There’s a persistent myth that “more power” is just about bragging rights, especially in metal fabrication.
But when you step onto a shop floor and watch a 20 kW fibre laser in action, you realise it isn’t just a bigger engine – it’s a completely different league of manufacturing.
So, why does a shop need a machine like the Nukon CROSS with 20,000 watts of raw cutting power?
It boils down to three words: Capability, Speed, and Profitability.
Historically, materials like Stainless Steel, Aluminium, Copper, and Brass were the “problem children” of laser cutting.
Their high reflectivity and thermal conductivity made them slow to process and hard on the machine.
With 20 kW, those barriers vanish.
It’s a common misconception that high power means “difficult” cuts on thick plate.
Using Nukon Plus Cut technology, a 20 kW system actually improves edge quality on thick mild steel.
By optimising the beam profile and gas flow, Plus Cut ensures:
Optimised Kerfs: Less material wasted and tighter tolerances.
This is where the 20 kW laser pays for itself. It seems counterintuitive, but higher power equals lower costs.
Reduced Cycle Times
When you triple your cutting speed, your “cost per part” plummets. You can fit three times the throughput into a single shift, effectively tripling your shop’s capacity without adding a single square foot of floor space.
Massive Gas Savings
Because the laser moves so much faster, it spends less time at any given point on the sheet.
This means you use significantly less Assist Gas (Nitrogen or Oxygen) per part.
To give an example of the difference, the cut speeds of a 20 kW laser versus a standard 6 kW laser for 15 mm stainless steel can be up to 13 times faster.
The Equation is Simple: Faster Travel Speed = Less Gas Consumption = Lower Overhead.
A machine like the Nukon CROSS 20 kW laser isn’t just about cutting thicker; it’s about cutting smarter.
It turns “difficult” materials into everyday jobs and slashes the overhead on every meter of metal you process. In a competitive market, it’s the difference between keeping up and leading the pack.
Ready to see the data behind the power? Contact Nikon Lasers UK for more information.
