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Edge Taper
The slight angular deviation from a true 90-degree cut edge caused by the conical shape of the focused laser beam. Edge taper is more noticeable in thicker materials and can be minimized by optimizing focal position and cutting parameters.
A laser beam is not perfectly cylindrical; it naturally converges to a tight focus point and then diverges, creating a cone-shaped cutting profile that gets wider as it penetrates deeper into the material. This geometry means the top of your cut is narrower than the bottom, producing the angular edge deviation we call edge taper.
Thicker materials exhibit more noticeable taper because the beam has to travel further through the material at an increasingly wider diameter, which is why 1-inch plate may show measurable angular deviation even with perfect setup. Your focal length adjustment is the primary control for minimizing taper, positioning the focal point at mid-thickness rather than the surface reduces the beam's conical expansion.
For applications requiring zero taper, Midwest Metal Fabrications may recommend secondary finishing operations like beveling or consider alternative CNC machining processes that offer superior edge geometry.
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