How to maximize the quality of laser cutting (2)

Influence of laser output power on cutting quality

For lasers with continuous wave output, the laser power and mode are both important for cutting. In actual operation, the maximum power is often set to obtain a higher cutting speed, or to cut thicker materials. However, the beam mode (the distribution of beam energy in the cross-section) is sometimes more important, and when the output power is increased, the mode often deteriorates slightly. It can often be found that at the focal point under the maximum power condition, the highest power density is obtained and the best cutting quality is obtained. The mode is not consistent during the entire effective working life of the laser. The condition of the optical components, the subtle changes in the laser working gas mixture and the flow fluctuations will affect the mode mechanism.

In summary, although the factors affecting laser cutting are more complex, the cutting speed, focal position, auxiliary gas pressure, laser power, and mode structure are the four most important variables. During the cutting process, if it is found that the cutting quality is significantly deteriorated, the factors discussed above should be checked first and adjusted in time.