Comparison of CO2 laser cutting machine and fiber laser cutting machine

Comparison of CO2 laser cutting machine and fiber laser cutting machine

Judging from the application fields of modern laser cutting and welding machines and the technical requirements put forward by users, the future development direction of laser cutting and welding is undoubtedly high power, large format, high efficiency, one-time molding, and high intelligence.

Huagong Laser Farrelai has been committed to the application of high-power laser and plasma technology. The main explanation here is the difference between CO2 laser cutting machine and fiber laser cutting machine processing:

First of all, the mainstream traditional laser cutting and welding equipment all use CO2 lasers, which can stably cut carbon steel within 20mm, stainless steel within 10mm, and aluminum alloy below 8mm. The fiber laser has obvious advantages when cutting thin plates within 4mm, and the quality of cutting thick plates is poor due to the influence of the wavelength of the solid-state laser. Laser cutting machines are not omnipotent. The wavelength of CO2 lasers is 10.6um, and the wavelength of solid-state lasers such as YAG or fiber lasers is 1.06um. The former is relatively easy to be absorbed by non-metals and can cut wood, acrylic, PP, and plexiglass with high quality. Other non-metallic materials, the latter is not easily absorbed by non-metals, so non-metallic materials cannot be cut, but the two lasers are helpless when they encounter high-reflective materials such as copper, silver, and pure aluminum.

Secondly, it is precisely because the wavelengths of CO2 and fiber laser differ by an order of magnitude. The former cannot be transmitted by optical fiber, and the latter can be transmitted by optical fiber, which greatly increases the flexibility of processing. In the early days before the launch of fiber lasers on the market, in order to achieve three-dimensional processing, we used optical joint technology to guide the CO2 laser to the three-dimensional curved surface through a highly precise coordinated dynamic combined mirror system to achieve the three-dimensional processing of the CO2 laser. This technology is because of the domestic The limitations of precision processing technology are mainly in the hands of a few developed countries in Europe and America, which are expensive and require high maintenance. As the market share of fiber lasers is gradually expanding, it has gradually lost its market. Because fiber laser can be transmitted through optical fiber, the degree of flexibility has been unprecedentedly improved, especially for the automotive industry, because it is basically a thin plate surface processing of about 1mm, and the fiber laser cooperates with the same flexible robot system, which has low cost and fewer failure points. , Maintenance is convenient, and the speed is surprisingly fast, and it does my part to occupy this market steadily.

Thirdly, the photoelectric conversion rate of fiber laser is as high as 25%, while that of CO2 laser is only about 10%. The advantages of fiber laser in terms of electricity consumption and supporting cooling system are quite obvious. If there are more fiber laser manufacturers , The price is more appropriate, and the thick plate cutting process is solved, the threat to the CO2 laser will be huge. However, as an emerging laser technology, fiber laser is far less popular than CO2 laser. Its stability, reliability, and convenience of after-sales service are yet to be observed by the market for a long time.

It is worth mentioning that according to international safety standards, laser hazard levels are divided into 4 levels, CO2 lasers are the least hazardous level, and fiber lasers are the most hazardous level due to the short wavelength of the human body due to the large damage to the eyes. For safety reasons, fiber laser processing requires a completely enclosed environment.

In addition, the flexible processing system of fiber lasers and robots has a long history in the automotive industry and supporting industries. In the past, it was monopolized by foreign integrators. In recent years, due to the financial crisis and the continuous improvement of production technology in the automotive industry, especially the domestic laser Technical high-end manufacturers such as Huagong Laser Falilei have been working on technology with the support of national policies. Many foreign mid-to-high-end auto brands and national brands have tasted crabs for the first time. The arrogance and mystery of foreign super-high prices has been lifted and torn. In recent years, Huagong Laser Farrell has provided car users with car body-in-white welding, car dashboard laser weakening, car airbag laser welding, car bumper, car door, center pillar and other robot flexible cutting, and car bumper laser Welding, on-line welding systems for automobile exhaust pipes, and automatic laser cutting equipment for automobile gear shifting sets, etc., are produced stably and efficiently at the user's site for 24 hours, allowing users to praise Huagong Falilai and foreign integrators shouting "The wolf is coming." "!

To sum up, the direction of laser application should be high-power CO2 laser applications on more stable, larger-format, and faster machine tools. For surface processing below 2mm, fiber laser is more advantageous.