How to Choose a Laser Tube Cutting Machine for Metal? - dplaser

A metal tube laser cutting machine is an advanced tool that uses a focused laser beam to cut, engrave, or drill metal tubes. With the unparalleled energy concentration of the laser, this equipment can achieve extremely high precision in metal cutting, producing clean edges and enabling the creation of intricate patterns. Widely used in industries such as construction, manufacturing, and kitchen equipment production, pipe laser cutting machines are indispensable precision equipment in modern industry. Their exceptional efficiency and accuracy place them at the forefront of metal tube processing.

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Laser Tube Cutting Machine for Metal Application

Materials Processed

Fiber tube & pipe laser cutting machines are suitable for cutting a wide range of metal materials, especially various metal tubes such as round tubes, rectangular tubes, oval tubes, as well as profiles like channel steel and angle steel. Common materials that can be processed include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, silicon steel, spring steel, aluminum, magnesium-aluminum alloy, galvanized sheet, aluminum-zinc coated sheet, pickled sheet, copper, silver, gold, and titanium. Due to the significant differences in hardness, toughness, and thermal conductivity of these materials, the high flexibility and broad adaptability of fiber laser tube cutting machines are particularly important.

Applicable Industries

The application range of fiber laser tube cutting machines is extremely broad, covering almost all industries that require metal sheet and tube cutting.

Metal Sheet Processing: Used for manufacturing various metal products such as machine parts, kitchenware, automotive components, and more.

Advertising Industry: Utilized for making advertising signs and letters, especially those requiring fine cutting and aesthetic appeal.

Electrical Equipment Case: Fiber laser tube cutting machines can precisely cut complex shapes, meeting the high-quality standards of electronic equipment enclosures.

Mechanical Engineering: From large mechanical components to small precision parts, fiber laser tube cutting machines can be used for cutting.

Metal Crafts: Employed in the creation of high-end metal decorations, trophies, and other decorative items.

Saw Blades and Cutting Tools: Fiber laser tube cutting machines can precisely cut sharp edges, suitable for the production of saw blades and various cutting tools.

Electronics Industry: Includes the cutting of circuit boards, microelectronic components, and the manufacturing of precision metal parts.

Hardware Industry: Used in the production of metal fasteners such as screws, nuts, and fittings.

With their high precision, speed, and efficiency, fiber laser cutting machines for tube have become a highly competitive choice in the metal processing field, significantly enhancing industrial production efficiency and product quality.

How to Choose a Tube Laser Cutting Systems?

Metal tube laser cutting machines are highly favored in the manufacturing industry for their precision and efficiency. When selecting this type of equipment, it is crucial to focus on the quality and performance of key components, as they directly impact the cutting results and overall production efficiency. Here are some core parameters to carefully consider when choosing the right laser tube cutting machine:

Fiber Laser Source

Fiber laser source is the heart of laser pipe cutting machine, its performance is directly related to the cutting quality and efficiency. There are various brands available in the market, such as IPG from Germany, Raycus from China and SPI from UK. These high-end laser sources are known for their excellent cutting speed and stability, as well as their long service life and low maintenance costs.

Control System

The control system of the laser tube cutting machine is the brain of the laser tube cutting machine, which is responsible for coordinating the operation of various components to ensure the stability and reliability of the machine. It enables the laser beam to move accurately in accordance with the preset path by precisely controlling the movement of the X, Y, and Z axes, and regulates the power output of the laser to achieve high-precision cutting operations.

Cutting Head Assembly

The laser cutting head is the output end of the laser energy and consists of a nozzle, a focusing lens and a focus tracking system. During processing, the cutting head must follow a set path, but when dealing with different materials, thicknesses, or different cutting strategies, it must be able to flexibly adjust to control the distance between the laser cutting head and the workpiece to ensure optimal cutting results.

Servo Motor

A servo motor is an engine that controls the operation of mechanical components in a servo system. Servo motors enable control of speed, positional accuracy is very accurate, and can convert voltage signals into torque and speed to drive the control object. High-quality servo motor can effectively ensure the cutting accuracy, positioning speed and repeat positioning accuracy of the laser cutting machine.

Bed Frame

In addition to considering load capacity, the structure design of the machine bed in a tube laser cutting system is critical because it directly affects load-bearing capacity and tube cutting precision.

A twisted or deformed bed frame severely impacts the machine’s accuracy and lifespan. Dapeng Laser uses materials with good tensile strength and rigidity, such as cast iron and special alloy steel, to manufacture the bed frames of its laser cutting machines. Emphasizing overall structural design ensures high rigidity and stability, enabling the bed frame to withstand the stress challenges posed by high loads and continuous cutting while maintaining long-term accuracy. Precision welding technology is used to ensure the strength and consistency of the weld seams, and annealing processes are employed to eliminate internal stresses generated during welding, preventing deformation of the bed frame over time.

Tail Material Control Requirements

Laser tube cutting machines can be classified by the number of chucks into single-chuck, double-chuck, triple-chuck, and quadruple-chuck types. When dealing with heavy-duty tubes, using a triple-chuck or quadruple-chuck cutting solution is preferable to ensure high precision and efficiency. Zero tail material and extremely short tail material are ideal outcomes pursued by the processing industry. Currently, only triple-chuck or quadruple-chuck cutting machines can achieve zero tail material cutting. Tail materials shorter than 80 mm are considered extremely short tail materials, which can typically be achieved with double-chuck laser tube cutting machines.

Processed Tube Parameters

The processing capability of a fiber laser tube cutter is primarily assessed based on tube diameter, wall thickness, and workpiece length.

Tube Diameter: The tube diameter refers to the outer diameter of the tube being processed. The chuck design of the laser cutting machine for tube determines the maximum diameter it can accommodate. Check the equipment specifications for chuck size information to ensure it meets the diameter requirements of your tubes. For handling various tube specifications, choose a machine that can accommodate the maximum diameter required. Pneumatic chucks are currently the most popular due to their simple structure, low failure rate, and high precision.

Tube Wall Thickness: Wall thickness is the measure of the tube’s thickness and directly affects the cutting capability and efficiency of the pipe laser cutting machine. Factors such as laser power, focusing lenses, and auxiliary gases and their flow rates will influence the cutting performance on different wall thicknesses.

Workpiece Length: Workpiece length refers to the effective length of the tube that can be processed in a single operation, affecting the continuity of processing and production efficiency. The length of the tube & pipe laser cutting machine’s bed and the configuration of its automated feed system determine the maximum tube size it can handle. Confirm the maximum workpiece length required for your production and compare it with the machine’s bed length to ensure that the equipment can cover your processing needs.

DPLASER Automatic Laser Tube Cutting Machines can handle metal tubes with diameters from Ф20~Ф400mm and lengths up to mm. For other size requirements, we offer customization options to meet your production needs. Please feel free to contact us.

Accessories such as chucks, rails, racks, lead screws, motors, cables, and air circuits play a crucial role in the machine’s performance. High-quality accessory systems can enhance the processing capability of the fiber laser cutting machine.

Accessories

Pipe laser cutting can be done at various angles, including but not limited to the common 30°, 45°, 90° and other angles, and can also be done at any angle as needed. This is due to the high flexibility of the laser cutting machine and the advanced control system, they can precisely adjust the position and angle of the cutting head to meet the cutting needs of different shapes and angles.

CNC laser tubes cutting machine is suitable for: metal square tube, round tube, rectangular tube, triangular tube, oval tube, waist-shaped tube, D-shaped tube, hexagonal tube and other shaped tube cutting, support tube truncation, cut holes, beveling, hollowing, cutting shapes and other angles, arcs, curves, irregular shapes cutting processing. When cutting bevels or special shapes, some additional accessories or functions may be required to realize more complex cutting needs.

For example:

Rotary Head: A rotary head allows the tube to rotate during cutting, which is particularly important for bevel cutting as it enables the laser beam to contact the tube surface from different angles to form the desired bevel.

Tilting Cutting Function: Some high-end laser tube cutting machines are equipped with a tilting cutting function that allows the laser head to adjust its angle directly to cut bevels on the tube without the need for additional mechanical devices.

Multi-Axis Control: To cut complex three-dimensional shapes, laser tube cutting machines are often equipped with five-axis or six-axis control systems, enabling movement in the X, Y, Z directions as well as rotation around the A and B axes, making the cutting path more flexible and diverse.

The most reliable method of evaluation is to conduct an actual sample cutting test (proof test). Through this process, you can not only observe the actual performance of the pipe cutter, but also verify its processing accuracy and efficiency under specific conditions. If you have pipe cutting needs, please feel free to contact us to help you with free proofing.

50W CO2 lasers will cut various plastic materials and wood upto about 5mm (depends on the
material a LOT). You won't be able to afford anything that can cut metal, CO2 cannot do this,
its just reflected back at the lens assembly and melts it! Besides you need much more power
with metal, several 100W at least, and these lasers are less efficient so you need lots of
power and cooling (many kW)

For engraving its probably a much less powerful CO2 laser tube or a diode laser, unable to cut
much thickness. You can engrave on anodized surfaces BTW, since Al2O3 will absorb infra-red.

You need more than a laser cutter: a smoke extractor or filter and a water circulation system to
cool the laser tube, so the costs mount up.

Those $500 laser cutters are (usually) just an imported Chinese machine. Where as there is noting wrong with that.. you have to understand what you are getting. These are -NOT- turn key ready to use laser cutters/engravers.. usually with much mechanical problems and issues to tweak.

Also the software that comes with these are notorious for being kaka.

As mentioned you'll need a fiber laser to cut metal.. a CO2 will not.

However you can -mark- metal use cermark.. or engrave in anodized metals..etc.. (same with painted or powder coated)

My 40w (which is rumored to really be more of a 25-35w) can cut up to 1/4 acrylic no problem in one pass.. maybe thicker but I havent tried.

Wood is tricky.. its usually the 'glue' in the ply/particle boards that messes with your cuts rather than the wood.. but all material is trial and error at first.

The cheapest hobby laser I have found is from FSLaser.com

New Hope Laser are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.

They have good and bad reviews.. (usually pertaining to their old 4th gen model and customer service).. but that hasnt been MY experience.. (or others I talk to)

their current 5th gen will be about $4k when all said and done.

water pump/tank
air pump for air assist
exhaust fan (many use one from Harbor Freight)
honey comb table

The software and controller board are good though.

One thing you pay for (alot) is the work envelope. (The size of material you can put inside the machine to engrave or cut).. The 5th gen from FSL is only 12x21 inches.. (not sure if you get all that area though...but close)

I've made an RGB bluetooth controlled lamp with mine and other odds-n-ends..

lightsaber stand..etc:

The 5th gen also has the bonus of a removable floor, so you can put material UNDER it that wont fit inside and engrave or cut from it.

I saw someone put it on the hood of their car and engrave on it.

I've done a bit of research into this myself - the thing that really holds me back (money aside) is the space needed for the equipment (not just the cutter, but the pump, water cooling system, fume extraction, etc), a place to put it (you only want to run one of these indoors if you have a REALLY good fume extraction system in place), and the fear that I wouldn't use it enough (interestingly - for reasons I won't go into here, but you can research it to find out why - for CO2 lasers, to get the longest life out of them, you need to use them more - they actually degrade when not being used, or being used only a little).

I've looked at the ebay stuff, I've looked at the FSLasers offerings (they really just import from China, then do the quality upgrading, testing, and tweaking for you), and also the "big boys" (you get what you pay for, btw - I love Universal Laser's equipment - but it is hella expensive). The best bang for the buck, though?:

Yes - it's a kit; no - it isn't fancy. But as a kit you build yourself, you'll know every inch. You can upgrade and mod it at-will. You get a huge cutting area and a decent-size (wattage) laser to boot. The downside is the construction time, and the tweaking, and configuration, setup, etc - you'll also have to come up with your own fume extraction and water cooling system.

But it is cheap - very cheap - well worth it cheap. Think of it like a 3D printer kit...

The other alternative (not quite as cheap, though) - check out Craigslist advertisements for your area. Sometimes, a business will sell off (for whatever reason) an old ULS or other "big name" laser cutter - something old, like from the s or so. What you'll get will likely be dead - or near dead. But from there, you'll get the mechanicals (servos, linear motion hardware, etc) and the optics (laser optics are not cheap for CO2 lasers!) - you would have to supply a new driver system (maybe Mach3 or something?) plus a new laser (or have the old tube refurbished or such from the original company that made the machine - if they are still in business of course).

What you'll end up with - if you shop right - is (generally) a well made chassis/machine with a large cutting area, plus (likely) great accuracy and maybe more (focusing, bed height controls, etc) - that you won't get on other machines easily. But you will end up paying more (less than new, much more than you may want).

Finally - whatever you do - don't cut PVC (NEVER) it releases chlorine gas - which will kill you - and keep a fire extinguisher handy when cutting - and don't leave the cutter to cut by itself. Fires can, do, and will happen - be prepared!

I appreciate and enjoy mine!

I didnt know enough about lasers in general to get a "KIT"...
I also didnt want the LASER to BE the project.. I wanted it to be a tool FOR other projects. (but no way I could afford an UL or Epilog of course.. those are like $10k starting.. and I'm just a hobby guy really, I have a 9-5)

For myself, the FSLaser was the most (only?) realistic purchase that made any sense.
I too have read that FSL just imports as well.. completely on the 4th gens, and several 'upgrades' done on the 5th. However the controller card/board and the software are not, and in my opinion those are two VERY crucial areas. (especially for beginners)

It takes some time understanding how to align things (mirrors, tube).. but it isnt that bad. (heck I figured it out!) lol

The people at the local maker space use theirs for making quick/custom PCB's for etching.
(and making solder paste masks).
^ I still prefer using my vinyl cutter for that! and I love it that I save $25-$35 each time I make one myself!

If you have many interests in life, the laser may -can- be a handy tool.

I only own a O2 laser.. never own/used a fiber based one.

but.. software is king for these kinds of things. (unless you can write your own programs to control the thing.. not only stepper movement stuff.. but controling the power/output..etc)

how it takes in a file and 'renders' it is also important to me. (which is one of the +'s IMHO to the FSL machine...hardware aside)

what about oversized material?

example:
while my 'cutting area' is technically 21x12 for my machine.. I have the ability to remove my floor.. so I can cut/etch on materials/objects that wont fit inside the work envelope. (ie: set it on my car hood or on a snowboard..etc)

I'm not clear if what you get it the whole thing? enclosure? or if the pics of the 'head/floor/base' is what you get only?

(if the later.. there are MANY issues with that)

I can 'mark' metal with my CO2 laser.. but I need the help/usage of cermark (or similar).. not a RAW metal marking..

I'd like to see some links to what you bought.... and more importantly, FROM WHO?

I have not seen nor heard of any support when buying a Chinese/import laser before?
(if it exists, more people may want to go the same route)

a person at my local makerspace just order a chinese/import laser..

They stated that after some tweaking/tuning.. they really enjoy the laser.

For me.. (and I only have had my one laser.. nothing before it, and not much exposure to others)..

My concern is the software/tool chain of these Chinese/imported lasers..

I have a FSLaser (5th gen).. which from my understanding is all an 'import'.. and assembled here in the US/Las Vegas.

But the controller board is created here in the US.. and does have support.

More so the software is very easy to use...

I can 'print' (ir: send any image/text) to my laser form ANY program that 'prints'

The laser shows up like a printer/print driver..

So I can send stuff directly from Photoshop or Illustrator.. but also Microsoft Word or even Notepad.

The software is said be getting a nice upgrade with a bunch of features people have been collecting/suggesting too..

I dont think these compare in price to the chinese import pricing vs size.... but its a nice intermediate machine before getting into the Epilogs and Trotecs..

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