When To Upgrade Your Laser Cutting Equipment

When working with machining tools, there are always aspects of your processes and equipment that you can enhance. One of those pieces of equipment can be your laser cutting tools, gear that makes cutting metal quick and simple. But it’s essential to know when to upgrade your laser cutting equipment to make the most of your tools. Often, shops utilize CO2 lasers, but you must know the challenges that come with them and the advantages of improving your gear.

Operating Costs Get Too High

With CO2 lasers, there are many aspects of ongoing maintenance you must consider, whether that be mirror upkeep or procuring more resonant gas for laser use. Whatever upkeeping you need to do, there may come a time when the costs of operation start to cut into potential profits. With so many moving parts in CO2 lasers, it’s inevitable that shops will run into ever-increasing operation costs.

When you start to notice the shift from low cost to high, you need to consider upgrading to fiber laser tube cutting machines. There will still be maintenance, but the regularity of that maintenance will diminish significantly. With fiber lasers, you won’t have to deal with maintaining gas and all the systems related to it, freeing up your budget for other aspects of your shop.

When You Want To Consolidate Space

As mentioned, when upgrading to a fiber laser, you eliminate some systems that CO2 lasers require, such as gas and beam delivery systems.

Fiber lasers, as well as having a more compact design than CO2 lasers, take up much less space, allowing for easier implementation into existing areas. But with this compact design, it doesn’t sacrifice power, thus allowing you to keep the same level of quality.

Projects Take Too Long

When dealing with lasers, shops must consider the efficiency of certain wavelengths of light. Comparing CO2 lasers with fiber lasers, there is a difference in their wavelength, resulting in one cutting faster than the other.

Fiber lasers have a shorter wavelength, meaning that they have a more focused beam than their CO2 counterparts. The advantage of this shorter wavelength means fiber lasers can cut through thinner material faster, cutting down on project times and increasing efficiency among workers.

Improve Your Shop’s Processes

When dealing with a business, it’s essential to have the most efficient work processes possible. While it may seem better and cheaper to stick with current, known processes, knowing when to upgrade your laser cutting equipment is necessary for the long term. Keep an eye on productivity and see where you can implement changes for the better.