Fiber laser vs Co2 laser is a frequent asked question, it includes cost, speed, maintenance and other issues. Fiber laser & Co2 laser are two important laser sources of laser cutting machine, fiber laser has a ten times shorter wavelength than Co2 laser, this affects the laser travel way, cutting ability, suitable materials, and all other aspect.
We can not say which one is better, because each one has its own advantages.
General difference of fiber vs co2 laser:
Based on the same laser power, for the reason of high energy density and high absorption rate by metal from fiber laser:
Fiber vs Co2 laser cost: Fiber laser cutter has a much higher metal cutting speed for thin metal sheet;
Fiber vs Co2 laser speed: Fiber laser cutter has a much lower metal cutting cost for thin metal sheet;
| Items | Fiber Laser | Co2 Laser |
|---|---|---|
| Laser Source | Solid state laser | Gas laser |
| Wavelength | 1.06μm | 10.6μm |
| Beam Guidance | Fiber optics | Mirror optics |
| Energy Density | About 10x | About 1x |
| Maintenance | Less maintenance | Mirror or lens cleaning, bellows checks and beam alignments |
| Cutting materials | Metal, rubber, etc | Wood, metal, glass, rubber, stone, etc. |
| Thickness of best metal laser cutting | Mild steel <= 6mm SS <= 4mm | Mild steel >= 20mm SS >= 10mm |
| Cutting speed for thin metal | 3x | 1x |
| Edge quality for thick material | good | better |
* Research shows that 70% percent of flat sheet metal laser cutting is under 6mm;
* The edge quality of fiber laser cutting is now better and better;
* Co2 laser’s mainly application is laser cutting for non-metal now;
Fiber laser vs Co2 laser: Cutting materials & Cutting ability
Fiber laser cutting machine:
It is mainly for the metal cutting or engraving, such as mild or carbon steel, stainless steel, other types of steel, aluminum and its alloys, brass, copper, titanium, etc. Fiber laser cutter machine for metal is a recommended solution for cutting steel at less than 6mm or stainless steel at less than 4mm. Visit metal laser cutter: http://www.elephant-cnc.com/fiber-laser-cutting-machine/
High power Co2 laser cutting machine:
It can also cut metals if the laser power is big enough; Co2 laser cutter is a better choice to cut steel at more than 20mm or stainless steel at more than 10mm, both cutting speed and cutting quality are all good based on the same power cost.
Low power Co2 laser cutter:
It is the only solution to cut or engrave acrylic, wood, MDF, etc. Visit Co2 laser cutting machine: http://www.elephant-cnc.com/co2-laser-cutting-machine/
CNC plasma cutting machine:
It is only for metal cutting, it is very powerful, but not good at very thin metal for the reason of heat-deforming, especially when the metal is less than 1mm. Otherwise, the cutting quality of plasma is not as good as a fiber laser cutting. Visit cnc plasma cutter: http://www.elephant-cnc.com/cnc-plasma-cutters/
Other costs: Maintenance & Machine price
We always say the fiber laser cutter is maintenance-free and has a 5-10 times longer lifetime; The co2 maintenance is cost-high, it needs some professional skills to finish that.
But a metal laser cutter with fiber laser is more expensive than that with Co2 laser.
Conclusion:
The cutting material, cutting ability, cutting quality, cutting speed, cutting cost are things that you should consider when choosing the right laser cutting machine.
But generally speaking, if you want to cut thin metal sheet, a fiber laser cutting machine is the first choice, and sometimes you can also consider a CNC plasma cutter.
