We often hear that the fiber laser is single mode or dual mode. As the core component of the laser cutting machine, the laser has a great impact on the cutting effect of the laser cutting machine. So when selecting laser cutting machine, we also need to consider the module integration mode of fiber laser?
The module composition of fiber laser is divided into single mode and multimode. In the cutting application, the focus spot has a great impact on the quality of the cut. The fiber core of single mode laser is relatively thin, the beam quality is better than multimode, the energy distribution is Gaussian, the energy density in the middle is high, and the three-dimensional figure is a sharp and round peak.
The fiber core of the multimode laser is thicker, the beam quality is poorer than that of the single mode laser, the energy distribution is more average than that of the single mode laser spot, and the 3D image is an inverted cup. From the perspective of the steepness of the edge, the multimode laser is much steeper than the single mode laser.
What is the difference between single-mode and dual-mode laser of laser cutting machine? Comparison of 1.5KW single-mode and 1.5KW multimode lasers with the same power:
The cutting speed of 1mm thin plate is 20% higher in single mode than that of multimode, and the visual effect is almost the same. But from 2mm, the speed advantage gradually decreases. From 3mm, the speed and effect advantages of high-power multimode laser are very obvious:
What is the difference between single-mode and dual-mode laser of laser cutting machine? So the advantages of single mode lie in thin plate, while the advantages of multimode lie in thick plate. Single mode and multimode have no comparative value. They are all a configuration of fiber laser, just like a car. The car is suitable for road and off-road is suitable for mountain, but the car can also run mountain and off-road can also run road. So the choice of multimode or multimode fiber laser depends on the processing needs of actual end customers.
How to choose between single mode and multimode? From the perspective of power level differentiation, the main processing material thickness of lasers within 1000W is thin due to its low energy, so the single-mode configuration of lasers within 1KW is in line with the actual market situation, and lasers with power above 1KW should be thin and thick. From the perspective of the whole processing industry, the improvement of processing quality is a rigid demand and cannot be compromised. Therefore, many high-power lasers will not consider single mode selection.
At the same time, the single-mode fiber core is generally thin, which means that the same power of laser is transmitted in it. The single-mode fiber core carries more light energy, which is a test for materials. At the same time, when cutting high reflective materials, the high intensity reflected light and the emitted laser are superimposed. If the tolerance of the fiber material is insufficient, it is very easy to “burn the fiber core”, and it is also a challenge to the life of the fiber core material! Therefore, many laser manufacturers still choose multimode configuration in the configuration of high-power fiber lasers!
