Difference of Fiber Laser Cutting Machine and CO2 Laser Cutting Machine

At present, in the metal processing market, fiber laser cutting machines have gradually replaced CO2 laser cutting machines and traditional processing methods, becoming the mainstream equipment in sheet metal processing. What is the difference between fiber laser cutting machine and CO2 laser cutting machine, and what are the advantages?

1. Different luminous media

In the CO2 laser cutting machine, gas is the medium that generates the laser beam, and the beam is transmitted through the mirror. Fiber lasers are transmitted through diodes and fiber optic cables. Multiple diode pumps generate laser beams, which are then transmitted to the laser cutting head through flexible fiber optic cables, instead of transmitting the beams through mirrors.

2. The appearance of fiber laser cutting machine is more compact

Due to the different laser transmission structure, the fiber laser cutting machine with the same power in appearance and size is more compact than the CO2 laser cutting machine, and the processing area that can be used is larger. This not only saves the internal space of the machine itself, but also Save the space occupied by the machine.

3. The conversion efficiency of optical fiber laser cutting machine is higher

With fiber laser complete solid-state digital module and single design, fiber laser cutting machine has higher electro-optical conversion efficiency than carbon dioxide laser cutting. The actual utilization rate of each power supply unit of CO2 laser cutting machine is about 8% to 10%, while for fiber laser cutting machine, this value is about 25% to 30%. With the development and update of technology, optical fiber optics The conversion rate is also increasing. Taking IPG lasers as an example, the conversion rate is now more than 40%, and it is constantly being updated and improved, and the volume of lasers is also constantly getting smaller and innovated, such as Racus and Max, GW

In general, the energy consumption of the fiber laser cutting system is about 3 to 5 times less than that of the carbon dioxide cutting system, which increases the energy efficiency to more than 86%.

4. The processing effect of fiber laser cutting machine is better

Fiber laser has the characteristics of short wavelength, which improves the absorption of the cutting material to the beam, and enables cutting such as brass and copper as well as non-conductive materials. When cutting materials up to 6mm thick, the cutting speed of a 1.5kW fiber laser cutting machine is equivalent to that of a 3kW carbon dioxide laser cutting machine. Nowadays, the power of fiber lasers is getting bigger and bigger, and there is no problem with 40mm stainless steel carbon steel, etc., and the cutting effect is also very good, while the CO2 laser cutting machine is completely limited in terms of thick plates, and the same power is not only completely impossible. To the thickness of the fiber optic machine, the cost is also very high.

5. The maintenance cost of fiber laser cutting machine is lower

The CO2 laser cutting machine uses gas as the luminous medium. Due to the purity of the CO2 gas, the resonant cavity will be polluted and needs to be cleaned regularly. The reflector needs to be maintained and calibrated, so the daily maintenance workload is greater. For a multi-kilowatt CO2 laser cutting machine, this item requires at least US$20,000 per year. However, the laser characteristics of fiber laser cutting machine are reflected in miniaturization, intensiveness, high brightness and high conversion rate. For thin plate processing, the cutting speed of the same power fiber laser cutting machine is 2-3 times higher than that of carbon dioxide, and the cutting section is smooth.

The reason why the fiber laser cutting machine can quickly gain a foothold in the market and gradually replace the traditional cutting process is precisely because of its various technical advantages, which provide the necessary process technology for the realization of product finishing.