Fiber laser and CO2 laser
Addtime：2021-08-05 Browse times：1003
The wavelength of the laser formed by the fiber laser is 1.06 μ m. The laser wavelength formed by CO2 laser is 10.6 μ m. They are all infrared light, which can be absorbed by materials, and are widely used in the production and processing of industrial materials.
Cutting is the most widely used laser industrial production and processing technology.
Advantages and disadvantages of the two lasers
As a user, you must first understand the dead holes of fiber laser and CO2 laser. The dead spot is the blind spot of cutting production and processing. After bypassing the dead spot (blind spot), compete for short and long, and select the appropriate one.
Dead hole of fiber laser
Fiber laser can not cut non-metallic materials, including wood, plastic, leather, cotton and linen fabrics, etc. If the material of the workpiece to be produced and processed happens to be non-metallic, the fiber laser will only fail, not the CO2 laser.
Most automotive interior trim parts are non-metallic materials. The production and processing system of high-precision robot + CO2 laser is selected to cut its spatial surface. Such production and processing system needs to deal with the problem of laser beam transmission between robot joints.
Fiber laser can not cut materials with covering layer on the surface, such as ordinary coated stainless steel, special steel plate with antirust coating, etc. Some users did not pay enough attention to the fiber laser, so they had to cut and process the common coated stainless steel external hair. If the special coating for fiber laser is selected, the cost will rise.
Dead hole of CO2 laser
CO2 laser cannot cut copper, including brass and red copper. If you want to cut copper, only fiber lasers are qualified. For CO2 laser, copper is a highly reflective material, and the laser is basically reflected without being absorbed; Reflected light returns to the laser, causing harm. The reflectivity of CO2 laser on aluminum alloy is also high. The installation of back reflection isolator can reasonably and effectively protect CO2 laser, and then safely cut aluminum alloy. We let the two lasers compete for short and long from the aspects of use cost, cutting speed and section quality.
Use cost
Here, in order to conveniently compare the cost differences between the two lasers, only the costs generated by power, consumables and medium gas are calculated. The costs of these three parts are different; Labor, depreciation, site, cutting gas, etc. for the two lasers, the cost is the same, so they are not calculated.
Cutting speed
Cutting speed, perforation efficiency and section quality produce laser cutting efficiency, which is a comprehensive index to evaluate laser (machine). Fiber laser has advantages in cutting thin plate, especially those with thickness less than 3mm. Compared with CO2 laser, the maximum cutting speed ratio can reach 4:1; 6mm is the critical thickness for the exchange of advantages between the two lasers. Cutting plates with thickness > 6mm, fiber laser has no advantage; With the increase of thickness, CO2 is gradually dominant, but not significant. In general, cutting speed or fiber laser has advantages.
Section quality
Section quality generally refers to roughness (gloss) and perpendicularity. When cutting a steel plate with a thickness of less than 3mm, the section quality (roughness and perpendicularity) of fiber laser cutting is slightly worse than that of CO2. With the increase of thickness, the difference of section quality becomes more and more obvious. For stainless steel with thickness ≥ 3mm, the section cut by optical fiber laser is frosted, while CO2 is bright. For carbon steel with a thickness of 16mm, the perpendicularity of the fiber laser cutting section is far worse than that of CO2, the former is 0.4 ~ 0.5mm, and the latter can reach 0.1mm
Cutting is the most widely used laser industrial production and processing technology.
Advantages and disadvantages of the two lasers
As a user, you must first understand the dead holes of fiber laser and CO2 laser. The dead spot is the blind spot of cutting production and processing. After bypassing the dead spot (blind spot), compete for short and long, and select the appropriate one.
Dead hole of fiber laser
Fiber laser can not cut non-metallic materials, including wood, plastic, leather, cotton and linen fabrics, etc. If the material of the workpiece to be produced and processed happens to be non-metallic, the fiber laser will only fail, not the CO2 laser.
Most automotive interior trim parts are non-metallic materials. The production and processing system of high-precision robot + CO2 laser is selected to cut its spatial surface. Such production and processing system needs to deal with the problem of laser beam transmission between robot joints.
Fiber laser can not cut materials with covering layer on the surface, such as ordinary coated stainless steel, special steel plate with antirust coating, etc. Some users did not pay enough attention to the fiber laser, so they had to cut and process the common coated stainless steel external hair. If the special coating for fiber laser is selected, the cost will rise.
Dead hole of CO2 laser
CO2 laser cannot cut copper, including brass and red copper. If you want to cut copper, only fiber lasers are qualified. For CO2 laser, copper is a highly reflective material, and the laser is basically reflected without being absorbed; Reflected light returns to the laser, causing harm. The reflectivity of CO2 laser on aluminum alloy is also high. The installation of back reflection isolator can reasonably and effectively protect CO2 laser, and then safely cut aluminum alloy. We let the two lasers compete for short and long from the aspects of use cost, cutting speed and section quality.
Use cost
Here, in order to conveniently compare the cost differences between the two lasers, only the costs generated by power, consumables and medium gas are calculated. The costs of these three parts are different; Labor, depreciation, site, cutting gas, etc. for the two lasers, the cost is the same, so they are not calculated.
Cutting speed
Cutting speed, perforation efficiency and section quality produce laser cutting efficiency, which is a comprehensive index to evaluate laser (machine). Fiber laser has advantages in cutting thin plate, especially those with thickness less than 3mm. Compared with CO2 laser, the maximum cutting speed ratio can reach 4:1; 6mm is the critical thickness for the exchange of advantages between the two lasers. Cutting plates with thickness > 6mm, fiber laser has no advantage; With the increase of thickness, CO2 is gradually dominant, but not significant. In general, cutting speed or fiber laser has advantages.
Section quality
Section quality generally refers to roughness (gloss) and perpendicularity. When cutting a steel plate with a thickness of less than 3mm, the section quality (roughness and perpendicularity) of fiber laser cutting is slightly worse than that of CO2. With the increase of thickness, the difference of section quality becomes more and more obvious. For stainless steel with thickness ≥ 3mm, the section cut by optical fiber laser is frosted, while CO2 is bright. For carbon steel with a thickness of 16mm, the perpendicularity of the fiber laser cutting section is far worse than that of CO2, the former is 0.4 ~ 0.5mm, and the latter can reach 0.1mm