Laser cutting is an extremely efficient and accurate method of custom steel manufacture. While glorified in the media, lasers and laser cutting is actually an extremely scientific and methodical industrial procedure used to minimise man-hours and maximize quality.
Laser cutting is used right here in Ontario in both steel fabrication and custom metal fabrication. At Rider Tool and Manufacturing Co., we are professionals at using laser cutting to ensure our metal fabrication is perfect. As such we have written a short informative guide to how laser cutting works:
Laser Cutting
What is a laser? A laser is a highly focused beam of light. It is comprised of a single wavelength (or colour). “LASER” is actually an acronym which stands for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”.
In metal fabrication plants, the laser cutters in use are Infra-Red lasers, making them invisible to the human eye. These lasers are guided in the machine by any number of mirrors, before being focused through a specially designed focusing lens. The beam is originally only ¾ of an inch wide, but the focusing lens reduces it even further to a pinpoint size. This has the exact same effect as focussing sunlight through a magnifying glass – only hundreds of times more powerful.
The ‘focal point’ of the laser is the point at which the laser beam is most narrowed and most intense. This point is aimed at the cutting surface, producing heat that is intense enough to instantly melt and in some cases, vaporise the work material instantly.
This laser head is controlled by a CNC machine, ensuring that every cut is perfect and no human lives are placed in unnecessary danger.
Rider Tool and Manufacturing Co.
Rider Tool and Manufacturing Co. is a machinist company that has been in the business for over 45 years. We specialize in manufacturing for the oil, steel, cement and mining industries, but we are able to do any kind of metal fabrication. For more information about metal fabrication, machining or mechanical engineering, contact us today.