Air Assist
Last update: 2019-08-13
The Air Assist is a nozzle from which
air is blown onto the place where the laser beam hits the
workpiece. Its purpose is threefold: prevent bad fumes form the
cutting locaton to contaminate the focussing lens, to blow away
fumes which might absorb the laser light, and it functions as a
fire extinguisher.
To do its job effectively the tip of the nozzle should be just a
few mm above the focussing point. This might become a problem when
thick materials are to be cutted.
When there is to little air flow / pressure it might work
adversely as an oxigen supply, intensifiying fire.
We were advised to make the airflow adjustable, as different
materials and cutting speeds / intensities may demand for
different airflows.
[photo of nozzle with tubes]
The air(pressure) is applied by the left tube, the second tube
goes to a pressure detector recovered from a discarded washing
machine, where these things are used to detect the water-fill
level. If there is not a minimum of air pressure a job cannot be
started.