We Raced Our Lasercutting Machines!
General Laser cutting
Video description
Ever wondered what happens when the best laser cutters in the industry go head-to-head? In this video, we pit a massive total of 10,000W of pure laser cutting power against each other in a non-stop race to the finish
Video Transcript
Hey guys, Luke from O’Brien Engineering here.
Today, we thought we’d do something a bit different – we’re going to do a laser race!
At O’Brien’s, we have three different laser machines, and we’re going to pit them against each other. We’ll cut the same material and the same design on each machine, eliminating any variables. The results will come down to piercing speed and cutting speed alone.
We’ve selected three different materials for today’s trial. The designs I’ve chosen will showcase straight-edge cutting, multiple holes, and intricate detailing to really put these machines to the test.
The Race Begins
As you can see, we have three versions of the same cut:
- On the left, the LCG fiber laser
- In the middle, our CO₂ laser
- On the right, the Ventus fiber cutter
The Results
As expected, the clear winner in terms of speed was the Ventus. The CO₂ laser was noticeably slower than the two fibre lasers. However, the big advantage of the CO₂ – which might not be immediately visible but we’ll try to show up close – is the incredibly polished edge.
That edge quality surpassed what the fibre lasers could produce. While all three delivered perfectly acceptable cutting results, the CO₂ cut had far fewer striations and a much smoother finish. This is one of the key differences between the two technologies.
Test 1: 3mm Stainless Steel
The Ventus produced the fastest cutting time, finishing in under 20 seconds – an incredible speed, considering the design involved 100mm straight edges plus internal cutouts.
However, the most notable difference was the edge quality. The CO₂ laser created a polished, smooth edge, while the fibre lasers produced a more typical cut with visible striations. This is where CO₂ really stands out for cutting stainless steel.
Test 2: Aluminium (Detailed Cut with Small Holes)
For this test, we chose a design with a lot of holes and small internal cutouts, some as small as under 3mm in diameter.
The front face appearance was very similar across all machines, but the biggest difference was cutting speed.
- The Ventus fibre laser was by far the fastest, thanks to its fly-cutting capability.
- In terms of burring on the back, the LCG was marginally better, but the Ventus was nearly twice as fast as the other fibre laser and about four times faster than the CO₂.
Test 3: Zinc-Coated Steel
For this material, all three machines produced very similar cut quality. The main difference, once again, was speed:
- The Ventus was the fastest, cutting at roughly half the speed of the LCG fibre laser and four times faster than the CO₂.
- Burring and edge quality were almost identical across all three machines, all within industry standards.
Why Have Three Different Machines?
If all the results are so similar, you might be wondering – why do we have three different lasers?
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Material Compatibility – Certain machines are better suited to specific materials. For example, the CO₂ laser cannot cut brass due to reflection issues, which could damage the machine. The fibre lasers are specifically designed to cut brass and other reflective materials.
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Edge Quality – The CO₂ laser produces a superior edge quality, particularly on thicker materials like stainless steel, creating a pre-polished edge straight from the machine.
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Speed & Efficiency – The fibre lasers (especially the Ventus) are much faster for thinner materials and fine detail cutting, allowing us to produce small parts efficiently.
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Energy Efficiency – Fibre lasers consume less power than CO₂ lasers, making them more cost-effective and environmentally friendly in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Each machine has its own strengths, and having all three allows us to cover a wide range of customer requirements. Whether you need high-speed cutting, fine details, or premium edge quality, we have the right technology to get the job done.
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