In laser applications, carbon dioxide laser and fiber laser are two types of lasers that we are relatively familiar with. What are the specific differences between these two types of lasers? Good-Laser R&D team listed the answer for you as follows:
Generally speaking, the CO2 laser cutting machine relies on an air generator to excite the laser with a wavelength of 10.6 μm, while the fiber laser cutter is excited by a solid-state laser generator with a wavelength of 1.08 μm. Due to the wavelength of 1.08μm, the fiber laser cutting machine can be transmitted over a long distance, and the service life of the laser generator is longer than that of a CO2 laser tube.
The CO2 laser generator relies on the reflector to transmit the laser light from the oscillator to the processing point. It is necessary to clean the reflector frequently and replace such wearing parts regularly. The optical fiber is the factor for the fiber laser cutting machine to play the role of the light source so that the fiber laser cutting machine produces less loss.
The photoelectric conversion rate of CO2 laser cutting machines is about 10%-15%, while that of fiber laser cutting machines is about 35%-40%. If we try to take this rate literally, we will find that a fiber laser cutting machine is at least 2 times faster than a CO2 laser cutting machine in the case of cutting the same material.
This also means that if someone wants to pierce a certain material, the CO2 laser cutter requires more electricity bills. It's about 10% to 15%, and fiber knives can be at least 2 times faster than CO2 knives because they cut the same material. This also means that a CO2 laser cutter will require more electricity bills if someone wants to pierce the material.
We also need to consider the maintenance cost and period to compare the two machines. According to the experience of some technicians, they told us that a CO2 laser generator needs to be maintained every 4,000 hours, and after about 20,000 hours, the fiber laser cutting machine and laser cutter need to be maintained.
Most people will associate CO2 cutters with non-metallic materials, such as plastic, wood, glass, MDF board, ABS board, cloth, rubber, leather, etc. It can engrave materials with precise graphics and complex textures. Most businessmen who work in the manufacturing industry are familiar with fiber laser cutting machines as such machine is very common in different industries, such as the hardware industry, medical equipment, environmental protection industry, transportation industry, etc.
Considering the level of risk, CO2 laser cutting machines are less harmful to users than fiber laser cutting machines. Such as dust and smoke generated in daily work, which is why most fiber laser cutting machines are equipped with protective boxes and exhaust ports.
Also, many people are concerned about the cost of use. Normally, the cost of carbon dioxide-cutting machines is lower. The price of 60W cutting machines on the market is generally around 6000-7000 US dollars/unit. For example, the Good-Laser HH002 of Henghao Laser, even its performance and stability are superior to similar products in the market, but to allow more people to enjoy the fun of laser creation with a low threshold, this machine can be bought at a discounted price of $5899.
For more details please check (link to 002 details page).
Compared with the fiber optic cutting machine, since it is mainly used in industrial-grade metal cutting applications, it ranges from thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the wattage and performance. It’s quite far away from our daily life.
To sum up, these are the main differences between carbon dioxide laser cutting machines and fiber laser cutting machines. If you have any other questions, welcome to contact us via our technical support email support@good-laser.com to get more information.
