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 and, production, cutting and/or rates:
“The heart of man ever finds a constant succession of passions, so that the destroying and pulling down of one proves generally to be nothing else but the production and the setting up of another.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“In the production of the necessaries of life Nature is ready enough to assist man.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The cutting of heads is become so much a la mode, that one is apt to feel of a morning whether their own is on their shoulders.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“One of the most important findings to come out of our research is that being where you want to be is good for you. We found a very strong correlation between preferring the role you are in and well-being. The homemaker who is at home because she likes that “job,” because it meets her own desires and needs, tends to feel good about her life. The woman at work who wants to be there also rates high in well-being.”
—Grace Baruch (20th century)