Laser Parameters for 304 Stainless Steel

The guide covers the core parameters of laser processing, including power, speed, and frequency.The company has analyzed the laser parameters for different thicknesses of material, allowing operators to reduce slag, improve cutting precision, and reduce wear on equipment.This book is suitable for laser surgery novices and technicians to refer to.

Why is the composition of 304 stainless steel so important?

We all know that laser cutting of 304 stainless steel is prone to slag and oxidation discoloration, and if the parameters are not set correctly, the nozzle can even be burned out.In particular, if the thickness of the board is changed, the original parameters will no longer work.The key is to get the power, speed and gas mix right.

The parameters for different thicknesses of board.

How to adjust for 1-3 millimeters of sheet thickness.

Thin plates are most afraid of heat buildup, so the power should be set between 800 and 1200 watts, and the speed can be raised to 12-20 meters per minute.Don't be stingy with the nitrogen pressure, which should be at least 12 bar. This is enough to blow out the slag.The focus must be about 0.2 mm below the surface, otherwise the edges will curl up.

A combination of parameters for medium-thick plates 5-8mm.

At this point, the power has to be increased to 1500-2000 watts, and the speed slowed to between 6 and 10 meters per minute.In fact, oxygen is more suitable than nitrogen, and the pressure should be kept at 5-8 bars.There's a little trick: if you adjust the pulse frequency to around 500 Hz, you can reduce the angle of the cut by 40 %.

Avoid three common pitfalls.

Parameters were simply borrowed from other materials.

Last week, one of our old customers used the parameters for carbon steel to cut 304, and the nozzle was clogged after half an hour.304 has a low thermal conductivity, so the peak power must be reduced and the duty cycle set to 70-80 % for safety.

Ignoring environmental temperature.

When the temperature in the workshop exceeds 35 ° C, remember to turn the power down 5 %.If the laser becomes overheated, it can cause the output to become unstable, and when cutting 8 mm thick plate, it is particularly easy to leave a tail of slag.

The pressure gauge was set too low.

Don't think that the higher the air pressure the better.In fact, for boards less than 10 mm thick, pressures above 15 bar will disrupt the flow of the molten pool.

Dynamic adjustment techniques in practice.

If the cut edges are yellow, don't panic, it's probably just because the oxygen purity was not high enough.When this happens, you either have to change the gas cylinder or try increasing the cutting speed by 5 %.If the cross-section shows horizontal lines, the operator should immediately check whether the guide rails are worn out. In nine cases out of ten, the problem is mechanical and has little to do with the parameters.

Finally, we would like to remind everyone that during the first 20 hours of operation the power should be kept at 10 % below the rated value.After the lens and nozzle were completely joined, they were gradually adjusted to their optimum condition.The parameter chart can be posted next to the equipment, but don't be too rigid about the figures. The best way is to observe the state of the cut.