Laser cut edge quality: ISO 9013 roughness class, perpendicularity check
Enter the thickness, the measured Rz5 roughness and the perpendicularity u and get a Range 1 to 4 class under ISO 9013 for roughness and whether perpendicularity is within Range 1. Pick the defect you see on the cut and get a likely cause and a correction.
Opens without an account 3 times a day. A free account removes the limit.
- Rz5 and utwo measured numbers
- Range 1 to 4roughness class
- 6 defectswith a likely cause and a correction
- 15 rulespublished values, built into the tool
What ISO 9013 means for laser cut edge quality
The laser cut edge quality tool from EduFacturing is a free online tool that reads the result after cutting: it compares measured Rz5 roughness and perpendicularity u with the ISO 9013 thresholds. For roughness it gives a Range 1 to 4 class, and for perpendicularity it says whether it is within Range 1 or above it. There is also a defect diagnosis.
The two numbers are different properties: roughness Rz5 is the relief of the surface, and perpendicularity u is how far the edge departs from a right angle. Both thresholds grow with thickness, so the same value is in a better class on a thicker sheet. The calculations run in the browser.
ISO 9013 quality classes: Range 1 to 4
Classifies roughness
Rz5 in µm is compared with four ISO 9013 thresholds that grow with thickness. The result is Range 1 to 4 or “beyond the classification”.
Compares perpendicularity with Range 1
The measured u is compared with the threshold 0.05 + 0.003 · thickness, and the tool shows by how much it is above it.
Finds the likely cause of a defect
Six defects, from a rough edge to an incomplete cut, are tied to the gas, the speed, the focus, the thickness and, optionally, the measured pressure.
Checks gas, focus and thickness
It shows the effect of the gas on the edge, a recommended focus, the target pressure and whether the thickness is within the practical ceiling.
When to check laser cutting tolerance: parts and quotes
An argument about edge quality is easier with two measured numbers and a standard, not with two edges on a desk.
Accepting parts
The customer and the shop measure Rz5 and u and compare them with the ISO 9013 thresholds instead of arguing about appearance.
Laser operator: dross, a burnt edge, an incomplete cut
Pick the defect and get a cause from the gas, the speed and the focus. A measured pressure is checked directly.
Process planner before a quote
See which class is realistic for the thickness of the sheet.
How an ISO 9013 class is calculated from thickness
The tool calculates thresholds from the thickness, compares your measured number with them and ranks the defect by the cutting conditions.
Thresholds by thickness
From the thickness t it works out the four Rz5 thresholds and the u threshold. Outside the ISO 9013 scope for lasers, 0.5 to 32 mm, the class is indicative.
Class
Rz5 falls into the first class whose threshold it does not exceed; above Range 4 it is “beyond the classification”. Perpendicularity is only within Range 1 or above it, because the core carries only that formula.
| Applies to | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Roughness Rz5, four thresholds | Range 1: 10 + 0.6 · t; Range 2: 40 + 0.8 · t; Range 3: 70 + 1.2 · t; Range 4: 110 + 1.8 · t | in µm, t is the thickness in mm; at 10 mm the thresholds are 16, 48, 82 and 128 µm |
| Perpendicularity u, Range 1 | u = 0.05 + 0.003 · t | in mm; at 6 mm the threshold is 0.068 mm |
| Gas pressure | oxygen 0.5 to 2 bar; nitrogen at least 10 bar | oxygen only for carbon steel, nitrogen only for stainless; other combinations have no value |
| Practical ceiling | carbon steel 25, stainless 20, aluminium 10 | in mm; the ceiling of one European job shop, not a general limit; a 4 kW CO2 laser up to 20 mm for steel |
| Realistic class | up to 3 mm: Range 1 to 2; up to 12 mm: Range 2 to 3; above 12 mm: Range 3 to 4 | a guide from job shop practice, not a rule |
Reference
Laser cut quality: tolerances, HAZ and assist gas
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| dimensional_tolerance_general <0.5 mm | 0.1 | mm |
| dimensional_tolerance_general 0.5-3 mm | 0.1 | mm |
| dimensional_tolerance_general 3-6 mm | 0.2 | mm |
| dimensional_tolerance_general 6-30 mm | 0.3 | mm |
| dimensional_tolerance_general 30-120 mm | 0.5 | mm |
| dimensional_tolerance_general 120-400 mm | 0.8 | mm |
| dimensional_tolerance_general 400-1000 mm | 1.2 | mm |
| haz_comparative fiber-laser mm | [0.1, 0.4] | mm |
| haz_comparative plasma mm | [0.5, 2.0] | mm |
| haz_comparative oxyfuel mm | [1.0, 5.0] | mm |
| assist_gas_edge_quality_lookup oxygen mm | "oxidized dark edge" | |
| assist_gas_edge_quality_lookup nitrogen mm | "clean bright weld ready edge" | |
| assist_gas_edge_quality_lookup compressed_air mm | "lightly oxidized edge" | |
| perpendicularity iso9013 range1 | 0.05 + 0.003 * thickness mm | mm |
| iso9013 scope thickness range | 0.5 .. 32 | mm |
Tolerances per ISO 2768-1 class m; heat-affected zone; perpendicularity per ISO 9013.
Laser cutting quality check: two numbers, two thresholds
Dross is not automatically blamed on pressure
If the measured pressure is in range, the diagnosis points to speed, the nozzle and the stand-off.
Says what is not covered
Taper along the height of the cut is not calculated, because the core has no formula for it, and for combinations with no published pressure there is no value.
The tool does not replace a test cut on your machine: two machines of one class with the same settings can give different quality because of the optics. It does not calculate regimes.
The Rz5 table is recorded in the core under the tag “plasma”. The class limits are general to ISO 9013, but they do not show what a laser achieves. The realistic class by thickness is a guide from practice, not a rule.
Questions about ISO 9013, roughness and perpendicularity
What is ISO 9013?
A standard whose thresholds classify the quality of a cut edge. The tool uses its thresholds for roughness Rz5 and perpendicularity u, which grow with thickness.
What is the difference between perpendicularity and roughness?
Perpendicularity u is how far the edge departs from a right angle through the whole thickness, and roughness Rz5 is the relief of the surface. An edge can be good on one and poor on the other.
What is Rz5 roughness?
The relief of the surface of the edge, in µm. The tool compares it with four thresholds by thickness and gives a Range 1 to 4 class.
How is the ISO 9013 roughness threshold calculated?
Four thresholds by thickness t in mm: 10 + 0.6 · t, 40 + 0.8 · t, 70 + 1.2 · t and 110 + 1.8 · t, in µm. At 10 mm that is 16, 48, 82 and 128 µm.
Where does dross on the bottom edge come from?
Molten metal stuck underneath. The tool ties it to a speed that is too low or a pressure below the norm: 0.5 to 2 bar for oxygen, at least 10 bar for nitrogen.
Is the ISO 9013 laser cut quality check free?
Yes. Without an account it opens 3 times a day, and with a free account there is no limit. Pro is not needed.
The laser cut edge quality checker is free. Pro opens the rest
Pro costs 15 EUR a month and opens 45 Pro tools.
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Check your edge with a number
Opens without an account 3 times a day. A free account removes the limit.