Have you ever thought about how steels are fabricated into desired shapes? Many MS steel suppliers in Chennai use different cutting methods to process and produce the steel. One of the popular fabricating methods used by steel manufacturers is laser cutting. Laser cutting uses radiation with high frequency that vaporizes, burns, or melts away the targeted material giving high-quality cutting edge and greater surface finish. Steel manufacturers control the laser beam through computer numerical control (CNC) and laser optics. Three types of lasers are used in steel fabrication, and they are CO2 laser, neodymium (Nd) laser, and neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers.
However, these lasers are used for different purposes. The CO2 laser is used for steel cutting and engraving. While the neodymium (Nd) laser is used for boring the metal with high energy. The neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers are used for engraving and boring the steel with high power or watts. Thus, the type of lasers differs as per the needs and purpose. Hence, in this post, let us see why many manufacturers choose laser cutting for steel.
Speed:
The foremost reason why steel manufacturers use laser cutting to fabricate steel is because of their high speed. The basic concept behind laser cutting is the higher the thickness, the slower the cutting speed. So, you can say the cutting speed is directly proportional to the laser machine’s efficiency. Hence, here is a chart that says, how efficiently you can control the laser beam for different steel.
Material |
Power/Watts |
Cutting speed |
||
Carbon steel |
500W |
1000W |
13m/min |
24m/min |
Aluminium plate |
500W |
1000W |
5.5m/min |
10m/min |
Copper plate |
500W |
1000W |
5.5m/min |
10m/min |
Stainless steel |
500W |
1000W |
14m/min |
24m/min |
Similarly, the cutting speed for an MS chequered plate for 1.5kW is 10m/min. The other cutting methods, like, flame or plasma cutting can consume more time. Thus, laser cutting is ideal for complex cuts.
Automation:
Secondly, laser cutting is fully automated because of the advanced technology. The other cutting methods like drilling, grinding, or burning requires human intervention to operate the process effectively. However, in laser cutting, the laser machine is fully automated by CNC and CAD/CAM programs with the necessary instruction to operate smoothly. Thus, consistency, precision, and speed are maintained throughout the process. However, you might need a rebar cutter and labor to fabricate rebars like SAIL TMT bar and steel tubes.
Reduces energy:
Thirdly, it reduces the energy significantly. The cutting speed and efficiency of the beam allow the machine to use less energy compared to other cutting methods. Generally, the laser machine consumes 10kW of energy for one cutting session. But the other cutting method consumes energy of 50kW for the same material. Thus, laser cutting is one of the energy-efficient solutions to achieve the best results.
Thus, it shows that laser cutting is the best solution for fabricating your steel as per your desire. You can approach Bharat Steel – the excellent JSW steel dealers in Chennai for quality steel products with perfect cuts.