What is a Fiber Laser Cutting Machine? The Ultimate Guide for 2025

1. Introduction

A fiber laser cutting machine is a machine that utilizes a high-energy, high-density laser beam to cut sheet metal. With its advantages of high precision, high efficiency and low energy consumption, it has played an important role in many modern manufacturing fields such as metal processing, automobile manufacturing and aviation, and is a very important existence in modern manufacturing.

This article will provide a detailed introduction to its concept, working principle, composition, types, advantages and disadvantages, and how to choose the right fiber laser cutting machine, aiming to let users understand the fiber laser cutting machine, a modern industrial core equipment, and help users provide advice when purchasing.

2. What is a fiber laser cutting machine?

2.1 Definition of fiber laser cutting machine

Fiber laser cutting machine is a laser cutting equipment that melts or vaporizes materials by emitting high-energy laser beams, so that the surface of the material is cut.

2.2 When was the fiber laser cutting machine invented?

The invention of the fiber laser cutting machine was not achieved overnight, the original laser cutting technology was mostly CO₂ or YAG lasers, invented by Elias Snitzer, the cutting accuracy and quality are relatively low, and cannot meet the needs of higher-level cutting. However, with the development of technology and people’s continuous exploration of industrial manufacturing, high-power and high-quality fiber lasers came into being, and quickly became an important device in the modern cutting industry.

3. The working principle of fiber laser cutting machine

3.1 Laser generation

The power supply provides electrical energy to the laser diode, so that the laser diode produces the initial laser, and then the original laser is excited to act on the doping material inside the optical fiber to form a high-energy laser beam that can be used.

3.2 Beam transmission

The laser beam is transmitted via a dedicated high-reflection fiber. In this fiber, the laser has low losses, allowing for fully long-distance, efficient, and pollution-free transmission.

3.3 Focus

The laser beam transmitted by the optical fiber will enter the focusing lens inside the cutting head, and then, under the action of the focusing lens, the laser beam that was originally more divergent will be accurately focused into high-energy light spots and shine on the surface of the material.

3.4 Material heating

The high-energy point makes the material quickly heat up and melt and vaporize, forming a cutting gap.

3.5 Assist gas to blow off slag

A synchronized injection of high-pressure auxiliary gas is injected into the cutting area to blow away melted or gasified metal residues and create a clear cut seam.

4. The core components and configuration of the fiber laser cutting machine

4.1 Fiber laser source

Fiber lasers use different types of rare earths as doping materials, which can effectively ensure the production of high-intensity, high-quality lasers. With high-intensity, high-quality lasers, it can directly affect the cutting accuracy, speed and thickness of the cut.

4.2 Fiber optics

Compared with traditional mirror transmission, optical fibers can efficiently transmit high-quality, compact lasers while reducing laser loss. In addition, it reduces the impact of environmental vibration, dust and oil pollution on the laser path, ensuring stable transmission of high power.

4.3 CNC controller

The CNC controller is the core component of commanding information exchange and the coordinated operation of mechanical components. It can automatically parse CAD/CAM design files, complete programming tasks, and assign these tasks to mechanical components to coordinate their operation. In addition, it has the ability to monitor cutting quality and equipment status in real time, making this type of cutting machine highly favored.

4.4 Cutting head

The cutting head is composed of a laser focusing lens and a nozzle, which plays a major role in laser focusing and processing.

4.5 Servo motor

Servo motors are the components responsible for driving machinery. The servo motor not only has fast response speed and high positioning accuracy, but also has low energy consumption and low noise to the surrounding production environment.

4.6 Cooling system

Once the system detects that the operating temperature of the equipment is too high, the cooling system will immediately dissipate the heat of the core components such as lasers, cutting heads, and control cabinets in time to prevent overheating and damage to the equipment

4.7 Workbench

As the name suggests, the workbench is a place used to process sheet metal, which not only provides stable bearing capacity for sheet metal, ensures that the entire processing environment is strong and the workpiece does not deform, but also provides necessary support for the precision of metal processing.

4.8 Auxiliary gas system

The role of the auxiliary gas system is mainly to provide high-pressure oxygen, nitrogen or air during the cutting process, which not only plays the role of blowing away slag, cooling materials and focusing lenses, but also can accurately control the gas flow, pressure, and purity for different metal materials to optimize different cutting effects.

5. What are the types of fiber laser cutting machines?

5.1 Single platform plate fiber laser cutting machine

The single platform sheet fiber laser cutting machine has a simple structure and is easy to get started, and is specially designed for flat panel materials, suitable for cutting metal materials of various thicknesses. The single-platform sheet fiber laser cutting machine has a high cutting speed, while having a certain degree of accuracy and low cost, which is a good choice for small-scale and multi-variety factories.

5.2 Single-platform plate and tube fiber laser machine

The single-platform plate and tube fiber laser machine is compatible with the cutting ability of plates and tubes, which is particularly suitable for enterprises that mainly process plates and have some round tubes, square pipes and other metal pipe cutting needs. By alternating between flat panels and round tubes, flexibility is greatly increased, production efficiency can be increased, and equipment investment and space footprint are reduced.

5.3 Closed plate fiber laser cutting machine

The enclosed sheet fiber laser cutting machine is a fully enclosed and sealed design, which is specially produced for the pursuit of the safety and effectiveness of the cutting machine. The closed environment has many advantages, which can not only reduce the entry of dust and harmful gases, reduce the leakage of lasers, and optimize the noise problem, but also effectively achieve the ideal cooling effect and extend the service life.

5.4 Plate and tube plate fiber laser cutting machine

Plate and tube plate fiber laser cutting machine has ultra-high flexibility and diversified production capacity, so it is also called multi-functional dual-purpose cutting machine, in terms of cutting accuracy, it is equipped with a design that optimizes the ability to cut materials, and at the same time has a high degree of automation program, processing any plate is handy.

5.5 Tube fiber laser cutting machine

Furniture, fitness equipment, bicycle manufacturing, etc. all belong to its manufacturing category. The tube fiber laser cutting machine not only has automatic feeding, sizing and cutting functions, but also has a tube fixed clamping system that can ensure high speed and high-precision cutting, and is a cutting machine specially developed for metal pipe cutting.

6. Application fields of fiber laser cutting machine

With the advancement of laser technology and machine performance, fiber laser cutting machines quickly get out of the circle with their high precision, high speed, and high flexibility.

First of all, in the metal processing industry, it can cut carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloy and other plates and pipes; In the automotive industry, external components such as body and frame can be manufactured; In the aerospace industry, fiber laser cutting machines are used to produce some high-quality and high-precision component processing; In the field of shipbuilding, the blanking of hull components is designed and mass-produced; In the field of sheet metal processing, it is a powerful assistant for mechanical equipment shells, medical equipment and other accessories.

In addition, fiber laser cutting machines also involve a series of fields such as packaging, advertising, and kitchenware manufacturing, with a wide range of adaptability to materials and many applications in the field.

7. Advantages and disadvantages of fiber laser cutting machines

7.1 Main advantages of fiber laser cutting machines

7.1.1 High conversion efficiency

All else being equal, the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the fiber laser cutting machine exceeds 25%, which is much higher than that of traditional CO₂ and YAG lasers. This great energy conversion rate not only allows fiber laser cutting machines to be included in mass production, but also reduces costs.

7.1.2 Fast cutting speed and high precision

Fiber laser cutting machines have faster cutting technology than other cutting machines, especially in large-scale production, and perform very well. The high-speed and high-energy laser beam enables refined machining, especially for small parts or small parts.

7.1.3 Smooth cutting edges

The cutting surface of the fiber laser cutting machine is not only very flat, but also smooth and burr-free, eliminating the need for secondary grinding and reducing subsequent processing.

7.1.4 Cutting versatility

Fiber laser cutting machine can meet the cutting needs of a variety of materials, and it is one of the few equipment that can achieve high-precision cutting of complex patterns, including highly reflective metals, in adapting to a variety of metals.

7.1.5 Equipment stability

The fiber laser cutting machine has fewer main components, and due to the use of solid-state packaging method, it has strong vibration resistance during processing, so it can still operate efficiently in harsh environments.

7.1.6 Low energy consumption

Under the same efficiency, the electricity consumption of fiber laser cutting machines is only 30% of that of CO₂ lasers, which is very economical and environmentally friendly for enterprises under long-term operation.

7.1.7 Low maintenance cost

The equipment structure of the fiber laser cutting machine is simple, and the important components have a long life, and the labor cost and replacement cost of the operator in maintenance and management are also low.

7.2 Main disadvantages of fiber laser cutting machines

7.2.1 The initial investment cost is high

As a high-quality equipment, its own devices are counterfeited and expensive, and the cost of natural equipment and installation is high, and there is a certain threshold for small enterprises when purchasing.

7.2.2 Relatively higher requirements for operators

For novice operators, it is still difficult to understand not only some knowledge of CNC operation, laser safety and process debugging, but also to quickly achieve proficiency in technical level.

7.2.3 Material thickness

It can be handled in cutting thick metals, but it is not recommended, because if you process some heavy metals forcefully, the cutting performance will gradually decrease.

7.2.4 Material restrictions

Fiber laser cutting machines are mainly suitable for metal materials, while the effect for cutting non-metals such as plastic, quartz glass, wood, etc. will be limited.

7.2.5 Maintenance and maintenance

Once the poor operation damages the core components of the fiber laser cutting machine, or does not pay attention to strict dust and moisture prevention during daily maintenance, it may be very costly to damage some high-precision devices.

8. Fiber laser cutting machine purchase and selection suggestions

To purchase a fiber laser cutting machine for your business, you must first consider budget evaluation. The budget includes the cost of the equipment itself, the cost of inviting a master to install it, the cost of electricity consumed during daily operation, the cost of replacing gas, parts, and the cost of replacing the core components of the equipment.

Users should carefully review before purchasing, and do not buy machines that do not meet the budget because of impulsiveness. Secondly, under the condition of having a sufficient budget, it is necessary to consider the cutting speed, cutting accuracy, degree of automation and space occupied by the equipment, and only by fully understanding the processing conditions of these machines can we choose the appropriate cutting machine.

Finally, good after-sales service is equally important, and customers can choose suppliers with high brand reputation and quick response from technical teams. It is also important to have a good training to improve the work efficiency and safety awareness of employees, and can also save training costs for the company.

9. Conclusion

Fiber laser cutting machines have unparalleled precision, speed and the ability to cut various materials, and the stability and low energy consumption of the equipment are also a big boost to production, so as a fiber laser cutting machine widely used in automotive, electronics, medical and other fields naturally assumes an indispensable role in modern manufacturing.

By adopting fiber laser cutting technology, businesses can achieve higher quality results and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. In the purchase process, enterprises should also understand the advantages and disadvantages between different products according to their own needs, so as to choose a suitable and reasonable fiber laser cutting machine.

If you have the idea of buying a fiber laser cutting machine, customers are welcome to learn about the relevant information of the fiber laser cutting machine and inquire about the price from us, we will not only provide on-site trial service, but also undertake good after-sales service.

The above is a detailed introduction by the editor today about the what is a fiber laser cutting machine. For more knowledge about press brakes and fiber laser cutting machines, you can follow our blog updates. As a fiber laser cutting machines manufacturer, RAYMAX is committed to expanding its influence while also providing more, more professional, and more comprehensive knowledge of CNC machinery for friends in the metal processing industry. If you experience any unresolved issues or are interested in purchasing related machines, please feel free to contact us at any time. RAYMAX offers free technical support services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Looking forward to your letter ~~~

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