While Fiber technology has become all-the-buzz in the sheet metal fabrication industry, one topic that was recently brought to my attention was the confusion regarding Fiber lasers and what is often incorrectly described as a Fiber, the Disk laser. The technology differences between Fiber and Disk Lasers are quite vast. In the case of the Fiber laser and in contrast to a Disk laser, there are no mirrors used in the laser generation process and the electrical efficiency is 50% higher than a Disk laser.
The description of a laser cutting machine is typically related to the lasing process or active lasing medium where the beam is generated; i.e. a “CO2” designates that the beam is generated by the excitation of the “CO2 gas,” a “Fiber” designates that the beam is generated within the “Active Fiber” lasing medium and a “Disk” designates that the beam is generated within a “Disk” lasing medium. Unless the laser beam is generated within a “Fiber” lasing medium, then the designation of “Fiber” to describe anything other than a Fiber laser cutting machine is misleading.
So why do some manufacturers use the name “Fiber” when in fact they do not employ “Fiber laser” technology? There is another fiber medium that only transmits the near-infrared laser beam to the cutting head and this is called the “Passive Fiber”. The Fiber Laser has both an active fiber and a passive fiber while a Disk Laser only has a passive fiber. The passive fiber only serves in transmitting the beam and cannot produce the beam, hence the “passive” designation. Apparently due to the use of a passive fiber within a laser cutting system, some companies are utilizing the term “Fiber” in the description of their machine. Clearly this demonstrates their preference for aligning to the more popular “Fiber” technology rather than to the “Disk” technology.
When a manufacturer offers a “Fiber” as part of their machine offering, remember to ask the question, “Do you use Active Fiber laser technology or are you only using a passive fiber to deliver the beam?” There is a big difference between Fiber and Disk laser technologies, so don’t be misled, Fiber laser technology is revolutionary and its simple yet powerful technology is what everyone is buzzing about in the sheet metal fabrication industry.
By Frank Arteaga, Head of Product Marketing, NAFTA Region
Bystronic Inc., Elgin, IL – Voice.bystronic@bystronic.com