Machine shops across the country have a daily need for the ability to precisely and consistently cut metal. Laser cutting machines have been around for a long time, providing clean and accurate cuts in a variety of materials.
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One specialist form of laser cutting is laser tube cutting—which is, as the name suggests, optimized for cutting cylindrical objects. Why would a fabrication shop want to use a laser tube cutting machine(it,in,vi)? What are the benefits of being able to provide laser tube cutting services?
Here are some of the potential benefits of having a laser tube cutting machine:
1) Reducing Secondary Operations in Cutting Tubes
Cutting a tube with a physical blade often leaves metal shavings and imperfections in the cut edge. These issues would require additional cleaning and shaping processes to prepare the tube for whatever purpose it would be intended for.
However, when using a laser tube cutting machine with a spatter guard device, not only are the edges virtually perfect, the slag from the cutting process can be collected and kept out of the tube being cut. This eliminates the need for these two processes.
While a traditional laser cutting machine could also create clean cuts, its design would not be able to accommodate the tube, which would mean having to cut a flat piece of metal and then putting it through a roller or press brake (depending on whether you wanted a rounded or squared exterior). By using a tube cutting machine, you can cut a tube-shaped object directly.
2) Stronger Tube Ends
Another benefit of using a laser tube cutting machine, aside from creating smoother cuts, is that no mechanical force has to be applied to the cut. Normally, a CNC punch or other machine would break through the material being cut with physical force, applying stress to the surrounding material and weakening it slightly. Using a laser cutter helps to ensure that tubes are stronger at the point of the cut than they would be if physical cutting tools were used.
3) Diversity of Cutting Processes
CNC machinery enables a high degree of control and precision for many tasks—and CNC controlled laser cutting is no exception. Instead of simply making vertical cuts, laser tube cutting machines can be used to make angle cuts, slots, etchings, bevel cuts, and more depending on the equipment.
While traditional laser cutters can also do many of these tasks, they aren’t optimized for doing so with cylindrical objects.
4) Laser Tube Cutting Machines Can Fill a Niche Role
If your machine shop processes a lot of requests for custom-shaped or cut tubes, having a laser tube cutting machine can fill that niche quite nicely. Because these machines are optimized for this process, they can help to improve efficiency and throughput for making custom-cut tubing.
5) Low Maintenance Cutting
Physical cutting machines require frequent service and repair because their tooling wears out quickly. However, laser cutting machines don’t wear out nearly as fast. In fact, if you use a solid-state laser tube cutting machine (meaning one that uses a solid object to focus the laser) rather than a gas-based one, you can keep the laser operating almost maintenance-free for thousands of hours.
Of course, the physical mechanisms for moving the laser or the workpiece will still need regular maintenance.
Looking for a Laser Tube Cutting Machine for Sale?
If you’re thinking about purchasing a laser tube cutting machine, consider the following:
- What Kind of Laser Do I Need? Like regular laser cutters, laser tube cutting machines have some different options for the cutting laser. Common laser types include CO2 cutting machines and fiber laser tube cutting machines. This can impact the tightness of the beam and cut consistency. For example, fiber laser tube cutting machines have a beam that is much smaller than a CO2 cutting machine’s because they use a solid (glass fiber) for amplifying and focusing the laser rather than a gas (CO2).
- Should I Buy New or Used? The answer to this question depends on how much you need a specific feature or capability. If a must-have feature is only available on a new model, then it could be worth it. Otherwise, stick with a used machine from a reputable seller. A used laser tube cutting machine costs far less than a new one while doing just as much work with the same level of precision.
- What Features Do I Need, and Which Ones Do I Want? When purchasing a laser cutting machine, whether new or used, consider which features are “must-haves” and which ones are “nice-to-haves.” A “nice-to-have” feature might be beneficial or save time, but not necessarily be critical to your operation. A “must-have” feature is one that would prove crucial for completing your most common manufacturing operations. For example, if you need to make bevel cuts a lot, then a machine that can perform such cuts would be a “must-have.” Otherwise, that feature is just a “nice-to-have.” Basically, don’t get caught up in chasing a bunch of features you don’t actually need because finding one machine with every “nice-to-have” feature you want will cost far more than a more basic machine that fills your most critical needs.
- Is the Machine “Free and Clear?” If buying used, is the machine free of any equipment liens, loans, or other obligations where a creditor or some other party might claim ownership? It’s important to verify this prior to paying any used laser tube cutting machine’s price—otherwise, you could pay a hefty price only to watch a lawyer and a couple of repo guys cart the machine away just after you get it set up.
That last consideration is definitely worth worrying about, as it is all too common in private party sales for the buyer to forget to check—only to regret it later.
Introduction
Various industries have widely used laser technology with the rapid development of laser technology.
Laser cutting technology has also evolved from the original flatbed cutting to today’s tube cutting.
The birth and application of professional laser tube cutting machines have greatly improved metal tube processing efficiency.
This article will explain the advantages of the professional tube and pipe laser cutting machines and the classification and characteristics of the mainstream professional laser tube and pipe cutting machines on the market today, and look forward to the development trend of professional laser tubes and pipe cutting machines.
Advantages of Professional Laser Tube Cutting Machine
The cutting principle of laser tube cutting machines and flat laser tube cutting machines is not much different. A laser tube cutting machine is used for standard metal tubes (round tubes, rectangular tubes, elliptical tubes, etc.), profiles (channel steel, angle steel, etc.), and some shaped tubes.
Compared to traditional processing techniques, it has the following advantages:
- With high cutting accuracy, the accuracy of the cut contour can reach ±0.05mm.
- The cut is flat, burr-free, with a fine cut and low material loss.
- It is non-contact processing, and the heat-affected zone of laser cutting is very small, with almost no deformation.
- It has high cutting efficiency and can realize mass production.
- It has good flexibility and can change or replace products by using a professional CNC system and a complete set of material programming software.
Thus, a professional laser tube cutter can replace mechanical drilling, milling, sawing, punching, or burr cleaning, which requires equipment and hard tools to process different metal tubes.
It can realize complex tube structure cutting, chamfering, slotting or hole cutting, scribing, and other possible size and shape features. A laser pipe cutting machine is very widely used. It is used in sheet metal processing, kitchenware, lighting, automotive, medical equipment, hardware, fitness equipment, and other industries.
Classification and Characteristics of Laser Tube Cutting Machine
Laser tube cutting machines can be broadly divided into two categories according to the axial feeding method of the tube.
Fixed material cutting type tube laser cutter
This type of laser tube cutting machine only processes the fixed length of the tube, mostly used for processing axis constant, cross-sectional changes in the profile of the tube surface, the ends of the tube can not be processed.
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Although fixed-length laser tube cutters have great limitations and low productivity, they occupy a large market share due to their special features.
Figure 1 shows the decorative patterns on the surface of lamp poles and lampshades processed by fixed material cutting laser tube cutting machine.
Working Principle
As shown in Figure 2, the fixed material cutting laser tube cutter consists of two clamping chucks, which hold the tube in place. The chucks make synchronous rotational movements around the tube axis, and the laser head makes axial. The radial feed cuts to the tube.
Infeed cutting laser tube cutting machine
This type of tube laser cutting machine is mainly used to process the same section of the coaxial tube. It can process various contour shapes of the tube surface, but it can also be cut according to the design length of the tube part within the design stroke of the machine.
Compared with laser tube cutters for fixed material cutting, it has higher flexibility, scalability, and cutting efficiency and currently occupies most of the market share of professional laser tube cutters.
As shown in Figure 3, the feed-cut laser tube cutter can batch process standard metal tubes of various profiles such as square and round tubes and cut them.
Working principle
As shown in Figure 4, the tube is clamped by the clamping chuck, and the supporting chuck clamps the tube in the radial direction.
All chucks rotate around the tube axis in synchronous motion, the clamping chuck holds the tube for axial feeding, and the laser head feeds and cuts the tube in the radial direction.
At present, the feed cutting of laser tube cutting machine in the market mainly relies on two chucks, which is cost-effective, but its disadvantages are also obvious.
1) Poor stability of cutting accuracy
For parts too long or less rigid pipe, under the action of gravitational deformation plus chuck rotation centrifugal force, it is difficult to ensure the stability of cutting accuracy even if the support of servo roller or profiling wheel is added.
(2) Even though the laser head can cut through the supporting chucks, the chuck clamping end of the tail material cannot be cut, resulting in the waste pipe.
In response to these shortcomings, some equipment manufacturers have extended the design of a multi-chuck laser tube cutter based on the laser tube cutter with double-chuck feed cutting, as shown in Figure 5.
Among them.
- It adds a set of supporting chucks, ensuring that the tube of a certain length is almost free from gravitational deformation and centrifugal force of chuck rotation. This effectively ensures cutting accuracy and stability, and the machine’s travel range does not restrict the cutting length of the part.
- The clamping chuck clamps the tube to execute axial feeding movement while the feeding chuck is in the limit position, ensuring zero tail material cutting for most tubes.
- While the above design eliminates the flaws of the double chuck feed cutting type laser pipe cutting machine, it does so at the expense of the chuck, the number of servo axes, and the CNC system.
This also explains why the multi-chuck feed cutting type laser tube cutting machine has not yet become a mainstream trend.
The Development Trend of Professional Tube Laser Cutting Machine
High precision and high efficiency
The future demand for tubes is getting bigger and bigger, and the processing requirements will be higher and higher. It is vital to improving processing accuracy and production efficiency for the rapid development of a professional laser tube cutting machine.
Modularity
The needs of users evolve with time.
Modular design enables the addition or replacement of functional components to fulfill user needs and maximize both parties’ benefits.
Automation
Many users already have automatic loading and unloading equipment installed.
Automation’s advancement can effectively liberate workers and solve the problem of labor scarcity in businesses.
Intelligent
With the widespread adoption of the “Industry 4.0” idea and the maturation of 5G technology, the future laser pipe cutting machine will almost probably achieve complete automation.
It will integrate information collection, order placing, feeding, loading, tube identification, length measurement, automatic call program cutting, unloading, palletizing, shipping, and finally realize intelligence.
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