It's important to note that in laser cutting technology, it's possible to achieve a smooth and glossy cross-section on carbon steel, resulting in a mirror-like finish. So, what are the methods to achieve this effect in cutting?
1. Control the cutting speed. If the cutting speed is too fast, the material may burn incompletely, and the workpiece cannot be cut through. A slower cutting speed can lead to excessive burning, causing the workpiece to melt and deform. Aim to increase the cutting speed as much as possible while ensuring the quality of the workpiece.
2. Adjust the nozzle height. The nozzle height affects beam quality, oxygen purity, and airflow direction. The lower the nozzle, the better the beam quality, the higher the oxygen purity, the smaller the airflow direction, resulting in smoother cutting.
3. Adjust the cutting pressure. During oxygen cutting of carbon steel, the combustion of the material releases a large amount of heat, thus the oxygen pressure should not be too high. Generally, the lower the pressure within the cutting range, the brighter the cut surface. However, to ensure the stability of the cutting, it is usually necessary to increase a certain percentage on top of the cutting pressure.
4. Adjust Cutting Power - For boards of different thicknesses, the thicker the board, the higher the required power.
5. Adjust the focus point. The laser beam emitted from the nozzle has a certain diameter. When cutting bright surfaces, a smaller nozzle is typically used. If the focus is too great, it can cause the nozzle to heat up, affecting the quality and stability of the cut, and even lead to nozzle damage. Therefore, it's necessary to determine the maximum acceptable focus value for the nozzle size and then make the adjustment.
6. Select nozzle size. The smaller the semi-nozzle, the brighter the cutting cross-section, and the better the effect.
That concludes today's sharing on the methods to achieve a glossy finish in cutting.