Laser cutting is a high-efficiency, high-precision cutting method, air compressors play an vital role in protecting laser lenses and optical systems, improving the effect and quality of laser cutting.

What is laser cutting and how does it work?

The working principle of laser cutting

Laser cutting uses a high-energy-density laser beam to irradiate an object, causing a local area on the surface of the object to expand instantly due to heat, thereby forming a tiny melting area, and then using a high-speed airflow to blow away the molten material, thereby achieving the purpose of cutting.

The process of laser cutting

‌Material melting and vaporization‌: The laser beam irradiates the material surface, and the high temperature causes the material to melt or vaporize rapidly.

‌Auxiliary gas blowing‌: The high-speed airflow coaxial with the laser beam blows away the melted or vaporized material to form a slit.

Laser cutting is a non-contact processing method that does not require tools and molds, avoiding the mechanical stress in traditional cutting methods.

Applications and advantages of laser cutting

Laser cutting has the advantages of high precision, high efficiency, no contact, no deformation, etc. It is suitable for the processing of metal and non-metal materials and is widely used in the manufacturing fields of automobiles, home appliances, electronic products, etc.

Why laser cutting requires an air compressor?

Laser cutting machines, as important equipment for modern industrial processing, benefit from the high energy density focusing of laser beams for their efficient and precise cutting capabilities. However, during the cutting process, the metal surface is easily oxidized, which affects the focusing effect of the laser beam and reduces the cutting quality.

To solve this problem, laser cutting air compressors came into being. It instantly compresses the air and releases high-pressure inert gases, such as nitrogen, to effectively blow the metal surface and ensure the stable focusing of the laser beam.

At the same time, specific laser cutting air compressors such as axial compressor and turbo compressor can also quickly provide a large amount of compressed air to form a stable airflow, clean the cutting area, and maintain the flatness of the metal surface, thereby significantly improving cutting efficiency and quality.

‌Protect the laser lens and optical system‌: During the laser cutting process, the molten material needs to be blown away by the high-speed airflow to prevent the slag from adhering to the laser lens and optical system, thereby protecting these key components from damage‌.

‌Provide cutting gas‌: Compressed air is required as cutting gas during laser cutting. Compressed air is mixed with high-purity oxygen and high-purity nitrogen and supplied to the cutting head to help complete the cutting task‌.

‌Purge and dust removal of the optical path system‌: Laser cutting equipment will generate a lot of dust when it is running, and there will also be dust particles in the air. The air compressor needs to continuously purge and dust the optical path system when it is working to ensure the cleanliness of the optical path system and the working environment.

‌Provide power source‌: The air compressor also provides compressed air as a power source, which is supplied to the cutting head and the cylinder that clamps the laser cutting table to ensure the smooth progress of the laser cutting process‌.

Cooling laser cutter: Constant air flow forms a cooling barrier between the laser beam and your material to keep the laser at a safe operating temperature. In some use cases, without air assistance, the laser could heat up to the point of causing a fire.

Select air compressor for laser cutting

Before learning how to select the right air compressor for laser cutting, you need to know some basic concepts, from kW to CFM in compressor, all matter to the work performance and efficiency of an air compressor.

During the laser cutting process, compressed air is needed to purge the object and disperse the molten material. The air contains a large amount of impurities such as water vapor and dust. If air is used directly for purging, it will cause serious damage to the laser lens, optical system, etc., and reduce the effect of laser cutting.

The compressed air used for laser cutting must also be 100% oil-free. The air quality has a very direct impact on the quality of metal laser cutting.

If the compressed air contains moisture and oil particles, long-term use will contaminate the lens of the laser machine, affect the processing effect and even damage the laser head. This is why laser cutting air compressor usually equipped with multiple precision air compressor filters to purify the compressed air.

The laser cutting system (machine tool + laser) requires compressed air to meet the following standards: dew point temperature 2-8℃, oil residue ≤0.001mg/m3, solid particles ≤0.01um.

To meet this requirement, the design of the compressed air purification system must ensure that the compressed air quality meets the grade 0 quality requirements of standard ISO8573-1.

A stable supply of compressed air is essential to ensure the continuity and stability of laser cutting. Therefore, choose a high-quality oil-free air compressor to ensure that it can provide stable compressed air.

And use an air compressor dryer to dry and purify the compressed air to remove impurities such as water and dust, thereby protecting the focusing effect of the cutting head and improving the accuracy of laser cutting.

According to the materials and requirements of laser cutting, select the appropriate air compressor model, air pressure and suitable air flow. Usually, the laser cutting air compressor needs to be able to reach a pressure of 1.3MPa or 1.6MPa, and higher pressure may be required for some special applications.

In addition, there are differences in energy efficiency between air compressors of different models and brands. The energy efficiency of the air compressor directly affects the energy consumption and cost of the entire laser cutting production process.

Therefore, when selecting an air compressor, its energy efficiency parameters and actual operating effects should be fully considered to ensure that the goal of energy saving and consumption reduction is achieved in long-term use.

Best air compressor for laser cutting

The laser cutting industry is an industry with a wide range of applications in today’s society. Since it requires compressed air when working, air compressors are also very important machines in the laser cutting industry.

In the meanwhile, since laser cutting requires pure compressed air, air dryer for air compressors are also important. Therefore, it is worth taking the time to understand the desiccant dryer working principle.

When the laser cutting machine is processing, it must use protective gas. Compressed air is of course the simplest and most economical protective gas.

Part of the compressed air generated by the air compressor is combined with high-purity oxygen and high-purity nitrogen to form cutting gas and supply it to the cutting head. Part of it is supplied to the cylinder of the clamping table as a power source, and the last part is used to purge and dust the optical system.

The compressed air discharged from the integrated air compressor is dried and purified by the air tank and air dryer, enters the gas control cabinet, and then passes through a set of sophisticated processing systems to become clean and dry gas.

Finally, it is divided into three ways, which are used as cutting gas, cylinder power source and optical path positive pressure dust removal gas to maintain the normal operation of the laser cutting machine. Therefore, the air compressor is an indispensable auxiliary equipment for each laser cutting equipment.

From the above, it can be seen what a high-quality air compressor and compressed air post-processing equipment mean to a laser cutting machine. Kotech KED integrated air compressor is specially equipped with a complete set of compressed air solutions for laser cutting equipment, covering almost all the equipment required for compressed air processes, such as air compressors, air compressor tanks, refrigerated air dryers, various levels of precision filters, energy-saving pipelines, etc., truly realizing one-stop procurement and meeting various laser cutting needs.

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