What should I look for when buying a laser cutter? What is the "right" laser machine?
This greatly depends on your intentions with the laser machine. Consider the following before you purchase a laser machine:
Which materials would you like to process?
How large are your workpieces?
How do you want to use your laser and how much laser power is necessary?
Do you need machine reliability 24/7?
Laser type: Which materials would you like to process?
Your engraving or cutting materials will determine the type of laser necessary. You will need a CO2 laser if you want to process wood, leather, paper, glass, or other organic materials. For marking metals or plastics you will need a fiber laser. If you would prefer to do both, a flexx laser is a perfect fit due to its dual laser sources, housing both a CO2 and a fiber laser in one machine. Check out the material list for different laser types.
Size of the working area
Size of the working area: How large are your workpieces?
The size of your workpieces determines the size of the laser machine that you will need. Additionally, the amount of workpieces in each order is important. If you have multiple small items in one order, they can be processed in one job. This helps to save time and increase productivity.
Working area of Speedy laser engraver and cutter
Laser power: With increased power comes increased flexibility
The most important thing to consider when choosing the laser power of your laser system is the application that you run most frequently with the laser. If you are primarily using your laser system for engraving, laser power between 25 and 80 watts will achieve great results. For laser cutting or for very high-speed applications, laser power of more than 80 watts is recommended. The type of material used will help to determine what laser power will be most efficient. E.g. Engraving paper typically requires less power than engraving wood. Low power can be used to create a shallow, uniform engraving on acrylic. When processing engraving materials, such as TroLase, higher power means faster work. Trotec software can easily manipulate the laser power. However, the hardware determines the maximum power. Consider this: The higher the laser power, the greater flexibility and materials you will be able to process.
Example: Engraving anodized aluminum - comparison of 30 and 80 watts
Laser power:
30 watts
80 watts
Progress:
48% finished
100% finished
Time per unit:
55 seconds
55 seconds
With 80 watts it is more than twice as fast.
Reliability and quality of service is key
Reliable equipment is essential for the success of your business, as only a fully functional system will ensure consistent reliability. Over 30,000 Trotec lasers are installed across the globe, providing evidence of expertise and customer confidence. With service and sales organizations in more than 90 countries, Trotec always has a professional contact near you. Maximum reliability and availability (e.g. 24/7 spare parts delivery) should, therefore, always be taken into consideration when making your decision on equipment for your business.
What is a good laser system for starting a business?
If you would like to compare every laser system manufactured in different countries across the world, there is a long list to go through. There are many differences in performance and cost. The range begins at typical laser plotters, great for simple laser cutting and engraving, and it extends to state of the art production machines, which primarily focus on the productivity of the user. When making a purchase decision, intended use, and wanted application results are large determining factors, but technical conditions also play a big part. The intended use and the desired application result will help to determin the best system. Technical conditions greatly influence this as well. On this page you can read the most important differences between chinese and western lasers.
