How to Choose Laser Power? 3-Min Guide to Fiber/CO₂/Ultrafast Laser Differences

Time: Mar 17,2025 Author: Sintec Optronics View: 15

In industrial manufacturing, selecting the right laser and power is critical for balancing efficiency, precision, and cost. This article compares three mainstream lasers—fiber, CO₂, and ultrafast lasers—and provides data-driven recommendations to help you make informed decisions.

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1. Core Differences: Wavelength, Materials, and Power

TypeWavelengthMaterialsPower RangeKey Advantages
Fiber Laser~1μm (NIR)Metals (steel, aluminum)50W~20kW+High efficiency (>30%), low maintenance
CO₂ Laser10.6μm (MIR)Non-metals (wood, acrylic), thin metals30W~10kW+Smooth cuts on non-metals
Ultrafast Laser~1μm (NIR)All materials (glass, ceramics, polymers)Avg. 1~50W, Peak GW levelZero thermal damage, micron precision

Data interpretation:

Fiber laser: The first choice for metal cutting. 1kW laser can cut 5mm thick stainless steel (speed 3m/min), and 20kW can process 50mm thick steel plate.

CO₂ laser: 80W power can engrave 3mm acrylic (speed up to 10m/min), but auxiliary gas (such as oxygen) is required for cutting metal.

Ultrafast laser: The average power is only 10W, but the peak power exceeds 1GW, and OLED screens can be processed without heat (accuracy ±2μm).

2. The Rule of Power Selection

(1) Match Materials & Thickness

Metal processing:

  • <1mm thin plate: 100~500W fiber laser (such as mobile phone case cutting).

  • 1~10mm medium thick plate: 1~6kW fiber laser (automotive sheet metal welding).

  • >10mm thick plate: 6~20kW high-power fiber (ship steel plate cutting).

Non-metal processing:

  • Wood/plastic carving: 30~100W CO₂ laser（the cost can low to $0.014/min）

  • Precision processing of brittle materials:

  • Ultra-fast laser（5~20W）applied to sapphire mobile phone screen cutting(edge chipping <5μm).

(2) Optimize for Process Type

Cutting/Welding：High power constant laser(fiber/CO₂)

Example: 4kW fiber laser welding of aluminum alloy battery tray (speed 8m/min, yield 99%).

Marking/Engraving：Low power pulsed laser.

Example: 50W fiber laser marking on titanium alloy (depth 0.1mm, resolution 1200dpi).

Microprocessing：Ultrafast femtosecond laser.

Example: 20W ultrafast laser drilling microholes (aperture 20μm, burr-free) on the heart stent.

3. Real-World Applications

Scenario

Laser Choice

Result

Cutting of stainless steel kitchenware(2mm)

Fiber laser 1kw

Speed 4m/min, smooth cut without slag

Leather brand logo engraving

CO₂ laser 60w

Precision:0.1mm cost:$0.04/piece

Photovoltaic silicon wafer dicing

Ultra-fast picosecond laser 10w

Edge collapse <3μm, efficiency increased by 200%

New energy vehicle battery welding

Fiber laser 6kw

Weld strength ≥ parent material, production cycle 15s/piece

4. Why Choose Us?

Fiber Lasers: Up to 40% electro-optical efficiency, 100,000-hour lifespan (Industry-leading).

CO₂ Lasers: Patented gas recycling tech, reducing operational costs by 30%.

Ultrafast Lasers: Nanoscale precision with AI-powered beam control.

Conclusion: 

For metals & high-speed production → Fiber lasers (Power scales with thickness).

For non-metals & cost-sensitive tasks → CO₂ lasers (30~200W ideal).

For zero-defect micromachining → Ultrafast lasers (Precision over power).

For more futher information pls click here and contact us to customize your laser solution!

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