Differences and properties between Plasma cutting and laser cutting

In the field of metal processing, Plasma Cutting and laser cutting are currently the two most widely used thermal cutting technologies. There are significant differences between them in terms of cutting principles, accuracy, cost and application scenarios.

1. Differences in cutting principles

Plasma cutting principle:
Plasma cutting is a processing method that uses the heat of the high-temperature plasma arc to locally melt the metal at the cutting edge of the workpiece, and then uses the momentum of the plasma to expel the molten metal to form the cutting edge. The core of this technology is to create a high-temperature plasma arc of 15,000 - 30,000 degrees Celsius by ionizing the gas, concentrating the energy, and making it suitable for penetrating metal materials.

Laser cutting principle:
Laser cutting involves focusing the laser beam emitted by the laser device through the optical path system into a high-power-density laser beam. This beam is then directed at the surface of the workpiece, causing the material to melt or vaporize instantly. Simultaneously, a high-pressure gas coaxial with the laser beam is used to blow away the molten material, thereby achieving the cutting process. It is a non-contact processing method. The beam diameter can be focused to the micrometer level, making it suitable for high-precision and fine processing.

2. Core performance parameters: