Between the 1880s and up to the 1950s, the world saw tremendous growth in machining technologies, which, in turn, have made many of mankind’s greatest technical achievements possible. These include the dawn of the era of engines and motors, the mass production of goods, the vertical growth of urban environments, and air and space travel.

Naturally, these highlights of the Machine Age and the Technological Revolution would not have been easy were it not for the establishment of the machining tools industry. In fact, many of the products of humanity’s cunning and imagination have only come into existence because of the many machines we use to cut, plane, shape, mill, grind, and drill them into reality.

In the year 1965, a novel variant of machining tool was invented, and it would forever change how we machine products in the modern world. This procedure is laser processing, and as the name suggests, it uses focused laser beams in order to perform many different machining functions that were traditionally performed by conventional machining tools. And as will be explained later on in the article, some of these machining processes were as novel as the method itself, only becoming possible because of the power of laser beams.

If adopting laser machining is something that you’ve been considering for your company’s manufacturing endeavors, you’ve come to the right site. In this short guide, we’ll fill you in on some of the basic laser machining procedures that you can employ for different machining applications.

Laser cutting

Traditionally the only cutting machine tools that were available to manufacturers and individual hobbyists alike were machines with cutting implements like saws. These typically required very tough cutting components since many manufacturers worked with materials that were very hard as well. This is why the cutting implements are usually made using materials like cemented carbide and even diamonds.

This all changed when laser cutting machines became available for manufacturers to use. Typically, a high-powered laser beam is deployed through optics mounted on precision linear XY stages. Guided by controls programmed into a computer, the laser is delivered where it is needed, melting or burning away the material to make very accurate cuts down to micron levels. This high level of accuracy and precision is prized by enterprises that manufacture mission-critical or sensitive components, such as those used in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, and semiconductor industries.

Laser engraving

The mechanism by which the laser beam is deployed in laser engraving is almost the same as in laser cutting, but instead of cutting the workpiece completely, the laser is employed only to burn a cavity on the surface of the material, whether it’s wood, metal, plastic, or glass. The portion that is burned is vaporized completely. Anything from letters and numbers to logos and images can be laser engraved on different types of surfaces, which is ideal if you require engraving serial numbers or your brand identity onto the products you are manufacturing. Since the markings can be as deep as 1/10 of an inch, they will never degrade or chip off like painted or printed images.

Laser etching

Laser etching is similar to laser engraving, but instead of completely vaporizing the portion of the surface being burned, it is melted so that a raised marking is created instead. Laser etching can be performed on various types of metal, plastic, and even ceramic surfaces.

Laser drilling

As you may have guessed, laser drilling is the process of creating holes of various sizes on different types of workpieces. The process is referred to as through drilling if a complete hole is created through the entire width of the material, and it is called non-through drilling” if the material is only partly ablated.

With laser drilling, a manufacturer can create small holes through processes like single-shot drilling (single laser beam) or percussion laser drilling (short, repeated bursts). However, the laser can also be moved around the circumference of a larger circle if a bigger hole is desired. This latter process is known as trepanning.

Laser marking

Laser marking works by applying low heat on the surface of the workpiece using a laser beam, causing a thermo-chemical reaction that slightly changes the material without upsetting, moving, or displacing it. The surface is simply oxidized, causing it to change color and creating a contrast to the rest of the material.

Because it is a minimally disruptive laser processing procedure, laser marking is ideal when you want to create marks that can’t be felt by touch. They’re also good for creating marks on components that are safety critical and whose performance might be affected if a more aggressive machining or laser marking procedure is performed.

Laser processing is an amazing machining technology that is allowing many manufacturers to cut and mark workpieces in ways that would have been virtually impossible several decades ago. Which among the procedures discussed above best suits your needs?