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Fiber laser · how it works

Fiber Fundamentals

Fiber and CO₂ are different engines. We do not sell a CO₂-looking edge · we deliver the edge that performs: in tolerance, dross-free, weldable, and repeatable, faster and at lower cost.

How a fiber laser delivers energy

A fiber laser makes light at a wavelength around 1.06 µm (a micrometer, µm, is one millionth of a meter). A CO₂ laser is at 10.6 µm, about ten times longer. That single difference drives almost everything else.

Wavelength (to scale)

Shorter wavelength = the metal absorbs the beam far better, especially shiny, reflective metals like stainless steel, copper, brass, and aluminum.

The cut, step by step

1 The beam is carried through a flexible fiber to the head and focused to a tiny, intense spot.

2 That spot melts a narrow front through the plate.

3 Assist gas blows the melt out of the kerf.

4 The head moves; the melt front keeps re-forming as it advances.

That constant re-forming of the melt front is what leaves marks on the wall · the striations. See the "Why striations" tab.

Fiber vs CO₂ · where fiber wins

For sheet-metal cutting, fiber leads on the things a shop actually pays for. Longer teal bar = stronger.

Fiber CO₂
Speed · much faster in thin and medium gauge, so more parts per hour.
Energy · roughly 30-45% wall-plug efficiency vs 8-15% for CO₂ · far less power drawn.
Uptime · no mirrors to align, no laser gas · the beam travels in a fiber. Less maintenance, fewer stops.
Reflective metals · cuts copper, brass, and aluminum that CO₂ struggles with.
The one honest trade-off: the fiber edge has its own finish signature (striations). It is not a defect · see the next tab. We optimize it; we do not turn fiber into CO₂.

Why striations happen (and why they are not a defect)

On a fiber cut the wall has two zones: a smooth upper zone where the beam enters clean, and a striated lower zone where the melt front lags and oscillates as the gas ejects the melt. This is the physics of the process, not a fault.

cut direction smooth upper zone striated lower zone fine, uniform striations here = a correct fiber cut
Good fiber cut edge with fine uniform striations

Field reference: fine, even striations and a clean top · this is a correct fiber cut.

What we control: parameters (power, speed, focus, gas, pulse) minimize and even out the striations. What we do not: the two-zone signature is inherent to how fiber delivers energy. The target is a functional edge, not a CO₂ look.

Pulse frequency & duty cycle

These two settings decide how the fiber laser doses its energy. Play with the machine screen and watch the power wave react.

Cutting screen
Laser power100 %
Duty cycle100 %
Pulse freq1000 Hz
Peak power
12.0 kW
Average (into plate)
12.0 kW
Duty cycle = energy per pulse
Pulse frequency = how fast it pulses

The market reference · duty cycle and period T

Same idea, drawn the standard way: wider ON step = more average power; period T = 1 / frequency.

In plain terms · what these settings do to the cut

Duty cycle sets how much heat goes in. Higher duty = more average power = faster, deeper melt, but more heat in the part. Lower duty = gentle, little heat · used to start holes (pierce) and to cut thin sheet without burning.

Pulse frequency sets how finely the energy is chopped. Higher Hz = a smoother, finer edge. Lower Hz = coarser, more heat dumped per pulse.

Bottom line: the operator matches heat to the job · pierce and thin gauge use low or pulsed power; thick cutting uses continuous full power (CW).

What to tell the customer

Short lines the sales and service team can use in front of a CO₂-legacy customer.

1. "Fiber and CO₂ are different engines. Judge the edge by function · tolerance, dross, weldability · not by whether it looks like CO₂."
2. "The fine lines you see are striations · the natural signature of a fiber cut, not a defect. We tune them to be even and shallow."
3. "Fiber cuts faster and draws a fraction of the power · your cost per part goes down."
4. "No mirrors, no laser gas · less maintenance and more uptime than a CO₂ machine."
5. "Fiber also cuts copper, brass, and aluminum cleanly · jobs a CO₂ often cannot take."
The analogy: asking a fiber to look exactly like CO₂ is like asking a diesel to sound like a gas engine. Different technology, same job done · usually better.