A fiber laser cutting machine is a machine that uses a laser to cut materials. The laser beam is generated by a laser source and then transmitted to the cutting head via a fiber optic cable. The cutting head contains a lens that focuses the laser beam onto the material to be cut.
The advantage of using a fiber laser cutting machine is that the laser beam can be easily focused and directed onto the material to be cut. This results in cleaner, more precise cuts. Additionally, the beam can be easily directed to small or hard-to-reach areas.
In this article, we discuss how fiber lasers work, their advantages and uses, and why they are often the best choice compared to alternatives.
A Brief Comparison Between CO2 Laser vs Fiber Laser
Fiber lasers use beams produced from quartz glass mixed with rare earth elements, while CO2 lasers use a gas mixture containing carbon dioxide. Fiber lasers are solid-state lasers, while CO2 lasers are gas-state lasers.
What is Fiber Laser Cutting?
A fiber laser is a laser that uses a fiber optic cable to deliver a laser beam. Known for their high power and precision, they are ideal for cutting metal and other materials.
Fiber laser cutting has many advantages over traditional laser cutting methods. Fiber lasers cut faster and with greater precision than other types of lasers. They can also cut thicker materials and are less likely to damage the material being cut.
Laser machines can ensure:
- 100% worker safety by providing laser safety and fume extraction
- Includes mechanical components to automate operations or facilitate the operator's work
- Laser process is fine-tuned for specific operations
- If you are considering laser cutting for your business, fiber laser cutting is a great option.
What is CO2 Laser Cutting?
CO₂ laser cutting is a precise, electrically-driven sheet metal processing technology using gas lasers. It can cut through materials such as steel, stainless steel, and aluminum with ease. This technology provides a great degree of molding freedom, allowing for the creation of even complex shapes.
CO2 laser cutters can cut all types and thicknesses of steel and metals: mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum as well as plastic, tile, marble and stone.
The CO2 laser cutter has several advantages:
- CO2 laser cutters offer greater flexibility and can cut a wider range of materials, including non-metals.
- For thicker materials over 5 mm, CO2 laser cutters can provide faster initial punch times, faster straight cuts and smoother surface finish.
- Compared with fiber laser, CO2 laser cutting machine can achieve better finish.
- CO2 laser cutting machine has been available for more than 30 years, showing long-term reliability.
CO2 Laser vs Fiber Laser
Unlike the gas laser tube and optical transmission of CO2 laser machines, fiber laser cutting machines use fiber lasers and cables to transmit laser beams. The wavelength of the fiber laser beam is only 1/10 of that produced by the CO2 laser.
Therefore, compared with CO2 laser cutting machine, fiber laser cutting machine can show better consistency and reliability, and can process more fine patterns.
The main differences between CO2 laser cutting machines and fiber laser cutting machines lie in the following aspects.
Laser
The CO2 laser-cutting machine uses a CO2 laser tube to generate a laser beam, which is then reflected and focused on the laser-cutting head by the reflector and the focusing mirror.
The fiber laser cutting machine generates its laser beam through multiple diode pumps , which are then transmitted through a flexible fiber optic cable to the laser cutting head.
Processing material
The CO2 laser beam has a wavelength of 10.64um, making it more readily absorbed by non-metallic materials. The fiber laser beam, with a wavelength of 1.064um, is 10 times shorter.
This much shorter focal length allows fiber laser cutters to be almost 100 times more intense than CO2 laser cutters with similar power output, making them much better suited for cutting metal materials.
Production cost
Fiber laser cutting machines are more energy efficient than CO2 laser cutting machines. CO2 laser cutting machines consume a lot of gas when in use, but their conversion rate is only 8 to 10 percent.
Fiber laser cutting machines, on the other hand, have a lower consumption rate and a photoelectric conversion rate of 25-30%.
Maintenance cost
CO2 laser tubes are complex in structure, with fragile optical lenses and a high price tag. They're also expensive to maintain. In contrast, fiber laser cutting is maintenance-free, with fewer wear parts and lower maintenance costs.
Additionally, it can withstand harsh working conditions and has a high tolerance to dust, shock, vibration, humidity, and temperature.
Cutting efficiency
CO2 laser engraving machine processing beam divergence Angle is large, not suitable for large size processing. Fiber laser cutting machine is characterized by high laser beam density, high intensity, high brightness, high conversion rate.
How Does A Fiber Laser Cutting Machine Work?
To see how a laser cutter works, let's first look at the three main components of a laser: the gain medium, the optical pump, and the mirror.
The gain medium is the key element in the laser, which is the medium for generating and amplifying photons.
Pumping electrical energy into the gain medium produces photons, which are then amplified by mirrors. This process is repeated until a concentrated beam of light called a laser beam is produced.
Fiber laser cutters work by sending a powerful laser beam along a fiber optic cable. The beam is then focused and aimed at the material to be cut. The laser vaporizes the material, allowing for a clean, precise cut.
What Materials Can A Fiber Laser Cut?
Fiber lasers are becoming an increasingly popular choice for cutting and sculpting a variety of materials. In general, fiber lasers can cut and carve any conductive material or can be made into conductive materials.
The fiber laser cutting machine, also called a metal laser cutting machine, is primarily used for cutting metal materials. This includes metals such as stainless steel, carbon steel, galvanized steel, copper, aluminum, and more.
Some materials are difficult to cut with fiber lasers, such as reflective materials such as mirrored glass or polished metal. And, as with any laser cutter, the thickness of the material being cut can affect the results.
Advantages Of Fiber Laser Cutting
Fiber lasers offer a number of advantages over other laser types, making them ideal for a wide range of commercial applications. These benefits can be grouped into four main categories:
Process benefits
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Cost benefits
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Equipment benefits
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Part quality advantages
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Disadvantages Of Fiber Laser Cutting
Fiber laser cutting has grown in popularity in recent years, but it is not without its drawbacks. Next we discuss some potential disadvantages of fiber laser cutting.
Power consumption
This method of cutting has several disadvantages, including high energy consumption and dependence on specific types of lasers, which can be expensive to operate.
Expensive parts
Fiber laser cutting machines usually require more expensive components than other types of cutting equipment.
Material selection
Fiber lasers may not work with all types of metals, including silver.
The Applications Of Fiber Laser Cutting Machine
Fiber lasers are an excellent choice for a variety of industrial applications. Fiber laser cutting machines offer a high yield, making them ideal for industries where this is a key concern.
These industries include automotive, aerospace, military, HVAC, electrical, medical and more . Here's a brief overview of the main applications of fiber laser metal cutting.
Automobile parts
Fiber laser cutting machine is a practical tool for metal processing. The auto industry relies on fiber laser cutting machines to cut every part perfectly. It achieves rapid cutting of sheet metal with minimal waste.
Kitchen appliance
Stainless steel kitchen appliances are all the rage. Fiber laser cutting machine makes steel plate cutting and operation into a mass production program. In fact, CNC machining systems are making it easier than ever to customize kitchen appliances for more homeowners.
Advertising product
Laser cutting machines are perfect for creating customized commercial logos or promotional products. They offer precise cuts that advertisers can rely on.
Conclusion
All in all, fiber laser cutting machines have become more and more popular in recent years due to their many advantages over traditional cutting methods. They are faster, more accurate and require less maintenance.
At Qiaolian Laser, we're always happy to answer any questions you have about our laser cutting machines. You can contact us by email at qllaser@qllasercut.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
