Speedy series: laser engraving and cutting machines for workpieces up to 40 x 24 inches
⚫ Engrave | ⚫ Cut | ⚫ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂, Flexx or Fiber laser |
---|---|
Work area: | 24.0 x 12.0 up to 40.0 x 24.0 inch |
Max. workpiece height: | 4.9 - 12.0 inch |
Laser power: | 20 - 120 watts |
SP series: CO2 laser cutter for large-format materials.
⚫ Engrave | ⚫ Cut | ⎯ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂ laser |
---|---|
Work area: | 49.0 x 28.0 up to 128.0 x 126.4 inch |
Max. workpiece height: | 2.0 - 4.4 inch |
Laser power: | 40 - 400 watts |
Marking laser stations with galvo marking heads. Marking area up to 44.1 x 25.0 inch.
⚫ Engrave | ⎯ Cut | ⚫ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂ or Fiber laser |
---|---|
Max. work area: | 7.5 x 7.5 up to 51.2 x 17.7 inch |
Max. workpiece height: | 9.8 - 30.1 inch |
Laser power: | 20 - 100 watts / 20 + 100 watts MOPA |
We will show you how laser cutting works and which materials you can cut with a laser.
A common technique, laser cutting is used often nowadays to cut many different materials. The laser provides huge advantages over other techniques, such as high precision, speed and flexibility. Below, you will find an indepth explanation for how laser cutting works and which materials it can be used on.
Laser cutting is a thermal separation process. When the laser beam touches the surface of the material, it heats it up to the point that it melts or vaporizes. Cutting is when the beam completely goes through the material at a point. The laser system travels along the specified path and cuts the material as it goes. Depending on the usage, it may be beneficial to also use process gases.
More information on the technicalities of laser cutting can be found in our video.
Learn more about the process of laser cutting in this video
These are the main advantages of using a laser to cut materials:
Suited to many different materials | The only technology that can cut such a large amount of organic and synthetic materials. |
No post processing is necessary | Laser cutting is a technique that renders it unnecessary to perform any post-processing in most cases. It can even seal the edges of certain textiles, like synthetics or carpets, so that there are no frayed edges. This saves you from having to do post-processing procedures such as mechanical sealing or sanding, depending on which material is being worked on. |
High precision | The resultant kerf is only a tiny amount bigger than the laser beam itself. This allows you to cut very fine shapes of any kind. Additionally, integrated camera (JobControl Vision) can read registration marks on the material and automatically fix its cutting path accordingly—even if the original template is out of alignment, turned or otherwise distorted. |
Lack of tool wear | Laser cutting machines are not affected by wear. Things like the tool heads do not become dull from regular use. This property saves costs over the long run. |
A common method to cut steel, stainless steel and aluminum is plasma cutting, a thermal fusion process. Compared to laser cutting, plasma cutting has many disadvantages such as lower cut quality, high energy use, more dust and noise emissions. However, when it comes to cutting any electrically conductive material, it is usually better to go with plasma cutting due to its versatility.
Naturally, every processing method has its own pros and cons depending on the material and usage, such as cutting many samples at once within the same stack. Lasers, however, have clear advantages when compared to mechanical chip removal cutting methods. To name a few: lasers use non-contact processing, have less setup costs, less contamination and higher versatility.
The versatility of materials that can be processed is one of the great advantages of the laser.
You can see the range of possibilities for yourself from the following table.
Plastic | Miscellanious | Metal | |
---|---|---|---|
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) | Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) | Wood | Metal foils up to 0.5mm |
Acrylic/PMMA | Polyimide (PI) | Paper (white) | |
Rubber | Polyoxymethylene (POM) -i.e. Delrin® | Paper (colored) | |
Polyamide (PA) | Polypropylene (PP) | Food | |
Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) | Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) | Leather | |
Polycarbonate (PC) | Polystyrene (PS) | Fabric | |
Polyethylene (PE) | Polyurethane (PUR) | Cardboard | |
Polyester (PES) | Foam (PVC free) | Cork |
Discover SP laser cutting machines
Alongside cutting, Trotec laser machines can also be used for marking and engraving.
Read below about the different laser processing methods: