First of all, as the mainstream of the traditional laser cutting machine, welding equipment using CO2 laser, it can stably cut carbon steel within 20mm, stainless steel (stainless steel) within 10mm, aluminum alloy below 8mm. Fiber lasers have obvious advantages when cutting thin plates within 4 mm. Due to the wavelength of solid lasers, they are of poor quality when cutting thick plates. The laser cutting machine is not omnipotent. The wavelength of the CO2 laser is 10.6um. The wavelength of the solid-state laser such as YAG or fiber laser is 1.06um. The former is easily absorbed by non-metals and can cut wood, acrylic, PP and plexiglass with high quality. Non-metallic materials such as materials, the latter is not easily absorbed by non-metals, so it is impossible to divide non-metallic materials, but the two lasers are incapable of encountering high-reflection materials such as copper, silver, and pure aluminum.
Secondly, it is precisely because the wavelengths of CO2 and fiber laser splitter differ by an order of magnitude, the former cannot be transmitted by optical fiber, and the latter can be transmitted by optical fiber, which greatly increases the degree of flexibility of processing. In the early days before the introduction of the fiber laser, in order to realize the three-dimensional processing, we used the optical joint technology to guide the CO2 laser to the surface of the three-dimensional curved surface through a highly sophisticated dynamic combined mirror system to realize the three-dimensional processing of the CO2 laser. Because the limitations of domestic precision processing technology are mainly in the hands of a few developed countries in Europe and America, the price is high and the maintenance requirements are high. The market share of fiber laser has gradually lost its market while gradually expanding its market share. The fiber laser can be transmitted through the optical fiber, and the degree of flexibility is unprecedentedly improved. Especially for the automotive industry, since the thin plate surface processing is basically about 1 mm, the fiber laser is matched with the same flexible robot system, and the cost is low and the number of fault points is small. The maintenance is convenient, the speed is very fast, and the market is firmly occupied by the people.
Thirdly, the photoelectric conversion rate of the fiber laser splitter is as high as 25% or more, and the photoelectric conversion rate of the CO2 laser is only about 10%. The advantages of the fiber laser in the electricity consumption and the cooling system (Cooling System) are quite obvious. If the manufacturer of fiber lasers is more, the price is more suitable, and the thick plate division process is solved, the threat of CO2 laser will be huge. However, fiber laser as an emerging laser technology is far less popular than CO2 laser. Its stability and reliability, and the convenience of after-sales service have yet to be observed in the market for a long time.