Aluminium has become a vital part of modern production technology since it delivers a whole host of benefits

Cutting aluminium with a laser – find out more

But what is aluminium actually and where does it come from? China is the largest manufacturer of aluminium, followed by Russia and Canada. Around 50 million tonnes of aluminium are manufactured every year globally. In Germany alone, around 1.4 million tonnes of aluminium are used in the production of motor vehicles and aircraft every year. That means that cutting aluminium is a major topic for manufacturing industry. This is because the low weight of the metal combined with its high strength makes it an ideal material. For example, an aluminium component weighs around half of the same component made of steel. Lightweight construction means lower fuel consumption during the service life of vehicles. On average around 150 kilograms of aluminium are used in a car – on large cars this extends to up to 600 kilograms per vehicle. After oxygen and silicium, aluminium is the third most common element and is the most common metal found in the earth’s crust. Cutting aluminium with a laser is fast, cost-effective and precise.

Cutting aluminium, casting or rolling it

There are many ways of processing aluminium and giving it a wide range of shapes. For example, the liquid metal is pressed into steel moulds under high pressure in aluminium die casting. This method can be used to produce very fine detail structures – even for thin products. Die cast aluminium products can be used wherever high strength, corrosion protection, high heat stress resistance or good conductivity is required. Cutting aluminium is a topic whenever the material has to be shaped quickly and at low cost. For example, caps for the food industry are cut from thinly rolled aluminium foils. Cutting Aluminium is also necessary for drinks cans and packaging for ready meals which are then shaped using a deep drawing process.

Do you need a system for cutting aluminium? Write to us and we will be delighted to advise you about which method and which system will be best suited to your application. Send your mail to info@gkteso.de.