Fiber Laser Cutting Machine Nozzle Aperture Selection

The nozzle is a very common consumable item on the laser cutting machine and is also a very important component in laser cutting. It is located at the bottom of the laser head, very close to the workpiece. The focused laser and high-pressure airflow are ejected through the nozzle, so it plays a very critical role in the cutting process.
The fiber laser cutting machine nozzle can assist the gas to eject quickly, which can effectively prevent the molten stains and other debris from rebounding upwards, thereby protecting the focusing mirror. At the same time, it can control the gas diffusion area and size, which will affect the cutting quality of the laser cutting machine.

1. The Relationship Between the Nozzle and the Cutting Quality

Affects the cutting section. When the cutting gas is ejected, the gas volume is uneven, making it easier for the cutting section to have molten stains on one side and no molten stains on the other side. It has less impact on cutting thin plates below 3mm, but it has a more serious impact on cutting plates above 3mm, and sometimes it can cause inability to cut.
Affects the quality of sharp corners. When cutting workpieces with sharp corners or small angles, it is easy to produce local over-melting. When cutting thick plates, it may not be able to cut.
Affects perforation, instability during perforation, time is difficult to control, penetration of thick plates will cause over-melting, and penetration conditions are difficult to grasp, and the perforation of thin plates has little effect.

2. Selection of Fiber Laser Cutting Machine Nozzle Aperture

The nozzle apertures are φ1.0mm, φ1.5mm, φ2.0mm, φ2.5mm, φ3.0mm, etc. At present, the nozzle apertures commonly used are φ1.5mm and φ2mm.
Thin materials: For thin materials (generally below 1mm), a smaller nozzle aperture (such as 0.5mm to 1mm) can be used to obtain finer cutting.
Thick materials: For thicker materials, a larger nozzle aperture (such as 1.5mm to 2.5mm) is usually required, which helps to improve cutting capacity and efficiency while reducing thermal effects during cutting.
Therefore, when the nozzle aperture is larger, the protection of the focusing lens is relatively worse, because the sparks of the melt splash during cutting, and the probability of bouncing upward is very high, which shortens the life of the lens. The concentricity of the center of the nozzle and the laser is one of the important factors that affect the quality of cutting, especially when the workpiece is thicker, its influence is greater. Therefore, the concentricity of the nozzle center and the laser must be adjusted to obtain a better cutting section.

3. Differences Between the Two

For thin plates below 3mm: using φ1.5mm, the cutting surface will be finer; using φ2mm, the cutting surface will be coarser, and there will be molten stains at the corners.
For thick plates above 3mm: due to the high cutting power, the relative heat dissipation time is longer, and the relative cutting time is also increased. Using φ1.5mm, the gas diffusion area is small, so it is not very stable when used, but it is basically still usable. Using φ2mm, the gas diffusion area is large, the gas flow rate is slow, so it is more stable when cutting.
The aperture of φ2.5mm can only be used for cutting thick plates above 10mm. In summary, the size of the nozzle aperture has a serious impact on the cutting quality and perforation quality. At present, laser cutting mostly uses nozzles with apertures of φ1.5mm and φ2mm.

4. Precautions

When the fiber laser cutting machine nozzle is deformed or there are molten stains on the nozzle, the impact on the cutting quality is the same as described above. Therefore, the nozzle should be placed carefully and should not be damaged to avoid deformation; the molten stains on the nozzle should be cleaned in time. The quality of the nozzle has high precision requirements during manufacturing, and the correct method is also required during installation. If the cutting conditions need to be changed due to poor nozzle quality, the nozzle should be replaced in time.

Summary

The selection of fiber laser cutting machine nozzle aperture depends not only on theoretical parameters, but also on the actual processing requirements, material properties and processing environment. By rationally selecting the nozzle aperture, the quality and efficiency of laser cutting can be effectively improved and the cost can be reduced. It is recommended to consult with equipment manufacturers, material suppliers or industry experts before selection to obtain professional advice and guidance.

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