Introduction to Laser Cutting and Laser Welding Processes and Their Typical Applications
Since the discovery of the first ruby laser by American scientist Maiman in 1960, laser technology has developed rapidly, especially in the last decade or so, driven by the needs of global scientific and economic development. This has greatly promoted the wider application of laser processing technology. Compared with ordinary light, lasers have four characteristics: monochromaticity (single wavelength), coherence, directionality, and high intensity.
Laser beams are easy to transmit; their temporal and spatial characteristics can be controlled separately. After focusing, extremely small spot sizes can be obtained, resulting in laser beams with extremely high power density. They can melt and vaporize any material and perform precise and rapid processing of localized areas. The heat input to the workpiece during processing is small, resulting in a small heat-affected zone and minimal thermal deformation. Processing efficiency is high, and automation is easily achieved. Laser technology is a comprehensive high-tech field involving optics, mechanics, electronics, and other disciplines. Similarly, laser processing equipment involves numerous disciplines, thus determining its high-tech nature and high profitability. Looking at the international and domestic laser application landscape, after years of research, development, and improvement, contemporary lasers and laser processing technologies and equipment are quite mature, forming a series of laser processing processes. Furthermore, various new laser processing technologies are constantly emerging.
Internationally, laser processing is mainly used for cutting, welding, surface treatment, marking, and drilling. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional laser cutting accounts for 65% of laser applications, laser welding accounts for about 20%, laser drilling and marking account for less than 10%, and laser surface treatment, including laser phase transformation hardening, laser cladding, laser surface alloying, and laser surface solidification, accounts for only about 5%. Domestically, more and more users are recognizing the unique superior performance, high flexibility, and high efficiency of laser processing. Currently, laser technology is already widely used in the aerospace, automotive, switch, gear, railway locomotive, and metal processing industries.
