The main difference that determines the type of materials each laser can process is the wavelength. A fiber laser usually has a wavelength of 1,060 nm while CO2 lasers have wavelengths in the 10,600 nm range. In general, fiber lasers have many advantages over CO2 lasers.
Which is better CO2 or fiber laser?
Fiber can cut copper, brass and aluminum much better and more safely than CO2 because the beam is more readily absorbed and not reflected. Fiber laser operating costs are typically half of what a CO2 system can offer due to the lower electrical consumption and high electrical efficiency of Fiber lasers.
What are fiber lasers good for?
Fiber laser cutting benefits include improved speed, eliminated tooling charges, reduced set-up and down times, reduced power usage and costs, much less material waste, and all through a non-contact process (which is safer and avoids contamination).
How long does a fiber laser last?
Most online sources claim that fiber lasers last 100,000 hours whereas CO2 lasers last 30,000 hours.
Can you convert CO2 laser to fiber?
This allows it to cut thinner materials faster than a CO2 laser. The wavelength also affects the type of metal a laser can cut. Copper, aluminum and brass are more reflective and absorb less light.
| Fiber Laser | CO2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus lenses | Yes | Yes |
| Chiller maintenance | Yes | Yes |
| Owner service labor | Yes | Yes |
| Electricity | Yes | Yes |
Does fiber laser need gas?
Why do we need auxiliary gas when we use a fiber laser cutting machine to cut metal materials? There are four reasons: we use auxiliary gas when using a fiber laser cutting machine. 1. First, the assist gas will chemically react with the metal material to increase the working capacity.
Can a fiber laser cut glass?
Generally speaking, it’s not possible to cut glass with a laser of a wavelength in the visible spectrum. This makes sense given that glass is typically clear, meaning very little laser energy within the visible spectrum would be absorbed.
Can you cut wood with a fiber laser?
All types of wood can be cut with a optical fiber laser cutting machine, such as plywood and MDF. But for safety reasons, we do not recommend using a cnc fiber laser cutting machine to engrave oily woods, because it may create poor marks and even cause serious fire hazards.
What does a CO2 laser do?
Carbon dioxide lasers can precisely remove thin layers of skin with minimal damage to the surrounding structures. These lasers treat sun damage, wrinkles, scars, warts, birthmarks and other skin conditions.
What can I cut with a CO2 laser?
The laser can cut or etch. The materials that the laser can cut materials like wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. Etching can be done on almost anything, wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, marble, stone, tile, and glass.
Can fiber laser cut steel?
Yes, you can laser cut metals with a fiber laser, however, it would have to be an extremely potent fiber source of around 2000W. You cannot laser cut any metal with a standard fiber laser of 20W to 50W.
What are three types of lasers?
Types of lasers
- Solid-state laser.
- Gas laser.
- Liquid laser.
- Semiconductor laser.
What does a fiber laser cost?
Fiber lasers usually cost in the range of $20,000 to $45,000. Don’t get too caught up in the high priced fiber laser machines.
Can you engrave with a fiber laser?
The Fiber lasers, such as the Instamark® branded laser marking and engraving system, can process the widest range of materials including steel/stainless, aluminum, titanium, ceramics, and some plastics.
Can CO2 lasers cut metal?
Here at Kern Laser Systems, we’ve developed metal cutting technology that enables CO2 lasers of 150 to 400 watts to quickly and efficiently cut metal. This technology makes thinner gauge metal material, like stainless steel, aluminum and brass, processable via CO2 lasers.
Can you cut titanium with a fiber laser?
Cutting Titanium with a Laser
The most efficient way to cut a sheet of titanium metal is with a CO2 laser that uses either nitrogen or oxygen as its assisted gas. One of the issues that technicians must be aware of is that titanium can burn from the laser’s heat.
How thick can a 150 watt laser cut?
1/2" thick
Excellent for small-batch manufacturing (18″ x 32″ cut area), the Universal 150W is simple to use and can cut or engrave the following materials: wood (up to 1/2″ thick) metal (marking only) acrylic (up to 1/2″ thick)
Can CO2 lasers cut glass?
When cutting glass with a CO2 laser, the best “laser only” applications are typically thin glass substrates in the range of 0.0012-0.0236 inch thick.As with standard float glass, straight-line cutting of stained glass is easily done by scoring and snapping.
What is CO2 laser cutting machine?
CO2 Laser Working Principle
On its way, it goes through a focusing lens that concentrates the beam. The cutting head has a nozzle in it which channels the beam onto the working piece. The focused laser beam melts the metal. During the cutting process, gas is emitted.
Can a fiber laser cut acrylic?
While fiber laser is excellent at cutting most materials, because of the shorter wavelength it cannot cut acrylic or polycarbonate and can only cut wood or fabric in limited applications. Another consideration is the thickness of material to be cut.
What can a 30w fiber laser cut?
30w fiber laser marking machine
For cutting, most of customers cut gold and silver. 30w also has much good performance on that. It can cut maximum 0.7mm silver and 1mm gold. Based on those, no matter on performance, but also on cost, 30w is also the most popular type.
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