Laser Cutting Speed Optimizer
Optimize cutting speed for maximum efficiency while maintaining precision and quality
Cutting Parameters
Frequently Asked Questions
Expert guidance for laser cutting speed optimization from our engineering team
Cutting speeds vary dramatically with material thickness following an inverse relationship:
• Mild Steel: 1mm = 8,000-12,000 mm/min, 3mm = 2,000-4,000 mm/min, 6mm = 800-1,500 mm/min, 10mm = 300-600 mm/min
• Stainless Steel: Requires 20-30% slower speeds than mild steel
• Aluminum: Can handle 50-80% faster speeds than steel
Key adjustments: Higher laser power allows faster speeds, oxygen assist gas enables 30-50% faster cutting in steel, precision cuts need 15-25% speed reduction for optimal edge quality.
Assist gas selection dramatically affects optimal cutting speeds and quality:
• Oxygen Cutting (Steel): Enables reactive cutting with 30-50% higher speeds, optimal for 3-25mm thickness, requires 1-3 bar pressure
• Nitrogen Cutting (Stainless/Aluminum): Provides oxide-free cuts, requires 5-15 bar pressure, reduces speeds by 20-30% but eliminates post-processing
• Air Cutting: Cost-effective for thin materials (<3mm), provides moderate speeds, suitable for prototyping
• Argon Cutting: Essential for titanium and reactive materials, similar speeds to nitrogen but prevents oxidation
Speed-quality optimization depends on application requirements and material characteristics:
• High-Speed Cutting (Productivity Focus): Increase speed by 25-40% above optimal, accept Ra 3.2-6.3μm surface finish, suitable for rough cutting and internal features
• Balanced Cutting (Standard Production): Use calculated optimal speed, achieve Ra 1.6-3.2μm finish, minimal dross formation, good dimensional accuracy
• Quality Cutting (Precision Parts): Reduce speed by 15-25%, achieve Ra 0.8-1.6μm finish, excellent edge perpendicularity, minimal heat affected zone (HAZ)
Consider post-processing costs: High-speed cuts may require secondary operations that offset time savings.
Power density (power/beam area) is the critical parameter for speed optimization:
• Power Effects: Higher power enables proportionally faster speeds - doubling power can increase speed by 60-80% in thick materials
• Beam Diameter Effects: Smaller beams (0.1-0.15mm) provide higher power density for faster cutting but require precise focus control, larger beams (0.2-0.3mm) offer more process stability but lower speeds
Optimization Zones:
• 60-80% power utilization: Optimal speed-to-quality ratio
• >90% power: May cause excessive heat input and quality issues
• <50% power: Results in inefficient slow cutting
Beam quality (M²) significantly impacts efficiency: M² < 1.3 allows maximum speeds, M² > 2.0 requires 20-30% speed reduction.
Systematic troubleshooting approach for speed-related quality issues:
• Dross Formation (Excessive Speed): Reduce speed by 10-20%, increase assist gas pressure by 20-30%, verify focus position (±0.1mm accuracy)
• Incomplete Cuts (Insufficient Energy): Reduce speed by 15-25%, increase power if available, check for contaminated lenses, verify material thickness accuracy
• Rough/Wavy Edges (Wrong Speed Zone): Fine-tune speed ±5-10% around calculated optimum, adjust focus position ±0.05mm, optimize gas flow rate
• Burn Marks/Excessive HAZ (Too Slow): Increase speed by 10-15%, reduce power slightly, switch to nitrogen assist gas, improve material clamping
Always verify: Beam alignment, lens cleanliness, gas pressure stability, material flatness, and nozzle condition for optimal performance.