01 Feb CO2 Laser Vs. Fibre Laser Cutters
For those unfamiliar with laser cutters, it can be confusing to understand the differences between CO2 vs Fibre laser cutters.
In this article, we explain how each one works and the core differences between the two technologies, allowing you to make a more informed choice on which is best for you based on your needs.
CO2 Vs. Fibre Laser Cutters: What’s The Difference?
The difference between a CO2 laser and a fibre laser cutter is simply how the laser beam is generated and directed towards the target material. This defines what materials they can work with, due to the differences in laser wavelength and power.
These two technologies are considered the 2 main types of machines and are generally much more practical, flexible and effective when compared to traditional methods of cutting.
Both machines can engrave or mark a wide range of materials, however, fibre lasers are designed to work with metals whereas CO2 lasers are compatible with a wider range of materials.
Laser cutting machines offer countless benefits over traditional cutting methods, such as computerised programming, zero material surface contact and very negligible cutting forces.
This ultimately provides the user with:
- Precision & quality
- Accuracy
- Repeatability
CO2 Laser Cutters: Everything You Need To Know
CO2 Laser Cutters are extremely popular thanks to being cost-effective and highly accurate.
They are a particularly well-suited tool for cutting and engraving an array of materials, from card and leather to wood and plastics.
However, they will not cut metals without a high-power tube (typically around 150W) and the use of an assist gas such as oxygen.
Many sectors favour CO2 machines; education, industry, small business and even home use due to their lower cost yet exceptional quality.
This flexible range of machines suits all budgets, from professional desktop machines such as our LS3020 desktop laser cutter, to industry-level flatbeds.
How Do CO2 Laser Cutters Work?
CO2 laser cutters work by passing electricity through a CO2 filled tube to create light. At one end of the tube is a fully reflective mirror and lenses, and the other end holds a translucent mirror.
The difference between CO2 and fibre ultimately comes down to the wavelength of the laser which dictates compatible materials. “How Its Made” give a detailed walk-through of how laser cutters are manufactured.
Similar to how the sun’s rays can be focused and intensified using a magnifying glass, this increases the intensity of light as it flows through the gas-filled tube.
The light finally passes through the partially reflective mirror when it becomes powerful enough. From here it is guided by another series of mirrors and high quality lenses towards the material which the intense laser heat vapourises, leaving a precise and smooth finish.
What Materials Can CO2 Lasers Cut & Engrave?
From small desktop machines to freestanding flatbeds, CO2 laser cutters can be used in many environments and for almost infinite purposes such as:
| Material | Engrave | Cut |
| Acrylic | Yes | Yes |
| Anodized Aluminium | Yes | No |
| Ceramics | Yes | No |
| Cloth | Yes | Yes |
| Corlam | Yes | Yes |
| Cork | Yes | Yes |
| Fiberglass | Yes | No |
| Glass | Yes | No |
| Granite | Yes | No |
| Leather | Yes | Yes |
| Marble | Yes | No |
| Matboard | Yes | Yes |
| Melamine | Yes | Yes |
| Mylar | Yes | Yes |
| Paper | Yes | Yes |
| Painted Metals | Yes | No |
| Plastic | Yes | Yes |
| Pressboard | Yes | Yes |
| Rubber | Yes | Yes |
| Tile | Yes | No |
| Twill | Yes | Yes |
| Wood | Yes | Yes |
| Wood Veneer | Yes | Yes |
| Bare Metal | * | No |
| Brass | * | No |
| Stainless Steel | * | No |
| Titanium | * | No |
*When coated with a metal marking such as Marksolid.
What Can CO2 Laser Cutters Be Used For?
The flexibility of CO2 machines is extensive with a wide range of applications. Here are just a few of the areas businesses use them for:
- Engraving barcodes
- 3-D models
- Portraits
- Cutting fabrics
- Personalising phone cases
- Automotive components
- Electronics
- Signage
What Are The Advantages of CO2 Lasers?
Safety
All of our cabinet-type CO2 machines are Class 1 devices, meaning no laser radiation escapes the enclosure during normal operating conditions.
This is the recommended category of laser devices for schools and education.
Versatility
Take a look at the table to see just how many materials this laser can work with
Precision
The fine response of these machines enables incredibly precise cutting and engraving.
Disadvantages of CO2
CO2 mirrors can sometimes become misaligned meaning they have to be adjusted. We offer training for this so that machine owners can carry out these adjustments themselves.
CO2 cutters can sometimes struggle to engrave highly reflective materials, such as reflective metals, so a marking compound needs to be applied first.
Fibre Laser Cutters: Everything You Need To Know
Fibre laser cutters are dedicated metal cutting machines that offer unparalleled speed, accuracy, energy efficiency and repeatability.
They are typically suited to cutting mild and stainless steels, as well as non-ferrous metals. Powered by Fibre optic laser sources of 500W+, these machines can be configured to cut incredibly thick metals.
How Do Fibre Laser Cutters Work?
Fibre laser cutters work in a similar way to CO2 cutters, however, the light is directed through a fiber optic cable to intensify the beam before being aligned to the material being cut.
The power source largely dictates its strength. This is what results in a more powerful fiber laser beam compared to a CO2 source.
What Are Fibre Laser Cutters Used For?
Fibre Laser machines are the titans of laser cutting, performing to an extremely high standard whilst maintaining the utmost precision.
Continuous production at speed doesn’t hinder them, with some of the most lucrative and innovative industries in the world being heavily reliant on fibre lasers, including:
- Aerospace
- Electronics
- Medical
- Automotive
- Homeware
- Jewellery
- Solar
The uses and variety of materials fiber laser cutters can work with are vast, from cutting automotive and aerospace parts. Workable materials for a fibre laser include:
- Aluminium
- Brass
- Copper
- Mild Steel
- Stainless Steel
Thanks to their high output power, these machines can cut incredibly thick metals.
Our HPC range of machines of up to 25 kW allows for cutting an incredible thickness of up to 25mm mild and stainless steels and up to 15mm aluminium with much lower operational costs than CO2 lasers.
Check out this article for an in-depth look at cutting thickness and speed.
Advantages of Fiber Laser Cutting
- Speed – Powerful Fiber laser machines can work in just a fraction of the time that a CO2 laser can thanks to their much more powerful power source.
- Maintenance – No mirror or lens cleaning, nor beam alignment meaning maintenance costs are much lower.
- Energy Efficiency & Operating Cost – 2-3 times more energy efficient than CO2 lasers with considerably less power consumption and lower running costs.
Disadvantages of Fiber Laser Cutting
The main disadvantage of fiber laser cutting is the initial upfront cost.
The exceptional engineering and high-grade components that make this machine so effective and efficient do come at more of an expense than CO2 machines.
As well as for cutting, a fiber laser cutter is often frequently used in much lower powers such as 30-50W for engraving onto uncoated metals. Unlike a CO2 engraving machine, a fibre engraver requires no ceramic marking compound to be applied to the component first.
The compact design of the fiber laser source means the machine can be much smaller than those using CO2. The requirements can be tailored to suit your needs.
HPC Laser builds fibre laser engravers the size of desktop computer units, to fibre cutters the size of a large room.
CO2 Vs. Fibre: Which Machine Is Right For You?
Ultimately, your operational requirements decide how to choose a laser cutter.
If you’re looking to engrave and cut non-metals such as acrylic, wood, card, leather and fabrics a CO2 Laser is perfect.
There’s a reason this is such a widely used piece of equipment, its exceptional precision allows the most detailed engraving and can even reproduce photographic images.
You will probably own several items that these machines have made or been used on (maybe without even knowing it).
Industrial fiber laser cutters are an incredibly powerful piece of equipment, more appropriate for heavy-duty metal cutting than a CO2 laser could not provide.
If you need a machine to cleanly, accurately and very consistently cut metals, a fibre laser is ideal for you.
It excels at working with more rigid materials, hence its use in the aerospace and automotive sectors.
When considering engraving, fibre machines can also be used for perfectly marking minute details on materials that some CO2 machines cannot.
If you’re still unsure which best suits your needs or would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team on +44 (0) 1422 310800 or email us at sales@hpclaser.co.uk.
We offer all our potential clients impartial, honest and practical advice when considering which machine and laser power is best suited to your needs.
We also offer free-of-charge bookable machine demonstrations at our showroom in West Yorkshire where you can spend around 90 minutes with one of our engineers to get the best advice face-to-face.
We understand that laser-cutting machines represent a significant investment, that’s why we offer:
- Delivery
- Installation
- Commissioning
- Onsite training
- Expert service engineers
- Lifetime email and telephone technical support
Our large range of machines can cater for all budgets and can be customised for specific applications.
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