Fiber laser cutting machine and CO2 laser cutting machine are the most commonly used laser cutting machines. The main differences between these two kind of machines are as follows:
1. Laser generator
The carbon dioxide laser is a gas molecule laser, with CO2 as the medium and O2, He, Xe, etc. as the auxiliary gas. The beam is transmitted and focused to the laser cutting head through the reflector. While the fiber laser cutting machine transmits the laser beam through diodes and optical fiber cables. Multiple diodes pump the laser beam and then transmit it to the laser cutting head through flexible optical fiber cables. In CO2 laser technology, the reflector should be used at a certain distance, but the fiber one will not be subject to such restrictions.
2. Conversion rate
Fiber laser is an advanced laser technology at present. The solid-state laser generator it uses is more efficient than the traditional carbon dioxide laser. The photoelectric conversion rate of the carbon dioxide laser cutter is only 8% - 10%, while it of the fiber laser cutter can be as high as 30%. That is to say, the overall energy consumption of the fiber laser cutter is 3-5 times lower than the overall energy consumption of the CO2 one, thus improving the energy efficiency by at least 86%, saving more power and also saving more production costs.
3. Cutting ability
The fiber laser has shorter wavelength which is only 1/10 of the wavelength generated by the CO2 laser, which can improve the absorption of the cutting material to the beam, and is more suitable for conducting in the thin and soft fiber. Compared with carbon dioxide laser transmitted by mirror reflection, fiber laser should be flexible and easier to maintain. A 3KW fiber laser cutting machine is equivalent to a 4-5KW CO2 laser cutting machine in cutting capacity and speed, greatly reducing operating costs.
4. Maintenance cost
The structure of CO2 laser is relatively complex, and the maintenance cost in the later stage is relatively high. Moreover, the CO2 laser system should be cleaned and maintained regularly, and the reflector should also be cleaned and calibrated regularly. In addition, due to the purity of carbon dioxide gas, the resonator should also be maintained regularly. Besides, the turbine transporting laser gas also needs regular maintenance and overhaul. The fiber laser cutting is basically maintenance free, with few vulnerable parts. It can withstand harsh working environment and has high resistance to dust, impact, humidity and temperature, thus its maintenance cost is low.
5. Processing material
The beam wavelength of CO2 laser is 10.64um, which is easier to be absorbed by non-metallic materials. However, the wavelength of the fiber laser is only 1.064um, which is 10 times shorter than the CO2 laser's. Due to this smaller focal length, the intensity of the fiber laser cutter is almost 100 times higher than that of the CO2 laser cutter with the same power output. Therefore, fiber laser cutting machine is very suitable for cutting metal materials.
The CO2 laser cutting machine is mainly used for cutting and carving non-metallic materials, such as wood, acrylic, paper, leather, fabric, etc., because of its low efficiency in cutting and carving metal materials. Fiber laser cutting machine, also known as metal laser cutting machine, is mainly used for metal materials. Such as stainless steel, carbon steel, galvanized steel, copper, aluminum, etc.
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What is the Difference Between CO2 Laser Cutting Machine and Fiber Laser Cutting Machine?
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