Pros and Cons of plasma and laser cutting machine
The advantages and disadvantages of CNC plasma cutter
Plasma cutting is a low-cost cutting method. It uses a high-temperature plasma arc to melt the metal on the cutting edge. As a combination of CNC and plasma arc machine tool, CNC plasma cutter has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Advantage:
- The plasma cutting table is suitable for cutting various metal materials;
- It can cut medium thickness metal plates at high speed, faster than laser cutting.
- The plasma cutting incision is small and the heating area is small;
- The CNCplasma cutteris not limited to the reflective properties of metals, it can cut metal materials with high reflectivity.
Disadvantages:
Compared with laser cutting, CNC plasma cutter has:
- The cutting groove is larger, the cutting surface is not smooth, and the cutting accuracy is lower;
- The verticality of the cutting surface is poor: the side of the cutting surface is equipped with an inclined cutting edge. These cutting edges cannot achieve vertical cuts.
- More cutting slag: The cutting process will produce more cutting slag on the cutting surface. In order not to affect the quality of the downstream process, the slag should be removed by grinding, which also increases the workload and labor costs;
- Arc and harmful gas: The principle of the plasma cutting table determines that arc, gas and harmful smoke will be generated during the cutting process. Therefore, the operator must wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
Advantages and disadvantages of laser cutting machine
As a product that combines CNC and laser technology, laser cutting machine has many advantages:
- Non-contact cutting: CNC laser cutting machinecan cut, and the mechanical part of the laser cutting head will not contact the workpiece, will not damage the surface of the material, and maximize the integrity of the material;
- High-speed cutting: when cutting a metal plate with a thickness of 1mm, the cutting speed can reach 10m/min. The cutting speed decreases with the increase of material thickness;
- High cutting quality: small cutting groove, high precision, small heating area, flat cutting surface and blade, no need for post-processing;
- A variety of cutting materials: In addition to cutting metal, the laser cutting machinecan also cut wood, plastic, rubber, PVC, acrylic, leather, etc.
However, CNC laser cutting machine also have shortcomings, and high cost comes first. The initial investment and subsequent maintenance may require slightly higher costs. Currently, metal laser cutting machine are very cost-effective for cutting thin metal plates. When cutting medium-thick metal plates, its cutting efficiency is lower than that of CNC plasma cutter.
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