Co2 Vs. Fiber Laser Cutting

Laser cutting is an impressive industry that is capable of creating many different products. There are two forms of popular laser cutting: Co2 laser cutting and fiber laser cutting. There are pros and cons to each different type of technology. This article will give a brief overview on the two different types of laser cutters, and what applications they are most beneficial for.

Fiber Laser Cutting

Fiber Laser cutting is made possible by banks of diodes. Light is focused and amplified through fiber optic cables, and is focused by a lens towards a material. The directed beam of light is able to accurately cut the material in order to procure a specific shape. The Fiber optic laser is 200% more efficient that a CO2 laser because the machine is much simpler. There are no optical mirrors, and the focusing lens is sealed in the cutting head. There are many benefits for fiber laser cutting:

There are no moving parts or mirrors in the area where light is generated. This factor significantly reduces maintenance requirements and operating costs.
Fiber laser cutters have a high electrical efficiency, which results in lower operational costs. A fiber laser cutter uses almost one third of the power that a standard Co2 laser cutter uses.
The fiber laser cutter is much quicker at cutting thin material. It is almost three times faster than a Co2 machine, when cutting a straight line into stainless steel.
Operators using the fiber laser have the ability to make cuts in reflective materials without having to worry about back reflections damaging the machine or worker. Copper, brass, and aluminum are highly reflective materials that can be cut with ease by the fiber laser.

Co2 Laser Cutter

The carbon dioxide laser (Co2 laser) was one of the first gas lasers to be invented, and it is still one of the most applicable. This laser is the highest-power continuous wave lasers on the market and is an incredibly efficient machine. There are many benefits to the Co2 laser

The Co2 laser is extremely versatile and has been on the market for over 50 years.
The Co2 laser is much more efficient at cutting through thicker materials
The Co2 laser has a smoother finish than the fiber laser and can cut straight lines into thick material much faster than the fiber optic laser.
Piercing times are much quicker with the Co2 laser at the start of the cut.