Thinking About Buying a Laser?

Adding a laser cutting machine to your shop floor can mean a lot of research to fully understand the current state of this technology. Canadian Industrial Machinery asked James Rogowski, managing director of TRUMPF Canada, for his insights

February 1, 2010

Adding laser cutting capability can change the culture of a shop overnight and can be a monumental decision in any shop’s life. As with any major investment, whether it’s for capital equipment or something else, due diligence is needed.

By examining your market, and the competitors that you have, you may be able to find a niche to fill. This niche could be in material type, size, or thickness, and each will dictate the type of laser system that is needed.

Competitiveness within the market and a willingness to accept new technology to make a profit are also two big motivators.

“In order for any manufacturer of fabricated sheet metal to remain competitive, a laser cutter should be on hand,” said Rogowski. “No other tool offers the flexibility and ease of use like a laser. No other tool can offer the profit margins available with laser cutting because of the ease of setup and changeover from one material to the next.”

How to Choose

While the shop environment once stood as the deciding factor on what type and size of laser cutter to purchase, this may no longer be the case.

“Most reputable laser manufacturers have adapted their machines very well to the shop environment,” said Rogowski. “As an example, a good laser machine is manufactured to withstand the heating and cooling of the shop by mounting the resonator on the frame itself so as the temperature changes, the resonator is able to stay aligned perfectly.”

The addition of a laser cutter will also change the work lives of any company’s employees. Even staff that does not directly work on the laser cutter needs to think differently to maximize the success of the machine.

“Employees such as key salespersons, design engineers, and productivity managers need to fully comprehend and appreciate the changes a laser brings,” he said. “Operators and maintenance personnel need to absorb the new technology and understand their value in keeping the machine running and cutting material.”

Understanding how a laser works is also not as necessary as it once was. As these machines become easier to run, and controls become more powerful, knowing how a resonator works and how a beam is created, are not necessary to create parts.

“The theory and physics behind the amplification of light is generally not something our customers care about,” said Rogowski. “They want to know how it works instinctively and that it’s dependable.”

The mechanics of a laser are simpler than that of a punching or bending machine. A laser has a single tool, and you don’t have to change it. The machine has only three to five axes of movement, which are easily demonstrated.

The resonator itself is also fairly straightforward, mechanically speaking. Whether it’s a slow flow, slab, coaxial, fast axial flow, or even solid-state, how the beam is generated requires a little time to understand, however, it is logical and comprehensible.

“Having a great knowledge of laser cutting and its idiosyncrasies is no longer as important as it once was,” said Rogowski. “I see that this burden has shifted to the manufacturers to supply machines that will reliably cut in unreliable environments. Machines have added more functionality such as autofocusing; piercing controls that optically confirm when you are through the material; and sensors that detect material placement, dirty lenses, and even when a bad cut is occurring in the material.”

At the end of the day, however, it will most likely be part geometries and material types to be cut that are the determining factors for the size and power of the laser that will be purchased.

TRUMPF strongly recommends that customers review their material requirements and assign a percentage of use to each category of material. When cutting mild steels, a 4-kW or 5-kW laser is usually enough power for even the thickest materials, and 2-kW or 3-kW is sufficient for thin mild steels.

However, if a certain percentage of work is in nonferrous materials, a higher-powered laser will justify its cost by the time savings of cutting and reduced consumption of nitrogen assist gas.

“The type or model of machine is usually determined by the industry the customer is engaged in, as well as their competitive situation,” said Rogowski. “Most job shops face the challenge of having to be able to cut any material at any time. Therefore, a higher-powered, more flexible machine suits their needs best. A manufacturer that cuts only certain ranges of certain materials can be pinpointed to the proper model based upon price and performance.”

As a shop begins to better identify the abilities of a machine with its needs, a cost analysis can be created, and the shop can begin to focus on what will benefit it the most. At the same time, the shop can develop business and manufacturing strategies around the machine’s core competencies.

Comfort Level

Depending on the type of CNC machinery that exists in the shop, and the knowledge base of the owners and staff, the initial addition of a laser cutter can be daunting or a seamless integration.

Builders of this type of equipment are doing a much better job with this “first-phase” machinery that includes a more simple approach to HMI (human-machine interface).

“Items such as PCs with Windows XP®, touchscreens with condensed program-to-cut features;and uncomplicated, single-button commands allow even first-time users to gain confidence in a very short training period,” said Rogowski.

The benefits of running a laser cutting operation, when compared to other forms of cutting, can also be easily measured.

According to Rogowski, while the initial cost of a laser can be much higher than a plasma cutting machine, the rate a shop or OEM can charge for laser cutting is also relatively higher, and the cost to run the machine is in the $7- to $14-per-hour range.

For more information, visit www.us.trumpf.com.