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Laser Industry News — October 20, 2026: One 20 kW Head for Profile, Plate and Tube, Fiber Takes Over Decorative Metal, Steel and Stainless Costs Slide, Aluminium Sheet Reviews

October 20, 2026

Ficep has put a 20 kW laser head on a single machine that cuts structural profiles, plate and tube. Kikukawa has replaced a CO2 machine with a 6 kW fiber unit that handles pure aluminium and brass. China crude steel output fell 2.9% in January to September, stainless futures hit a nine-month low, and the USITC opened full five-year reviews on aluminium sheet from 16 countries.

1. Ficep Stingray G: One 20 kW Head for Profiles, Plate and Tube

Ficep introduced the Stingray G on October 19. It is the first machine built under the company's new MA.KE philosophy, which means modular, configurable systems instead of one fixed layout.

The machine is aimed at structural steel: profiles, plate and tube on the same platform. The laser head goes up to 20 kW, and the cutting kinematics are multiaxis inside a modular gantry.

Ficep says a single unit can process several product types and can be upgraded later instead of replaced. That last point is the one to read twice if you are signing a five-year plan.

Why it matters: structural steel shops usually split work between a beam line, a plate table and a separate tube machine. One head and one nesting file across all three changes how you quote mixed packages, because you stop paying for changeover between product families. If you cut tube next to plate, our laser tube cutting machine page covers chuck type, tube range and loading, and the fiber laser cutting machine page covers the sheet and plate side.

2. Kikukawa Retires a CO2 Machine for a 6 kW Fiber Laser

Kikukawa Kogyo, a Tokyo contractor working in architectural metal cladding and interiors, started up an AMADA ENSIS-6225AJ fiber laser at its own factory on October 2 and announced the investment on October 15.

The numbers are modest next to the 20 kW machines shown in Hanover this week: 6 kW, maximum work size 2,580 x 6,200 mm. The gain is in speed and materials. Kikukawa puts cutting speed at about three times the CO2 machine it replaced, with roughly one third of the power consumption.

The material list is the interesting part. Beyond steel, stainless steel and aluminium alloy, the machine cuts pure aluminium and copper alloys such as copper and brass, which the old CO2 units struggled with because of their high thermal conductivity. Nozzle change and centering are automated, and the company uses the machine for large decorative panels with heavy cut length.

It replaces one of the two CO2 lasers in the plant, not both. Kikukawa part funded the purchase through the SME Growth Acceleration subsidy, which covers up to JPY 500 million at a subsidy rate of one half or less.

Item Before After
SourceCO2 laser6 kW fiber laser
Cutting speedBaselineAbout 3x
Power drawBaselineAbout 1/3
MaterialsSteel, stainless, limited reflective metalsAdds pure aluminium, copper, brass
Max work sizen/a2,580 x 6,200 mm

Why it matters: the last real argument for CO2 was decorative work in thick reflective metal. A 6 kW fiber source now takes pure aluminium and brass, so that argument is gone for most shops. If you buy aluminium alloy sheet or pipe for facade and interior work, ask your cutter which gas and which nozzle they run on pure aluminium, because that is where surface finish is won or lost.

3. Steel and Stainless Costs Slide Into Late October

China's National Bureau of Statistics reported on October 19 that crude steel output for January to September reached 724.77 million tonnes, down 2.9% year on year.

Hot rolled coil did not hold either. Mysteel put the national average for 4.75 mm HRC at 3,276 CNY per tonne on October 16, down 2 CNY week on week, with Shanghai at 3,250, Lecong at 3,230 and Tianjin at 3,160. Weekly HRC output fell 2.94% to 2.8352 million tonnes, total inventory dropped 3.88% to 4.3872 million tonnes, and the mill operating rate slipped from 79.69% to 75.00%.

Stainless went further. SMM reported stainless futures at a nine-month low on October 16 as input costs collapsed. The 304 cold rolled margin recovered to 1.42% on current raw material cost but stayed at -2.54% on inventory cost, meaning mills are still losing money on metal they bought earlier. Indonesian 10-12% nickel pig iron fell 17.5 CNY to 1,022.5 CNY per nickel unit, and 304 off-cuts in Shanghai held at 9,700-9,800 CNY per tonne.

Demand is not the problem everywhere. September excavator sales rose 14.4% year on year and exports rose 20.7%, which is machinery work that ends up as cut plate and welded frames.

Indicator Value Period / date
China crude steel output724.77 Mt, -2.9% YoYJan-Sep 2026
HRC 4.75 mm national average3,276 CNY/t, -2 CNY w/wOctober 16, 2026
HRC total inventory4.3872 Mt, -3.88% w/wWeek to October 16, 2026
304 cold rolled margin+1.42% current cost, -2.54% inventory costWeek to October 16, 2026
Indonesian NPI, 10-12% grade1,022.5 CNY/nickel unit, -17.5October 16, 2026
September excavator exports+20.7% YoY (sales +14.4%)September 2026

Why it matters: a falling input cost is not automatically a lower price for you. Mills cut output to defend margin, so cheap metal comes with longer or less predictable delivery on odd sizes. Our stainless steel sheet and pipe page lists the 304 and 316 stock sizes we keep, and if you are quoting a project for the first quarter, lock the quantity now and the price closer to the shipment date.

4. Aluminium Exports Up 17.8%, and Washington Opens 16-Country Sheet Reviews

China exported 656,000 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products in September. The January to September total reached 5.32 million tonnes, up 17.8% year on year, according to customs data reported by Mysteel on October 19.

Prices are soft. A00 aluminium ingot closed at 23,470 CNY per tonne on October 16 after a weekly average of 23,578 CNY, down 0.56%. Electrolytic aluminium spot inventory in China fell to 586,000 tonnes by October 15, and SHFE aluminium futures inventory dropped to 90,995 tonnes from 100,292 tonnes in the same week.

On the trade side, the US International Trade Commission published a notice on October 14 scheduling full five-year reviews of the countervailing duty orders on common alloy aluminium sheet from Bahrain, India and Turkey, and of the antidumping duty orders on the same product from 16 countries: Bahrain, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey. The investigation numbers are 701-TA-639, 641-642 and 731-TA-1475-1479, 1481-1483 and 1485-1492 (Review), at 91 FR 65253.

A separate notice on October 1 instituted five-year reviews on aluminium foil from Armenia, Brazil, Oman, Russia and Turkey. Responses are due November 2, 2026, and comments on the adequacy of responses by December 8, 2026.

Measure Product and scope Status
CVD and AD five-year reviewsCommon alloy aluminium sheet, 16 countriesFull reviews scheduled October 14, 2026
Sunset reviewsAluminium foil, Armenia, Brazil, Oman, Russia, TurkeyInstituted October 1, responses due November 2
China exportsUnwrought aluminium and products5.32 Mt in January-September, +17.8% YoY

Why it matters: Chinese common alloy sheet sits under its own AD and CVD orders, so this 16-country round does not change the duty on Chinese material. What it does is keep the alternative supply expensive for another cycle, which is why delivered prices from outside China stay firm even as Chinese export volumes rise. If you source aluminum alloy sheet for a project with a US or EU destination, ask for the mill certificate and the country of cast, not just the country of export.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a structural steel laser and a flat sheet laser?

A structural machine handles profiles, plate and tube with multiaxis kinematics, so the head can follow a beam web or a tube wall instead of staying square to a flat sheet. A flat sheet machine is faster per metre on thin plate but cannot reach the inside of a profile. Ficep's Stingray G is the first machine in its MA.KE line to combine all three on one platform with a head up to 20 kW.

Can a fiber laser cut pure aluminium and copper alloys?

Yes, and this is the change of the last two years. Kikukawa replaced a CO2 machine with a 6 kW AMADA fiber laser specifically because the fiber source cuts pure aluminium, copper and brass that the CO2 unit handled poorly. The shorter wavelength absorbs better in reflective metals. The limit is not the source but the process: gas choice, nozzle condition and surface protection decide the finish. Our aluminum alloy sheet range ships with mill certificates so your cutter can set parameters from real chemistry.

Are stainless steel prices going up or down in October 2026?

Down, on both finished and input side. Stainless futures hit a nine-month low on October 16, Indonesian 10-12% nickel pig iron fell 17.5 CNY to 1,022.5 CNY per nickel unit, and Shanghai 304 off-cuts held at 9,700-9,800 CNY per tonne. Mills still lose money on older high-priced inventory, which is why they cut output rather than chase volume.

Do the new US aluminium sheet reviews cover Chinese material?

Not this round. The October 14 notice covers common alloy aluminium sheet from 16 countries and does not list China, which sits under separate orders. The practical effect is on the price of non-Chinese supply: if those orders stay, alternative mills keep their pricing power for another five years.

What should I check before buying a 20 kW machine for profile, plate and tube work?

Check what the head can reach, not only its power. Ask for the maximum profile depth and tube wall the kinematics can follow, the load-unload option for 6 m stock, and how nesting handles a mixed order of plate and tube in one shift. Our fiber laser cutting machine page covers power, table size and automation, and we will check the specification against your actual part mix before quoting.

Sources

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Written by the FANY LASER team. Serving global industrial buyers since 2018. Connect on LinkedIn