Laser Cutter Air Assist for Beginners

More often than not, people are starting to realize the importance of incorporating air assist in their laser cutters because it’s simple for beginners to install and it can save money in the long run!

Yes, even beginners should be looking into air assist. The sooner you have the air assist in your laser cutter, the better it is for your machine and your projects.

What is Air Assist?

Air assist is the act of blowing high-pressure air onto your workpiece, and there are different methods. Technically, blowing air with your mouth (though not recommended) counts as air assist.

Some laser cutters come with air assist built into them, but you have to add an air assist system yourself, utilizing a compressor, tubing, and a nozzle.

Summarized, air assist means blowing air onto the path of the laser to remove smoke and debris. Usually, a nozzle attached to the laser head blows air supplied from a large air compressor.

What if You Laser Cut Without Air Assist?

As your laser cuts, it produces debris and smoke from heat. While it may seem harmless, this can become very dangerous.

Debris can cause flare-ups as the laser cuts, introducing risk for fire.

The smoke has these 3 negative effects:

1. Smoke in the path of your laser will interfere with the energy of the beam, reducing the overall power, and causing inconsistencies.
2. A lot of smoke will build up residue on the laser optics (very bad) and everywhere else around the laser cutter.
3. Residue, chemicals, and discoloration can appear on your workpiece.

Benefits of Air Assist

There are many advantages of using air assist, from cut quality to safety.

Benefits include:

• Less cleaning.
• Laser optics won’t crack from residue buildup.
• Improved efficiency.
• Higher quality of work.
• Increased safety.

The greatest benefit, in my opinion, is that you don’t have to risk wasting money on replacing your laser from the damage that the smoke causes.

The only disadvantages are that the air compressors can be loud, cumbersome and expensive, and just another thing to maintain.

Other than that, there is no reason to not have an air assist!

What is the Compressor For?

The pump or air compressor is responsible for taking air and moving air to the nozzle. The air compressor squeezes the air and (pumps) the air to the nozzle.

The air compressor has 2 main functionalities:

1) Compressors are important for increasing the pressure (psi) of the air that is blown onto the cutting area. Without high pressure, you’ll struggle to remove debris from the laser. Think of it as allowing the air to have a stronger impact.

2) Good compressors will also produce a high flow rate (L/min). This means that there is a constant high volume of air being blown onto the cutting area, thus, blowing away lots of smoke. Think of this as the overall amount of air entering the space around your laser.

What is the Air Assist Nozzle?

The purpose of the nozzle is to direct the air directly into the path of the laser, where it will have the best effect.

There are two types of nozzles:

1. Air Assisted Laser Head (avoid if possible)

This type of nozzle is common but not recommended for air assist. This is because they require a lot more pressure to be effective, meaning you need a larger, louder compressor.

Even then, it points straight down at your workpiece, and won’t be effective at removing debris lodged into the cuts. The nozzle also tends to make the lense dirtier in a shorter amount of time.

If you bought a K-40 laser cutter, you probably have this and should look into replacing it ASAP. You can identify it by checking if your laser cutter has a nozzle where the laser path is.

2. Detached Air Assist Nozzle (recommended)

This type of nozzle is superior to the former because it delivers higher air pressure in a more concentrated area.

You can position it at a specific angle and just a couple of millimetres away from where your laser is cutting, having an impactful effect on the smoke and debris.

Another good thing about this type of nozzle is that you can 3D print it yourself! For more information on 3D printing, be sure to check out What is 3D Printing? The Manufacturing Revolution. 

Conclusion

If you’re reading this, firstly, you’ve made it to the end! Secondly, you’re probably a beginner or a first-time laser cutter owner, whereby, in that case, this may all seem a bit overwhelming! But for our more experienced readers, we know how important it is to install some form of air-assist before you’ve made 3 cuts as soon as possible!

While it may cost you a few extra bucks and more time to set up, the benefits and protection it offers make it absolutely essential. If you know anyone with a laser cutter without air assist, be sure to let them know right away and feel free to let us know which type of air assist you decide to use!