What are the factors that affect the cutting quality in sheet metal processing?

In the process of sheet metal processing, several important factors that affect the cutting quality are:

1 First, the alloy composition

Alloy composition affects the strength, specific gravity, weldability, oxidation resistance and acidity of the material to some extent. Some of the important elements in ferroalloy materials are carbon, chromium, nickel, magnesium and zinc.

The higher the carbon content, the harder the material is to cut (the threshold is considered to be 0.8% carbon). Laser cutting of the following types of carbon steel is excellent: ST37-2, STW 22, DIN 1.203.

 2. The basic microstructure of the material

In general, the finer the particles that make up the material, the better the quality of the cutting edge.

 3. Surface quality and roughness

If there are rusted areas or oxide layers on the surface, the cutting profile is irregular, and many damage points will appear; to cut corrugated sheets, select the maximum thickness cutting parameter.

 4. Surface treatment

 The most common finishes include galvanizing, painting, anodizing or covering with a layered plastic film. The edge of the steel plate treated with zinc is prone to slag. For painted panels, cut quality depends on the composition of the coated product.

Sheets with layered material coatings are ideal for laser cutting. In order for the capacitive detection to work trouble-free and to obtain z-excellent adhesion of the layered coating (avoiding air bubbles), the layered edge must always be located on the upper part of the workpiece being cut.

 5. Beam reflection

How the beam is reflected to the workpiece surface depends on the base material, surface roughness and processing method. Some aluminum alloys, copper, brass, and stainless steel sheets have high reflectivity. When cutting these materials, special attention is paid to adjusting the focus position.

 6. Thermal conductivity

Materials with low thermal conductivity require less power than materials with high thermal conductivity when soldering. For example, for chrome-nickel alloy steel, the power required is less than that of structural steel, and the processing produces less heat. For example, copper, aluminum, and brass lose most of the heat generated by absorbing laser light when welded. The material in the heat-affected zone is more difficult to melt due to the transfer of heat away from the target point of the beam.

7. Heat affected zone

Laser flame cutting and laser fusion cutting will cause material changes in the edge areas of the cut material. Table 1 lists some reference values for the relationship between the extent of the heat affected zone and the thickness of the base material.

The above are several important factors that affect the quality of sheet metal cutting. As long as these aspects are done well, it is easy to do sheet metal processing.