When the fiber laser cutting machine cuts carbon steel, it usually uses auxiliary gas to assist the metal plate cutting. Common auxiliary gases are oxygen, nitrogen and air. So what are the functions and differences of these three gases in fiber laser cutting of carbon steel?

 

Air cutting

When using air cutting, you only need to consider the electricity cost of the air compressor and the fiber laser cutting machine itself, which saves the high cost of auxiliary gas. The cutting efficiency on thin metal plates can be similar to that of nitrogen cutting, which is an economical and efficient cutting method. However, air cutting also has obvious disadvantages on metal sections.

On the one hand, the metal cutting surface will produce burrs, which need to be cleaned and removed by secondary processing, which will prolong the production cycle of the product. On the other hand, the metal section will be black, affecting the quality of the metal workpiece. The fiber laser cutting technology itself has the advantages of efficiency and precision, and the air cutting method is not suitable for users who pursue high quality. If you are cutting carbon steel below 6mm, you can choose air cutting if you only consider cutting and there are no other process requirements.

 

Oxygen and Nitrogen cutting

Oxygen cutting is the most common and traditional auxiliary cutting gas. Oxygen aids combustion, producing heat that in turn facilitates metalworking. Nitrogen can push the metal melted by the laser beam from the upper part of the kerf to the lower part, and then remove it from the back of the processing, preventing dross from forming on the back. If you are cutting metal aluminum, it is recommended to use nitrogen gas, because aluminum has a special color, and nitrogen can prevent oxidation well and retain the characteristics of the material itself.

 

When using a fiber laser cutting machine to cut metals of different types and thicknesses, different auxiliary gases need to be selected. Correct use of assist gas can help you complete metal cutting projects efficiently.