What does fibre laser mean in fabrication?

In a fibre laser, the beam is made inside a length of optical fibre doped with a rare-earth element (usually ytterbium) and pumped by banks of laser diodes. It then travels to the cutting head through a flexible fibre cable. A CO2 laser makes its beam in a gas-filled tube and steers it to the head with mirrors.

That difference has practical effects:

• The fibre laser's wavelength is about 1 micron, against 10.6 microns for CO2. Metals absorb the shorter wavelength far better, so a fibre laser cuts thin sheet faster and can cut reflective metals such as copper and brass.
• With no mirrors to align and no laser gas to replace, there's less to maintain.
• More of the electricity ends up in the beam, so power costs per hour of cutting are lower.

How is a fibre laser used?

Fibre lasers cut mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, galvanised steel, copper and brass, from thin sheet up to thick plate depending on power. Small job shops commonly run machines from about 1.5 kW to 6 kW, while larger shops run 12 kW and above. As a rough guide, a 3 kW machine handles mild steel up to about 16 to 22 mm (5/8 to 7/8 in) and stainless up to about 8 to 12 mm (5/16 to 1/2 in). The laser power entry covers the full range.

Many fabricators buy a fibre laser to bring cutting in-house after years of buying in laser-cut parts. Lower-cost machines, many of them made in China, have put that step within reach of much smaller businesses.

Why does a fibre laser matter?

For most metal job shops, the fibre laser sets the pace of the business. It's fast enough that cutting often stops being the bottleneck, and the pressure moves to quoting, nesting, unloading and finishing.

That speed brings a pricing risk. Quotes built on a slower machine's speeds overprice the work; the feed rate entry explains how it happens and how to avoid it.

Fibre lasers also need proper guarding. The 1 micron beam passes through the front of the eye and focuses on the retina, so even a reflection can cause permanent damage. That's why fibre cutting machines are fully enclosed, with laser-safe viewing windows. Our laser cutting safety tips cover the basics.

Fibre laser versus CO2

Fibre lasers have taken over most metal cutting, but CO2 lasers are still around for good reasons:

• CO2 cuts non-metals such as acrylic, timber, plywood, plastics and fabric, which a fibre laser can't cut well. Sign and display shops often run CO2 for this work.
• On thicker mild steel and stainless, some shops still prefer the cut face a CO2 laser leaves.
• A well-maintained CO2 machine still earns money, even if it's slower on thin sheet.

For a new metal-cutting shop, fibre is the default choice. Our article on fibre lasers vs CO2 lasers goes through the trade-offs in more detail.

Fibre lasers and quoting

A fibre laser changes the numbers a quote is built on: faster feed rates on thin sheet, different gas use, and lower running costs per hour. A shop buying its first fibre laser needs an hourly rate and feed rates set for that machine, not borrowed from someone else's. Tempus Tools stores feed rates and pierce times for each thickness you cut, so quotes reflect your fibre laser's real speed from the first job.

Further reading: Tips for new laser owners