Air Compressors for Laser Cutting Machine
Nowadays metal processing industry is a relatively large industry, the laser cutting machine is widely used in this industry, as it needs compressed air during process, the air compressor is also a very important machine in the processing industry.
We should pay attention to the choice, improper compressor system may have a great impact on the cut products. Sometimes the required air volume fluctuates widely for the laser cutting machine. Therefore, a dedicated air compressor must be equipped.
Why is compressed air needed for a laser cutting machine?
Laser cutting is no stranger to everyone, after all, laser cutting in the laser processing industry applications accounted for more than 7% of the laser processing industry, laser cutting with precision manufacturing, flexible cutting, shaped processing, one-time molding, speed, efficiency and other advantages, to solve many conventional can not be solved problems, the laser can cut the majority of metal materials and non-metallic materials.
Laser cutting technology is under the action of the laser beam energy ( Laser cutting technology is under the action of the laser beam energy (oxygen-assisted cutting mechanism, but also with the addition of spray oxygen and reach the ignition point of the metal exothermic reaction of heat release), the material surface is rapidly (ms range) heated to thousands or even tens of thousands of degrees (℃) and melting or vapour, with the escape of the vapour and the molten object by the auxiliary high-pressure gas (oxygen or nitrogen and other inert gases) blowing away, the cut seam will be produced.
If you want to improve the processing efficiency of the laser cutting machine, add auxiliary gases, such as air, oxygen, nitrogen and other auxiliary gases when processing. The cost of compressed air is the lowest among all the auxiliary gases, so it has become the first choice of most customers.
In order to enhance the cutting effect, auxiliary equipment for laser cutting air compressor is a must have, how to choose a suitable air compressor for laser cutting machine?
Let’s take a look at the laser cutting air quality requirements:
Standards are as follows: dew point temperature ≤ -40 ℃, oil residue ≤ 0.003mg/m³, solid particles ≤ 0.01μm. To meet this requirement, the design of the compressed air purification system needs to ensure that the quality of compressed air in line with the international standard ISO8573-1 (GB/T13277-91) of the 1-2-1 level of quality requirements, if the air contains too much moisture, the harm is very great.
Is very big, not only will affect the operating efficiency of the air equipment, but also affect the cutting quality, serious burned laser head. This requires compressed air purification, including filtration and drying.
According to some data feedback common screw air compressor often have the following problems:
1. Small brand screw air compressor oil separation effect is poor, generally in the 3-10ppm, compressed air with high oil content.
2. The pressure is lower, the pressure drop is larger after using for a period of time.
3. The oil filter / oil material is general, oil filter / oil is not durable, easy to break through.
4. The oil used in the use of 46 ordinary mineral oil, easy to accumulate carbon.
5. Air quality has water, oil, laser head lens fog, a little attention will burn the laser head.
Advantages of Laser Cutting Machine
1. High-speed cutting with clean and burr-free edges.
2. Narrow kerf and minimal deformation of materials after cutting, as they do not harden.
3. High processing accuracy and excellent repeatability.
4. Simple digital programming, wide application range, cost-saving on molds, and an economically efficient method of cutting.
Types of Auxiliary Gases
1. Nitrogen: Typically used for processing precious metals or in situations with extremely high processing requirements.
2. Oxygen: Due to its strong oxidizing nature, the cut surface may darken and harden, a phenomenon known as ‘burning’.
3. Compressed air: Widely used as it contains around 20% oxygen, which helps compensate for the drawbacks of using pure oxygen or nitrogen.
The Cost Analysis of Gas Sources
The cost of nitrogen and oxygen is higher than that of compressed air, and the prices of these two gases have been increasing each year. Therefore, using compressed air as the cutting auxiliary gas can significantly reduce production costs, typically resulting in savings of about half.
The Functions of High-pressure Gas
1. Cooling the cutting surface: High-pressure gas is used to cool the melting area during the cutting process, preventing material hardening, i.e., avoiding heat treatment. This helps maintain the quality of the cutting edge, reduce potential defects, and improve cutting precision.
2. Blowing away the molten slag and dust: During the laser cutting process, high-pressure gas is ejected through the nozzle as a high-speed airflow, blowing away the molten metal slag generated during cutting. This helps keep the cutting area clean, prevents slag accumulation from clogging the laser nozzle, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the laser cutting machine and prolonging its lifespan.
The High Requirements of Compressed Air for Laser Cutting Machines
Laser cutting machines have strict requirements for the quality of compressed air, and they do not allow any presence of moisture or oil in the air. Typically, users need to install a four-stage or even a five-stage filtration system to ensure the longevity of the laser cutting machine. If the compressed air supplied to the cutting head contains moisture or oil, it will quickly cause condensation on the protective lenses, which will negatively impact the quality of the cutting. Failure to promptly replace the protective lenses under such circumstances may lead to increased internal temperatures within the cutting head due to the high-power laser beam, potentially resulting in damage to the internal mirror components.
Layout of The After Treatment Equipments
1. If the distance between the compressor and the laser cutting machine is relatively close, then the cold dryer and the filter can be connected in sequence;
2. If the distance between the compressor and the laser cutting machine is relatively long, then two filters need to be installed at the end of use to deal with the residual moisture and oil in the long-distance pipeline.
(Integrated(2-In-1) Screw Air Compressor for Laser Cutting Machine)
Kotech laser cutting screw air compressor special 16bar came into being. Kotech also developed with the post-treatment equipment 16bar cooler and filter to ensure the service life of the laser cutting lens.
Laser cutting is a technique that relies on a powerful laser beam for cutting. This laser beam is emitted by a laser and focused through an optical system. This high-power-density laser beam requires compressed air as an energy source, typically at a pressure of 10 to 16 bar, necessitating a dedicated air compressor. When the laser beam strikes the surface of the workpiece, it melts or vaporizes the material, and simultaneously, high-pressure gas coaxial with the laser beam blows away the melted or vaporized metal.
Kotech laser cutting screw air compressor has the following features:
■ First, the original host, the use of high-strength stainless steel piping, reduce the risk of oil leakage, oil drum thickened by 30%, security to improve the efficiency of 3 times.
■ Second, the whole machine dustproof design, filtering materials as thick as 10mm, more than 90% of the processing powder interception fully adapted to the harsh working environment.
■ Intelligent control, automatic start and stop, can also be controlled remotely, with high temperature protection, overcurrent protection, steering error protection, overpressure protection, the operation is also very simple.
■ Fourth, the original imported kotech high-efficiency filters, oil removal capacity, strong filter impurities, pressure reduction, long life.
■ Fifth, the gas storage tank to meet the increased demand for gas. Avoid the adverse effects of airflow fluctuations on the air point. At the same time, after cooling compressed air, discharge the moisture in the compressed air.
■ Sixth, the dryer to reduce the unloading time of the air compressor, reduce the load of the air compressor energy consumption, high efficiency water: water removal efficiency of 99.5% of the export of compressed air relative humidity as low as 10%. And more effective to achieve energy saving.
■ Seven, large factory products, European enterprises, with 149 years of manufacturing experience, more than 10 million users worldwide, easy maintenance, quality assurance.
Whether from the laser cutting quality considerations, or in order to ensure that the laser cutting head to consider the service life, kotech screw air compressor will be your optimal choice.
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