Which assist gas do you need?
What is the best supply mode?
How much gas do you need?
Do you need resonator gas?
Let us guide you through the various considerations.
ASSIST GAS (or cutting gas) is a jet of gas that effectively blows away the molten material to create the cut. A clean cut requires high purity gas. The gas will often need to be delivered at a high pressure and at a set flow rate. These parameters will be determined by your specific laser model.
NITROGEN is used for most cutting applications – in particular stainless steel and aluminium. The material is heated to melting temperature by the laser beam and the nitrogen gas blows out the melt to create the cut and cools to prevent oxidisation. We have market-leading nitrogen supply modes to maximise productivity: the largest capacity cylinder packs in the industry and our high pressure liquid supply which eliminates all downtime when refilling.
OXYGEN is used for cutting unalloyed or low alloyed mild/carbon steels whereby the material is heated to ignition temperature by the laser beam and burned in an oxygen jet. Pressure, the shape of the cutting jet and gas purity determine cut quality and cutting speed. We offer oxygen in various purities and a full range of supply modes to tailor the supply to your specific requirements.
A common question asked is “how much gas will I require?“. This answer is a function of nozzle size, material, material thickness, machine speed, flow rate and uptime.
Your laser manufacturer can provide the necessary data points. However, if you would like a more detailed calculation please contact us and ask for a free laser gas consumption consultation.
Regardless of the size of your laser operation, we always recommend to start with cylinder packs for assist gas. Cylinder packs (also known as manifolded pallets) are multiple cylinders connected with a dual outlet. We have some of the largest volume 300 bar packs in the industry with 40% more gas than conventional cylinder packs offering significant operational cost benefits via increased uptime and reduced handling.
If your operation is large enough to benefit from a liquid supply, we will be able to size and specify your tank more accurately based on the running data from cylinder packs. We can then ensure a seamless transition to liquid. Some customers also retain a small volume of packs as a back-up to liquid or gas generation supply.
Why should I consider switching to CryoEase® service
The high pressure CryoEase® tank and delivery service combination means that you never need to shut down production to refill your gas tank; meaning maximum output. It also means that you never run out of gas, as we monitor your usage and schedule refilling automatically.