Punch Press or Laser? Choices for Cutting Metal

Metal workers are tasked with manufacturing high quality, marketable products for their clients. Metal fabrication often starts with sheet metal materials that need to be cut and formed into usable metal parts that get moved along the supply chain to a point of final assembly. In metal working, there are different options for cutting, forming, coining, piercing, punching and bending the metal into the finished product your company needs. Several methods involve what is called a punch press, and another one entails the use of a high-powered industrial laser. Each uses a different process, achieves different end results and holds distinct advantages.

The Punch Press

Punch presses operate by first developing cutting dies, forming dies or progressive die sets. The die is the tool within the press used to cut and or form the metal, and a progressive die set is used in machines where coils of sheet metal material pass through several stations within a die set in one pass. Punching is a form of metal stamping, which is when a die is used to cut metal blanks with the aid of a die and a power press. The punch press is about speed and high-scale production, and is characterized by a number of features:

• Force or power used to cut the metal

• The tooling die and complexity of the die

• Size of working area on the metal blank

• Frame type

Progressive long run stamping, another fast and cost-effective method, uses a power punch press. The material (in coil form rather than pre-cut sheets) involves multiple cutting and forming stages through a single machine before the desired result is achieved. Precision metal stamping is a bit different; this process converts flat sheet metal into different commissioned shapes maintaining very tight tolerances.

Laser Cutting

A slightly more modern technique, industrial laser cutting services is about precision. A beam of heat energy sears into the metal and melts the excess away. This energy is often operated by CNC (computer numerical control). There are some particular projects for which laser cutting is best to use:

• Tight intricate cuts

• Multiple metal blanks all cut from the same plate of metal

• Short run projects where tooling costs need to be avoided

There are many benefits to sheet metal laser cutting. For instance, laser cutting pre-painted metal without scarring the paint is possible with certain fiber lasers. There is also less chance of contaminating the material than with the cutting edge used in mechanical cutting.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Overall, both punch press cutting and laser cutting have certain advantages and disadvantages in the industry. Each are an asset to the task of metalworkers and their field, but in different ways. For more information, seek out a professional quote today.

Cut Complex Geometries With Speed and Precision Using Fiber Laser Cutting

Precision is essential when cutting thin metal used in medical instruments, industrial equipment and parts for the electronics industry.The quality of the cut can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the part, and negative consequences if tolerances are not adhered too. As a result, metal fabrication companies place quality and precision as a top priority, but also need to consider other factors to ensure their business thrives. A fiber laser cutting machine can produce high precision of metal cutting for some very complex shapes while contributing to business goals of cost reduction and improved lead times.

3 Dimensional Cutting

One of the most significant ways laser technology stands out among metal fabrication methods is its ability to work in three dimensions if necessary.A custom laser cutting machine using solid state processing can can cut intricate shapes in one pass with amazing precision, which is often an impossible feat for wire electric discharge machining(EMD), the next leading method. To create a three-dimensional shape using wire EMD requires additional equipment and software, which means higher costs and longer processing times. A CNC turning mill utilizes a 3-5-axis motion package, allowing it to cut in two or three dimensions with specialized cutting tools. A solid state fiber laser cutting service uses a beam of light, no investment in specialty cutting tools.

Speed

When it comes to speed, nothing compares to a fiber laser cutting service cranked up for speed.We have done over 7 different metal parts from one sheet of 108 inch metal. The computer onboard arranges the shapes to make the most economical use of the metal sheet, minimizing waste.  Other fabrication methods require several passes to achieve the same level of precision and take much longer to complete the 7 different parts.

Laser technology also includes the option to utilize fusion cutting, which introduces gas to the cutting zone during the process. When oxygen is added, the speed can increase up to 50% without detrimental effects on the quality.

Accuracy and Quality

Metal fabrication with lasers can provide the cleanest edges of any method. The intense focus of the laser also allows for incredible precision. Laser technology can create products that have:

• Exit sides with minimal dross/burr
• ±0.001 in. dimensional accuracy
• Less than 0.002 in. cut width
• Less than 0.3 µm “as cut” roughness

Fusion cutting can also be used to increase the quality by using nitrogen instead of oxygen. Although this is a slower process, the mobility and power of a laser ensures that fusion cutting with nitrogen is still a quicker process than a turret punch press for example.

A laser cutting service proficient operating their equipment can produce high quality metal blanks while ensuring a quick turnaround. Metal fabrication with lasers is transforming the way metal fabrication companies in Philadelphia and meeting the demands of their clients. Custom laser cutting of metal is slowly replacing the way complex metal parts are made today. The additional option of fusion cutting with oxygen, nitrogen or argon as an assist gas can speed up production times but should be allowed specialized jobs due to controlling gas emissions.

Cutting Complex Metal Blanks Just Got Easier, Faster and More Affordable

There are thousands of products that are manufactured using metal parts cut the old fashion way. This article is focused on laser cutting technologies that are faster and a more affordable way of cutting metal parts. Almost all kinds of metals such as the mild steel, aluminum, and nickle alloys can be cut using the advanced laser technologies that are available.

Laser cutting achieves high precision cuts as well as improved production speed compared to punch presses and shears. Lasers are highly programmable and don’t require any tooling.

The laser cutting helps get more complex parts done with less waste.There are two primary types of laser technologies that are available for cutting complex parts, One is CO2 lasers and the other is solid state fiber laser cutting machines. One of the major benefits of fiber lasers is the minimized energy consumption compared to CO2 laser machines currently on the market.

Fiber Lasers

Fiber lasers tend to do a better job with thinner metal sheets. TruDisk solid-state lasers enable you to work quickly, particularly in thin sheet metal. This is possible because they emit abeam with a wavelength of approximately 1.03 µm, which is absorbed significantly more intensely than the wavelength of CO2 lasers: these lasers transfer more energy to the sheet metal, enabling cutting to be carried out more quickly.

CO2 Lasers

CO2 lasers are particularly effective for any applications that require especially smooth and high-quality cut edges. They are the right choice for cutting edges that will be visible and where smooth edges matter for the further processing of your part. CO2 lasers are an older type of laser technology, which means that in general, the price to acquire them has come down over time.  Yet, it’s a technology that has continued to evolve beautifully, even as prices fall. CO2 lasers, while not as fast as their fiber cousins, are extremely flexible and adaptable for use on the most common types of materials, such as aluminum and steel, and on a range of material thicknesses.

When investigating a laser cutting service for your next fabricated metal part, it would be wise to quote out a few companies that do metal fabrication with lasers and ask them about the quality of the cutting surface for the metal parts you are making. If you are just doing a laser cut for metal blanks that don’t require any forming, you may not be concerned with the type of machine. But if you are doing some custom laser cutting of more complex parts that need additional forming, then we recommend that a fiber laser cutting service get involved in the project. Not every metal fabrication shop in Philadelphia is created equal.

What Are the Advantages of Fiber Lasers?

It took CO2 lasers nearly twenty years to reach the 4kW cutting threshold. Fiber lasers have achieved this level of performance and much more in only five years. Laser cutting services and custom metal fabricators now use even more powerful fiber lasers for cutting sheet metal. Fiber lasers outperform CO2 lasers when it comes to making precise cuts on thin sheets of metal. Keep reading to find out about the many advantages of fiber lasers.

Compact and Powerful Configurations

Fiber lasers feature compact solid state design configurations with fiber-to-fiber capabilities, making these machines much more efficient and powerful than CO2 lasers. This type of laser really shines when it comes to cutting thin sheets of metal. The focal point of a fiber laser can achieve a power density that greatly exceeds that of the strongest industrial CO2 lasers. The shorter wavelength of fiber lasers allows for greater absorption, particularly when the sheets of metal being cut are quite thin, ideally no more than .160″ in thinkness for the best performance and results.

Cutting Thin Sheets

The higher absorption of the fiber laser wavelength and the power density of the focused beam can increase the functionality, precision, and speed of sheet metal laser cutting. This is particularly the case when the sheets being cut are thinner than 1/8″. As the majority of cutting applications involve thinner materials, fiber laser machines can make a substantial difference in the effectiveness and efficiency of cutting metal blanks for most manufacturers.

Low Cost of Operation and Maintenance

CO2 lasers remain more common than fiber lasers, but these machines are neither as economical nor efficient. The major benefits of fiber lasers include the fact that they are cheaper to operate and easier to maintain than CO2 lasers. Fiber lasers require less in maintenance costs, require less power to operate and produce cleaner cuts faster. Metal fabricators should check the optics as well as the steel belt and the straightness and verticality of the track. Regardless of which type of laser is used, it is a good idea to regularly clear dust and dirt and clean and lubricate the guide rails and motors of a cutting machine.

Custom metal fabricators interested in improving the effectiveness of their laser cutting services may be interested in sheet metal laser cutting with fiber lasers, especially on metal sheets that are thin. Ask metal fabrication vendors about their machines and methods and make sure you end up with the best cut.