CO2 vs. Fiber Laser Technology: Which is right for you?

Evolution of Fiber Laser Cutting Technology

Fiber laser cutting has been one of the most “disruptive” technologies introduced to the metalworking market since CO2 lasers were first introduced for cutting in the 1980s. Fiber laser technology is considered a disruptive and “revolutionary” change because it has impacted the entire status quo in sheet metal fabrication. And the opportunities are easy to realize.Over a relatively short period of time we have seen exponential advances in Fiber laser technology used for flat sheet metal cutting. In just five years, Fiber lasers achieved the 4kW cutting threshold that took CO2 lasers approximately four times as long to reach. After ten years, Fiber lasers have achieved the 15kW power level for cutting. In all fairness, Fiber lasers – some exceeding 20kW – have been used by other industries for many years in applications other than sheet metal cutting.

Advantages of Fiber Laser Cutting Technology

The primary advantages of cutting flat sheet metal with Fiber laser technology are derived from its monolithic, Fiber-to-Fiber, compact solid state design configuration that is maintenance free and provides a lower cost of operation than can be achieved with comparable CO2 lasers. Fiber laser beam characteristics also provide for much faster cutting speeds than CO2 as we will explore below.

The focused beam of even a 2kW Fiber laser demonstrates a 5X greater power density at the focal point when compared with a 4kW CO2 laser. It also possesses a 2.5X greater absorption characteristic due to the shorter wavelength of the Fiber laser. (see Figure 1 and Figure 2).

The higher absorption of the Fiber wavelength and the higher power density created by the focused beam combine to achieve up to a five time increase in cutting speeds in materials that are less than 1/2 inch thick.

Fiber laser cutting systems can certainly cut more than one inch thick with higher Fiber laser powers and even cut faster when utilizing nitrogen as the assist gas, but the “sweet spot” where the most significant benefits are realized is in the 1/2 inch and under range for steel when making comparisons with CO2 systems. For certain, if you are processing stainless, aluminum, brass or copper materials, Fiber laser technology is the fastest and most economical regardless of thickness.