To laser cut shapes in sheets of steel, it is necessary to lead-in from an area of waste, move around the profile in one continuous path and lead-out into an area of waste. This is to prevent damage to the finished section of steel. The following picture shows an example of a straight line lead-in (going into the left-hand line) and an arc lead-in (inside the circle).
It is also necessary to ensure the laser tool head does not move over any previously cut sections of steel to prevent damage to the tool head.
The aim of this tool is to allow users to more easily optimise the output for cutting steel.
When the tool starts the current drawing is loaded into a separate form, and all operations are performed from within this form.