Questions You Should Know about Custom Component fine-tuning laser supplier

How to Use this Buyer's Guide

The purpose of this Buyer's Guide to Cutting Lasers is to help you select a cutting laser. We're not going to tell you which laser to buy or which company to buy it from. However, we are going to provide you with a lot of context so you feel confident when you're ready to make a purchase decision. More than anything else, our goal is to educate you on what questions to ask when you're researching buying a cutting laser. 

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TIP: The Overview Chart provided lists the main types of precision cutting lasers currently available and is a great place to start your journey. Links embedded in the Overview Chart will take you to more information on the lasers themselves, or directly into the sections of this document that offer guidance on which of these technologies is usually most appropriate for a given application. 

Getting this application specific information isn't always straightforward because many vendors only offer a limited range of laser technologies. As a result, they promote what they have as being optimal for every use, whether it is or not. 

Coherent is one of the world's largest laser companies, and a global leader in materials and networking, as well. We service numerous cutting applications for medical devices, communications, microelectronics, instrumentation markets, and more. Most importantly, Coherent manufactures a comprehensive range of cutting lasers. This allows us to provide unbiased recommendations based solely on your unique needs and project requirements. 

But what are your unique needs and project requirements? A critical first step in making an informed purchasing decision is properly identifying the considerations that are most significant in your own application. Some of the most common of these include:

• Technical factors, such as material compatibility, throughput speed, and cut quality
• Cost considerations , such as purchase price, maintenance costs, consumables, and operating costs
• Integrations factors, such as supported interfaces and communications protocols, and product size and weight
• Service, such as the geographic availability of spare parts and maintenance, and service response speed
• Applications support, such as vendor willingness to process samples, and aid in process development

A more detailed treatment of the typical considerations involved in cutting laser selection is provided in the Cutting Laser Selection Checklist .

Laser Cutting Mechanisms

All solid substances are held together by bonds or attractive forces between the atoms, ions, or molecules that compose the material. At the most basic level, cutting any solid substance requires breaking those bonds. 

In traditional mechanical cutting, such as with a saw or knife, the cutting tool applies force to the material over an area concentrated around the tool edge. This creates a shear which stretches the bonds between those particles being subjected to the force and neighboring ones which are not. If the force is sufficiently strong, the bonds will break. This is the fundamental physical process that occurs whether it's cutting paper with scissors, sawing lumber, or carving a roast. 

Lasers are non-contact tools. They do not impart physical force to objects they illuminate. Instead, they cut using entirely different mechanisms. However, they must still accomplish the same end result, namely, breaking atomic or molecular bonds over a contiguous region to produce a cut. 

Laser cutting can be split into the four main categories: 

• Fusion laser cutting

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• Ablation laser cutting

• Remote laser cutting 

• Reactive or flame laser cutting

Reactive or flame laser cutting isn't generally used for high-precision applications. The other three methods are detailed here. 

Fusion Cutting

In fusion cutting, the laser heats the target material to the point of melting, creating a molten pool. Simultaneously, a high-pressure assist gas (typically nitrogen or, in some cases, argon) is directed coaxially with the laser beam to expel the molten material from the cut region. The assist gas also helps cool the cut zone, preventing oxidation and ensuring a cleaner edge. This method offers remarkable precision and is ideal for creating intricate, burr-free cuts in metals, ceramics, and certain polymers.

One of the key advantages of fusion cutting is its ability to maintain fine tolerances and achieve smooth, high-quality edges, which is critical for components like stents, surgical tools, or microelectronics. These applications demand not only dimensional accuracy but also minimal thermal damage to the surrounding material, as any excess heat can degrade performance or require costly post-processing.

Fusion cutting is particularly well-suited for materials like stainless steel, titanium, and silicon wafers, where the use of a non-reactive assist gas like nitrogen ensures a clean cut without compromising the integrity of the material. With gas pressures ranging from 75 to 250 psi, fusion cutting can handle thin or thick materials, depending on the specific requirements of the application. Its precision, combined with the ability to cut complex geometries, makes fusion cutting a cornerstone for industries where precision, cleanliness, and efficiency are paramount.

Remote Cutting

The key difference between remote cutting and the other methods is that the laser head is located far from the work surface. This allows the focused laser beam to be moved at high speed (>33"/s, 1 m/s) across the surface by a scan head. No coaxial assist gas is used. Depending on the material thickness, the scan head may trace the same exact cut path multiple times to create a through cut. 

The cutting mechanism itself occurs through melt ejection; the laser melts, but also vaporizes, a fraction of the metal, and the subsequent vapor expansion pressure forces the melt out of the cut. Remote cutting paths are usually simple ' such as circles or squares ' to facilitate high cutting speeds.

Remote cutting is used for mostly thin materials, such as battery foil cutting or thin plastic films of less than 0.01" (0.25 mm) thickness. Laser sources must have sufficient intensity to drive the vaporization cutting mechanism. 

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