Advantages of laser cutting with nitrogen assistance
Laser cutting is an efficient and precision machining modality that is often used in metals, plastics and other different materials. Nitrogen, as an inert gas, plays a very important role in the laser cutting process. Injection of high-purity nitrogen creates an air-isolated protective environment around the cut point, which avoids the reaction of the material with oxygen resulting in oxidation or yellowing. This action maintains the finish and smoothness of the edge after cutting, and is particularly suitable for processing stainless steel or aluminum alloy materials with high surface quality requirements.
At the same time, nitrogen increases cutting efficiency and processing speed. Since nitrogen has no chemical reaction, the laser energy is mainly used to melt the vaporized material itself during cutting, without bringing additional heat due to the oxidation reaction, making the cutting process more focused and efficient. Thus, the use of nitrogen allows for faster cutting rates and easier control of cutting conditions. In summary, the advantages of nitrogen as an auxiliary gas mainly include:
- Anti-Oxidation: Isolates oxygen molecules in the air, ensuring the cut surface remains free from oxide layers, burn marks, or contamination — preserving the metal’s natural color.
- Improved cutting speed: Inert nitrogen has no combustion booster effect, and laser energy is concentrated on the material for faster cutting.
- High-quality incision: Nitrogen cooling and slag purging reduce thermal deformation and slag adhesion, resulting in a smooth, delicate and burr-free incision.
- Wide range of applications: Nitrogen is suitable for cutting a variety of metal materials (stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, titanium, etc.) without chemical reaction restrictions, enabling diversified processing.
High-purity nitrogen ensures cutting quality
Laser cutting has high requirements for nitrogen purity, usually requiring a purity of more than 99.9%, and high-precision processes even reach 99.999%. Nitrogen with high purity can thoroughly insulate oxygen and avoid trace oxides affecting the incision quality. For example, when cutting tiny samples or precision devices in scientific research laboratories, the edges must be clean and free of oxidation, and any impurities can lead to reduced device performance. Therefore, nitrogen supply requires not only a stable flow rate but also long-term high purity, thereby ensuring cutting consistency and repeat accuracy.
At the same time, a stable supply of nitrogen is critical to production efficiency. Conventional use of liquid nitrogen or cylinders carries risks such as gas supply interruptions, delivery delays and pressure fluctuations, which are not conducive to continuous production and stable quality. In contrast, on-site nitrogen generators or air separation equipment can continuously generate high-purity nitrogen to meet the needs of 24-hour non-stop operation, ensuring that the cutting process will not cause product defects due to fluctuations in gas supply. A high-quality air separation system combined with a multi-stage dryer and purification device can further remove moisture, oil mist and particulate matter from nitrogen, making the purity of the output gas more reliable, providing a strong safeguard for high-precision cutting.
Nitrogen Generator and Cryogenic Air Separation: Stable Gas Supply Solution
Shenger Gas (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. offers diversified gas supply solutions for different scales of nitrogen demand. For small- and medium-yield laser cutting applications, PSA/VPSA nitrogen generators are the main choice. This type of nitrogen generator equipment is compact in size, flexible in deployment, capable of ready-to-use, quick start and stop. The PSA nitrogen generator independently developed by Shenger Gas can achieve a nitrogen purity level of 97% to 99.999%, and is equipped with PLC automated control and online monitoring system to ensure long-term stability of the pressure and purity of the output gas. The nitrogen production system combines a high-efficiency compressed air dryer and a fine filter, and the multi-stage gas purification process removes almost all impurities from the air, making the output nitrogen fully compliant with the demanding requirements of the laser cutting industry.
And for large-scale production or occasions where large liquid nitrogen supplies are needed, the deep-cooled air separation device that Shenger is good at plays a key role. The deep-cooled air separation uses cryogenic distillation technology to separate nitrogen and oxygen in the air, which can provide ultra-large flow, high purity nitrogen and liquid nitrogen. Due to its lower unit cost of energy consumption, it is particularly suitable for continuous and stable operation, which is widely used in large-scale steel, petrochemical and gas supply industries. The deep-cooled air separation system is equipped with high-efficiency heat exchangers, low-temperature refrigeration and liquid oxygen storage tanks, which not only produce high-purity gaseous nitrogen, but also produce liquid oxygen simultaneously to meet the needs of other processes. With its professional EPC engineering general contracting capabilities, Shenger Gas provides customers with a one-stop cryogenic air subdivision solution from design, manufacturing to installation and commissioning, ensuring the stable commissioning and safe operation of large-scale projects. https://www.instagram.com/shengerhk/
Technical strength of Shenger Gas (Hong Kong) Limited
Sheng Er Gas (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. is a trusted manufacturer of air separation equipment and a professional provider of gas solutions. For many years, the company has been dedicated to the R&D and production of core air separation systems, including a wide range of nitrogen generators, oxygen generators, cryogenic air separation units, dryers, and gas purification systems. With project experience from over 5,000 global industrial clients, Sheng Er Gas has built comprehensive engineering expertise and strong technical capability. Whether in automation control, quality management, or product reliability, the company strictly adheres to international standards and integrates top-tier components — such as compressors from globally recognized brands and long-life molecular sieves — to ensure superior performance and extended service life. In addition, Sheng Er Gas is supported by a team of professional engineers who can provide customized solutions according to customer requirements, along with comprehensive after-sales service and technical support to ensure worry-free operation for every client.
In the field of laser cutting applications, Sheng Er Gas provides precise gas supply solutions tailored to different laser machine models and material thicknesses. For instance, nitrogen generation systems designed for 1–6 kW laser cutters can deliver approximately 10–30 Nm³/h of nitrogen at 0.8–1.5 MPa. For larger systems exceeding 12 kW, Sheng Er Gas offers high-pressure nitrogen supply exceeding 100 Nm³/h at 2.5–3.0 MPa. Through accurate demand calculation and proper system configuration, Sheng Er Gas ensures that every production line maintains sufficient nitrogen flow and purity, resulting in more stable and reliable operation of laser cutting equipment.
Scientific research applications and actual cases
In scientific research and laboratory settings, laser cutting is commonly used for sample preparation and micro-nanostructure processing. The researchers required the nitrogen supply to have extremely high purity and absolute stability to avoid any effect of trace oxygen on the quality of precision cutting. For example, when preparing medical chips, microelectronic components, or advanced material samples, the use of the high-purity nitrogen-making system provided by Shenger Gas can ensure that the cutting edge is completely clean and free of oxidation, thereby improving the reliability and reproducibility of subsequent experiments or processes. Laboratory-grade PSA nitrogen making equipment is small in size, quick to start and stop, and facilitates deployment by scientific research institutions to supply nitrogen needed for laser cutters and other analytical instruments.
In industrial practical cases, some companies have also reflected a significant improvement in cutting accuracy after the introduction of a stable air supply solution. For example, an auto parts factory sustained a steady supply of high-purity nitrogen after adopting a PSA nitrogen generator installed by Shenger Gas when cutting stainless steel and aluminum alloy parts. Due to the constant and unfluctuated air source pressure, the cutter was able to run continuously at higher power, the resulting part cut smoothness improved, reducing the subsequent polishing process. Similarly, a precision machinery manufacturer generates liquid nitrogen using a deep-cooled air separation system from Shenger to support the cutting of oversized titanium alloy components. The stable and large supply of liquid nitrogen eliminates the need for intermittent cooling of the cutting process, avoids cut oxidation defects, and improves production efficiency and product precision. These examples amply demonstrate that: a stable and high-quality nitrogen supply can effectively improve the precision and consistency of the laser cutting process and significantly improve the overall production efficiency.
Overall, nitrogen provides irreplaceable technological advantages in the laser cutting industry: it enables faster, cleaner cutting with more stable cut quality while maintaining material properties. Equipping a stable and high-purity supply of nitrogen is key for any business or research organization pursuing high-quality, high-efficiency cutting. With its advanced nitrogen generator and cryogenic air separation technology, Shenger Gas (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. provides a full range of gas solutions to the laser cutting industry, while providing professional technical support to help customers achieve the most efficient and safe cutting results.
