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Get Your Surface Right To Make The Most of Laser Cutting in Toronto

Laser cutting in Toronto has been at the cutting edge in the metal fabrication industry for many years now. So much so, the innovation, investment in new technologies and the expertise in the industry have seen it become prominent for the high quality of services.

 

One aspect of laser cutting in Toronto regardless of it being done with CO2 or fiber lasers that is not usually appreciated is how the metal itself affects the quality and speed of cutting.

 

The thickness of the metal being cut will affect the speed of laser cutting in Toronto, but what is less understood is how the surface of the metal will have as much of an effect.

 

Starting from the off, a thinner material will be more readily cut, have a more consistent cut and be cut faster by a machine. Any laser cutting operator will know, having experienced the thickness limits of their laser cutting in Toronto that depth makes tremendous difference to the speed of the cut.

 

But a lesser known factor, one that is discovered particularly when the performance envelope of laser cutting in Toronto is pushed to its limits, is that the smoothness of the surface impacts the cut as well.

 

For instance, hot-rolled steel, formed by running steel while it’s still hot through rollers to form sheets, has a relatively unfinished surface. Distortions are present as are surface imperfections. Cold-rolled steel on the other hand, being more processed and having a smoother surface, has a relatively ‘better’ surface for laser cutting.

 

Laser cutting in Toronto has observed that with many surface imperfections comes the propensity for the laser to scatter and reflect. Whereas reflection back into the machine is something engineers legislate for, the scattering effect due to the surface of the material cannot be controlled. It reduces the cutting efficiency and the precision of the cut and calls for a slower cutting speed than would have otherwise been required.

 

What’s more it will make the operator less likely to undertake cutting on a thick material that is at the performance edge of the laser cutting machine, given the reduced intensity of the laser by the time it penetrates through the material due to the scattering effect of the surface.