Enhancing cutting performance with an oscillating laser beam

Abstract

Fiber lasers feature higher energy conversion efficiency than CO 2 lasers, which enables a simple structure and energy‐saving design. Consequently, in the laser cutting processes for metal sheets, operators have been shifting usage from CO 2 lasers to fiber lasers at an accelerated pace because of their reduced maintenance, improved metal absorption rate due to their wavelength and other advantages. In actual practice, fiber lasers are superior to CO 2 lasers in high‐speed cutting processes for thin metal sheets. However, as the thickness of the metal sheet increases, problems arise where fiber lasers have inferior performance to CO 2 lasers in terms of dross adhesion, cutting surface quality, and other factors.