Development history of laser cutting technology in the leather industry

Leather is a high-quality material that has been used for centuries. Leather has been used for many purposes throughout history, but also exists in modern manufacturing processes. Laser cutting is one of the many ways to produce leather designs. Leather has proven to be a good medium for laser cutting and engraving. This article introduces a non-contact, fast, and high-precision leather cutting laser system.

With the progress of society and the development of science and technology, the application of leather products is becoming more and more extensive. Leather products play an indispensable role in daily life, such as clothing, shoes, bags, wallets, gloves, sandals, leather hats, belts, watch straps, leather pads, car seats, and steering wheel covers. Leather products are creating unlimited business value.

Increasing Popularity of Laser Cutting

In recent years, due to the widespread application and popularity of lasers, the use of leather laser cutting machines has also emerged at this time. High-energy, high-power density carbon dioxide (CO2) laser beams can process leather quickly, efficiently and continuously. Laser cutting machines use digital and automated technologies to provide the leather industry with the ability to hollow out, engrave and cut.

The advantages of using CO2 laser cutting machines in the leather industry are obvious. Compared with traditional cutting methods, laser cutting has the advantages of low cost, low consumption, no mechanical pressure on the workpiece, high precision and high speed. Laser cutting also has the advantages of safe operation, simple maintenance and continuous processing.

Working principle of laser cutting

The CO2 laser beam is focused into a small spot, so that the focus reaches a high power density, and the photon energy is quickly converted into heat energy to reach the vaporization degree to form a hole. As the beam moves across the material, the hole continuously creates a narrow cutting slit. This cutting slit is little affected by waste heat, so there is no deformation of the workpiece.

The size of leather cut by laser is consistent and accurate, and the cutting can be any complex shape. Using computer graphics to design patterns can achieve high efficiency and low cost. Due to this combination of laser and computer technology, users can design on the computer to achieve laser engraving output and change the engraving at any time.

A customer manager of a shoe factory abroad in Lai Sai said that the company used to use mold knives to cut shoe molds and engrave patterns, and each style required a different mold. The operation was very complicated and could not handle small and complex pattern designs. Since purchasing a laser cutting machine from Wuhan Jinguan Laser Co., Ltd., laser cutting has completely replaced manual cutting. Now, the leather shoes produced by laser cutting machines are more refined and beautiful, and the quality and craftsmanship have also been greatly improved. At the same time, it has greatly improved production efficiency, which is particularly suitable for the production of small batch orders or sometimes customized products.

The leather industry is undergoing a technological revolution. The dedicated laser leather cutting machine breaks the low speed and typesetting difficulties of traditional manual and electric shearing machines, and comprehensively solves the problems of low efficiency and material waste. In contrast, the laser cutting machine is fast and easy to operate. You only need to enter the graphics and dimensions into the computer. The laser cutting machine cuts the entire material into a finished product without tools and molds. Using laser cutting to achieve non-contact processing is simple and fast.

CO2 laser cutting machines can perfectly cut leather, synthetic leather, polyurethane (PU) leather, artificial leather, suede, napped leather, microfiber, etc.

Laser Cutting Machine has achieved a wide range of applications. CO2 lasers can cut and engrave textiles, leather, plexiglass, wood, MDF, and other non-metallic materials. In terms of shoe materials, the precision of laser cutting machines makes it easier to make complex designs than manual cutting. Since the laser evaporates and burns the material for cutting, smoke is inevitable, so the machine needs to be placed in a well-ventilated area and equipped with a dedicated exhaust system.