Stainless steel issues

[ant42onia]

I am using a 1000W Mazak, and we just got an order for some 10ga stainless steel parts. We usually get them done outside, but now we want to do them ourselves. The problem is that stainless comes out looking horible off our laser. I have a 5" lens, a leaky assist gas system, and the company will not pay to get the resonator mode checked out, or for any service or training.

Our outside source does these parts perfectly on a laser, so natrualy we should be able to do them too - or so thinks our salesman!

What can I tell them? Can we do clean cuts on thick stainless with some work, or should we stick to where we are better aquanted?

Thanks

 

[msandoval]

It is going to be difficult to cut 10 GA Stainless on your 1.0 Kw Mazak, not impossible. The main thing you need to do is to put the focus at the bottom of the material and use a 2 to 3 mm nozzle diameter so you can get more volume through it. Try a nozzle gap of about 0.012" to 0.030". Try a feedrate of about 40"/min and work your way up.

It is going to run painfully slow though. If you had an extra 500 Watts of Power we wouldn't have this discussion. I would suggest to have them done outside.

Good Luck to you with that salesman, sounds like an ignorant one.

 

[laserman16]

msandoval is on the money. Be sure to get the point across to your mgmt team that by having a proactive maintenance program will, in the end, allow them to produce at a more consistant level and at a more profitable rate as well.

Try to find yourself a power probe, or someone you know, who may have a power probe to test your laser output. This might be useful in getting your manager to realize the need for service.