Cutting Gas & Air Compressor for Fiber Laser Cutting Machine

In the process of cutting metal in fiber laser cutting machines, the role played by different gases is an important factor in achieving accurate and high-quality cutting.

When it comes to cutting metal, different gases have different uses depending on the specific requirements of the metal being cut. The choice of nitrogen and oxygen is central to this decision-making process.

When choosing cutting gas, factors such as the type of material, thickness and cutting quality requirements need to be considered. The right gas selection can improve cutting efficiency, quality and safety. Therefore, understanding the role of cutting gas in fiber laser cutting machines is critical to optimizing production processes.

Oxygen gas tank:
Oxygen is mainly used to cut carbon steel because of its high reactivity with this material. The required purity of the oxygen tank is 99.5%. In normal use, the output pressure is between 6-8 bar (87-116 LBS/sq. inch), and when the limit is reached, the oxygen tank can be as high as 10 bar (145 LBS/sq. inch).

It is worth noting that after 2-3 hours of continuous use, the gas tank is estimated to be exhausted. This time factor is related to planning and resource management in operations, highlighting the importance of considering gas usage when scheduling production runs.


Nitrogen gas tank:
With nitrogen, we moved on to materials like stainless steel, aluminum and brass. Nitrogen is more reactive with these materials, so a purity of 99.9% is required. Under normal conditions, nitrogen is used at a much higher output pressure than oxygen, 18-22 bar (261-319 lb/cm2), with maximum pressures up to 25 bar (362 lb/cm2). This high pressure comes at the cost of faster nitrogen consumption, and after 15 minutes of continuous use, the tank will be depleted.

Gas Tank:
The key components of the tank are the regulator and input/output pressure gauge. They work together to control the pressure of the gas used, thus providing optimal conditions for the laser cutting process.



Air compressor:
In some cases, using an air compressor may be a viable option. Air compressors can provide up to 6 bar (87 pounds per square inch) of pressure, which is sufficient to meet the needs of most laser cutting applications. In addition, the cost of air compressors is often much lower than other gas supply systems, making them a cost-effective option. Air compressors are an alternative to cutting gas, although they vary in terms of operation and requirements. The nitrogen it provides is 70% pure, while the purity in the nitrogen tank is as high as 99.9%.

To operate properly, air compressors need clean, dry air. This means that cooling and drying components are required.


Balance power and material thickness:
Choosing between an air compressor and cutting gas is a complex binary choice. This is a systematic decision that requires you to balance the power source (kilowatts) and the material thickness (millimeters). If your power source is less than 3 kW and the material thickness is greater than 3 mm, the required standard may not be achieved under the conditions of an air compressor, which has a nitrogen purity of 70%.

If you have any further questions about fiber laser cutting or are interested in fiber laser cutting machines, please feel free to contact our technical service personnel at any time.