The educators we work with use laser cutters to cut or etch on a wide variety of materials – like plastics, thin films, paper, wood, metals, adhesives, glass, foams, and fabrics, among others – and for a variety of applications.
How you plan to use your laser system has a lot to do with making sure your system has the proper configuration to meet your material requirements. Here are a few things to consider.
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Types of Materials
What types of materials will you be using now and in the future?
The effects produced by laser energy interacting with a material strongly depend upon the wavelength and power level of the laser and the absorption characteristics of a material.
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Wavelengths for laser material processing are 10.6 and 9.3 micron produced by CO2 lasers and 1.06 micron produced by fiber lasers. A range of power levels is available for each laser type to optimize the laser energy-material interaction. However, the absorption characteristics of a material and the desired results greatly influence the selection of the laser type and power level.
Ultimately, knowing what materials you want to laser process will help you select the best wavelength(s) for your laser system – 10.6 (CO2), 9.3 (CO2), 1.06 (Fiber) or combination of wavelengths and power level.
Universal Laser Systems has a great Materials Library where you can explore the properties of a range of materials. Give it a try!
Material Shape and Size
What are the dimensions of the materials you plan to use?
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The laser system you select should have a laser processing area that will accommodate the dimensions of your materials.
If using raw material, most materials will come in sheets or rolls. Material sheets and rolls in many cases can be cut to a size that fits within a laser system.
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If you are looking to laser process 3-dimensional objects that are spherical, cylindrical, square, or oddly-shaped – like a school trophy – you’ll need to to determine the Z-axis depth or additional components (rotary fixture, Pass-through with Class 4 Conversion Module, camera registration, etc.) your system will need to accommodate these objects.
Material Processes
Which laser processes do I plan to use on each material?
Each laser process, such as laser cutting, laser ablation, laser surface modification, etc., is optimized by precisely controlling the wavelength, power, duty cycle, and pulse spacing of the laser beam.
Understanding what you want to accomplish with your materials will not only determine the power level and wavelength you’ll need, it will also help determine the components you may need to achieve the best result with laser processing (i.e. type of lens), properly support the material (i.e., cutting table, pin table, rotary fixture), or minimize surface contamination of dust and debris or byproducts during laser processing (i.e. gas assist, air filtration).
Some educators may know all of the ways they plan to use their laser system in the classroom. Others may have an idea but also want to select a laser system that offers the broadest system configuration flexibility to adapt to their material needs now and in the future.
