Liquid Nitrogen vs. Oxgen vs. Compressed Air –
Why Choose Compressed Air for Fiber Laser Cutting Machine?
Laser air assist is needed for the laser cutting machine. Lets check the difference of Liquid Nitrogen ,Oxgen ,Compressed Air.
The main functions of laser gas are: supporting combustion and heat dissipation, blowing off the molten stains produced by cutting in time, preventing the cutting molten stains from rebounding upward into the nozzle, protecting the focusing lens, etc.
According to the different materials to be cut and the power of the laser , different laser cutting processes are selected, and the selection of auxiliary gas is also different. The characteristics, uses and scope of application of different types of auxiliary gases are as follows:
INTRODUCTION OF THREE GASES
1.Oxygen (O2)
O2 is mainly used for cutting carbon steel materials. The chemical reaction heat of oxygen and iron promotes the endothermic melting of metal, which can greatly improve the cutting efficiency, realize the cutting of thicker materials, and significantly improve the processing capacity of laser cutting machine. But at the same time, due to the existence of oxygen, there will be an obvious oxide film on the end face of the notch, and it will have a quenching effect on the materials around the cutting surface, improve the hardness of these materials, and have a certain impact on the subsequent processing.
2. Liquid Nitrogen (N2)
N2 is oxidation-free cutting. Because nitrogen does not produce chemical reaction with metal and no reaction heat is generated, the cutting capacity is not as good as oxygen, and the nitrogen consumption of nitrogen cutting is several times greater than that of oxygen, and the cutting cost is higher than that of oxygen cutting.
3.Compressed air
Compressed air can be supplied directly by air compressor, which is easy to obtain and very cheap compared with oxygen and Liquid nitrogen. Although the air contains only about 20% oxygen, and the cutting efficiency is far less than that of oxygen cutting, the cutting capacity is close to that of nitrogen, and the cutting efficiency of air is slightly higher than that of Liquid nitrogen. The cut end face of air cutting is yellow. When there is no strict requirement on the surface color of material incision, it is the most economical and practical choice to use compressed air instead of nitrogen.
The liquid nitrogen Cost:
At present, the liquid nitrogen on the market is about USD265/ ton. Dewar cans are required for liquid nitrogen for laser cutting, generally 120kg a can, the price of 1kg is more than USD0.46(if purchase by cans). Now we calculated as USD265 / ton.
The specific gravity of nitrogen in the standard state of 120×0.22 = USD26.4 is 1.25kg/m3,
the maximum consumption of liquid nitrogen in one Dewar tank is about
120 / 1.25 = 96nm3,
converted into nitrogen cost per Nm3:
26.4 / 96 = 0.28USD / Nm3
The Compressed Air Cost:
Our air compressor is used to provide 16bar compressed air, it can provide 1.27m3 /min. The full load input power of this type of air compressor is 13.4kw.
If the industrial electricity charge is calculated as USD0.15 / kWh, the air cost per m3 is： 13.4×0.15 / (1.27×60) = 0.027 USD / m3.
The comparation of
If the actual consumption of 0.5m3 air per minute and the laser cutting machine works 8 hours a day, the cost saved per day by air cutting compared with nitrogen cutting is:
(0.28-0.027) x8x60x0.5 = 60.72 USD.
For example, the laser cutting machine works 300 days a year, The gas cost that can be saved in one year is:
60.72×300 = 18216 USD.
It can be seen that it is very economical and practical to use compressed air instead of nitrogen for laser cutting. That’s why Compressed Air is chosen for Fiber Laser Cutting Machine. And air compressors are more and more popular in laser industry.
If you need to find a professional air compressor factory for fiber laser cutting machine in China, please contact us and we will provide you with high-quality products and services.
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