Optimizing Efficiency and Quality: The Benefits of Adopting Robotic Laser Cutting Technology
Compared to more traditional methods of laser cutting automation, robotic laser cutting has various advantageous features. But you might not yet be sure that it’s your ideal strategy.
Why not use a laser cutting machine instead of a robot?
What drawbacks come with choosing a more traditional machine?
Robotic laser cutting has already entered a new era. Here is the essential information you require to determine if it is the best option for your company.
The Traditional Method: Laser Cutting Device
Automated laser cutting has existed for a while. A flatbed laser cutting machine is already present in most machine shops and many production facilities.
Numerous industries, including the production of silicon, jewelry, and automobiles, use laser cutting.
Machines for flatbed laser cutting are helpful. Compared to more conventional cutting methods like band saws and water jet cutting, they are much more adaptable. Both surface etching and cutting can be done with them.
Traditional laser cutting machines are versatile but are only sometimes the best option.
For starters, they are frequently pricey. Between $20,000 to $250,000 might be spent on commercial laser cutting equipment. The issue is that the machines can only be used for cutting on a single plane, even if this price is reasonable given the return you will receive.
To make the cost of such a machine worthwhile, you must be cutting several goods daily.
The Drawback of Using Laser Cutting Equipment
The use of traditional laser cutting devices may have additional drawbacks. Among the drawbacks of laser cutting technology are the following:
- Single purpose – As was already indicated, a laser cutting device serves a single purpose. It can only etch or cut in one plane.
- They are enormous; a single laser cutting machine might easily occupy an entire room in a machine shop. As a result, purchasing a traditional machine also requires giving up a substantial amount of floor space.
- They need supervision – Laser cutters aren’t entirely autonomous, like many CNC equipment. They need an experienced operator to supervise them. This raises the price of using a machine since you now have to pay for the wages of the workers in charge.
Want to do cutting-edge work? You require multiple machines.
People sometimes need to pay more attention to the limitations of each unique laser cutting machine, which adds another drawback.
They imply that businesses frequently need to purchase multiple laser cutting equipment to complete specific jobs. For instance, you might employ various machines to cut components of multiple forms.
The cost and space needed to employ laser cutting machines are dramatically increased. You might begin by assuming you need one machine, like many manufacturers, only to discover later that you need dozens.
Cutting with a Robotic Laser: A More Flexible Method
How may these drawbacks of traditional laser cutting be fixed?
How can you make your cutting procedure more adaptable using less laser cutting equipment and less floor space?
The production process of robotic laser cutting is relatively new. It is now simpler than ever to use this application because robotic technology continually improves.
Robots and lasers may seem like an odd combination. Lasers are a more and more popular end effector for robots. Even robotic weedkillers for the agricultural sector employ lasers rather than insecticides.
How laser cutting robots operate
Robots that cut using lasers are relatively easy to use.
The robotic arm’s end is given a laser end effector. The robot then positions the laser where it needs to be to complete your cutting work, just like the cutting head in a traditional laser cutting machine.
What Is the Situation Improved by Robot Laser Cutting?
Many of the drawbacks of traditional laser cutting equipment are overcome by robot laser cutting.
The following are some advantages of adopting robot laser cutting:
- Robots can be used for any cutting path; unlike traditional machines, they are no longer limited to cutting in a single plane. Almost any position and orientation within the workspace is possible for a robot to place the laser cutting head.
- Due to their tremendous flexibility; Robots can perform tasks that would typically need many conventional laser-cutting machines.
- Enormous workspaces; Many industrial robots also feature large workspaces, so you can keep the spacious work area you’d anticipate from a traditional machine. Even with their enormous workplaces, robots can still consume less of your floor space, especially when you only need one robot rather than several pieces of equipment.
Your Robotic Laser Cutting Machine Programming
You can get the most out of your laser cutting robot by combining the hardware with an effective programming system.
As a result, even if you lack programming experience, you can easily design intricate paths for the robot.
Depending on the type of operation you must complete, a laser-cutting robot’s programming requirements will vary. It will be like scripting a drawing task if you use the robot to etch an image on the material’s surface. The work is slightly different if the robot is being used for cutting.