High strength steel (HSS) and wear plate offer significant advantages over mild steels. However, when it comes to laser cutting, they behave exactly the same way. Both Hardox and Domex, from Swedish Steel AB (SSAB), meet all demands for laser cutting and can be processed with the same cutting parameters as unalloyed steel grades such as S235.
SSAB does not require special laser steel grades. All Hardox and Domex steels can be perfectly laser cut because of their consistent steel properties, low thickness tolerances, outstanding flatness and surface finish, as well as low alloy and optimised chemical composition. The high steel quality also allows for smaller radii and ensures accurate results when bending.
The experiences of Bystronic, a manufacturer of laser cutting machines also confirms this. Bystronic’s laser cutting systems reliably cut Hardox in thicknesses up to 20mm with excellent results. Even 25mm Hardox plates can be laser cut, however, the results depend to some extent on the contour and the surface of the material.