Piping Hot: The Advantages Of Having Plumbing Piping Cut With CNC Laser Cutting Machines
Posted on: 13 October 2017
When it comes to cutting pipes for commercial, residential or industrial water plumbing, precision is the name of the game, and any mistakes make during the cutting process can lead to persistent leaks, improper fittings and other expensive problems. As such, anybody who deals in piping used for plumbing needs to ensure that their pipes are cut as accurately as physically possible, and it's hard to beat the inhuman precision of a computer-controlled laser cutting machine.
CNC laser cutting has a number of advantages that can benefit plumbing operations both large and small, especially when compared to traditional, manual cutting techniques. Here are just some of them:
Precision
The sophisticated software programs that control CNC laser cutting machines are capable of a level of precision far beyond that of any human operator, and you can be assured that the dimensions you require will be adhered to exactly during the cutting process. This makes laser cutting particularly well suited for pipes which will be used in high pressure plumbing applications, where even the slightest discrepancy can lead to structural weakness and pipe failure.
Consistency
CNC laser cutters also have the jump on manual cutting methods when it comes to consistency; whether you order two or two thousand pipes to be cut to length, they will be cut to identical dimensions every time. Many modern laser cutters do not even require human supervision while cutting takes place, so pipes can be cut for you 24 hours a day without any drop in quality of workmanship.
High turnover
As you can imagine, this inhuman endurance also means that the pipes you need cutting can be cut quickly. Smaller cutting orders can, in some cases, be performed overnight, ensuring that you always have the pipes you need when you need them.
Minimal loss of strength
Cutting a pre-formed pipe to length naturally diminishes the pipe's structural integrity somewhat, but this loss of strength is minimised by laser cutting. No physical force is applied to the pipe at any point, so you don't have to worry about imperceptible deformations ruining tight joints and elbow fittings.
Minimal waste
The high-intensity laser beams used by laser cutting to cut piping are incredibly thin and remove a very small amount of material, even when used to cut large diameter piping. This minimises the amount of piping lost during the cutting process, allowing you to conserve valuable materials and reduce your business overheads.
Environmentally friendly
Despite the intensity and power of laser cutting machines, they are relatively environmentally friendly due to the miniscule amount of waste material they produce. This places them in stark contrast to their main rival, waterjet cutting machines, which require large amounts of water, non-reusable cutting media and other resources to function. Choosing laser cutting can therefore be an excellent way to keep your plumbing business's carbon footprint as low as possible.
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