Production and Cutting Rates
The maximum cutting rate (production rate) is limited by a number of factors including laser power, material thickness, process type (reactive or inert,) and material properties.
Common industrial systems (1 kW+) will cut carbon steel metal from 0.020–0.5 inch (0.51–13 mm) in thickness. For all intents and purposes, a laser can be up to thirty times faster than standard sawing.
| Workpiece material | Material thickness | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.02 in (0.51 mm) | 0.04 in (1.0 mm) | 0.08 in (2.0 mm) | 0.125 in (3.2 mm) | 0.25 in (6.4 mm) | 0.5 in (13 mm) | |
| Stainless steel | 1000 | 550 | 325 | 185 | 80 | 18 |
| Aluminium | 800 | 350 | 150 | 100 | 40 | 30 |
| Mild steel | − | 210 | 185 | 150 | 100 | 50 |
| Titanium | 300 | 300 | 100 | 80 | 60 | 40 |
| Plywood | − | - | − | - | 180 | 45 |
| Boron / epoxy | − | - | − | 60 | 60 | 25 |
Read more about this topic: Laser Cutting
Famous quotes containing the words production, cutting and/or rates:
“Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.”
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965)
“So much for Mrs. Hollis’ nine months of pain and 20 years of hope.”
—Alvah Bessie, Ranald MacDougall, and Lester Cole. Raoul Walsh. Nameless GI, Objective Burma, cutting dog tags off a dead GI (1945)
“In the U.S. for instance, the value of a homemaker’s productive work has been imputed mostly when she was maimed or killed and insurance companies and/or the courts had to calculate the amount to pay her family in damages. Even at that, the rates were mostly pink collar and the big number was attributed to the husband’s pain and suffering.”
—Gloria Steinem (20th century)