Conventional CNC cutting processes may use shears, routers, mills, and lathes to mechanically cut or remove material while shaping a finished workpiece. Other options such as plasma cutters or waterjets use hot gasses or abrasive particles in high-pressure streams of water to melt away or erode materials and create cuts.
Lasers do it with light. A fiber laser improves upon the traditional technology that creates an amplified beam of light with optical fibers and rare earth elements for ultra-intense focus and cutting power.
But why opt for CNC fiber laser cutting services when there are so many other CNC cutting options available? Take a close look at the technology overview below to understand how it provides a rare combination of high speed, incredible precision, non-contact cuts, nearly no maintenance, increased uptime/throughput, lower operating costs, and maximum quality versus other methods.
A fiber laser uses optical fibers — often made from silica glass — doped with rare earth metals like neodymium, ytterbium, thulium, and erbium to focus high-intensity beams of light through the fiber optic cable.
As the beam of light moves through the cable, the cladding around the core works as a mirror, providing total internal reflection and intensifying the beam. The efficiency of this method is perfect since no light can escape the cable. The heat of the beam melts and removes workpiece material, leaving a clean cut behind.
While there are many ways to cut metal with CNC machines, today’s machine shops increasingly prefer CNC fiber laser cutting due to the method’s safety, precision, repeatability, and accuracy. A fiber laser uses its maximum energy efficiency and high rate of automated cutting speed to boost shop productivity while minimizing labor costs.
It’s true that no solution is one-size-fits-all in metal fabrication. However, many of the advantages of CNC fiber laser cutting make it a perfect choice for wide-ranging products and applications.
Fiber lasers make cuts inaccurate, complex patterns in diverse metals and materials, including (but not limited to):
CNC laser cutting machines equipped with high-powered fiber lasers are capable of delivering a broad array of benefits to metal fabrication and parts production, such as:
How CNC Fiber Laser Cutting Compares: |
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CO2 Lasers |
CO2 lasers are often selected for thicker materials, where they can provide smooth cutting edges. Today’s fiber lasers not only cut thicker materials just as effectively but handle reflective materials better and cut thin materials much faster. |
Plasma Cutting |
Plasma cutting is sometimes preferred as a cost-effective alternative to other cutting methods. The low energy cost and lack of tooling with a fiber laser provide this same benefit but with improved cut precision and productivity — and a smaller heat-affected zone. Plasma can usually provide a smoother cut edge than fiber. |
Waterjet Cutting |
Waterjet cutting uses erosion to effectively cut extremely thick materials. It’s excellent in this application. However, in most other circumstances, a fiber laser cutting system provides faster cuts, higher throughput, and lower downtime. |
EDM Cutting |
The maximum accuracy and minimal damage to materials from heat can make an electrical discharge machine a great CNC cutting solution. CNC fiber laser cutting offers equivalent precision but with dramatically faster cuts. The throughput and productivity gains make the fiber more than worth the consideration as an alternative. |
ReNEW Manufacturing Solutions is proud to deploy a ByCut Smart 6225 F8000 Fiber Laser from Bystronic for high-quality fiber laser cutting work with rapid turnarounds, at a fair price. With the ability to process metal sheets up to 8 feet wide and 20 feet long, this machine is primed for the most demanding large-format laser-cutting projects. Get in touch with ReNEW for CNC fiber laser cutting services that provide:
Request a quote today!