Above: The LT14 fiber tube laser brings speed, efficiency and smart software to large diameter tube cutting.
November, 2025- In September, BLM Group introduced its LT14 fiber tube laser, a laser cutting system that advances their current CO2 version with fiber laser technology for improved productivity and reduced power usage. The LT14 model also gives users more flexibility within a single machine, such as the ability to laser cut reflective materials and quickly change between different shapes, diameters and lengths. This version uses beam shaping for faster cutting on thinner material and enhanced quality cuts on thicker sheet. To help users maximize material yield, the LT14 fiber laser also provides zero scrap optimization.
The CO2 version of the LT14 was developed 15 years ago, serving customers as a workhorse in the BLM Group jumbo tube laser cutting portfolio.
“The skeleton of the LT14 fiber is very similar to the CO2 version, but the aesthetics are very different,” says Lorenzo Carminato, business development manager for BLM Group. The LT14 fiber retains key elements of its CO2 cousin, including the three heavy-duty spindles that adjust clamping force based on material specifications and the 5-axis cutting head ideal for cutting 3D features such as miters, chamfers and complex joints for assembly- and weld-ready parts.
The LT14 fi ber tube laser can cut tube ranging from 1” - 14” diameter.
LESS ENERGY
Helping users achieve lower energy costs and reduced maintenance was a main motivation for BLM Group to develop the LT14 fiber tube laser cutting system. Carminato cites energy usage comparisons between plasma, CO2 and fiber lasers. “Plasmas use the most energy on material under 1/2 in. thick. Only 10 to 20 percent of the energy input for CO2 lasers becomes power for the laser. With fiber lasers, efficiency jumps to greater than 40 percent. There is also an added benefit: less energy is required to cool a fiber laser,” says Carminato.
In the United States, large-diameter tube is frequently cut using plasmas or other mechanical methods. “These have limitations,” says Carminato, pointing to the relatively high running cost of plasmas—both in terms of energy usage and consumables. “And plasma produces a wider kerf, so the ability to cut finer, more intricate features is lost.”
There is also the potential for edge embrittlement to occur during plasma cutting due to the high heat input. “For many applications, a brittle edge is not acceptable. In addition, plasma produces dross as a byproduct of the cutting process, so additional processing is required to clean the edge.” The LT14 fiber was designed to achieve a clean edge and requires little to no post-processing, claims Carminato.
Processed parts are automatically separated from scrap, with dedicated zones for both short and long tubes.
REFLECTIVE MATERIALS
Offering users an opportunity to laser cut reflective materials—like aluminum, copper and brass—was another key motivation for the LT14 fiber development. “Aluminum is growing in popularity in architectural applications because of its corrosion resistance and its aesthetic appeal on building exteriors,” states Carminato. He notes that copper is still common in heating and cooling systems as well as for piping in chemical plants.
The wavelength of the fiber laser allows for much more of the energy to be absorbed relative to a CO2. “This allows for fast cutting speeds and a better edge quality with less danger of back reflection,” Carminato explains.
Although plasma can be used to cut reflective materials, the resulting slag on the surface needs to be removed. “Sandblasting or other techniques are required to surface clean materials—including highly reflective materials—that have been plasma cut, and that adds another processing step,” explains Carminato. The LT14 fiber cutting machine eliminates most surface cleaning steps.
IN-LINE PROCESSING
The LT14 fiber further mitigates surface blemish concerns by maximizing the cutting operations that take place without movement of material. One important feature of the LT14 fiber is the in-line chamfering operations. “Being able to perform in-line chamfering and mitering on the ends and holes gives the fabricator productivity gains by eliminating the necessity of downstream processes,” says Carminato.
The LT14 fiber can process 3D cutting up to 45 degrees. “With the LT14 fiber, a true miter can be automatically applied to a tube, to help ensure that the two tubes will align perfectly for the welding process,” notes Carminato.
FIBER BEAM
Baked into the LT14 fiber is the flexibility to adjust the diameter of the fiber laser beam to control speed and flow. “A larger diameter fiber laser beam allows for a cleaner cut on thicker, mild steel. A narrower beam has a high power density which is better for reflective materials,” explains Aaron Carsten, tube laser product manager for BLM Group.
“With the tunable fiber laser beam, the LT14 fiber can get really, really close to the precision quality of a CO2 laser cut,” states Carminato. Machining precision is clearly a target for the average fabricator, he says, emphasizing that fabricators are looking for ease of assembly to avoid reworks and maintain productivity.
The BLM Group 5-axis laser cutting function makes complex cutting possible— especially on curvatures. “Addressing the chamfering on the radii of square, rectangular and special section tubes can be especially challenging,” according to Carminato, a challenge that the LT14 fiber tackles handily.
The LT14 fiber’s user interface, and other smart features, give operators full control with just a few steps.
SMART FEATURES
To enhance productivity, the BLM Group software suite that powers the new model includes a comprehensive set of Tech Tables, preloaded with settings for material type, thickness, miter cuts and more. “A lot of time and development went into the creation of the Tech Tables,” says Carsten. An LT14 fiber operator only needs to input the diameter and material type. The machine will automatically select the appropriate technological table and machine settings for the job.
“If the operator doesn’t know the exact length of the material, the LT14 fiber will adjust its settings based on the actual metrics for each individual tube. This gives the operator tremendous flexibility,” says Carminato.
LARGE CAPACITY
Both the LT14 fiber laser cutting machine and the CO2 version offer a cutting solution for 14-in.-diameter tube (round, square, rectangle, open profiles and special shapes) with unloading capabilities up to 54 feet.
The ability to handle long and wide tube is crucial for customers making parts and components for the agriculture, mining and data center industries. “Data centers are very large consumers of structural steel tubing for the physical building as well as for the cooling units,” explains Carminato.
With the use of BLM Group nesting software, operators running longer tube can achieve increased operational efficiencies and minimize material waste. The LT14 fiber can determine how to gain the greatest yield from each tube, automatically optimizing the nesting sequence.
For operators running shorter tube, the system can be ordered with loading options at 41, 49 and 54 feet, while unloading options are available for 21, 33, 41, 49 and 54 feet. A special feature of the LT14 fiber is the 10.5-ft. short part offloader, so the machine can resume processing and cutting more quickly.
EARLY RESULTS
The LT14 fiber machine has been in a customer pilot program that began in May 2025. Carminato says the customer feedback has been excellent, noting, “The customer reports the LT14 fiber delivers a 50 percent increase in productivity over their previous LT14 CO2 machine.”
BLM Group, Novi, Mich., 248/560-0080, blmgroup.com.
