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Laser cutting
The differences between tube and sheet metal

Advantages of laser cutting

Laser cutting tube
and sheet metal: what's the difference?

Material entering and leaving the laser machine must be carefully managed for both tube and sheet metal. Both tube and sheet also support complex design creation as well as downstream welding and assembly operations, but the similarities end there.

Laser cut stainless steel tube
Laser cut steel sheet sample
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Tube
Sheet metal

Laser cut tube: control, precision, feasibility

Tube laser cutting involves constant control of the machine and the cut material. The moving elements are numerous: bezel, spindle, cutting head, tube, supports.
Precise cutting on a laser-cut tube is the result of perfect synchrony, not only of the moving elements within the machine, but also with respect to the programming software for laser tube cutting machines.

Elements to consider

The power of the laser

While the world of sheet metal laser cutting is seeing a steady increase of applied laser power in machines, this is not the case for tube and metal profile laser cutting machines. Why?

Increasing the power of the laser helps to process tubes with greater thicknesses, especially when assist gases such as nitrogen or compressed air are used, but it involves a fundamental problem: the opposite side of the wall. If the power is increased for too long or too powerful a laser source is used, it can damage the wall opposite the one I am cutting, going to puncture or ruin the material on the other side. In the tube therefore, power control becomes a decisive factor in achieving quality processing.

Lasertube adjusts laser power for quality machining
Laser cut sheet metal


The effect of heat

Although laser cutting has a rather limited heat affected zone (HAZ in jargon), heat tends to concentrate on the surface of the tube-especially on the edges of particular profiles-with consequences on the quality of processing: material distortion, inaccurate or interrupted cuts. Tube laser cutting machines (Lasertubes) can avoid these defects by skillfully controlling the cutting parameters during processing, thanks to Active Tools.

Laser tube machine support elements


Parts in motion

When performing sheet metal laser cutting, the material is placed on a bed and the cutting head releases a steady stream of power. In this case, the only moving element is the cutting head.
In laser tube cutting machines, there are several moving elements: the tube, mandrel, steady rest, cutting head and supports. All of these elements must be in perfect synchrony so the tube can move back and forth and rotate during processing.