Water-abrasive cutting VS metal laser cutting

There are many ways to cut metal, and today we want to talk about the water-abrasive processing method, and why they cannot completely replace the use of a laser.

Water-abrasive cutting, from an environmental point of view, is the best method for processing materials. The water for work can be reused, abrasive particles do not pollute the environment, and no harmful fumes are formed during processing.

The water cutter can be used for 3D processing of workpieces. In addition, the material in the places of the cut does not undergo thermal deformation, and therefore its structure does not change. However, given that the water jet is supplied at a speed of 760 m / s, it becomes quite problematic to process small or thin parts with this method. That is why the optimal workpiece thickness for water-abrasive cutting is 10-50 mm.

Although the laser is practically beyond the power of 3D processing of materials, it can be used for engraving. This method is better suited for processing thin workpieces (from 3 mm), as well as where the thickness of the cut (0.15 mm) and its positioning accuracy (from 0.05 mm) are important. Under the influence of the laser beam, the metal in the cut zone melts, engages, evaporates and is carried away by the gas jet. And all this happens in an area with a diameter of several tenths or even hundredths of a millimeter.

It is hard to believe, but during laser cutting, the heat affected zone on the metal remains minimal. In addition, the absence of mechanical stress minimizes the deformation of the material, so we process workpieces with a thickness of 0.5 mm.

You can order metal laser cutting on our website, by phone +38 (067) 233-57-93 or by writing a letter to metalworking@tiso.ua.