Fibre laser cutting is used to cut sheets of metal, and it is typically used in industrial settings. But what exactly is it, how does it work, and what are its benefits over other cutting techniques? Here we look at fibre laser cutting in more depth.
Overview of Fibre Laser Cutting
Fibre lasers are newer than gas lasers and crystal lasers, which are the other two main types of lasers. A fibre laser is a laser that uses an optical fibre that is doped in rare elements. The most commonly used rare element is erbium, but others can be used, including holmium.
Light is channelled through a fibre optic cable, which is amplified, and when it exits the cable, it is straightened, and a lens focuses it onto the material being cut.
What Is It Used For?
Fibre laser cutting is used to cut sheet metal. The high-powered laser is focused onto the surface of the metal, and the laser’s energy is converted into heat, which melts the metal and cuts through it.
Various power outputs are available, and lasers are used to cut through even very thick sheets of stainless steel. It is used for precision engineering and also for marking products.
It is used in a wide range of settings, including the aviation, automotive and medical industries.
Benefits of Fibre Laser Cutting
A fibre laser delivers a high-quality beam that is straight and highly focused. This is ideal for precision cutting.
It also delivers a large amount of power in combination with high-quality cutting. Some lasers have a huge power output, so it can be used to cut through even thick metals.
It is also very stable. Other lasers are incredibly sensitive to movement and need to stay completely still. With a fibre laser, the laser beam is generated on the inside of the fibre, so it does not need sensitive optics to work properly.
Fibre converts a lot of the power into the laser. This increases efficiency and means less power is converted into heat energy, helping to keep it cool.
There are no mirrors or moving parts, which is different from other lasers. This results in less maintenance and lower operating costs.
In addition, high electrical efficiency leads to lower running costs because it uses less power, helping to cut down on energy bills.
It is often quicker to use than other types of lasers. When cutting thinner materials in a straight line, it does this at higher speeds than CO2 lasers. However, for thicker materials, a CO2 laser is normally faster.
Is Fibre Laser Cutting Right for Your Project?
As you can see, fibre laser cutting has many benefits that can make it the ideal option for a wide range of projects. Whether it is the right choice for you depends on many factors, but it is clear that fibre laser cutting is one of the best choices for a wide range of metal-cutting projects.