Why adding auxiliary gas for fiber laser cutting machine?

Reasons for adding auxiliary gas for fiber laser cutting machine:

1. The auxiliary gas can react with metal materials chemically to increase the cutting ability.

2. The auxiliary gas can blow off the slag in the cutting area through the cutting head to ensure the cutting quality.

3. It can reduce the size of heat-affected zone by cooling the adjacent area of the slit.

4. It can protect the focusing lens and prevent combustion products from polluting the optical lens.

What are the commonly used auxiliary gases for fiber laser cutter ? And air can be used as auxiliary gas ? Air, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argon gas.

-- Air:

Air refers to a mixed gas containing oxygen and nitrogen, which can be directly passed into the machine, we can get it with air compressor. In order to save costs, we can use air to cut thinner stainless steel such as 1mm, but the cutting surface has fine burrs, we just need sand it with sandpaper.  If the cutting edge quality is not important to you, you can choose air as an auxiliary gas. The air compressor is necessary for air.

Air can be provided by an air compressor at a very low price. Although there is about 20% oxygen in the air, the cutting efficiency is far less than that of oxygen and almost equal to the efficiency of nitrogen. The cut surface is yellow.

Applicable materials: aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, galvanized steel, non-metal, etc.

-- Oxygen:

Oxygen is used to cut carbon steel. The carbon steel contains more carbon-containing impurities, so O2 can greatly increase the burning speed, improve the cutting quality and make cutting surface more smooth.

-- Nitrogen:

Nitrogen is used to cut non-ferrous metals such as stainless steel and aluminum plates. It can cool, prevent oxidation and blow away slag. Since this kind of material is easily blackened by oxygen cutting, the use of nitrogen can avoid this blackening phenomenon.

Applicable materials:

aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, galvanized steel plate, brass