Laser Cutting Material Selection Guide

Mild & Carbon Steel

The primary laser cutting material. Fiber laser at 10kW cuts 0.125" at 800+ ipm, 0.250" at 300+ ipm, 0.500" at 100+ ipm, 1" at 20–40 ipm. With oxygen assist, cutting speed increases 30–50% on mild steel (exothermic reaction). Edge quality is excellent through 0.750". Above 1", consider plasma or waterjet for cost efficiency.

Stainless Steel

Nitrogen-assisted cutting produces bright, oxide-free edges — essential for food equipment, medical, and architectural applications. Cutting speed is 20–30% slower than mild steel at equivalent thickness. Max practical thickness: 1" on high-power fiber, 1.5" on CO2. 304 and 316 cut identically. Duplex stainless cuts slower due to higher hardness.

Aluminum

Fiber laser cuts aluminum well. Highly reflective but fiber's 1μm wavelength couples better than CO2's 10.6μm. Nitrogen assist prevents edge oxidation. Speed is comparable to stainless. Max thickness: 0.500"–1" depending on power. 5052, 6061, and 5083 are common laser grades. Cast aluminum alloys produce poor edge quality and are not recommended.

Copper, Brass & Bronze

Fiber laser only — CO2 cannot cut these (beam reflects back into the optics). Fiber cuts copper to 0.375", brass to 0.500". Edge quality is good with nitrogen assist. Speed is slower than steel. This capability is a major reason shops are migrating from CO2 to fiber — it opens a material range that was previously waterjet-only.

Galvanized & Coated Steel

Galvanized steel cuts well but the zinc coating creates fumes that require proper ventilation. Pre-painted steel can be laser-cut but produces smoke and may damage the coating near the edge. Galvanneal produces better cut quality than hot-dip galvanized. Specify the coating type when quoting — it affects cut parameters and extraction requirements.

Limitations: What Laser Can't Cut

PVC and vinyl: toxic chlorine gas. Polycarbonate: melts and discolors. Fiberglass and carbon fiber: delaminates and produces hazardous dust. Stone, glass, ceramics: transparent to or unaffected by the laser wavelength. For these materials, waterjet is the appropriate process. Know the limitations before designing a part for laser.