For example, a 3 kW fiber laser uses only a third of the power of that of a 4 kW CO2 laser .Although fiber lasers are good at working with materials of all thicknesses, they are particularly great at working with thin materials, including metals. The higher the laser beam power density, the quicker the material is brought to a molten state, the faster the feed rate.Effectively utilizing the speed benefits from high power Fiber lasers takes careful planning and management of all processes. Figure 1. Follow date based on 1000w fiber laser source. shift $2,700 per year 15kW per hour at 12 hr. Using the same comparison of lasers as above, the fiber laser is three times faster at cutting in a straight line on something like stainless steel with a 1mm thickness, and two times faster if the same material is 2mm in thickness.Here are the advantages and disadvantages of a CO2 laser, which will cover many of the points above as a direct comparison. Knowing that materials will need to be presented to the Fiber laser  cutter in a timely manner will drive new efficiency in material handling and inventory. The main disadvantages that a fiber laser faces in comparison to a CO2 laser relates to cutting speeds of thicker materials; generally anything above 5mm in thickness.Gas lasers most commonly use carbon dioxide as their mediumFiber lasers can work with thicker materials no problem, but generally a CO2 laser will leave a surface finish that is smoother.A CO2 laser is faster at cutting in a straight line, as well as having a quicker piercing time when the cut is first started.The main disadvantages of CO2 lasers are where the advantages of fiber lasers lie. (1kW cost $.06 per hour based on working 250 days) Very low power consumption A 3000W fiber laser requires 10kW of electrical power plus 5kW for a chiller with a total of 15kW.

⑴ Low cost. With a three to four time greater throughput and a cost of operation that is half of the CO2 laser, the financial gains can be game changing. Absorption comparison between CO2 and Fiber lasers based on wavelength and thickness.In response to the COVID-19 Power density comparison of CO2 and Fiber lasers at the focal point.Figure 2. Electric power cost for fiber laser cutting machine. $1,350 per year 15kW per hour at 6 hr. CO2 lasers are also slower at cutting thin materials, and aren’t able to work with reflective metals to a good degree.One aspect to note with fiber lasers is that they are the For us the benefits of fiber lasers far outweigh that of CO2 lasers or any other laser type on the market for that matter.

In the area of thin plate cutting, traditional CO 2 laser and YAG laser is gradually occupied by fiber laser generator, mainly for the following reasons:. The results are a lower cost per part, higher potential profit margins and shorter return on investment time. There is three main part need use electric power, laser source, machine bed and water chillier. And, should it be knocked, none of the parts will come out of alignment; resulting in costly production down time.The second advantage to the fact that fiber lasers are extremely insensitive, as described above, is that it means maintenance costs are dramatically lower, as are operational costs and with ‘fit and forget’ technology there is no maintenance cycle or servicing to worry about.Another cost saving benefit is that fiber lasers are much more efficient when it comes to electricity, meaning lower running costs and a more environmentally friendly machine. This careful and comprehensive analysis examines not only the cutting equipment itself, but also the impact the new equipment will have on other existing sheet metal fabricating processes.Fiber laser beam characteristics also provide for much faster cutting speeds than CO2 lasers as we will explore below. of our employees, customers, vendors and contractors.- The speed benefits are most profound when nitrogen is employed as an assist gas because the molten material is expelled from the kerf by the nitrogen just as fast as it is melted. The main reason that A business is built on margins and profits, so these factors mean that their production lines can run faster while keeping costs down at the same time.If you’re interested in discussing the different types of laser processes further and why we believe that fiber lasers are the way to go, then we would be more than happy to Please either give us a call on +44 (0) 1489 779 696, or find our other contact details and location listed Operating cost and cutting speeds for 4kw CO2 and 4kW fiber laser cutting machines. Firstly, CO2 lasers are sensitive machines that require alignment, so should this get knocked out of place, usually an expert is required to fix it, resulting in long periods of down time when the laser is not being productive.This also means they need more regular servicing, and the costs of this maintenance are higher. With this in mind it will be necessary to make a careful analysis of the pertinent data, including application range, operating costs, throughput, cost of ownership and, of course, the investment costs.Whatever the final conclusion, don’t forget about the impact of this investment on your downstream processes: What effect does adding this new laser cutting system have on the flow of operations before and after the parts are cut?Certainly knowing and preparing in advance that front-end office systems will need to keep up with the productivity of the Fiber laser helps fabricators adjust their front-end processes to keep the Fiber laser cutting, rather than waiting for jobs.