High-pressure air is an increasingly popular assist gas for fiber laser cutting due to its cost-effectiveness and versatility. Made up primarily of nitrogen and oxygen, it offers a balance between speed and cut quality, making it suitable for a wide range of materials including mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Air is significantly cheaper than pure nitrogen or oxygen and eliminates the need for separate gas supplies. However, it can produce more burrs and edge oxidation than nitrogen, particularly on thicker or highly reflective materials, and may require more post-processing depending on the quality requirements of the final part. Can be used on up to 0.25” mild steel, 1” stainless steel, and 0.75” aluminum.

Using oxygen as an assist gas in fiber laser cutting offers several advantages, particularly for cutting mild steel. Oxygen promotes an exothermic reaction with the metal, which enhances cutting speed and allows for greater thicknesses to be processed with lower laser power.

Nitrogen is commonly used as an assist gas in fiber laser cutting when clean, oxide-free edges are a priority, such as in stainless steel or aluminum processing. As an inert gas, nitrogen prevents oxidation during cutting, resulting in smooth, high-quality edges that often require little to no post-processing. However, nitrogen does not contribute additional heat to the cutting process, which can lead to slower cutting speeds and higher gas consumption, especially on thicker materials. This makes it less cost effective and efficient for some applications compared to oxygen.