LASER CUTTING

Laser cutting uses a high intensity beam of light to either melt or combust metal to make a cut.  This allows for faster and more precise cutting than waterjet, but for a more limited range of materials.  Our laser can cut up to .375” steel, .250” stainless, and .125” aluminum.  Other materials we cut with our waterjet.

The laser beam is created by exciting a gas mixture with electricity which allows the gas atoms to shed photons.  When this is done repeatedly in the enclosed chamber (the resonator) and released through opening a mirror, a high intensity beam of light is carried through a system of mirrors and focused on a cutting bed.  We also use a stream of gas around the beam to aid in cutting, either to eliminate impurities or to aid in combustion.

The head of the laser is CNC controlled and special software moves the head in X-Y axes to cut.  This software also controls lead ins, compensation, speed, and tabbing of parts to keep them from falling through.

This system allows Exact Cut to cut metals quickly and precisely on a 120” x 60” bed.  Tolerances can be as tight as +/- .005”, depending on the thickness of the material.  The process does not heat up the material as much as flame or plasma cutting, but more than waterjet cutting.