● The compressed air needs to dry so that it doesn’t have water and oil which will
damage the protective lens and laser head.
● The quality and quantity of the compressed air has a direct effect on the cutting
results.
Advantages:
● Much cheaper than pure oxygen/ nitrogen.
○ Initial purchase cost may be higher, but in the long term operation, it will be
much cheaper.
● Has a combination of ~20% oxygen and ~70% nitrogen, which makes it have a bit of
the benefits of both gases in cutting.
● More readily available
●
Dis-advantages:
● Cutting speeds much lower than with pure oxygen
● A lot more after-work to smoothen the material is needed after cutting
● Mainly for cutting thin metal pieces
Air-Compressor Requirements:
● Must have a good drying unit to reduce moisture.
● Due point of the post treated air must be ~2-5 Degrees Celsius/ oil content
<=0.001ppm/ Particulate content<= 0.01micrometers
● Compressor should be returned to room temperature after drying.
● Piston air compressors are easier to obtain high pressure, but however too noisy,
have more consumables and exhaust oil isn’t well handled, so they aren’t normally
recommended for anything less than 1.6MPa
● For anything beyond 1.6MPa, use Screw compressors with select refrigeration dryers
and precision filters.
Compressor maintenance tips:
● Drain the air filters daily and check if the auto-draining is properly functioning.
● Check voltage, current and oil levels for normalcy.
● Check for oil leaks inside the piping
● Radiators and air filters must be cleaned weekly to avoid high temperature and air
filter blockages
● Clean the strainer and valve core monthly to avoid clogging
BY NGONI CHIBVONGODZE
