In order to understand how a fiber laser cutting system differs from CO2 lasers and plasma cutting systems, below is some basic information about how fiber lasers work.

Fiber lasers have a 30% wall efficiency with four times the beam power density, compared to 8% wall efficiency of a CO2 laser. Unlike CO2 lasers that generate their beam by exciting gas molecules with an electrical discharge, fiber lasers generate light by a diode that requires no expensive gas, no blower, and no vacuum for its operation.

Fiber lasers transmit their light through a flexible optical fiber from the resonator to the cutting head. There are no mirrors to adjust or maintain further reducing maintenance costs. There is little chance of beam contamination since the laser light does not travel through air. This makes fiber lasers easier to integrate into a production environment where airborne particles are commonplace.

The fiber laser offers a 100,000 hour diode life and is operational 24/7 without excessive warm-up and cool-down times. Total start up and shut down is less than 5 minutes, leaving more time for production. The efficiency of the fiber laser contributes to the minimal maintenance required. There are no parts to change or routine maintenance to be completed that would affect production.