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Fiber laser cutting occupies an important position in the manufacturing industry. Understanding the materials it can cut, how it works, the relevant parameters, and its advantages and disadvantages is essential for the rational application of this technology.
Fiber laser cutting is a key technological advancement in the manufacturing industry, which combines many advantages such as precision, efficiency and versatility, which are hard to reach by traditional cutting technology.
Did you know? The core of fiber optic cutting is a fiber laser, which can produce a high-intensity laser beam through an optical fiber doped with rare earth elements. However, unlike traditional cutting methods such as flame cutting, plasma cutting and high-power carbon dioxide laser cutting. Fiber lasers can achieve unparalleled cutting accuracy and speed. This enables manufacturers to complete complex and detailed designs and meet strict tolerance requirements. At the same time, you can also minimize waste and operating costs.
So do you know how a fiber optic cutting machine works? It guides a laser beam along a fiber optic cable to a focusing lens. The laser beam is then precisely focused at a specified location on the material. This generates a lot of heat, causing the material to melt, ablate or vaporize. This allows for precise and clean cutting.
Take stainless steel for example, fiber lasers are amazing at cutting stainless steel, easily reaching a cutting depth of 0.75 inches with an efficiency of up to 95%! With this advantage of high precision, fiber laser technology is highly favored in the fields of automotive parts and medical device manufacturing, and has become the preferred cutting method.
When you look at carbon steel, when you use a fiber laser to cut it, the cutting process will “do magic” with the thickness of the material. For thin plates, nitrogen-assisted laser cutting can keep the edges clean and refreshing without the worry of oxidation. For thick plates, oxygen-assisted cutting comes into play, and the results are amazing.
And mild steel, modern fiber laser systems can cut mild steel up to 0.6 inches thick very efficiently, and maintain excellent edge quality. The heat-affected zone during cutting is very small, so the finished product quality is excellent. This is why laser cutting has become the first choice for processors who handle mild steel in structural applications and general manufacturing.
Speaking of aluminum and aluminum alloys, they are cut using specialized fiber laser technology with a reflective absorption system. Usually nitrogen or compressed air is used as an assist gas to achieve the best results. This advanced cutting technology is amazing and has brought great changes to the aerospace manufacturing industry. Lightweight parts with complex geometries can now be manufactured with precision!
The high reflectivity of copper can cause problems for laser cutting operations. But our advanced fiber laser systems are not afraid of it. By relying on precise power control and using special auxiliary gases such as nitrogen or oxygen, the problem was solved in one go, achieving high-precision cutting. In the manufacture of electrical components, especially in complex circuits and power distribution systems, it plays an irreplaceable and important role.
Processing brass requires a high-powered fiber laser combined with a nitrogen assist gas to achieve a stable and precise cutting operation. This combination is effective in the manufacture of intricate decorative objects as well as fine architectural components, where the laser cutting process preserves the unique appearance of the material while achieving clean, precise edges.
Fiber laser technology is capable of accurately cutting titanium alloys up to 10 millimeters thick without creating burrs throughout the cutting process, preserving the structural integrity of the material. This capability is critical in aerospace and medical device manufacturing, where material purity and precise specifications are key elements.
The fiber laser’s precision cutting capabilities make it ideal for processing highly corrosion-resistant nickel alloys, and this advanced cutting method delivers superior accuracy in the energy and aerospace industries, where complex parts need to be accurately machined while maintaining material properties.
Galvanized steel can be laser cut to depths of up to 0.5 inches with 88% efficiency. The process preserves the protective zinc coating while ensuring a precise cut, making it essential for automotive parts and architectural components that require corrosion resistance.
To achieve the best results in fiber laser cutting, it is critical to adjust the laser settings according to the material characteristics. Below is a guide to the optimal cutting parameter settings for several commonly used materials:
Power: 1500 watts
Speed: 15 meters per minute
Focus: -0.5 mm below material surface
Gas pressure: 10 bar (nitrogen)
Power: 2000 watts
Speed: 20 m/min
Focus point: on the surface of the material
Gas pressure: 15 bar (nitrogen)
Power: 400 watts
Speed: 30 m/min
Focus point: 2 mm above the surface of the material
Gas pressure: 2 bar clean air
Power: 1000 watts
Speed: 10 meters/minute
Focal point: 0 mm (above material surface)
Gas pressure: 15 bar (oxygen)
Power: 2000 watts
Speed: 5 m/min
Focal point: -0.5 mm below material surface
Gas pressure: 20 bar (nitrogen)
Power: 500 watts
Speed: 15 m/min
Focus point: 1 mm above the material surface
Gas pressure: Clean air at 2.5 bar
The laser beam passes through the lens of the cutting head and forms a tiny focal point. The smaller the focal point, the higher the cutting accuracy, with spot sizes as small as 0.01 mm.
Precision mechanical components and a stable base ensure that the laser head remains smooth during the cutting process, preventing errors due to vibration or movement.
The thicker the workpiece, the lower the cutting accuracy and the wider the kerf. Because of the tapered shape of the laser beam, thicker materials (e.g. 2 mm thick) have wider slits than thinner materials (e.g. 0.3 mm thick).
The smoother and thinner the sheet metal or material used, the more precise the cut will be. For optimal cutting results, the parameters must be set appropriately for the type of material.
When laser cutting metal, lower cutting speeds allow more time for the laser beam to act on the material, allowing the material to absorb heat more evenly, which in turn results in a more consistent melting process. In addition, slower speeds allow the operator or automated cutting system to control the laser cutting path more accurately, reducing errors and improving the repeatability and consistency of the cut.
The smaller the focal depth of a focusing lens, the smaller the focal spot diameter, so controlling the position of the focal point relative to the material surface is critical.
When laser cutting, a small hole is usually punched through the sheet first, and then the cut is made from that point.
When laser cutting steel, oxygen and a focused laser beam reach the material through a nozzle, creating an airflow beam. A large, high-speed airflow is required to create enough oxidizing reaction and momentum to blow the molten material out.
Some materials are not suitable for cutting with a fiber laser due to their physical properties or the harmful by-products that can be produced when cutting. The following are some of the materials that are usually not recommended for cutting with a fiber laser and the reasons why:
Cutting PVC with fiber laser is very undesirable because it releases chlorine gas during cutting, which is toxic and will not only corrode the machine, but also cause harm to human health and threaten the normal operation of the laser system.
Fiber laser cutting of polycarbonate tends to have poor cut edges due to its high melt viscosity, resulting in excessive burrs and a burnt appearance.
Cutting ABS with a laser releases cyanide gas and fumes, which are harmful to human health and the environment.
This material melts and burns when subjected to the high temperatures of a fiber optic laser, posing a fire hazard and emitting potentially toxic fumes.
Laser beams have difficulty cutting glass fibers cleanly, tend to roughen the edges, and release tiny fibers during the cutting process that can be harmful if inhaled.
While carbon fiber itself can be cut with a fiber laser, the coating may reflect the laser beam or produce toxic fumes during the cutting process, which can complicate operations and possibly damage equipment.
Materials such as certain adhesive-backed labels or films can emit harmful fumes when the adhesive is burned, which are not only hazardous to your health, but can also leave a difficult-to-clean residue on the cutting machine.
Although fiber lasers can efficiently cut untreated leather, chrome tanned leather releases toxic chrome fumes during the laser cutting process.
Cutting rubber with a fiber laser is prone to problems because rubber catches fire easily and produces smoke during the cutting process, which obscures the path of the laser and can also damage the machine’s optics.
While not impossible to cut, these materials can be challenging for fiber lasers due to their high reflectivity and tendency to create back reflections that can damage the laser system.
Fiber laser cutting is currently the most advanced form of laser cutting, able to flexibly adjust to the needs of different industries for a wide range of metals, as well as adapt to different wavelengths, ranges and even speeds. It works faster than CO2 lasers, boosting overall efficiency, reducing setup and downtime, and increasing efficiency. Its high power output and beam quality create cleaner cutting edges, and it consumes less power for low operating costs.
In addition, despite the high power, there is no risk of heat generation. In the field of metal processing, fiber laser cutting has unparalleled performance, with its high precision leading to optimal output results, and it achieves high-quality cutting results at faster speeds and lower material consumption compared to other laser cutting methods.
Despite the advanced development of fiber laser cutting machines, there are still some shortcomings. The purchase cost of its equipment and parts is high, and low-power fiber laser machines will reduce the quality of the cut when cutting thicker metals compared to carbon dioxide lasers, and the surface finish after cutting is not as good as that of carbon dioxide lasers. The equipment itself is expensive due to its complex operation and versatility. However, even with these shortcomings, the advantages of fiber laser cutting are still more prominent, and with the development of technology, these shortcomings are expected to be gradually resolved and improved.
Fiber laser cutting as an advanced cutting technology, has a broad application prospects, but in the use of the need to fully consider its ability to cut the range of materials, cutting parameters, factors affecting the quality of its own strengths and weaknesses and other aspects. Only a comprehensive understanding and reasonable use, in order to give full play to its maximum value in actual production, to better meet the needs of different manufacturing scenarios, to help the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry.
