Plasma cutting machine vs Fiber laser cutting machine, What are their Advantages and Disadvantages?
Plasma cutting has been widely used in the cutting field, especially CNC fine plasma cutting machines. However, with the development of optical fiber and other laser technology, fiber laser cutting machines have also begun to be favored by some users in recent years. Then, plasma compared with laser cutting machine, which cutting method is more suitable for the production of enterprises? The following editor will lead you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two cutting processes of CNC fine plasma cutting machine and fiber laser cutting machine from multiple dimensions:
1. Working principle
Plasma cutting machine: uses air oxygen or nitrogen as the working gas, uses the heat of the high-temperature plasma arc to locally melt and evaporate the metal at the incision of the workpiece, and uses the momentum of the high-speed plasma flow to remove the molten metal to form a slit A kind of processing method.
Fiber laser cutting machine: It is a laser beam generated by a laser, transmitted through a series of mirrors, and finally focused by a focusing mirror to the surface of the workpiece, and a local high temperature is generated at the focal point, which instantly melts or vaporizes the heated point of the workpiece to form a slit . At the same time, during the cutting process, auxiliary gas is added to blow out the slag at the slit, so as to achieve the purpose of processing.
2. Cutting plate types
Plasma cutting machine: suitable for cutting various metal materials, mainly for cutting medium and thick plates, such as carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper.
Fiber laser cutting machine: mainly for medium and thin plates, cutting materials are relatively wide, non-ferrous metal high-reflective materials (stainless steel, aluminum plate, copper plate) cutting costs are relatively high.
3. Cutting characteristics
Plasma cutting machine: in the process of cutting medium and thick plates, it can reach a very high cutting speed, 5-30mm plates, the speed is about 1.5-3.5mm/min, the slit is narrow, the heat affected zone is small, and the deformation small.
Fiber laser cutting machine: The laser has the characteristics of high direction, high brightness and high intensity, so the laser cutting speed is fast, the speed can reach 10m/min when cutting thin plates, and the cutting speed of thin plates is much faster than that of plasma cutting machines. The cutting speed of medium and thick plates Significantly lower than fine plasma. The processing accuracy is high, and the slit is very narrow.
4.Accuracy
Plasma cutting machine: A certain oblique cut will be produced on one side of the cutting surface, about 2-3°, which is poorer than laser perpendicularity, and the surface is smooth and free of slag.
Fiber laser cutting machine: The cutting quality is good, the cutting surface can be directly used for welding, without grinding, the deformation is small, the surface roughness value is low, the bevel is small, and the accuracy is high.
5. Price and cost:
Plasma cutting machine: The initial equipment investment is low, and the maintenance cost is low, but the later cutting nozzle becomes the main consumable.
Fiber laser cutting machine: the cost is relatively high, low power (under 1000w) is close to high power fine plasma, medium and high power (above 3000w) one-time investment is too high. Maintenance costs are low, but later optical lenses have become the main consumables. Laser is more cost-effective in cutting thin plates, but it is inefficient when cutting medium and thick plates. Unless the quality requirements are high, laser cutting is not suitable for medium and thick plates.
To sum up, laser cutting has more significant advantages in thin plate cutting,plasma cutting is better in the field of medium and thick plate cutting. In terms of cost, fine ion cutting is relatively affordable compared to laser cutting. Both sides have their own advantages! In the final analysis, rational investment, realistic arrangements, only the equipment that suits your processing needs is a good equipment!
