The overall development trend of laser cutting equipment is to pursue higher power, faster speed, larger format, thicker cutting ability, as well as brighter and straighter cutting sections.
The power of laser cutting machines continues to rise, jumping from 6000W to 8000W, and now even reaching the level of 10000 watts, repeatedly surpassing our cognitive boundaries. In the past, the thickness of fiber laser cutting plates was limited to carbon steel within 20mm and stainless steel within 12mm. However, a 10000 watt laser cutting machine can easily cope with the cutting challenges of aluminum alloy plates 40mm and stainless steel plates 50mm. When cutting stainless steel plates with a thickness of 3 to 10mm, the speed of the 10kW laser cutting machine can reach more than twice that of the 6000W model.
At the same time, in the field of carbon steel cutting, the Wanwa laser cutting machine has demonstrated excellent performance, with a cutting speed of up to 18 to 20 millimeters per second, far exceeding twice the normal standard cutting speed. In addition, by compressing air or nitrogen, this model can easily cut carbon steel within 12 millimeters, with an efficiency 6 to 7 times that of oxygen cutting carbon steel.
In addition, according to statistical data, the speed of a 6-kW laser cutting machine has increased by nearly 400% compared to a 3-kW laser cutting machine in cutting 8mm stainless steel. When cutting 20mm thick stainless steel, the speed of a 12000 watt laser cutting machine is 114% higher than that of a 10000 watt one.
From an economic perspective, the price of a 10000 watt laser cutting machine is less than 40% higher than that of a 6000W machine tool, but its output efficiency per unit time is more than twice that of a 6000W equipment. This advantage not only saves a lot of labor costs, but also significantly reduces the required space, making it highly favored by laser processing business owners.
In addition, the laser cutting machine has a wide range of applications and can cut a variety of metal materials including stainless steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, aluminum plate, silver, copper, titanium, etc. Of course, laser cutting machines with different powers may have varying cutting thicknesses when cutting different metal materials. So, how thick metal materials can laser cutting machines of various powers cut?
Generally speaking, the thickness limit values of different materials cut by various laser cutting machines may vary. Here are some common laser cutting machines and their corresponding cutting thickness ranges for your reference:
6000W machine tool: The cutting thickness is usually between 0.5 and 12 millimeters, suitable for light to medium thickness metal materials.
Wanwa laser cutting machine: Its cutting thickness far exceeds 6000W machine tools, reaching over 12 millimeters, and even capable of cutting thicker metal materials.
Please note that the actual cutting ability may also be affected by various factors such as the quality of the cutting machine, cutting environment, auxiliary gas, and cutting speed.
The maximum cutting thickness of the 500W fiber laser cutting machine for different materials is: carbon steel can reach 6 millimeters, stainless steel is 3 millimeters; Aluminum and copper plates are both 2mm.
The 1000W fiber laser cutting machine can cut carbon steel to 10mm and stainless steel to 5mm; Aluminum plate is 3mm, copper plate is still 3mm.
The maximum thickness of the 2000W fiber laser cutting machine when cutting different materials is as follows: carbon steel can reach 16mm, stainless steel is 8mm; Aluminum and copper plates are both 5mm thick.
The 3000W fiber laser cutting machine can cut carbon steel to 20mm and stainless steel to 10mm; Aluminum plate is 8mm, copper plate is 8mm.
The cutting ability of 4500W laser for stainless steel can reach 20 millimeters, but the quality of cutting surfaces exceeding 12 millimeters may not be guaranteed, while cutting surfaces below 12 millimeters can ensure brightness. In contrast, the 6000W laser cutting capability is more outstanding, but correspondingly, its price is also higher. It is worth noting that in practical operation, the cutting ability of fiber laser cutting machines is affected by various factors, including machine quality, laser type, cutting environment, and cutting speed. In addition, by using auxiliary gases, the cutting ability can be enhanced to a certain extent. Therefore, there is no absolute standard to measure the cutting thickness of fiber laser cutting machines.
For example, when cutting carbon steel, it mainly relies on oxygen combustion to achieve, while for cutting stainless steel, it mainly relies on power to complete. Usually, a 1000W fiber laser cutting machine can easily cut carbon steel plates with a thickness of about 10mm, while cutting stainless steel plates is relatively difficult. If we want to increase the cutting thickness, we will inevitably sacrifice edge effects and cutting speed to some extent.
