Can A 40 Watt Laser Cut Metal

If you try to etch cut uncoated metal with a fiber laser you will damage the laser.

Can a 40 watt laser cut metal.

There is no single manufacturer or official design spec for these and they are all slightly different but work on the same or at least very similar principles a blue sheet metal box containing an allegedly 40 watt laser but usually closer to 30 watts using roughly similar controls some are analogue some are digital and with roughly similar connections. When i switched to full power cutting setting i finally managed to produce some results. Even though digilab s lc40 is a co2 laser cutting metal is not one of the features of the laser. Metals such as stainless steel and aluminum can be cut with a laser when compressed gas technology is used.

I guess 40w was just not enough to make a mark on metal. Engraving onto metal was tough. No matter how high i set the laser power on the engraving setting it never put a scratch on the metal. The following data in the laser cutting thickness speed chart is for reference only.

You can etch metal but only when it is coated with a special paint. You are probably looking at a fiber laser which will never cut metal no matter how much wattage you have. However it is also compatible with other materials.