How to choose a suitable laser cutting machine?

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1. Clarify processing requirements
① Material type and thickness
The laser cutting machine needs to select the laser type according to the processing material:
Metal materials (such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy): Fiber laser cutting machines are preferred, and their power range is usually 500W-6000W, and the cutting thickness ranges from 0.1mm to 30mm.
Non-metallic materials (such as acrylic, wood, leather): CO2 lasers are more suitable because their wavelength (10.6μm) has a higher absorption rate for non-metals.
Special materials (such as highly reflective metal copper and aluminum): Green light or ultraviolet lasers with anti-high reflection technology are required.
② Production scale and efficiency
Small studios: Desktop equipment (such as 300×400mm workbench) is cost-effective and suitable for small batch customization.
Large enterprises: Industrial-grade equipment (such as 14m×3.5m large table) supports continuous operation, as well as automation functions (such as automatic loading and unloading, AI path planning).

2. Core technology and configuration selection
① Laser power and cutting capacity
Low power (500W-1000W): suitable for cutting thin plates below 6mm, with low cost and low energy consumption.
High power (above 3000W): can process plates thicker than 20mm, but auxiliary gases (such as oxygen and nitrogen) must be matched to optimize cutting quality.
② Core component quality
Laser generator: IPG, TRUMPF and other lasers have high stability and long life; Raycus and Max have outstanding cost performance.
Motion system: Linear motors and precision guides ensure ±0.05mm positioning accuracy, suitable for high-precision medical or electronic component processing.
Cooling and dust removal system: High-efficiency water coolers and dust removal equipment can extend the life of laser tubes and reduce smoke pollution.

3. Accuracy and stability evaluation
① Cutting accuracy and surface quality
High-precision equipment can achieve cutting seams below 0.1mm, cutting surface roughness Ra＜0.8μm, and no burrs.
Prototype to be tested: Verify whether the inner and outer diameter errors are within ±0.03mm by cutting concentric circles or complex graphics.
② Heat-affected zone (HAZ) control
Femtosecond/picosecond ultrafast lasers can compress the heat-affected zone to less than 5μm to avoid material deformation, especially suitable for medical fields such as heart stents and precision sensors.

4. Cost and investment return analysis
① Initial investment
Entry-level equipment: 100,000-500,000 yuan.
Industrial equipment: 500,000-15 million yuan.
② Long-term cost
Consumables: laser lens, auxiliary gas (nitrogen purity must be ≥99.99%).
Energy consumption optimization: Intelligent power management system can reduce electricity costs by 30%, saving tens of thousands of yuan per year.
Laser technology is rapidly iterating. Choosing a suitable device is not only an upgrade of production tools, but also a key step for enterprises to move towards intelligent manufacturing.