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Fiber Laser Cutting Machines: 2025 Buyer’s Guide

As we approach the year 2025, the manufacturing landscape is poised for a transformative shift, driven by the integration of cutting-edge technologies. At the forefront of this evolution, fiber laser cutting machines are set to redefine the standards of precision, efficiency, and innovation across a wide range of industries. In this comprehensive buyer’s guide, we’ll explore the remarkable capabilities of these advanced machines and provide you with the insights to make an informed decision for your 2025 manufacturing operations.

Fiber Laser Cutting Machines

Fiber Laser Cutting Machine is a device that uses laser technology to cut materials. It generates a high-energy-density laser beam through a laser generator, and focuses the laser beam on the surface of the material to be cut through an optical system, so that the material quickly absorbs the laser energy, and the temperature rises sharply to reach the melting point, boiling point or ignition point of the material, thereby melting, vaporizing or burning the material. At the same time, with the help of auxiliary gas coaxial with the laser beam, the molten material is blown away from the cutting area. As the cutting head moves along the preset path, the material is accurately cut. Fiber Laser Cutting Machine has the advantages of high cutting accuracy, good quality, fast speed, strong flexibility, and non-contact processing. It is widely used in metal processing, non-metal processing, advertising logo production, aerospace, shipbuilding and other fields, and can meet the diverse needs of different industries for material cutting.

Do You Need to Cut Sheets or Tubes?

1. Sheet Fiber Laser Cutting Machines

These machines are designed for high-precision cutting of flat metal or non-metal sheets.

Cheap Price Laser Cutting Machine

They typically feature larger work tables capable of handling materials in various sizes, offering excellent speed and precision. If your primary business focuses on sheet metal processing, decoration, signage, or similar industries, a flat sheet laser cutting machine would be an ideal choice.

  • Confirm Maximum Sheet Size: Ensure the machine’s work table can accommodate the largest sheet size you need to cut.
  • Choose the Right Laser Power: Select an appropriate laser power based on the typical thickness of the materials you process to ensure optimal cutting results.
  • Consider Automated Loading and Unloading Systems: For improved production efficiency, consider machines equipped with automatic loading and unloading systems.

2. Tube Laser Cutting Machines

These machines are specifically designed for cutting round, square, I-beam, H-beam, or other specialized tube shapes.

3d tube laser cutting machine

Tube laser cutters are often equipped with multi-chuck systems that securely clamp various diameters and lengths of tubes, enabling precise 3D cutting. In industries such as furniture manufacturing and steel structure construction, tube laser cutting machines significantly improve processing quality and efficiency.

tube laser cutting

  • Confirm Maximum and Minimum Pipe Diameters: Know the range of pipe sizes the machine can handle to ensure it meets your needs.
  • Check for Support for Complex Shapes: Ensure the machine can cut more complex shapes, such as bent pipes.
  • Evaluate Equipment Flexibility: Assess whether the machine can quickly switch between different tube types to improve production flexibility.

3. Tube and Sheet Fiber Laser Cutting Machine

The CNC fiber laser cutting machine for tube and pipe combine the advantages of both sheet and tube laser cutting, efficiently processing flat sheets and offering flexibility for tube cutting. This versatility makes them ideal for companies that need to handle both sheet and tube cutting tasks. Opting for a combined sheet and tube laser cutting machine can save space while maintaining functionality, offering greater efficiency without compromising on performance.

tube laser cutting machine

4.Portable Laser Cutting Machine

Plate and tube dual-purpose fiber laser cutting machine, can achieve two different profile cutting on the same machine tool, can cut metal sheet and pipe (square pipe, round pipe, channel steel, Angle steel, etc.). A multi-purpose machine, high cost performance, professional pipe cutting numerical control system, high precision, full function, easy to use, simple operation, suitable for comprehensive processing and manufacturing enterprises.

portable metal laser cutting machine​

The classification of fiber laser cutting can be based on several factors:

  1. Laser Power: Fiber lasers are available in a range of power levels, typically measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). The power level determines the cutting capabilities of the laser, including the thickness and type of material it can cut efficiently.
  2. Cutting Bed Size: The size of the cutting bed can vary across different fiber laser cutting machines. The bed size determines the maximum size of material you can cut. However, many machines now come with a machine bottom feed function, so you don’t have to worry about the length of the material you are cutting. Larger cutting beds are suitable for handling larger sheets or workpieces.
  3. Cutting Method: Fiber laser cutting can be classified based on the cutting method employed. Two common methods are:
    a. Fusion Cutting: This method uses a focused laser beam to melt the material, creating a narrow cut. The commonly used auxiliary gases are oxygen and nitrogen. Air assisted during the cutting process blows away the gases generated during the cutting process in time and gives a neater cutting surface.
    b. Flame Cutting: In this method, the laser beam heats the material to its ignition point, and a jet of oxygen is used to blow away the molten material, creating a cut. Flame cutting is typically used for thicker materials, such as metals.
  4. Material Type: Fiber laser cutting can be classified based on the type of materials it can effectively cut. Common materials include:
    Metals: Fiber lasers are particularly well-suited for cutting various metals, such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and brass.
  5. Automation Level: The fiber laser cutting machine is highly automated. Higher levels of automation may include features like automatic material feeding, part unloading, and integrated robotic systems for continuous cutting processes.

FAQs: Fiber Laser Cutting Machines

Do fiber laser cutters require more maintenance than CO2 laser cutters?
No, fiber lasers have fewer moving parts, and this requires less maintenance. Fiber lasers also use less energy than CO2 lasers.

What is the lifespan of a fiber laser? Does the fiber laser wear out over time like a CO2 laser?
Fiber lasers usually last up to 100,000 hours before you see any deterioration, while CO2 lasers generally start to deteriorate after 30,000 hours.

What is the cutting thickness of the fiber laser cutting machine?
The maximum thickness of metal fiber laser cutting machines can handle is influenced by the laser’s power and the type of material. Typically, these machines cut metal up to 1 inch thick. Nonetheless, with the appropriate settings, some models can process materials up to 6 inches thick. Ultimately, the achievable thickness depends on the specifications of the machine.

What are the types of lasers?
There are 5 main types of lasers: Fiber Lasers, Gas Lasers, Solid State Lasers, Liquid Lasers, and Semi-Conductor lasers. These types can also be broken down into two more categories, Continuous- wave lasers, and pulsed lasers.

Why use a fiber laser for cutting?
A fiber laser is faster and costs less to operate than a CO2 Laser. A Fiber laser makes a cleaner cut than plasma, and costs less to operate. A water jet makes a clean cut, but it is slow and requires more maintenance.

How accurate is a fiber laser cutter?
Most fiber lasers are accurate within 0.03mm

Can a fiber laser cut stainless steel?
Yes, fiber lasers are an excellent choice for cutting stainless steel.

How much laser power do I need?
The laser power you need depends on two main factors: material and thickness. Power required is proportional to thickness. The more power the thicker material you can cut. Increased laser power is more efficient for cutting high-reflective metals, as it allows the laser beam to function more consistently without being disrupted by back-reflection.

Does a fiber laser cut faster than a waterjet?
Yes, with thinner materials the fiber laser can be 10 times faster than the waterjet. Lasers typically cut 20-1000” per minute, whereas water jets typically cut 1-20” per minute.

How easy is it to operate the laser machine?
With the advances of technology, the operating software of most sheet lasers is very user-friendly. Universal Tool & Engineering provides onsite training and support with every machine purchased.

Is it safe to operate fiber laser cutting machines?
Yes, with appropriate safety features on the machines and proper operator safety. Like all industrial machines, fiber lasers can be dangerous to operate. It is important to choose a fiber laser cutting machine built with precautions for safety. For example, the laser beam can cause eye damage if you look directly at it with no protection. We build our machines with safety glasses built into the machine for operators to look through. We also provide all operators with additional safety glasses coated to protect their eyes from the laser. We also provide a high-quality fume/dust collecting system.

What affects the fiber laser cutting accuracy?
After selecting the appropriate cutting machine, one of the largest factors in cutting accuracy is the quality of the material you’re cutting. Higher quality material creates a more precise and cleaner cut. When cutting different materials, it’s always recommended to cut a few sample pieces to tune your parameters.

How to find the focal position / active focus of the fiber laser cutter?
The focal position of a fiber laser, sometimes referred to as active focus, refers to the distance from the laser’s focal point to the surface of the material being cut. Fiber laser heads often include auto-focus, making setup simple. UTE’s laser heads come with auto-focus as a standard feature.

What is a laser?
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers are used throughout many industries for many applications other than cutting.

Does a fiber laser require assist gas?
A fiber laser can cut certain materials and various thickness with just compressed air. The ability to cut with only compressed air helps keep your hourly operating cost low. The right assist gas can improve the edge quality and can increase the cutting speeds substantially for certain materials. The most common assist gases are compressed air, nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.

Can a sheet fiber laser engrave?
Yes, all of UTE’s lasers are capable of engraving on a variety of materials.

What materials can a fiber laser cut?
The fiber laser is one of the most versatile machines when it comes to cutting. The fiber laser can cut stainless steel, carbon/mild steel, aluminum, copper, titanium, nickel alloys, plastic, cardboard, paper, acrylic, graphite, and wood.

How much power does a fiber laser use?
Fiber laser systems power usage is typically rated in watts (W), with power options ranging from 10W to as high as 60,000W. Higher power levels enable these lasers to cut a broader variety of materials more effectively. For example, a 1000W fiber laser machine might generally consume about 4 kWh, with an additional 3 kWh used by the water chiller, and approximately 4 kWh for the servo motor and machine bed components. When operating at full capacity, the total electrical consumption reaches around 11 kWh. However, at a 60% utilization rate, actual power usage would be closer to 6.6 kWh.

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