What Is the Difference Between a Pico Laser and Fiber laser?
I recall the time I learned that acronym of laser stood for “Light amplification of stimulated emission of radiation”, back in the 7th grade. I had a group of friends, who were at the time ahead of me in technology conversations. These nerds (as I would learn of the term later), were very up on Star Trek episodes and science, and it blended well for us all talking of science fiction and real space exploration. When Star Wars came out that was the mind-blowing and visual enlightenment many of us had. I saw lasers being used and new what they were, at least in a small way. Over the years laser technology of course has advanced and effects many aspects of our lives and provides industries with data in measurements, temperatures, climate changes and so on. I recently learned of the breakthroughs in space archaeology where lasers are being used to provide archaeologists with enormous amounts of data of structures made by ancient civilizations and where they flourished and moved due to environmental changes. The lasers can see what’s under the soil and vegetation allowing greater discoveries. For manufacturing using laser technology, this method not only provides precision components, but has branched into multiple platforms specializing in types of material processing, cutting, marking and surface augmentation. Systems vary greatly in power and different wavelengths used in their applications. For example, two laser types that have great capabilities but are very different from each other are Picosecond and Fiber laser systems. Pico is a prefix in the metric system meaning one trillionth. Therefore, a Picosecond laser pulses with very short wavelengths of light that are measured in trillionths of a second. Fiber, as in fiber laser, pulses at billionths of a second and refers to the thin glass strand that acts as the medium that light is amplified to produce the laser beam. This is the basic difference between these two laser types, but for a clearer understanding of the two, the following table will highlight the difference between qualities such as power, tolerance capability, cut speed and others:
| Feature | Picosecond Laser | Fiber Laser |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse Duration | Picoseconds (trillionths of a second), 1 picosecond (ps) = 0.000000000001 seconds = 10-12 seconds | Nanoseconds (billionths of a second), 1 nanosecond (ns) = 0.000000001 seconds = 10-9 seconds |
| Power-Wattage | High peak power, lower average-from 50 watts. Some industrial lasers up to 500watts. Low to no heat effect, sometimes referred to as “cold cutting”. Sharp clean edges, no slag. | High average power- ranging from small systems of 100watts to high power of 10,000 watts. Heat effect must be controlled though adjustment of the cut program, power and other factors. Cuts thicker gauges than Picosecond lasers. |
| Tolerances Held | Dimensional accuracy: +/- 1 µm possible | Dimensional accuracy- +/- .0.0254 to 0.0508mm |
| Material Capability | Silver, Polymers and ceramics, thin to ultra-thin films, some metal alloys. | Metal alloys such as stainless steel, titanium, copper, aluminum, brass, tungsten, ceramic. Depending on system and material thickness ranges from 0.5mm to 10mm. |
| Cut Time/Rate | Slower cutting rate -suited for high precision, delicate features. Cutting time Influenced by material thickness, complexity of the project, and other laser parameters. | Designed for speed and production- Cutting rate influenced by material thickness, geometry, power of the laser. Generally, cuts faster than picosecond |
| Applications Used For | Micromachining, thin film patterning, micro-structuring of surface features. Used for Stents, catheters, semiconductor dicing and many others. | Laser welding, cutting, marking of brackets, shims, tooling plates, Optical, medical, aerospace industries applications. |
Picosecond lasers and fiber lasers are very different system types that do not compete on capabilities. Rather these capabilities serve industry applications in specific ways that laser service providers use to broaden their added value to customers. The addition of any of these laser systems will provide more options in providing micromachining capabilities or high production volume manufacturing support. With numerous OEM’s producing laser cutting systems, the competition is within the laser technology each has developed. For Picosecond lasers, there are 5 key brands:
- Coherent
- Trumpf
- PicoQuant
- Ekspla
- Newport Corporation
For Fiber laser systems, 5 key brands are:
- Trumpf
- Amada
- Bystronic
- Hans
- IPG
Laser technology has been a great addition to precision manufacturing over the past 50 years. With increased technology, laser systems have developed into reliable methods and often the best choice available to produce the fine intricate components we have in use today. For ultra fine micromachined parts supporting the medical industry or precision components used in aerospace, picosecond and fiber laser technology is here to take and process new ideas and concepts into reality.