The first YAG solid laser cutting machine
YAG solid-state laser cutting machine has the characteristics of low price and good stability, but its energy efficiency is generally low.
Main advantages: it can cut aluminum plate, copper plate and most other non-ferrous metal materials that can't be cut by laser cutting machine. The machine is cheap to buy, low in use cost and simple in maintenance. Most of the key technologies have been mastered by domestic enterprises, with low parts price and maintenance cost, simple machine operation and maintenance, and low requirements for workers' quality.
Main shortcomings and deficiencies: only materials below 8mm can be cut, and the cutting efficiency is quite low.
Main market positioning: Cutting below 8mm is mainly aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises and most users in sheet metal manufacturing, household appliances manufacturing, kitchenware manufacturing, decoration, advertising and other industries, and gradually replaces traditional processing equipment such as wire cutting, CNC punching machine, water cutting and low-power plasma.
The second kind of fiber laser cutting machine
Optical fiber laser cutting machine has great advantages in cutting thin plates within 4mm because it can be transmitted through optical fiber, with unprecedented flexibility, fewer fault points, convenient maintenance and high speed, but the quality is poor when cutting thick plates due to the influence of solid laser wavelength. The wavelength of fiber laser cutting machine is 1.06um, which is not easily absorbed by nonmetal, so it can't cut nonmetal materials. The photoelectric conversion rate of fiber laser is over 25%, and its advantages in power consumption and supporting cooling system are quite obvious. According to international safety standards, laser hazards are divided into four levels, and fiber laser is the most harmful level because of its short wavelength, which is harmful to human body and eyes. For safety reasons, fiber laser processing needs a fully enclosed environment.
Main advantages: high photoelectric conversion rate, low power consumption, cutting stainless steel plate and carbon steel plate within 12MM, which is the fastest laser cutting machine among these three machines, with fine slit and good spot quality, and can be used for fine cutting.
Main advantages and disadvantages: At present, most of the key technologies of fiber lasers are in the hands of one or two manufacturers in Europe and America, so most machines are expensive. The price of most machines is more than 6.5438+0.5 million yuan, and the low-power ones are basically around 500,000 yuan. It consumes a lot of gas when cutting (especially when cutting with nitrogen). In addition, it is difficult or even impossible for fiber laser cutting machine to cut high reflective materials such as aluminum plate and copper plate.
Main market positioning: cutting below 12mm, especially high-precision processing of thin plates, mainly aimed at manufacturers with high requirements on processing accuracy and efficiency. It is estimated that with the appearance of 5000W and above lasers, fiber laser cutting machine will eventually replace most of the market of CO2 high-power laser cutting machine.
The Third CO2 Laser Cutting Machine
CO2 laser cutting machine can stably cut carbon steel within 20mm, stainless steel within 10mm and aluminum alloy below 8mm. The wavelength of CO2 laser is 10.6um, which is easily absorbed by nonmetals and can cut nonmetallic materials such as wood, acrylic, PP and plexiglass with high quality, but the photoelectric conversion rate of CO2 laser is only about 10%. The CO2 laser cutting machine tool is equipped with a nozzle, which is used to blow oxygen, compressed air or inert gas N2 at the beam outlet to improve the cutting speed and the smoothness of the incision. In order to improve the stability and life of power supply, CO2 gas laser needs to solve the discharge stability problem of high power laser. According to international safety standards, laser hazards are divided into four levels, and CO2 laser is the least harmful level.
Main advantages: high power, generally between 2000-4000W, can cut full-size stainless steel, carbon steel and other conventional materials within 25mm, and can also cut aluminum plates within 4 mm and acrylic plates, wooden plates and PVC plates within 60MM, with very fast cutting speed. In addition, because CO2 laser outputs continuous laser, it is the smoothest and most effective one among the three laser cutting machines.
Main advantages and disadvantages: Because most of the key technologies of CO2 lasers are in the hands of European and American manufacturers, most of the machines are expensive, most of them cost more than 2 million yuan, and the maintenance costs of accessories and consumables are extremely high. In addition, the actual use and operation costs are very high, and the gas consumption during cutting is very large.
Main market positioning: 6-25mm plate cutting, mainly aimed at large and medium-sized enterprises and some laser cutting enterprises with pure external processing. However, due to the insurmountable factors such as high laser maintenance loss and high power consumption of the main engine, its market has been greatly impacted by solid-state laser cutting machines and fiber laser cutting machines in recent years, and the market is in an obvious shrinking state. It is estimated that CO2 laser cutting machine will eventually be replaced by fiber laser cutting machine after the further development of laser in the future.
In the process of evaluating laser cutting machine, customers should choose different cutting equipment according to their own needs and cutting purposes.