While laser cutters can provide very precise cuts, they are a piece of machinery that is so high-tech and sophisticated. It also means any errors made in its operation can lead to irreversible mistakes during laser cutting services in Toronto. Just like in any situation of starting with a new process, performing laser cutting can also be quite challenging. CNC laser machines are a workhorse in most fabrication and machining shops, working so hard to create the desired cuts on sheet metal and other materials. Despite the precision and accuracy they offer, there are still some common mistakes that must be avoided when using laser cutters.
One common error is missing the kerf width or tool resolution. This is because of the wrong assumption that those are narrow cut lines which are not. While laser cutters produce narrow cuts compared to other cutting technologies, ranging from around 30 microns-300 microns, it’s still very important to take kerf width into account. And depending on the specific process, optical setup and laser power used during laser cutting services in Toronto, these factors have to be considered in designing the cut.
The other common mistake has something to do with tabbing or cutting very small parts using micro-joints. Since laser cutters utilise high-pressure gas, thin and tiny parts need to be supported to resist the force of the gas stream. This can be in the form of keeping small sections remain uncut. This may not be necessary in the case of cutting thicker and larger materials with more than 3mm width. The support is critical for micro-joints that have very tiny width of 0.4mm or less. Otherwise, they can break during post-processing and are needed to connect the parts to the frame so that they won’t fly when laser cutting services in Toronto are done.