What is the best laser for cutting metal?

Determining the best laser for cutting metal is beneficial to start or develop the best laser cutting metal business. When it comes to laser cutting metal, we should note that YAG lasers, crystal lasers, fiber lasers and gas lasers can all laser cut metal materials. But which laser is the right one for your metal cutting needs? I'll take a look at them below.

First of all, YAG lasers or crystal lasers are mainly used for cutting thick metals. However, they are more expensive and have a shorter lifetime compared to CO2 laser cutting and fiber laser processing. Fiber lasers or gas lasers (usually CO2 lasers) are more popular among laser CNC users. This is because they provide better processing results, longer life and higher cutting accuracy. One of the best metal cutting lasers is the fiber laser.

Fiber lasers offer metal-friendly wavelengths that metals can absorb more efficiently. The small spot size and excellent beam profile make them ideal for cutting most metals. Most importantly, fiber lasers are 2-3 times faster than CO2 lasers when cutting thin metal sheets. And compared to CO2 lasers, fiber lasers require only about 1/3 of the operating costs. In addition, fiber lasers have shorter downtime and less ongoing maintenance, yet are highly productive. As a result, fiber lasers are rapidly replacing CO2 lasers in most metal cutting applications.

Depending on your industry, you may have at least one or more metals that require laser cutting. Depending on your specific cutting requirements, you can choose the most suitable laser you prefer among these four types.