What should I look for when buying a laser cutter? What is the "right" laser machine?
This depends a lot on what you intend to do with the laser machine. There are some aspects you should consider before investing into a laser machine:
Which materials do you want to process?
How large are your workpieces?
How you want to use your laser and for this how much laser power do you need?
Do you need 24/7 machine reliability?
Laser type: Which materials do you want to process?
The materials you want to engrave or cut define the laser type you will need. If you want to process organic materials like wood, glass, paper or leather you will need a CO2 laser. For marking metals or plastics you will need a fiber laser. If you want to do both a flexx laser is the right fit for you because it contains 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 to be engraved or cut defines the size of the laser machine. In addition the number of workpieces per order plays also an important role. If your order consists of multiple items, they can be processed in one process. So you can save time and increase productivity.
Working area of Speedy laser engraver and cutter
Laser power: Higher power offers great flexibility
The most important criterion when selecting the laser power of your laser machine is the application that you want to use most often with the laser. If the laser is primarily used for engraving, you will achieve good results with laser powers between 25 and 80 watts. For laser cutting or for very high speed applications, we recommend a laser power of more than 80 watts. Depending on the type of material, a different laser power will lead to the optimum result. E.g. Engraving paper usually requires less power than engraving wood. With acrylic, a uniformly homogeneous, not too deep engraving can be created using a low power. And when processing engraving materials (plastic laminates such as TroLase), higher power allows faster work. The laser power can be easily regulated by the software. However, the maximum power depends on the hardware. The following applies: A laser machine with high laser power offers great flexibility as it allows you to process many different materials.
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
An important criterion for the success of your business is the reliability of the laser system as only a fully functional device will guarantee your delivery reliability. Trotec lasers are used around the world and the field experience of more than 30.000 of installed systems is evidence of expertise and customer confidence. With service and sales organizations in more than 90 countries, Trotec has a professional contact local to you. Maximum reliability and availability (e.g. 24/7 spare parts delivery) should, therefore, always be taken into consideration when making your decision.
Which laser is a good choice for entering a business?
If one wants to compare all laser systems manufactured in Asia and the western countries, there is a very large selection. There are differences in price and performance spectrum. The range extends from laser plotters, which fulfil basic applications such as laser cutting and laser engraving, to technically sophisticated production machines, which focus on the productivity of the user. Decisive for the purchase decision is the intended use and the desired application result. This is strongly influenced by technical conditions. On this page you can read the most important differences between chinese and western lasers.
