Some things can be quite obvious. The fiber laser "generator", as it is called, is smaller than traditional CO2 resonators. The fiber laser is actually created by banks and modules of diodes. They can be assembled into a compact module with a power range of 600 to 1,500 watts. A number of modules are combined to make the final powered receiver, which is often the size of small filing cabinets. The light is amplified and channeled through fiber-optic cabling. The fiber-optic cable transmits the light exactly as it was before. This ensures that there is no loss of quality or power. Then, it is adjusted and focused according to the material being cut.
A second consideration is the fiber laser’s compact modules. They allow for redundancy. The resonator can still shut down when one module is having a problem. The fiber laser is redundant so that other modules can temporarily produce more power to support the down module while repairs are made. These can also be done in field. The fiber resonator may also continue to produce lower power until it can be repaired. The entire CO2 resonator can go down if it has an issue.