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11 months agoCNC laser operator here.
I don’t know about these lower power lasers so I may be wrong. With the lasers I’ve used (200-2000W), the air/oxygen is used to create a superheated jacket of gas around the laser which allows it to cut a nice smooth edge. It also has the added benefit of blowing away the slag/dross that’s created.
When we cut more temperature sensitive materials like aluminum and stainless we use nitrogen, which cools the material. This creates a pretty jagged deal with the dross that you gotta sand off but it prevents blowouts and really creates a nice edge if you get the pressure dialed in just right.
Oh yeah that’s a pretty solid benefit right there. I swear the oddest things will block them from cutting. I didn’t even consider the smoke diffusing the beam.
Like the most powerful laser I’ve used won’t cut through a paper sticker or even the residue but it’ll cut through .75" steel like it’s nothing.
The optics is a big deal too. On the big ones everything is pretty reasonably sized and they’re still a pain to clean. I can’t imagine what it’s like with those tiny ones. Also, those larger lasers lenses are really commonly coated in thorium and a speck gets on there it’s going to superheat and vaporize a lot of the lense. Pretty damn dangerous to be around lol!