If you want to mark metal, you need to buy a fiber laser machine. If you want to mark organic materials such as textiles, wood or cardboard, a CO2 laser is the best choice.
The main difference that determines the type of material each laser can handle is the wavelength. Most manufacturers offer both CO2 and fiber laser technology in their mechanical product offerings. They do so because they see significant differences in technology, capabilities and, more importantly, their performance in certain materials, thicknesses and specific applications.
Fiber Lasers
Fiber laser is simply a term used for the fiber optic delivery method that brings an intense and amplified light source to the cutting head of a laser machine. The term does not describe how the light source is created (which is different from a CO2 resonator). The fiber-optic beam delivery method has greatly simplified the process of manufacturing lasers, and as a result many machines have entered the market at greatly reduced prices.
The optical fiber receives the light source from the laser cutter resonator and delivers it to the CNC-controlled cutting head. Around the laser, one purges with cutting gases such as NO2 and O2, and the material to be processed quickly evaporates in the intense heart and is blown away as dust particles.
Carbon dioxide lasers
CO2 laser actually refers to the method of generating the laser itself. A resonator purged with CO2 gas at high speed uses a variety of methods to split the ions of light particles (usually RF or DC excitation), causing the light particles to collide with each other and split at greater intervals.
Once the CO2 resonator generates enough light, it transmits it in a different way than the fiber optic method. The beam is passed through a reflection process and refocused into a cyclotron path called the "beam path delivery system", which is purged with a protected "inert gas" to keep the path pure and clean. It uses a series of lenses to refocus and a high speed cutting gas shield to purify the process path.
Advantages of each
Fiber Lasers
Investment cost: As solid-state laser technology becomes more popular, the cost of the system is decreasing.
Maintenance: The absence of beam path delivery systems and their extensive use of mirrors, bellows, and gas wetted fiber lasers greatly reduces the amount of maintenance required and the costs associated with maintenance.
Speed: In the competition between fiber lasers and CO2 lasers for thin materials, there is simply no comparison. Fibers are twice to three times faster than gauge materials.
3015-T6200 Sheet and Tube Comb Fiber Laser Cutting Machine, It combined cutting sheet and tube materials together.
CO2 Laser
Surface finish: CO2 lasers typically produce better edge quality on stainless steel and aluminum parts.
Flexibility: CO2 lasers offer flexibility for a range of laser applications, including non-metals.
Known technology: Because CO2 laser technology has been around for more than 30 years, results are predictable. This provides a good level of assurance for the user.
As the cost of fiber lasers has dropped dramatically, they have moved into the realm of the average small to medium-sized manufacturing shop where the technology is usually out of reach. This new capability, coupled with lower investment costs, presents a bright future for fiber optics. Whether you are looking for your first laser cutting system or your tenth laser cutting system, the experts at XQL can help you with your search. We have the solutions you need in fiber laser cutting technology. Click the button to get in touch.
