Benefits of Fiber vs. YAG Lasers


Fiber Trumps Nd: YAG on All Fronts


Fiber laser marking and cutting technology is making a significant impact on the industrial manufacturing market due to its low cost, low maintenance and increased efficiency in comparison to Nd: YAG lasers.  Fiber Lasers are also considerably more affordable.  The early adopters of this ultra-efficient laser equipment are already seeing an increased return on investment.   Still not convinced? Check out the side by side comparison of benefits and features and decide for yourself.

 

 
Fiber Laser
Nd: YAG Laser
Reliability
50,000 -100,000 hours
500 – 1,000 hours (lamp-pumped)
10,000 – 20,000 hours (diode-pumped)
Power Consumption
170W per hour
6kW per hour
Maintenance
·   No maintenance
·   No consumables
·   No cleaning or aligning of mirrors
·   No filters (chiller)
·   No aligning of beam path
·      Optical path requires frequent adjustments to optimize power output
·      Periodic replacement of flash lamps, diode packs and solid state crystals
·      Diode pack maintenance requires factory-trained personnel and extended down time
·      Cleaning, replacement and aligning of laser mirrors
Power Efficiency
Up to 50%
2 -3% (0.2% with 3x Nd:YAG)
Beam Quality
Round, concentric
Near M2 = 1 (<1.05)
No symmetric on both sizes
Inferior M2
Spot Size
50% smaller than Nd:YAG spot size
Requires less power to achieve the same result
Significantly larger than the fiber laser
Requires more lasing power to achieve the same result
Optical Path/Beam Path
Flexible cable
Up to 50m
Mirrors, Optical Path
Loss of beam quality and significant power drop-off with fiber delivery scan head system
Cooling
Air cooled
De-ionized (DI) water
Size
19” rack mount unit
Large footprint
Chiller
No chiller necessary up to 200W, Q-switched (pulsed) or CW
30X Watt to laser output power (replacement required every 1- 2 years)

 

For more information on fiber laser marking and cutting systems, please visit us on the web at www.laserphotonics.com

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Application #268
Process: Paint Removal
Material: Backlit Button
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