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Laser cutting tungsten

Well it cut pretty uneventfully with a lower feedrate and general SS settings. A problem with thin tungsten sheets in general is their laminated construction and possibility of delaminating at the edges.
 
Interesting. What are the other layers in the lamination? We've waterjetted solid tungsten fine although it's relatively slow.
 
Interesting. What are the other layers in the lamination? We've waterjetted solid tungsten fine although it's relatively slow.

In my experience, thin tungsten sheet is laminated with layers or about .001" or .002". I don't if it's all like that or just what I've worked with which has been .005-.05".
I am planning to try waterjetting it next but am a bit worried about delamination. Laser cutting works and may be beneficial for sealing the layers but leaves a bit of dross. Maybe experience could solve that.
 
Waterjetting laminates is generally fine provided you can start the jet off the edge of the material, come in and cut around the part and end without having to piece the material. Or if you do it needs to be in a large hole which will be bigger than the delamination area. This method generally works but means you often can't cut smaller holes. I just did his with 1/16" carbon fibre sheet and made a separate metal template to drill mounting holes.
 
In my experience, thin tungsten sheet is laminated with layers or about .001" or .002". I don't if it's all like that or just what I've worked with which has been .005-.05".
I am planning to try waterjetting it next but am a bit worried about delamination. Laser cutting works and may be beneficial for sealing the layers but leaves a bit of dross. Maybe experience could solve that.

Is it actually “laminated” in the manufacturing, or does it exhibit delamination
As an artifact of the processing it went through?
 
Is it actually “laminated” in the manufacturing, or does it exhibit delamination
As an artifact of the processing it went through?

I believe the lamination is done to improve ductility and that it's done by rolling a fine sinter at a moderate temperature. There are various methods to join the layers. Maybe the sheet I worked with was not the best. I saw delamination after the first laser cuts which had poorly suited parameters that were brutal.
I did put some effort into developing settings and the final result was the nicest, cleanest laser cut I've ever seen with no lamination at all. The laser heat also appears to have fused the laminate edge, I suspect that's shallow but it looks good.

I did also try Waterjet. With a 60k jet, some garnet and 2 ipm feedrate with no piercing, it left a ragged bottom edge that was fine delamination. There were also random delaminated spots in the middle.
I wouldn't consider that as ruling WJ out definitively. I only made a single attempt with no development, there may be some tricks to try and I may have sub-standard material, it was purchased on Amazon.
 
iam trying to cut .25 aluminum with a hypertherm 45 with enroute 6 software, so far , not cutting all the way through. could someone help with torch settings? thanks gilbert
 
iam trying to cut .25 aluminum with a hypertherm 45 with enroute 6 software, so far , not cutting all the way through. could someone help with torch settings? thanks gilbert
Start a new thread.....But first search the archives
 
iam trying to cut .25 aluminum with a hypertherm 45 with enroute 6 software, so far , not cutting all the way through. could someone help with torch settings? thanks gilbert

all units in inches:
.04 (we have 'dirty air' tho) height. pierce as high as possible, .175 or so, dwell long, really long, .7 seconds. I have note on my setting from over a year ago to run at 50 ipm at 38-40 amps. I see the hypertherm chart says run faster and hotter, but our 45 is on a tube coper and does not like over 55 ipm on cuts.
At least square tubing, round it can move.
 








 
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