When fiber laser cutting machine are used to process metals, the most widely used materials are stainless steel and carbon steel. Compared with highly reflective metals such as aluminum alloys and brass, these two metals have better light absorption, so laser cutting is more widely used.

What are the differences between the powerful fiber laser cutting machines in processing stainless steel and carbon steel? What materials are best suited for laser cutting? Let's battle~

The cutting process is very different

When using a fiber laser cutting machine to process stainless steel, because stainless steel contains 10%-20% chromium, iron and chromium are prone to exothermic reactions with oxygen during cutting. The chromium oxide has the characteristic of preventing oxygen from entering the molten material, which reduces the amount of oxygen entering the molten layer, and the molten layer is not completely oxidized, the reaction is reduced, and the cutting speed is reduced.

When using a laser cutting machine to process carbon steel, oxygen is usually used as an auxiliary gas. More than 99% of low-carbon steel cutting is iron, and the oxidation reaction of iron will also generate a lot of heat. Using oxygen as an auxiliary gas can reduce the requirements for laser energy, and the melting point viscosity of the oxide is low, so the adhesion to the surrounding steel plate is also low. Such slag is also easily blown away by oxygen, leaving a smooth cut surface without residue.

There are skills in processing different materials

When laser cutting mirror stainless steel, in order to prevent serious burns on the plate, a laser film is required. Although there is film protection, the edge will still be a little burned. At this time, it is necessary to strictly control the laser cutting process parameters during the processing process to maintain the good corrosion resistance of such materials. The most important process parameters affecting the quality of stainless steel cutting are cutting speed, laser power, oxygen pressure and focus.

With the increase of cutting machine power, fiber laser cutting machines can process thicker and thicker carbon steel. When cutting thicker low-carbon steel plates, a larger diameter nozzle and low-pressure oxygen pressure are required to prevent the cutting from burning the edges of the cut.

Compared with low-carbon steel, stainless steel cutting requires higher laser power and oxygen pressure. Although stainless steel cutting can achieve a satisfactory cutting effect, it is difficult to obtain a completely slag-free cut. Using inert gas as an auxiliary gas to cut stainless steel can obtain an oxidation-free cut edge, which can be directly used for welding, but its cutting speed is about 10% lower than that of oxygen as an auxiliary gas.

Compared with traditional processing methods, fiber laser cutting machines have higher processing efficiency and can achieve large-scale production. Therefore, they are more widely used in the processing of stainless steel and carbon steel. Both metals are suitable for laser cutting, but the processing efficiency and processing quality presented need to be constantly explored and adjusted to make the equipment reach the best state.