Common Laser Cutting Mistakes To Avoid

Laser cutting has certainly made the work of cutting metals tremendously easy. But it doesn’t come without its own set of rules and guidelines which one needs to follow to ensure the works is done as per the requirements. Even the slightest of mistakes can affect the proficiency of your work and hinder optimum utilization of your machine.

One of the biggest mistakes is not to go for quality laser cutting machines and not keeping the machine parts in top working condition. You should use laser machines from a good brand and also ensure that all the Mitsubishi laser consumables are also in proper working condition.
 
In this article, we have listed some of the common laser cutting mistakes which you should avoid.

Not scaling your work piece

You should always scale your drawing before you set it up to be cut by the machine. The drawings help you to ensure that the dimensions of your work piece matches with the dimensions of your machine. The scaling depends on the kind of software you are using for the same.

Using invisible/less visible lines

Though most manufacturers know the metal needs to be marked, a few do not know that the machine doesn’t accept or detect light colors. Though the color is not particularly defined, it is recommended to use red lines because of their high visibility.

Using the wrong sources to increase cutting speed

Manufacturers often rely on high wattage to increase their metal cutting speed.  It should be known that other factors can also significantly affect the speed of your cutting. The efficiency of the optical system of your laser cutting machine also determines the speed of your work. By improving the way your laser cutter focuses on the beam, you can speed up your work without incurring extra electricity costs.  

Opting for a dedicated air supply system

Some laser cutting machines can work on ordinary air during operation. A compressor setup in the manufacturing unit/workspace supplies this air to the machine. Some manufacturers increase their costs by employing separate compressors for laser cutting. Instead of spending extra here, you can connect a supply hose to another compressor that supplies air to other operations in the workshop.

Removing the workpiece hastily

Workers often show carelessness while moving the material from the laser cutting machine. A slight ignorance can hit the head and cause damage to the machine or can knock the laser head out of alignment. These are small things but worth noticing to avoid damage to your machines.

Not Using Margins

Don’t forget to allow margins and boundaries for cutting areas of your metal work piece. Etching is to be placed in a separate layer. Following a standard layout like this makes your laser cutting more efficient.

Keeping the machine unattended/ Too many people loitering

Even though your work is automated, the cutter shouldn’t be unattended until the cutting process is complete. Other people shouldn’t loiter around the machine as it may cause serious safety hazards.  Workers or other people shouldn’t be allowed to take or keep food and drinks near the laser cutting machine.

Even though the above mentioned things are very minute, it can be reasons for bigger (and bad) things. So, these instructions should be passed on to everyone working in your manufacturing unit to maintain the efficiency of your work and keep everyone safe.