Creation of the light is 200% more efficient than via a traditional CO2 laser, and delivery is far simpler, with no expensive optical mirrors. The focusing lens, unlike on a conventional CO2 laser machine, is sealed in the cutting head and thus not a consumable item.
Bystronic first launched its fiber laser in the UK in 2010 as a 2 kW machine, which was swiftly followed by a 3 kW and then a 4 kW machine. Interestingly, the 3 kW model remains most popular, with 60% of UK machines delivered being of this power.
If one examines the price-to-performance ratio of the different models, the main cutting speed benefit of the higher-power 4 kW laser is in mid-range materials from 6 to 8 mm thick. There are also small benefits in thickness capacity when cutting non-ferrous materials, typically an increase of one gauge of material. This helps only customers who cut a lot of material in the 6 to 8 mm range or who wish to cover all eventualities, as it is their only laser cutting machine.
The benefits of a true fiber laser source include:
1. No moving parts or mirrors in the light-generating source, unlike a conventional CO2 resonator or disk laser. This has a distinct advantage in terms of reducing maintenance requirements and operating costs.
2. Much higher electrical efficiency, resulting in considerably lower running costs. A 3 kW fiber machine uses one third of the power of a 4 kW CO2 machine of average across-the-board performance.
3. Higher speeds when cutting thin material. Compared with the same 4 kW CO2 machine, the fiber laser is three times quicker in a straight line cutting of 1 mm mild, galvanized, or stainless steel and twice as fast when cutting 2 mm.
4. An ability to cut reflective materials without fear of back reflections damaging the machine. This allows copper, brass, and aluminium to be cut without problems.
5. 50% longer servicing intervals and 50% lower servicing costs.
CO2 laserCOlaser
The disadvantages of fiber compared with CO2 mainly relate to the cutting speed when processing thicker materials, typically above 5 mm, where the CO2 machine is faster in a straight line and also has much faster piercing times at the start of the cut. There is also the advantage of a smoother surface finish with the CO2 machine when cutting thicker materials.
Thus, what can be deduced from the statistics and experiences of our UK customers that have bought fiber and sometimes also CO2 laser profilers from Bystronic?
1. Over 70% of fiber laser customers are subcontractors, the remainder being original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This is surprising, as one would expect OEMs to be more confident about deciding to purchase a fiber laser machine, where the advantages and disadvantages vary greatly, depending on the products to be cut. Subcontractors can never be sure what the next job will be and what material thicknesses will need to be processed, so theoretically the versatility of a CO2 machine would be more attractive.
2. Of the subcontractors, only 31% had a single laser profiler after purchasing the fiber machine, whereas 69% were multiple laser users and could decide which machine to put work onto, CO2 or fiber.
3. The main reason for purchasing a fiber machine was the speed of cutting thin (1 to 2 mm and up to 3 mm) materials.
4. An important secondary reason was the lower running cost and the lower power consumption using fiber technology, which was particularly important in companies at the top end of the electrical supply limit in their workshops.
Danny Fantom, managing director of subcontractor FC Laser, Ilkeston, UK, said that Bystronic’s managing director advised him to complement his existing 4.4 kW COlaser with a 3 kW fiber machine (). Although skeptical at first about the benefits of this technology with its lower power, Fantom decided to go ahead with the recommendation.
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