In the early days of automatic metal fabrication, business owners typically favored buying a primary CNC plasma table or a waterjet cutting machine for roughly cutting thick metal, and a fine CNC plasma cutter for precisely cutting thin metal. With the growing demands for manufacturing safety and environmental protection in metal fabrication, YAG and CO₂ laser cutting machines appeared in the market, elevating the metal cutting quality to a new echelon. Moreover, lasers are more environmentally friendly and safer compared to plasma and waterjet, and they do not need consumables. However, both YAG and carbon dioxide lasers have their limitations, such as high investment costs, restricted cutting thickness, and even speeds that are inferior to plasma. Now, fiber lasers cut through metal with unprecedented precision and speed, offering a new generation of laser metal cutting systems. This innovation has raised the standard for quality, thickness, and cutting speed, with benefits including high precision, fast speed, low cost, ease of use, and full automation, making it a remarkable advancement in tube and sheet metal fabrication.
A fiber laser cutter is a novel high-precision metal cutting system that uses a CNC controller to drive the laser head, cutting metals according to the designed layout file, thereby automating metal fabrication in small businesses and industrial manufacturing. It can effortlessly cut through a wide range of materials, from 1mm stainless steel to over 100mm carbon steel, and even highly reflective metals like brass, copper, aluminum, gold, and silver, creating smooth contours with different working gases such as air, nitrogen, and oxygen. Whether it is sheet metal, tubes, or special profiles, fiber laser machines have the remarkable ability to cut out precise and clean shapes.
Facing such a powerful cutting tool, you might be curious about the thickness of metal it can cut, the limitations of cutting speed, and how different laser powers perform in cutting metal thickness and speed. Here is a practical guide for both beginners and experts, allowing us to conduct a detailed analysis from various aspects, including metal materials, working gases, laser powers, cutting thicknesses, and speeds.
Table of Contents
Fiber Laser Cutting Carbon Steel Thickness & Speed & Power Chart
Carbon steel is an iron-carbon alloy with a carbon content ranging from 0.02% to 2%. The carbon steels that fiber lasers can cut encompass low carbon steel (mild steel), medium carbon steel (M2 steel), and high carbon steel (tool steel).
Fiber laser cutters can smoothly cut carbon steels with thicknesses varying from 1mm to over 200mm at speeds ranging from 0.12m/min to 100m/min. They offer optional powers starting from 1000W and going up to 60000W, and the choice of working gases includes air, oxygen, nitrogen, and mixed gases.
Low/Medium Power (1000W - 4000W) Carbon Steel Cutting Parameters
| Material | Gas | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | ||||
| 1000W | 1500W | 2000W | 3000W | 4000W | |||
| Carbon Steel | Air | 1 | 12.0-15.0 | 15.0-20.0 | 25.0-30.0 | 28.0-35.0 | 30.0-38.0 |
| 2 | 3.5-4.5 | 5.0-8.0 | 7.0-10.0 | 8.0-12.0 | 10.0-16.0 | ||
| 3 | 1.5-3.0 | 2.0-4.0 | 2.5-4.5 | 3.0-5.0 | |||
| 4 | 1.5-2.3 | 2.5-3.5 | |||||
| 5 | 1.0-2.2 | ||||||
| N₂ | 1 | 15.0-20.0 | 18.0-25.0 | 22.0-30.0 | 25.0-38.0 | 30.0-44.0 | |
| O₂ | 2 | 3.5-5.0 | 3.8-5.0 | 5.0-6.0 | 5.5-7.0 | 5.5-7.7 | |
| 3 | 2.5-3.5 | 2.8-3.8 | 3.5-4.3 | 3.6-5.0 | 3.7-5.5 | ||
| 4 | 2.0-3.3 | 2.3-3.5 | 2.8-4.0 | 3.0-4.5 | 3.5-4.6 | ||
| 5 | 1.4-2.0 | 1.6-2.5 | 2.5-3.0 | 2.5-3.3 | 2.5-4.0 | ||
| 6 | 1.2-1.6 | 1.4-1.8 | 2.2-2.5 | 2.3-2.8 | 2.5-3.5 | ||
| 8 | 0.8-1.1 | 0.9-1.3 | 1.3-1.8 | 1.8-2.2 | 2.0-2.8 | ||
| 10 | 0.6-0.9 | 0.8-1.2 | 1.2-1.5 | 1.2-1.6 | 1.2-2.2 | ||
| 12 | 0.4-0.7 | 0.7-1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | 1.0-1.3 | 1.0-1.7 | ||
| 16 | 0.5-0.7 | 0.6-0.8 | 0.6-0.9 | 0.7-1.0 | |||
| 20 | 0.5-0.8 | 0.6-0.9 | |||||
| 22 | 0.5-0.8 | ||||||
High Power (6000W - 30000W) Carbon Steel Cutting Parameters
| Material | Gas | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | |||||
| 6000W | 8000W | 12000W | 15000W | 20000W | 30000W | |||
| Carbon Steel | Air | 1 | 35.0-42.0 | 38.0-45.0 | 45.0-60.0 | 50.0-70.0 | 60.0-100.0 | 70.0-100.0 |
| 2 | 20.0-28.0 | 25.0-35.0 | 35.0-48.0 | 45.0-52.0 | 50.0-70.0 | 60.0-73.0 | ||
| 3 | 8.0-15.0 | 18.0-25.0 | 25.0-38.0 | 30.0-40.0 | 45.0-52.0 | 50.0-57.0 | ||
| 4 | 7.0-12.0 | 15.0-18.0 | 18.0-26.0 | 25.0-29.0 | 30.0-40.0 | 35.0-43.0 | ||
| 5 | 5.0-9.0 | 10.0-12.0 | 12.0-20.0 | 18.0-23.0 | 23.0-28.0 | 25.0-30.0 | ||
| 6 | 3.0-6.0 | 8.0-9.0 | 9.0-13.0 | 13.0-19.0 | 18.0-23.0 | 19.0-26.0 | ||
| 8 | 5.0-5.5 | 6.0-8.0 | 8.0-12.0 | 12.0-16.0 | 14.0-18.0 | |||
| 10 | 5-6.5 | 6.0-8.5 | 11.0-13.0 | 12.0-14.0 | ||||
| 12 | 4.0-4.6 | 5.0-6.0 | 7.0-10.0 | 10.0-12.0 | ||||
| 16 | 4.5-5.5 | 6.5-7.0 | 8.0-8.5 | |||||
| 20 | 2.7-3.2 | 4.5-5.5 | ||||||
| 22 | 2.9-3.5 | |||||||
| 25 | 2.0-3.2 | |||||||
| N₂ | 1 | 35.0-48.0 | 60.0-70.0 | 66.0-80.0 | 70.0-90.0 | 80.0-95.0 | 95.0-100.0 | |
| O₂ | 2 | 6.0-8.25 | 6.8-7.2 | 7.2-7.8 | 7.5-8.2 | 7.8-8.5 | 8.0-10.0 | |
| 3 | 4.0-5.5 | 4.8-5.5 | 5.2-5.8 | 5.5-6.0 | 5.8-6.3 | 6.0-7.0 | ||
| 4 | 3.5-5.0 | 3.8-4.3 | 4.2-4.6 | 4.5-5.2 | 4.8-5.5 | 5.0-6.5 | ||
| 5 | 3.0-4.2 | 3.3-4.3 | 3.8-4.7 | 4.0-5.0 | 4.3-4.8 | 4.5-5.0 | ||
| 6 | 2.6-3.5 | 3.0-3.4 | 3.5-4.0 | 3.8-4.3 | 4.0-4.5 | 4.2-4.8 | ||
| 8 | 2.0-2.8 | 2.3-3.0 | 2.6-3.3 | 2.8-3.5 | 3.0-3.6 | 3.5-4.0 | ||
| 10 | 1.8-2.3 | 2.0-2.5 | 2.5-3.0 | 2.6-3.0 | 2.8-3.2 | 3.0-3.5 | ||
| 12 | 1.6-2.1 | 1.7-2.2 | 2.0-2.3 | 2.5-3.0 | 2.7-3.2 | 2.8-3.4 | ||
| 16 | 0.7-1.0 | 1.2-1.4 | 1.4-1.6 | 1.7-2.0 | 1.9-2.3 | 2.0-2.5 | ||
| 20 | 0.5-0.9 | 1.0-1.1 | 1.2-1.5 (2.1) | 1.3-1.6 | 1.5-1.8 | 1.6-2.0 | ||
| 22 | 0.5-0.7 | 0.9-1.0 | 0.9-1.2 | 1.1-1.3 | 1.3-1.6 | 1.5-1.8 | ||
| 25 | 0.4-0.6 | 0.6-0.7 | 0.6-0.9 | 0.9-1.2 | 1.0-1.4 | 1.3-1.5 | ||
| 30 | 0.3-0.6 | 0.5-0.8 | 0.6-0.8 | 0.8-1.2 | 1.2-1.4 | |||
| 40 | 0.25-0.33 | 0.4-0.7 | 0.7-0.9 | 0.9-1.1 | ||||
| 50 | 0.18-0.2 | 0.2-0.25 | 0.3-0.5 | 0.6-0.8 | ||||
| 60 | 0.18-0.2 | 0.2-0.25 | 0.22-0.28 | |||||
| 70 | 0.18-0.2 | 0.19-0.22 | ||||||
| 80 | 0.12-0.15 | |||||||
Extra-High Power (40000W) Carbon Steel Cutting Parameters
| Material | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | Power (watt) | Working Gas |
| Carbon Steel | 5 | 28.0-32.0 | 40000 | N₂/Air |
| 6 | 25.0-28.0 | |||
| 8 | 22.0-24.0 | |||
| 10 | 16.0-20.0 | |||
| 12 | 14.0-17.0 | |||
| 14 | 11.0-13.0 | |||
| 16 | 8.0-9.5 | |||
| 18 | 8.0-8.5 | |||
| 20 | 7.0-8.0 | |||
| 25 | 5.0-5.5 | |||
| 30 | 3.0-4.0 | |||
| 40 | 1.5-2.0 | |||
| 50 | 0.7-1.0 | |||
| 10 | 2.0-2.3 | 6000 | O₂ (Positive Focus) | |
| 12 | 1.8-2.0 | 7,500 | ||
| 14 | 1.6-1.8 | 8,500 | ||
| 16 | 1.6-1.8 | 9,500 | ||
| 20 | 1.5-1.6 | 12000 | ||
| 22 | 1.4-1.5 | 18000 | ||
| 25 | 1.2-1.4 | 18000 | ||
| 30 | 1.2-1.3 | 18000 | ||
| 40 | 0.9-1.1 | 26000 | ||
| 40 (Non-Q235) | 0.3-0.6 | 20000 | ||
| 50 (Non-Q235) | 0.3-0.5 | 25000 | ||
| 50 | 0.8-1.0 | 40000 | ||
| 60 | 0.6-0.9 | |||
| 70 | 0.5-0.7 | |||
| 80 | 0.4-0.6 | |||
| 90 | 0.3-0.4 | |||
| 100 | 0.2-0.3 | |||
| 12 | 3.2-3.5 | 20000 | O₂ (Negative Focus) | |
| 14 | 3.0-3.2 | |||
| 16 | 3.0-3.1 | |||
| 20 | 2.8-3.2 | |||
| 25 | 2.4-2.8 | 40000 | ||
| 30 | 2.4-2.6 | |||
| 35 | 2.3-2.6 | |||
| 40 | 2.0-2.3 | |||
| 50 | 1.2-1.6 | |||
| 60 | 1.0-1.3 | |||
| 70 | 0.6-0.8 |
Ultra-High Power (60000W) Carbon Steel Cutting Parameters
| Material | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | Power (watt) | Working Gas |
| Carbon Steel | 16 | 13.0-14.0 | 60000 | Mixed Gas - (N₂&O₂)/Air |
| 18 | 11.0-12.0 | |||
| 20 | 9.0-10.0 | |||
| 25 | 6.5-7.5 | |||
| 30 | 4.5-5.5 | |||
| 35 | 3.5-4.4 | |||
| 40 | 2.8-3.4 | |||
| 45 | 2.0-2.5 | |||
| 50 | 1.5-2.0 | |||
| 60 | 1.0-1.4 | |||
| 16 | 1.6-1.8 | 12000 | O₂ (Positive Focus) | |
| 18 | 1.6-1.7 | |||
| 20 | 1.5-1.6 | |||
| 25 | 1.2-1.4 | 20000 | ||
| 30 | 1.2-1.3 | |||
| 35 | 1.1-1.2 | |||
| 40 | 0.9-1.1 | 25000 | ||
| 45 | 0.8-1.0 | |||
| 50 | 0.75-0.9 | 30000 | ||
| 60 | 0.7-0.8 | 50000 | ||
| 70 | 0.7-0.8 | 60000 | ||
| 80 | 0.6-0.7 | |||
| 100 | 0.5-0.6 | |||
| 160 | 0.15-0.25 | |||
| 200 | 0.15-0.2 | |||
| 20 | 2.4-3.0 | 15000 | O₂ (Negative Focus) | |
| 25 | 2.2-2.6 | 30000 | ||
| 30 | 2.0-2.4 | |||
| 35 | 2.0-2.2 | 35000 | ||
| 40 | 1.6-2.0 | |||
| 45 | 1.4-1.8 | 40000 | ||
| 50 | 1.2-1.6 | |||
| 60 | 1.0-1.3 | 60000 | ||
| 70 | 1.0-1.2 | |||
| 80 | 0.8-1.0 | |||
| 100 | 0.5-0.65 |
Fiber Lasers Cut Through Metal: Stainless Steel Thickness & Speed & Power Chart
Stainless steel is an alloy steel that shows passivity, corrosion resistance, and rust-free properties. It has a significant amount of chromium (usually 12% - 30%) and may also include elements such as nickel, molybdenum, vanadium, manganese, tungsten, etc. It is known by various names, including acid-resistant steel, white iron, and water copper iron. Fiber lasers can cut a wide variety of ASTM grades and models of stainless steel, including 201, 202, 205, 301, 302, 302B, 302Cu, 303, 304, 304L, 304N, 305, 308, 309, 310, 314, 316, 316L, 316N, 317, 317L, 321, 329, 330, 347, 384, 403, 405, 409, 410, 414, 416, 420, 422, 429, 430, 430F, 431, 434, 436, 439, 440 (440A, 440B, 440C), 444, 446, 501, 502, 904L, and 2205.
Fiber laser cutting machines can cut stainless steel with thicknesses ranging from as thin as 1 millimeter to as thick as 150 millimeters at speeds varying from as low as 0.05 meters per minute to as high as 100 meters per minute. The available laser powers range from 1000 watts to 60000 watts, and the optional working gases are N₂ and Air.
Low/Medium Power (1000W - 4000W) Stainless Steel Cutting Parameters
| Material | Gas | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | ||||
| 1000W | 1500W | 2000W | 3000W | 4000W | |||
| Stainless Steel | Air | 1 | 15.0-25.0 | 18.0-30.0 | 20.0-35.0 | 32.0-40.0 | 35.0-50.0 |
| 2 | 4.0-7.0 | 8.0-12.0 | 10.0-15.0 | 14.0-18.0 | 16.0-23.0 | ||
| 3 | 2.5-3.5 | 3.0-4.0 | 5.0-7.0 | 8.0-12.0 | 8.0-14.0 | ||
| 4 | 0.6-1.0 | 2.0-3.0 | 3.5-4.5 | 5.5-8.0 | 6.0-10.0 | ||
| 5 | 0.5-0.8 | 1.2-1.8 | 1.8-2.5 | 3.5-5.0 | 4.5-6.0 | ||
| 6 | 0.5-0.8 | 0.7-0.8 | 2.5-3.0 | 2.8-4.8 | |||
| 8 | 0.5 | 1.2-1.5 | 1.8-3.0 | ||||
| 10 | 0.8-1.2 | 0.85-1.8 | |||||
| 12 | 0.65-1.0 | ||||||
| N₂ | 1 | 16.5-22.0 | 20.0-26.0 | 27.5-33.0 | 31.0-38.5 | 33.0-45.0 | |
| 2 | 4.5-6.1 | 7.0-10.0 | 9.0-11.0 | 12.0-16.5 | 15.0-20.0 | ||
| 3 | 2.0-3.1 | 4.5-5.5 | 5.0-6.5 | 7.0-10.0 | 7.5-12.0 | ||
| 4 | 1.0-1.6 | 2.0-2.5 | 2.2-2.8 | 5.0-7.2 | 5.5-9.0 | ||
| 5 | 0.4-0.7 | 1.5-2.0 | 1.5-2.0 | 1.8-2.4 | 4.0-5.5 | ||
| 6 | 0.6-0.9 | 0.7-1.3 | 1.0-1.6 | 2.6-4.5 | |||
| 8 | 0.3-0.6 | 1.2-2.0 | 1.6-2.8 | ||||
| 10 | 0.7-1.0 | 0.7-1.6 | |||||
| 12 | 0.5-0.9 | ||||||
High Power (6000W - 30000W) Stainless Steel Cutting Parameters
| Material | Gas | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | |||||
| 6000W | 8000W | 12000W | 15000W | 20000W | 30000W | |||
| Stainless Steel | Air | 1 | 55.0-70.0 | 65.0-75.0 | 70.0-85.0 | 80.0-95.0 | 83.0-100.0 | 85.0-100.0 |
| 2 | 32.0-45.0 | 40.0-50.0 | 45.0-55.0 | 48.0-55.0 | 55.0-70.0 | 65.0-80.0 | ||
| 3 | 20.0-28.0 | 27.0-33.0 | 30.0-38.0 | 35.0-40.0 | 45.0-52.0 | 55.0-60.0 | ||
| 4 | 13.0-18.0 | 15.0-20.0 | 25.0-30.0 | 25.0-29.0 | 30.0-40.0 | 38.0-45.0 | ||
| 5 | 10.0-15.0 | 12.0-16.0 | 16.0-19.0 | 18.0-23.0 | 23.0-28.0 | 27.0-33.0 | ||
| 6 | 7.0-10.0 | 9.0-11.0 | 13.0-17.0 | 14.0-19.0 | 18.0-23.0 | 24.0-28.0 | ||
| 8 | 4.5-6.0 | 5.5-6.0 | 9.0-11.0 | 8.0-12.0 | 14.0-16.0 | 20.0-24.0 | ||
| 10 | 2.0-3.0 | 4.0-4.5 | 6.5-8.0 | 6.8-8.5 | 9.0-12.0 | 15.0-20.0 | ||
| 12 | 1.4-1.8 | 2.5-3.5 | 5.5-6.0 | 5.5-6.5 | 8.0-10.0 | 12.5-15.0 | ||
| 16 | 0.8-1.0 | 1.3-2.0 | 2.2-2.8 | 4.5-5.5 | 5.5-6.5 | 8.0-9.0 | ||
| 20 | 0.5 | 0.7-1.0 | 1.5-2.0 | 1.9-2.1 | 2.7-3.2 | 4.5-5.5 | ||
| 25 | 0.5-0.8 | 0.8-1.2 | 1.2-1.4 | 1.8-2.5 | 2.5-3.0 | |||
| 30 | 0.25-0.4 | 0.5-0.8 | 0.8-1.0 | 1.4-1.6 | 1.5-2.2 | |||
| 40 | 0.4-0.5 | 0.5-0.8 | 0.8-1.0 | |||||
| 50 | 0.17-0.3 | 0..3-0.4 | 0.3-0.45 | |||||
| 60 | 0.14-0.18 | 0.16-0.2 | ||||||
| 70 | 0.1-0.13 | 0.1-0.15 | ||||||
| 80 | 0.05 | |||||||
| N₂ | 1 | 50.0-65.0 | 63.0-66.0 | 70.0-80.0 | 75.0-90.0 | 80.0-100.0 | 82.0-100.0 | |
| 2 | 30.0-40.0 | 40.0-44.0 | 44.0-48.0 | 46.0-50.0 | 50.0-60.0 | 63.0-75.0 | ||
| 3 | 18.0-25.0 | 25.0-28.0 | 28.0-35.0 | 30.0-38.0 | 35.0-45.0 | 52.0-58.0 | ||
| 4 | 10.0-15.5 | 15.0-18.0 | 20.0-26.0 | 22.0-28.0 | 30.0-32.0 | 35.0-43.0 | ||
| 5 | 8.0-13.5 | 12.0-14.0 | 15.0-20.0 | 16.0-22.0 | 24.0-28.0 | 25.0-30.0 | ||
| 6 | 6.0-9.0 | 9.0-9.5 | 11.0-13.0 | 12.0-15.0 | 20.0-25.0 | 22.0-25.0 | ||
| 8 | 4.0-5.5 | 5.0-5.3 | 7.0-7.5 | 7.5-8.5 | 14.0-17.0 | 18.0-22.0 | ||
| 10 | 1.8-2.8 | 3.8-4.0 | 5.0-5.5 | 5.5-6.5 | 10.0-13.0 | 14.0-18.0 | ||
| 12 | 1.2-1.6 | 2.5-2.7 | 3.0-3.5 | 3.3-4.0 | 9.0-10.0 | 12.0-14.0 | ||
| 14 | 0.8-1.2 | 1.8-1.9 | 2.3-2.8 | 2.5-3.0 | 7.0-8.5 | 8.0-10.0 | ||
| 16 | 0.6-0.9 | 1.3-1.5 | 2.1-2.5 | 2.3-2.8 | 5.0-6.0 | 7.0-8.0 | ||
| 20 | 0.7-0.8 | 1.4-1.7 | 1.5-1.9 | 2.5-3.0 | 4.0-5.0 | |||
| 25 | 0.5-0.6 | 0.7-1.0 | 0.9-1.2 | 1.4-1.8 | 2.0-2.5 | |||
| 30 | 0.5-0.7 | 0.6-0.8 | 0.9-1.2 | 1.2-2.0 | ||||
| 35 | 0.4-0.5 | 0.5 | 0.55-0.8 | 0.7-1.0 | ||||
| 40 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4-0.5 | 0.6-0.8 | ||||
| 50 | 0.2 | 0.25 | 0.3-0.35 | 0.3-0.4 | ||||
| 60 | 0.15 | 0.15-0.2 | 0.15-0.25 | |||||
| 70 | 0.1-0.13 | 0.12-0.15 | ||||||
| 80 | 0.06-0.08 | 0.08-0.1 | ||||||
| 90 | 0.05-0.06 | 0.5-0.08 | ||||||
| 100 | 0.03-0.04 | 0.04-0.05 | ||||||
Extra-High Power (40000W) Stainless Steel Cutting Parameters
| Material | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | Power (watt) | Working Gas |
| Stainless Steel | 5 | 25.0-30.0 | 40000 | N₂ |
| 6 | 22.0-25.0 | |||
| 8 | 20.0-23.0 | |||
| 10 | 16.0-21.0 | |||
| 12 | 12.0-14.0 | |||
| 14 | 10.0-12.0 | |||
| 16 | 9.0-11.0 | |||
| 18 | 8.0-9.5 | |||
| 20 | 7.0-8.5 | |||
| 25 | 4.5-5.5 | |||
| 30 | 3.0-4.0 | |||
| 40 | 1.5-2.0 | |||
| 50 | 0.5-0.8 | |||
| 60 | 0.4-0.6 | |||
| 70 | 0.2-0.3 | |||
| 80 | 0.2-0.25 | |||
| 90 | 0.14-0.18 | |||
| 100 | 0.08-0.12 | |||
| 5 | 30.0-34.0 | 40000 | Air | |
| 6 | 25.0-30.0 | |||
| 8 | 22.0-25.0 | |||
| 10 | 17.0-23.0 | |||
| 12 | 13.0-16.0 | |||
| 14 | 12.0-14.0 | |||
| 16 | 9.0-11.5 | |||
| 18 | 8.0-10.0 | |||
| 20 | 7.0-9.0 | |||
| 25 | 5.0-5.5 | |||
| 30 | 3.5-4.5 | |||
| 40 | 1.7-2.2 | |||
| 50 | 0.7-1.0 | |||
| 60 | 0.4-0.6 | |||
| 70 | 0.3-0.4 | |||
| 80 | 0.25-0.3 | |||
| 90 | 0.2-0.25 | |||
| 100 | 0.15-0.2 |
Ultra-High Power (60000W) Stainless Steel Cutting Parameters
| Material | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | Power (watt) | Working Gas |
| Stainless Steel | 16 | 13.0-14.0 | 60000 | N₂ |
| 18 | 11.0-12.0 | |||
| 20 | 9.0-10.0 | |||
| 25 | 6.5-7.5 | |||
| 30 | 5.0-6.0 | |||
| 35 | 3.5-4.5 | |||
| 40 | 3.0-3.5 | |||
| 50 | 1.8-2.2 | |||
| 60 | 1.3-1.6 | |||
| 70 | 1.0-1.2 | |||
| 80 | 0.6-0.8 | |||
| 90 | 0.4-0.6 | |||
| 90 (Modulation) | 0.2-0.25 | |||
| 100 | 0.3-0.5 | |||
| 100 (Modulation) | 0.15-0.2 | |||
| 120 | 0.1-0.15 | |||
| 16 | 13-14.5 | 60000 | Air | |
| 18 | 11-12.5 | |||
| 20 | 9-10.5 | |||
| 25 | 7.0-7.8 | |||
| 30 | 5.0-6.0 | |||
| 35 | 4.0-4.5 | |||
| 40 | 3.2-4.0 | |||
| 50 | 3.0-3.5 | |||
| 60 | 1.8-2.2 | |||
| 70 | 1.0-1.2 | |||
| 80 | 0.7-0.8 | |||
| 90 | 0.5-0.6 | |||
| 100 | 0.4-0.5 | |||
| 120 | 0.25-0.35 | |||
| 150 | 0.15-0.2 | |||
| 200 (Modulation) | 0.05-0.1 |
Fiber Laser Cutting Aluminum Thickness & Speed & Power Chart
Aluminum, the most abundant silver-white light metal, is renowned for its softness and ductility. Lasers can effortlessly cut through foils, sheets, strips, tubes, rods, and profiles made of aluminum and its alloys.
Fiber laser cutting systems are particularly well-suited for cutting rolled aluminum, cast aluminum, pure aluminum alloy, and aluminum alloys having copper, manganese, silicon, magnesium, and zinc. They can manage thicknesses of up to 100mm with a maximum speed of 70m/min. The available laser power options range from 1000W to 40000W, and the working gas used is N₂.
Low/Medium Power (1000W - 4000W) Aluminum Cutting Parameters
| Material | Gas | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | ||||
| 1000W | 1500W | 2000W | 3000W | 4000W | |||
| Aluminum | N₂ | 1 | 10.0-13.0 | 15.0-27.5 | 22.0-31.0 | 25.0-30.0 | 28.0-32.0 |
| 2 | 2.0-4.5 | 7.0-8.6 | 10.0-13.2 | 15.0-18.0 | 16.0-20.0 | ||
| 3 | 0.6-1.3 | 2.5-4.0 | 5.0-6.6 | 7.0-8.0 | 10.0-12.0 | ||
| 4 | 1.0-1.6 | 1.5-2.2 | 5.0-6.0 | 6.0-7.0 | |||
| 5 | 0.6-0.9 | 1.0-1.3 | 2.5-3.0 | 4.0-5.0 | |||
| 6 | 0.6-0.9 | 1.5-2.0 | 2.5-3.0 | ||||
| 8 | 0.4-0.7 | 0.5-0.8 | 1.0-1.3 | ||||
| 10 | 0.3-0.4 | 0.8-1.0 | |||||
| 12 | 0.6-0.8 | ||||||
| 14 | 0.3-0.5 | ||||||
High Power (6000W - 30000W) Aluminum Cutting Parameters
| Material | Gas | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | |||||
| 6000W | 8000W | 12000W | 15000W | 20000W | 30000W | |||
| Aluminum | N₂ | 1 | 35.0-45.0 | 40.0-50.0 | 45.0-55.0 | 50.0-60.0 | 55.0-65.0 | 60.0-70.0 |
| 2 | 20.0-25.0 | 25.0-30.0 | 30.0-35.0 | 35.0-38.0 | 40.0-45.0 | 45.0-50.0 | ||
| 3 | 14.0-16.0 | 15.0-23.0 | 20.0-25.0 | 25.0-30.0 | 30.0-35.0 | 38.0-45.0 | ||
| 4 | 8.0-10.0 | 12.0-16.0 | 18.0-20.0 | 20.0-23.0 | 25.0-30.0 | 28.0-35.0 | ||
| 5 | 5.0-7.0 | 7.0-10 | 14.0-16.0 | 15.0-18.0 | 18.0-20.0 | 20.0-25.0 | ||
| 6 | 3.5-4.0 | 5.0-7.0 | 10.0-12.0 | 12.0-14.0 | 16.0-18.0 | 18.0-22.0 | ||
| 8 | 1.5-2.0 | 2.5-4.0 | 6.0-8.0 | 8.0-10.0 | 10.0-13.0 | 14.0-18.0 | ||
| 10 | 1.0-1.2 | 2.0-2.5 | 4.0-6.0 | 5.0-7.0 | 9.5-10.0 | 12.0-15.0 | ||
| 12 | 0.6-0.7 | 1.6-2.0 | 2.0-3.0 | 2.5-3.5 | 5.0-6.0 | 10.0-12.0 | ||
| 14 | 0.4-0.6 | 0.8-1.2 | 1.5-2.5 | 2.0-3.0 | 4.5-5.0 | 8.0-10.0 | ||
| 16 | 0.3-0.4 | 0.8-1.0 | 1.3-2.0 | 1.5-2.5 | 3.0-4.0 | 6.0-8.0 | ||
| 20 | 0.5-0.7 | 0.8-1.2 | 0.8-1.2 | 1.6-2.0 | 2.0-3.0 | |||
| 25 | 0.4-0.5 | 0.5-0.7 | 0.5-0.7 | 1.0-1.2 | 1.5-2.0 | |||
| 30 | 0.4-0.5 | 0.45-0.6 | 0.8-1.0 | 1.0-1.2 | ||||
| 35 | 0.3-0.35 | 0.45-0.55 | 0.7-0.9 | 0.8-1.0 | ||||
| 40 | 0.25-0.3 | 0.28-0.33 | 0.4-0.7 | 0.5-0.8 | ||||
| 50 | 0.15-0.2 | 0.2-0.25 | 0.3-0.5 | 0.4-0.6 | ||||
| 60 | 0.2 | 0.2-0.3 | 0.25-0.35 | |||||
| 70 | 0.08-0.13 | 0.12-0.15 | ||||||
| 80 | 0.08-0.1 | |||||||
Extra-High Power (40000W) Aluminum Cutting Parameters
| Material | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | Power (watt) | Working Gas |
| Aluminum | 5 | 25.0-30.0 | 40000 | N₂ |
| 6 | 20.0-25.0 | |||
| 8 | 18.0-22.0 | |||
| 10 | 14.0-17.0 | |||
| 12 | 11.0-13.0 | |||
| 14 | 9.0-11.0 | |||
| 16 | 7.0-9.0 | |||
| 18 | 5.0-7.0 | |||
| 20 | 4.0-5.0 | |||
| 25 | 3.0-3.5 | |||
| 30 | 2.0-3.0 | |||
| 40 | 1.0-1.5 | |||
| 50 | 0.4-0.6 | |||
| 60 | 0.2-0.3 | |||
| 70 | 0.2-0.25 | |||
| 80 | 0.15-0.2 | |||
| 90 | 0.12-0.15 | |||
| 100 | 0.08-0.1 |
Fiber Laser Cutting Brass & Copper Thickness & Speed & Power Chart
Copper, a soft and ductile metal, shows excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, ductility, and corrosion resistance. Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, has high mechanical properties and wear resistance.
Lasers can easily cut through brass to create precision instruments, ship parts, electronic components, gun shells, musical instruments, decorations, coins, and molds.
In addition to ordinary copper and brass, fiber lasers also have the ability to cut aluminum bronze, manganese bronze, aluminum brass, gun metal (tin-zinc bronze), white copper, and nickel-copper alloy (Monel) with thicknesses ranging from 1mm to 80mm at speeds from 0.4m/min to 65m/min. The available laser powers range from as low as 1000W to as high as 40000W, with nitrogen used for cutting brass and oxygen for cutting copper.
Low/Medium Power (1000W - 4000W) Brass Cutting Parameters
| Material | Gas | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | ||||
| 1000W | 1500W | 2000W | 3000W | 4000W | |||
| Brass | N₂ | 1 | 14.0-20.0 | 15.0-22.0 | 20.0-27.0 | 20.0-28.0 | 25.0-30.0 |
| 2 | 3.0-4.5 | 4.0-7.2 | 7.7-8.8 | 7.0-13.2 | 12.0-15.0 | ||
| 3 | 1.0-1.2 | 1.1-1.5 | 3.0-4.5 | 5.0-7.2 | 5.5-7.7 | ||
| 4 | 1.0-1.2 | 1.3-1.8 | 2.5-3.0 | 3.5-5.5 | |||
| 5 | 0.6-0.9 | 0.8-0.9 | 1.6-2.0 | 2.0-3.5 | |||
| 6 | 0.4-0.6 | 0.8-1.2 | 1.4-2.2 | ||||
| 8 | 0.3-0.4 | 0.8-1.0 | |||||
| 10 | 0.4-0.6 | ||||||
High Power (6000W - 30000W) Brass Cutting Parameters
| Material | Gas | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | |||||
| 6000W | 8000W | 12000W | 15000W | 20000W | 30000W | |||
| Brass | N₂ | 1 | 30.0-40.0 | 35.0-45.0 | 38.0-50.0 | 40.0-55.0 | 45.0-60.0 | 55.0-65.0 |
| 2 | 15.0-18.0 | 25.0-27.0 | 30.0-35.0 | 32.0-37.0 | 35.0-40.0 | 38.0-45.0 | ||
| 3 | 12.0-14.0 | 15.0-18.0 | 18.0-22.0 | 20.0-24.0 | 25.0-28.0 | 28.0-33.0 | ||
| 4 | 8.0-10.0 | 10.0-12.0 | 15.0-18.0 | 16.0-19.0 | 19.0-22.0 | 22.0-26.0 | ||
| 5 | 5.0-5.5 | 7.0-9.0 | 12.0-15.0 | 13.0-16.0 | 17.0-19.0 | 18.5-22.0 | ||
| 6 | 3.2-3.8 | 6.0-6.5 | 7.0-10.0 | 9.0-11.0 | 12.0-15.0 | 15.0-18.0 | ||
| 8 | 1.5-1.8 | 2.5-3.0 | 5.5-6.5 | 6.0-8.0 | 8.0-10.0 | 10.0-15.0 | ||
| 10 | 0.8-1.0 | 1.0-1.5 | 3.5-4.7 | 5.0-6.0 | 7.0-8.0 | 8.0-10.0 | ||
| 12 | 0.6-0.7 | 0.8-1.2 | 1.8-2.0 | 2.0-2.2 | 2.5-3.5 | 5.0-8.0 | ||
| 15 | 0.6-0.7 | 1.0-1.2 | 1.3-1.4 | 1.8-2.0 | 2.5-4.5 | |||
| 18 | 0.5-0.7 | 0.8-1.2 | 0.8-1.3 | 1.3-1.8 | ||||
| 20 | 0.3-0.5 | 0.6-0.7 | 0.8-1.0 | 1.0-1.2 | ||||
| 25 | 0.4-0.6 | 0.7-0.9 | 0.8-1.0 | |||||
| 30 | 0.3-0.5 | 0.5-0.7 | 0.6-0.8 | |||||
| 40 | 0.4-0.5 | 0.5-0.65 | ||||||
| 50 | 0.4-0.5 | |||||||
Extra-High Power (40000W) Brass & Copper Cutting Parameters
| Material | Thickness (mm) | Speed (m/min) | Power (watt) | Working Gas |
| Brass | 5 | 25.0-30.0 | 40000 | N₂ |
| 6 | 20.0-25.0 | |||
| 8 | 18.0-22.0 | |||
| 10 | 10.0-14.0 | |||
| 12 | 8.0-11.0 | |||
| 14 | 6.0-8.0 | |||
| 16 | 5.0-7.0 | |||
| 18 | 4.0-5.0 | |||
| 20 | 3.0-4.0 | |||
| 25 | 2.5-3.0 | |||
| 30 | 2.0-2.5 | |||
| Copper | 3 | 20.0-25.0 | 40000 | O₂ |
| 4 | 18.0-20.0 | |||
| 5 | 15.0-18.0 | |||
| 6 | 10.0-15.0 | |||
| 8 | 6.0-10.0 | |||
| 10 | 2.0-3.5 | |||
| 12 | 2.0-2.5 | |||
| 14 | 1.5-2.0 | |||
| 16 | 1.0-1.5 | |||
| 20 | 0.6-1.0 |
In conclusion, fiber lasers have proved remarkable capabilities in cutting metals. They can manage thicknesses ranging from as thin as 1mm to as thick as 100mm or more, with speeds varying from as slow as 0.05m/min to as fast as 100m/min or even higher. The available laser power options span from 1000W to 60000W. It is important to note that different power levels and working gases will result in varying cutting thicknesses and speeds.
Things To Consider
Fiber laser cutting machines are undeniably powerful tools that can cut through popular metal materials with ease and precision, even including highly reflective metals such as aluminum, copper, and brass. However, when it comes to cutting precious metals like gold and silver, the process becomes a bit more challenging. This requires meticulous attention to finding the most suitable power options and working gases, as well as precise adjustment of the laser cutting parameters. By doing so, one can ensure a smooth cutting process and avoid unnecessary waste.
If you have the intention of using gold and silver to create exquisite ornaments, jewelry, crafts, gifts, or even some precision parts and accessories, do not hesitate to reach out to KRRASS's technical staff. They will be more than happy to provide you with a customized solution that aligns with your business needs and budget, enabling you to achieve the best possible results in your metal cutting endeavors.
