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In this guide
Aluminum and brass are common choices for lightweight hardware, decorative trim, and premium-finish small parts — but both behave differently under a fiber laser compared to carbon or stainless steel. This guide covers the official GWEIKE factory-tested cutting parameters for both metals on the Gweike MCore, using compressed air assist.
Don't have an MCore yet? View the MCore product page → for specs, pricing, and current availability.
Quick Answer
| Material | Thickness | Assist Gas | Speed | Power | Can it be cut? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | 1mm | Air | 33 mm/s | 100% | ✅ |
| Aluminum | 2mm | Air | 3 mm/s | 100% | ✅ (slow — see note below) |
| Brass | 1mm | Air | 10 mm/s | 100% | ✅ |
| Brass | 1.5mm | Air | 3 mm/s | 100% | ✅ (slow — see note below) |
Bottom line: The MCore's official data covers aluminum up to 2mm and brass up to 1.5mm, both with compressed air assist. Notice both materials run at full power even at their thinnest tested setting, and both see a steep speed drop as thickness increases — this isn't a coincidence, see below.
1 Why Reflective Metals Cut Differently
If you've already worked through the MCore's carbon steel or stainless steel parameters, two things in the aluminum and brass data will look unusual at first glance:
1. Full power, even at 1mm. Carbon steel at 1mm only needs 96% power. Aluminum and brass at 1mm both run at 100% power. Aluminum and brass reflect a significant portion of a 1064nm fiber laser beam rather than absorbing it — so even thin material needs maximum available power just to couple enough energy into the surface to start cutting.
2. A steep speed drop for a small thickness increase. Aluminum drops from 33mm/s at 1mm to just 3mm/s at 2mm — a 90% reduction for one extra millimeter. Brass drops from 10mm/s at 1mm to 3mm/s at 1.5mm. Compare this to carbon steel, where doubling the thickness doesn't cause anywhere near this proportional a slowdown. High thermal conductivity is the likely driver here: aluminum and brass both conduct heat away from the cut zone quickly, which works against the laser's ability to sustain a clean through-cut as material gets thicker — so speed has to drop disproportionately to compensate.
2 Aluminum Cutting Parameters (1–2mm)
| Thickness (mm) | Speed (mm/s) | Frequency | Focus | Nozzle | Nozzle Height (mm) | Gas | Pressure (bar) | Duty Cycle | Power (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | 5000 | 3.5 | 2.0 single | 0.4 | Air | 8–12 | 100 | 100 |
| 2 | 3 | 5000 | 4 | 2.0 single | 0.4 | Air | 8–12 | 100 | 100 |
Gweike MCore 1mm Aluminum Sheet Cutting Test — corresponds to the 1mm row above.
3 Brass Cutting Parameters (1–1.5mm)
| Thickness (mm) | Speed (mm/s) | Frequency | Focus | Nozzle | Nozzle Height (mm) | Gas | Pressure (bar) | Duty Cycle | Power (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 5000 | 0 | 2.0 single | 0.3 | Air | 8–12 | 100 | 100 |
| 1.5 | 3 | 5000 | 0 | 2.0 single | 0.3 | Air | 8–12 | 100 | 100 |
Gweike MCore 1.5mm Brass Cutting Test with 9 Bar Air Pressure — the 9 bar setting used in this test sits within the official 8–12 bar range for the 1.5mm row above.
How to Read These Parameters
These are the same parameter definitions used across our other MCore cutting guides — if you've already read the carbon steel or stainless steel guides, this will be familiar. A couple of notes specific to aluminum and brass are called out below.
Setup Checklist
1. Don't assume settings scale linearly with thickness
Unlike steel, aluminum and brass see disproportionate speed drops as thickness increases. Use the exact table values rather than estimating between them.
2. Expect to run at full power
Both materials are tested at 100% power even at their thinnest setting — this is normal and expected due to reflectivity, not a sign something is wrong.
3. Match nozzle height precisely
0.4mm for aluminum, 0.3mm for brass. These are tighter tolerances than carbon steel's settings — small deviations matter more here.
4. Verify pressure at the cutting head
Pressure values refer to pressure monitored at the cutting head, not at your regulator or tank gauge.
5. Run a test cut on scrap, especially at the thicker setting
2mm aluminum and 1.5mm brass both run at significantly reduced speed — small errors in focus or pressure have a larger relative impact here than at the thinner setting.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Cut isn't penetrating despite full power
This is the most common issue with reflective metals. Double-check focus matches the table exactly — aluminum and brass are more sensitive to focus deviation than carbon steel because there's less power headroom to compensate.
Inconsistent cuts at the thicker setting (2mm aluminum / 1.5mm brass)
Because speed is already pushed low to compensate for thermal conductivity, small variations in material flatness or surface condition have a bigger relative effect here than at thinner settings.
Rough or melted edge
Can indicate excess heat buildup — a known risk with high-thermal-conductivity metals if speed is even slightly too slow for the actual material thickness. Re-verify your material's actual thickness against the table.
Inconsistent results on "same" settings
Usually nozzle wear, surface finish variation between sheets, or ambient temperature drift rather than the parameters themselves. Re-test periodically.
Safety Notes
- Never operate without proper laser safety eyewear and an enclosed/interlocked work area. The MCore's enclosed chassis is part of its safety design — don't bypass safety interlocks to "see the cut better."
- Highly reflective metals carry a back-reflection risk. Aluminum and brass reflect a meaningful portion of the laser beam rather than absorbing it, which means stray reflected beam energy is a real consideration — not just a cutting-efficiency issue. Confirm your machine's documentation and guidance for cutting reflective materials, and never operate with enclosure panels removed or bypassed.
- Ensure fume extraction is running before cutting metal — fumes from any metal should not be vented into an unventilated room.
- These parameters assume properly maintained equipment. Nozzle wear, contaminated lenses, or misaligned optics will affect results even when the numbers above are entered correctly.
FAQ
Why do aluminum and brass need full power even at 1mm, when carbon steel doesn't?
Aluminum and brass reflect a significant portion of a fiber laser's 1064nm beam rather than absorbing it efficiently. Full power is needed to couple enough energy into the material to cut cleanly, even at thin gauges.
Can the MCore cut aluminum or brass thicker than the tested range?
The official data covers aluminum up to 2mm and brass up to 1.5mm. Given the steep speed drop already visible within that range, cutting thicker material will likely require significant speed reduction and careful testing — contact our team for guidance specific to your application.
Why does 2mm aluminum cut so much slower than 1mm — isn't that a big jump for such a small thickness difference?
Yes, and this is expected. Aluminum's high thermal conductivity carries heat away from the cut zone quickly, which works against maintaining a clean through-cut as thickness increases — so speed has to drop disproportionately compared to materials like carbon steel.
Do aluminum and brass use the same nozzle setup as carbon steel?
Both use a single-layer nozzle, same as carbon steel's air-assist settings — but nozzle height differs (0.4mm for aluminum, 0.3mm for brass, vs. 0.4mm for carbon steel air-assist), so don't assume settings are interchangeable between materials.
Ready to bring aluminum and brass cutting in-house? View current specifications, configuration options, and availability on the MCore product page.
View the MCore product page →
