Fiber Laser Vs Co2 Laser Engraving

How to choose the best fiber laser engraver.

Fiber laser vs co2 laser engraving.

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 sheet metal back in the 1980s. Generally anything above 5mm in thickness. Co2 lasers vs fiber lasers. Co2 laser cutting vs.

Briefly fiber laser light is created by banks of diodes. Comparison of laser engraving machines. A side by side comparison. The big difference between these two technologies is that the optical fiber laser cutters have a much longer working life while a co2 tube for cutting metals had only 20 000 hours of work a fiber optic machine has 100 000 hours of work.

The price of equipment for co2 laser cutting or engraving starts at 35 000 but rarely goes beyond 100 000. In general fiber lasers have many advantages over co2 lasers. Tell us about your application. A fiber laser usually has a wavelength of 1 060 nm while co2 lasers have wavelengths in the 10 600 nm range.

Fiber laser are ideally suited for metal marking applications such as engraving annealing and high contrast plastic markings. The light is channeled and amplified through fiber optic cable similar to that used for data transfer. A fiber laser can cut many of the same materials as a co2 plus copper brass and aluminum much better because the beam is more readily absorbed and not reflected. The amplified light on exiting the fiber cable is collimated or.

By jerome landry on september 09 2020. Laser systems april 21 2016 fiber laser cutting machine. Fiber systems feature a long service life with a minimum of 25 000 laser hours and in general are maintenance free machines. The main disadvantages that a fiber laser faces in comparison to a co2 laser relates to cutting speeds of thicker materials.

Fiber laser cutting pros and cons the rapidly growing science of laser cutting is dominated by two main methods carbon dioxide co2 laser cutting and fiber laser cutting. Both processes offer increased precision and versatility for shops of all sizes and the technology is continually evolving toward improved. Fiber lasers are best suited for high contrast markings like metal annealing etching and engraving. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of a co2 laser which will cover many of the points above as a direct comparison.

Fiber laser cutting technology is considered a disruptive and revolutionary change because it has impacted the entire status quo in sheet metal. Knowing how to choose the right laser engraver for your application is not that complicated. For example cutting 125 inch aluminum and thinner using abr as an assist gas can produce speeds 3x higher than co2. Co2 lasers remain the preferred technology for a wide range of industries because they deliver reliable performance at a fraction of the cost of fiber lasers.