How laser cutting of pipes is carried out

The need for cutting pipes made of copper or steel appears in various industries, is performed by different methods. The best quality and accuracy will be laser cutting of round and profile products. This processing method is currently often used in enterprises to create metal structures of various shapes and complexity.

Benefits of laser cutting

This method of cutting metal structures has certain advantages over other methods. The main ones are:

• With the help of a laser, it is possible to cut a wide range of thicknesses of metal pipes. From copper — 0.3-16 mm, from aluminum — 0.3-22 mm, from steel — 0.3-22 mm, from stainless steel — up to 55 mm.
• There is no contact between the cutting part and the metal being processed. This will make it possible to work with fragile products.
• Products with an unusual shape are formed. In particular, when cutting is done on a machine with access to computer software. You simply need to open the drawing of the workpiece in the special block, and the equipment will independently make an accurate cut.
• Extremely fast cutting process.
• When it is required to make a metal product in a small batch, then this method directly replaces labor-intensive technical processes.
• The minimum amount of waste and an even cut will help reduce the cost of metal parts, which will affect the reduction in the final price.
• The versatility of technology, with the help of which it is possible to cope with difficult tasks.

When talking about the disadvantages of laser cutting pipes, there are not too many of them. The main disadvantage will be the increased consumption of electrical energy, because this process is the most expensive today. Compared to stamping, which is also distinguished by a minimum amount of waste and high precision, the quality of the workpiece, it must be said that the laser will come out cheaper. Another disadvantage will be the limits of the cut in thickness (up to 2 cm).

Technological features of cutting pipes with a laser

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Despite the fact that the use of this method is currently extremely common and has many advantages, it is necessary to take into account some of the nuances of metal processing technology. Features of laser cutting:

• high-quality cut without cracks, irregularities;
• there is no direct contact with the coating, which eliminates deformation;
• it is possible to make various technological connections;
• it is possible to dock the workpieces without additional processing of the edges;
• it is possible to combine several cycles into one operation (cutting, processing edges, etc.), which will reduce the cost of the workpiece;
• after cutting the pipe, the main qualities are preserved.

Important! Taking into account the variety of the workpiece being processed, it is possible to select the required values ​​of the beam laser power and the degree of focusing.

Laser cutting of profile pipes

The method of cutting profile pipes with a laser is classified as high-speed, the user will be able to make an even cut. In the future, it will not require further development. For such a process, pipe rolling is suitable, which is made of aluminum and steel (stainless steel, black). Technical features of laser pipe cutting:

• The largest diameter of the round pipeline used is up to 20 cm.
• The largest parameters of the processed profile pipeline are 14 by 14 cm.
• The length of the workpiece for laser cutting can be up to 6 m.

The speed of the process sometimes reaches 1.5-9 cm per second due to the large number of revolutions at which the device operates. So, for 60 minutes it is possible to cut pipes with a diameter of up to 600 m. But it should be taken into account that the greater the wall thickness, the lower the speed of the processing itself.

When marking is done by hand, deviations occur, as a result of which, when assembling the pipe, its components simply do not fit together. To eliminate such a problem, experts recommended creating a template from a profile fragment, but with a large cross section.

Making such a template will not cause difficulties:

• It is measured by means of a protractor on a small part of the pipeline at an angle of 45 degrees.
• A machine tool and a grinder are used, a cut is made, then the edges of the part are polished.
• Next, a profile pipe with a smaller diameter of the described circle is inserted into the prepared template.
• Starting from a self-made goniometer, markings are made using a scriber.
• An incision is made along it using a grinder.
• Finally, the edges are sanded.

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Laser cutting of round pipes

This method of cutting a round pipeline involves the use of a laser. The energy of the device will be focused into one thin beam, which destroys, evaporates and melts the structure of the material. The beam will be focused on a specific point, making a neat, precise cut. Often in construction and industrial work, rays are used that produce heat energy.

By means of laser cutting, precise cuts are made with the least amount of irregularities. High-quality welding is due to the equipment of the pipe laser cutting machine with an option that allows you to chamfer at any point, regardless of the location of the pipeline axis. In particular, this advantage is relevant in the manufacture of pipes with high pressure. Such parts require high quality welding.

Since the laser beam will pass through the optical fiber, there is no need for internal special optics. Therefore, with high quality of operation, fiber lasers do not need a large financial investment during repairs. In this regard, laser cutting in such a situation will be cheaper.

Important! The optical fiber will provide a high concentration of laser energy, the cut width will be narrower than in the process of using an ordinary laser.

During gas-laser cutting, the cut point on the material does not have time to heat up due to the high speed of the device. As a result, all the qualities that are inherent in the material will be preserved. This will make it possible to use it in the future in the process of erecting various structures.

Laser cutting is a modern technological process that allows you to cut and cut material using strong radiation. The use of this method will provide increased efficiency due to the quality of the cut and the speed of the machine.