Why Any Laser Won’t Do

In a few short years, fiber laser sales have rocketed. In fact, 75% of the lasers purchased today are fiber.

Without question, fiber lasers are incredibly versatile machines. They are used by a host of different industries on a vast range of different materials. They can cut through steel but have a low heat output. When this is combined with the accuracy of the beam, the material surrounding the work area stays undamaged.

Other reasons for fiber’s popularity include low maintenance costs, compact size and ease of integration.

Multi-mode or single mode

The optical fibers used in fiber lasers can be classified into single mode fibers or multimode fibers, depending on the modulus of the transmission point.

“Mode” relates to the beam of light entering the fiber at a certain angular velocity. The light source used by a single mode fiber is a solid-state laser. The multimode fiber uses a light emitting diode.

Though the term “multimode” combined with the versatility benefits of fiber lasers in general sounds like a universal panacea, it’s not that simple. Because the core of the single mode laser is relatively thin, the beam quality has the better of multimode. In cutting a 1mm plate, the cutting speed is 20% higher. However, if the plate is over 2mm thick the speed advantages diminish considerably so that from 3mm, the high power multimode fiber laser is both faster and more effective.

Despite this, it should be noted that if the plate is over 5mm thick, a CO² laser rather than a fiber laser will give a cleaner, faster cut.

Product or process

Buying a laser that’s right for your needs is a bit like choosing a car. Do you want a saloon to speed down the motorway or an off-roader to take on a mountain? The saloon car can climb the mountain if it’s not too steep. The off-roader can run down the motorway but not as fast. That’s why it’s not the laser per se that should influence your investment but your actual processing needs.

In a nutshell, that’s how TLM sell lasers. We sell you a product that matches and enhances your process – not just a piece of kit.

Contact us and you can expect questions – about your products, the materials you use, your throughput, your existing equipment, production line, etc.. Once we understand your production process needs, we’ll test out samples for quality to ensure you receive the absolute optimal laser system.

Why so much effort? Because we enjoy a long term relationship with the vast majority of our customers and we want to keep it that way.

To find out more about the TLM process not product approach or to get the ball rolling on meeting your laser needs, please contact sales@tlm-laser.com