You need to think about more than just the price of the laser cutting equipment when you buy it. Take into account many other things. However, what needs to be taken into account? If you follow this rule in some cases, it can be good for you.
A fiber laser is different because it doesn’t use CO2 as a laser source.
A carbon dioxide gas mix is used in the CO2 laser, as the name implies. The laser beam is made by igniting this gas mixture, which is usually made up of CO2, nitrogen, and helium. Fiber and disk lasers come in the same power ranges as CO2 lasers made by solid-state sources. CO2 and fiber lasers both use the same term: “laser-active medium.” This is a glass- or crystal-like solid in the form of fibers, disks, and other shapes that can be used to make the laser. You can look in online shops for sheet metal laser cutter for sale.
When cutting with a fiber laser, the beam is made in an active fiber and sent to the machine’s cutting head through a transport fiber, which is different from optics for a CO2 laser. Its wavelength is one of the most important things about it, next to the laser itself: Fiber lasers have a wavelength of about 1 micrometer, whereas CO2 lasers have a wavelength of about 10 micrometers, so they have a longer range. When cutting steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, the fiber laser has a shorter wavelength. This means that it can absorb more of the material. Heat is less likely to build up in the substance being processed because it has a better absorption rate.
How are fiber lasers better than CO2 lasers?
Bystronic makes a laser cutting machine called a fiber laser that can cut things like wood.
The CO2 laser has a big advantage when it comes to cutting thick steel because of its high quality (mild steel). Cutting speeds can be significantly sped up by using a fiber laser, which costs less to run per hour. CO2 lasers use a lot of electricity, but fiber lasers use up to five times less. Fiber lasers also have a simpler beam path, too. When it comes to having the same power, you can use a fiber laser system that takes up less space than you can with the same power CO2 laser.
Take into account these things when you buy a laser cutting machine:
There are a lot of things to think about. An evaluation of which machine is best will only be possible if the planned use and its limitations are well thought out. People should also be on the lookout for new goals and opportunities that may come up in the future, as well. The decision to buy a laser cutting system is a big one, and it goes beyond the machine itself. When a company buys a new machine, it affects everything from human resources to service and maintenance to consumables and know-how.
People who work with sheet metal have a lot of new suppliers who don’t know how to do their jobs, don’t make sure they have spare parts, and don’t care about their customers because their only goal is to sell cheaply and gain more market share. Because of this, there is now a lot of low-cost equipment on the market. However, a laser cutting system isn’t just plugged in and ready to go. Instead, it requires the flawless operation of a lot of different parts.
In the last quarter of a century, there have been a lot of technological changes in the industry, and major technological rollouts are never easy.
Conclusion
This is important! In the case of a breakdown, fiber technology doesn’t need as much maintenance as CO2 technology, but it’s important to get the machine back up and running as soon as possible.Maintaining a CO2 laser takes a lot of time and effort. For a service technician to be at the same place for three days in a row isn’t very unusual at all.
