| • |
Low
heat input to the work piece, hence low distortion or
warping of the cut components |
| • |
Very
thin (as thin as 0.025mm / .001") and flexible
materials can be cut without distortion |
| • |
Cut
edges are relatively smooth and approximately perpendicular
to the surface and frequently need no further shaping or
cleaning prior to further fabrication |
| • |
Because
of narrow kerf width and heat-affected zones, patterns
can be closely nested, resulting in material savings |
| • |
The
process is easily automated and can be interfaced other
automatic equipment |
| • |
Limited
fixturing is required for many cutting jobs |
| • |
There
is no tool wear as in cutting with a saw milling tool
or punch press operation |
| • |
Tool
changes are "soft" software changes rather
then hardware changes as in the use of punches and dies,
for example |
| • |
"Blind" or
partial cuts can be made in some materials, particularly
those with volatilized such as
wood and acrylic, resulting in decoration patterns |
| • |
Difficult-to-cut
materials, including very soft material, such as foam
rubber, and very hard material, such as ceramics,
can be cut |
| • |
Composites
can be cut without tearing of edges |
| • |
There
is considerably less noise than in water jet or plasma
cutting |
