and plasma cutting?

Flame cutting is the original traditional cutting method. Because of its low investment, it did not require high processing quality in the past. If the requirements are too high, it can be solved by adding a machining process, and the market is very large. Now it is mainly used to cut thick steel plates over 40mm. Its disadvantages are too large thermal deformation during cutting, too wide cutting slit, waste of materials, slow processing speed, and only suitable for rough processing.

Plasma cutting and fine plasma cutting are similar to flame cutting. The heat affected area is large, but the accuracy is much higher than flame cutting, and the speed is also improved to a certain extent. It has become the main force of medium plate processing. The actual cutting accuracy of the domestic top-level CNC fine plasma cutting machine has reached the lower limit of laser cutting. When cutting 22mm carbon steel plate, it has reached the speed of more than 2 meters per minute, and the cutting end face is smooth and flat. The best slope can be controlled within 1.5 degrees. The disadvantage is that the thermal deformation is too large when cutting thin steel plate, the slope is also large, and the consumables are relatively expensive.

Laser cutting machine is a technological revolution in sheet metal processing and a "processing center" in sheet metal processing. Laser cutting has high flexibility, high cutting speed, high production efficiency and short production cycle, which has won a wide market for customers. Laser cutting has no cutting force, no deformation, no tool wear, and good material adaptability. Whether it is simple or complex parts, it can be precisely and rapidly formed; The cutting seam is narrow, the cutting quality is good, the degree of automation is high, the operation is simple, the labor intensity is low, and there is no pollution; It can realize automatic cutting layout and nesting, improve material utilization rate, low production cost and good economic benefit. The effective life of this technology is long. At present, most of the plates with more than 2 mm are cut by laser in foreign countries. Many experts believe that the next 30-40 years will be a golden period for the development of laser processing technology.

Let's take the data of Huagong laser cutting machine compared with common equipment as an example to see the process comparison of the two types of equipment in the steel structure plant.

1、 Efficiency:

Traditional process (flame and plasma cutting machine):

1. Cutting and blanking: straight strip and small parts are separated;

2. Leftover materials: cutting by plate shears is time-consuming and labor-consuming, with low efficiency;

3. Drilling: radial drilling machine and CNC drilling process, time-consuming and labor-consuming;

4. Groove cutting: manual use of small tortoise for groove cutting is time-consuming and labor-consuming.

Existing process (laser cutting machine):

Laser cutting, matching typesetting of large and small parts, internal control and shape, and one-time processing and forming of groove, saving time and cost of many process turnover, saving people and time. (efficiency increased by 50% ~ 80%)

2、 During processing:

Traditional process (flame and plasma cutting machine):

1. Drawing No.: filled in manually, which may cause loss due to potential filling errors;

2. Positioning marking: riveter marking, low efficiency and high cost;

3. Deformation of parts: the parts are subject to large thermal deformation, and the straightening cost is high;

4. Dimensional accuracy: the cutting error is more than 2mm, resulting in a huge amount of work for riveting and welding;

5. Cutting loss: the cutting gap is more than 5mm, which becomes cutting slag, with low value; the drilling waste is drilling debris, with low value;

6. Material utilization rate: the single cutting mode of straight bar or small piece causes a large amount of surplus materials and low utilization rate. Large deformation of surplus materials and low secondary utilization rate;

Existing process (laser cutting machine):

1. Drawing No.: CNC module marking, accurate and efficient; (accuracy 100%)

2. Positioning marking: laser marking function realizes accurate positioning and marking; (comparison result: labor saving 60%)

3. Deformation of parts: the laser slit is narrow and the deformation is slight; (labor saving 60%)

4. Dimensional accuracy: the accuracy reaches 0.2mm, reducing the error of subsequent riveting and welding links, and increasing the daily output; (labor saving 40%)

5. Cutting loss: the cutting loss is within 1mm, which saves materials. The inner hole is cut off as a whole grain of waste, with high value; (90% loss saving)

6. Material utilization rate: the large and small pieces are arranged in one piece, and the cutting at the same side saves materials and labor. The extra leftover materials can be nested with standard parts such as lifting lugs, arc plates and rib plates. (material utilization rate increased by more than 3%)

3、 Cost and others:

Traditional process (flame and plasma cutting machine):

1. Floor area: the blanking area of the unit production line covers an area of about 2500 square meters;

2. Personnel stability: complicated operation, cutting quality depends on manual experience;

3. Software intelligence: general software with single function;

4. Process flow: cutting plate cutting groove, drilling and marking - 5 processes.

5. Personnel cost: more than 10 people are required for one team of multiple processes;

6. Smoke pollution: the smoke is huge and uncontrollable.

Existing process (laser cutting machine):

1. Floor area: the floor area of a single machine is the same as that of a flame, but the output can replace the output of 3-5 flame cutters; (floor area reduced by 60%)

2. Personnel stability: standard process library, stable cutting quality. Simple operation and small personnel mobility; (lower loss rate)

3. Intelligent software: it is equipped with special software to support Tekla model to convert drawings including numbers, markings, grooves and holes, and directly export cutting programs; (more intelligent)

4. Process flow: five processes are formed in one time; (time consumption reduced by 80%)

5. Personnel cost: there are 4 people in a team, and the output is increased by 5 times; (60% reduction in personnel cost)

6. Dust pollution: filter cartridge type dust extraction, basically no dust on site. (Environmental degree increased by 100%)

About HGTECH: HGTECH is the pioneer and leader of laser industrial application in China, and the authoritative provider of global laser processing solutions. We have comprehensively arranged laser intelligent equipment, measurement and automation production lines, and smart factory construction to provide overall solutions for intelligent manufacturing.