In 2022, high power laser cutting machine has opened the era of plasma cutting replacement
With the popularity of high-power fiber lasers, fiber laser cutting machine continues to break through the thickness limit, is increasing the share of plasma cutting machine in the thick metal plate processing market.
Before 2015, the production and sales of high-power lasers in China is low, laser cutting in the application of thick metal has lots of limits.
Traditionally, it is believed that flame cutting can cut the widest range of plate thickness, in more than 50 mm metal plates, cutting speed advantage is obvious, suitable for thick and extra-thick plate processing with low accuracy requirements.
Plasma cutting in the 30-50mm range of metal plate, the speed advantage is obvious, not suitable for processing particularly thin plates (<2mm).
Fiber laser cutting mostly uses kilowatt-class lasers, in the cutting of metal plates below 10mm speed and accuracy advantages are obvious.
Mechanical punching machine for metal plate cutting thickness, between plasma and laser cutting machine.
In recent years, with the gradual popularity of high-power fiber lasers, laser cutting machines began to gradually penetrate into the medium-thick plate market. After the laser power is raised to 6 kW, it continues to replace mechanical punching machines by virtue of its high-cost performance.
In terms of price, although the price of CNC punching machine is lower than fiber laser cutting machine, the fiber laser cutting machine cutting quality is higher, but also by virtue of high production efficiency to dilute the fixed costs, high pass rate to save material costs, labor costs, and no subsequent straightening, grinding and other post-processing processes, all the advantages to offset the higher investment costs, its return on investment cycle is significantly better than the mechanical punching machine.
Along with the increase in power, fiber laser cutting machines can cut metal thickness and efficiency at the same time, is opening the gradual replacement of plasma cutting.
The 20,000 watts (20kw) fiber laser cutting machine will cut carbon steel and stainless steel to the optimal thickness of 50mm and 40mm respectively.
Considering that steel plates are generally divided by thickness into the thin plate (<4mm), medium plate (4-20mm), thick plate (20-60mm), and extra thick plate (>60mm), the 10,000-watt laser cutting machine has been able to complete the cutting work for medium and thin plates and most thick plates, and the application scenario of laser cutting equipment continues to extend to the field of medium and thick plates, reaching the thickness range of plasma cutting.
As the laser cutting thickness grows, 3D laser cutting head demand also increased, which is easy to cut 45 degrees on the metal sheets or metal tubes. With excellent Beveling Cutting, it is easy for strong metal welding in the next processing.
Fiber laser cutting compared to the effect of plasma cutting, fiber laser cutting slit is narrower, flatter, better cutting quality.
On the other hand, as the power of fiber laser continues to increase, it makes the cutting efficiency increase. For example, in the 50mm carbon steel cutting, 30,000 watts (30KW Fiber Laser) laser cutting machine efficiency can be increased by 88% compared to 20,000 watts (20KW Fiber Laser) cutting machine efficiency.
A high-power fiber laser cutting machine has opened plasma replacement, which will accelerate the replacement of the plasma cutting market in the future and create sustainable growth momentum.