6 Laser Engraving Projects to Get a Business Started

The holiday season is almost around the corner and if you have just started your brand-new business of laser engraving or cutting then this article is just for you. 

You might be confused about where to start and what to customize? 

Don’t worry, we are here to your rescue.

But before diving deep into how to start and what to customize allow me to tell you that starting a laser engraving or cutting is the best decision you ever made. Laser cutting or engraving business is always growing and be in fashion. You are starting a business and hence you would definitely be knowing the power of customized and personalized gifts. 

Personalized gifts always make one feel special. People prefer to gift their loved ones something that makes them feel special. No matter during normal days or magical holiday season.

Rest assured, here in this article I have covered all the necessary things you must do as a beginner to grow this business during the holiday season. 

• What materials will you use?
• What will you make with a laser cutting machine?
• Which laser parts to use? Should you go for Amada parts or Mitsubishi replacement parts?
• Am I ready to start a business or not?

These are the obvious questions anyone will ask while starting a laser cutting or engraving machine.

Well, now is the time to stop thinking about all these things and unleash the creativity and imagination of yours. Starting is always tough. But that’s ok as one needs to start somewhere. Everyone is a beginner before they start.

So, let’s start and look at the six amazing and easy designs you can create and start with your laser cutting business.

• State Cut Out Model:

People love to show their love for their hometown. Be it engraving the map of their hometown, city or state. As a beginner, it is perfect for you to cut the wooden pieces in different states of your country. They are very easy to sell and customers would love to buy them

• Customized Bookmark:

For any bookworm, a bookmark is their treasure. It is very easy to create bookmarks using different materials and engrave them with customized quotes, names or artwork. It is very easy to create customized bookmarks for all bookworms. They are very easy to sell and are perfect for you as a beginner.

• Insulated Tumblers: 

Stainless steel tumblers are in fashion. They are very easy to sell. And adding customized engraving on them is like a cherry on the cake. It is very easy to design them. This is the perfect project for you as a beginner as it also teaches you to work with the rotary device.

• Home Board:

Engraving or Cutting on the slate is quite effortless as it’s one of the easiest materials to engrave. Personalizing home boards makes it extremely special for your customers. They are easy to create and you can also add your customer’s requirements. They are perfect housewarming gifts, home decor or pet memorials.

Oh yes! You heard it right.

You can create pet memorials and try to pitch it to pet lovers. When it comes to engraving on slate boards there are a lot of things you can create. Also, make sure you are using quality replacement parts like Mitsubishi replacement parts in case there’s any wear and tear in your laser machine. Try to brainstorm and curate your designs.

• Granite Engraving:

Granite is an easy material to engrave on. It is known for its polished surface and endurance and is also useful in many different industries. Granites are the first choice when it comes to creating memorials. Using the laser machines, you can engrave the granite with proper depth and clarity creating high-quality designs. You can customize granite with names, quotes, wishes, etc. and offer it to your customers. 

• Glasses:

Lastly, glasses! Using customized glasses or mugs always stays in fashion. It’s quite effortless to sell these custom glasses as who won’t like to have their morning coffee in a customized mug to their taste? Or imagine your customer gifting these customized glasses to their loved ones or it can also help to boost your brand-new business. 

Final word:

Starting a new laser engraving or cutting business is not too difficult when you have a guide on how to start and which projects to work on. You can easily customize different materials by using laser engraving and cutting machines with the right parts like Amada parts. Or in case you look for replacement parts, go for Mitsubishi replacement parts. Your creativity will become your USP in this business. There is no limit when it comes to creativity. Hence, use it to the fullest and it will help you expand your business with a growing customer base.

7 Useful Designs For Laser Engraving In Bamboo Products

Having a laser engraving business is just so perfect in today’s world. There are hardly any disadvantages we can think about in the engraving business. The basic requirement of any laser engraving business owner is to find the perfect material for their business which also provides the best possible profit as well.

Well, the answer to their requirements is easy.

Bamboo.

Yes, you heard it right.

Bamboo is one of the most multipurpose materials that has been useful throughout the history of mankind. Be its uses in building roads, houses, bedsheets, accessories, etc.

You’ll find them in every industry.

So, if you are thinking about how to go about laser engraving work in bamboo, then we have just the right article for you.

In this article, I have covered seven amazing things you can create with bamboo using a laser engraving machine equipped with Mazak parts and Bystronic parts.

People use bamboo because of its strength and renewability. But there are many other reasons why people choose this amazing material for their laser engraving projects. Bamboo is light and soft in nature which helps in beautifully engraving it.

Now, let's look at the creative and profitable products you can create with bamboo engraving.

• Engraved Bamboo Cutting Boards:

Engraved bamboo cutting boards are the perfect wedding gift. They provide a personalized touch to the gifts which can add long-lasting memories to your loved one’s special days. The wedding industry is big, growing, and full of opportunities. Hence, it will be a smart move to open up on this side of the laser engraving industry. Also, make sure to choose the right laser engraving machine with the right parts like Mazak parts and Bystronic parts.

• Bamboo Engraved Tumblers:

Tumblers are always in fashion. They make for excellent insulators and are extremely useful to carry your liquids on the go. But when you want to gift someone tumblers you avoid it because of its simple design. But they can be one of the best gifts if you add a little bit of personalization. Yes, you got it. You can engrave these tumblers and turn them into personalized proper gift material. They are perfect wedding gifts, fundraising return gifts, and even corporate gifts.

• Customize Price Tags:

If you are a retail store owner and looking to provide a unique experience in your store, then having customized price tags can be your secret weapon. They are a perfect example of classic luxury touch and can reflect what your store could provide. Having these custom-made price tags might seem like it requires a lot of time but in reality, it’s not so. With a perfect laser machine and Bystronic parts, you can make them in a short time and it also helps your store to stand out of the crowd.

• Retail Display:

Thinking of entering the retail market? Then it’s just perfect for you to enter with the unique display settings. With the help of bamboo, you can cut and engrave them just perfectly. You can make displays in unique structures like honeycomb or a zigzag stand to display various products. It is very obvious that’ll grab your customers’ attention.

• Laser Cut Bamboo Rulers:

Thinking to gift something unique to your teachers? Be it the teacher’s day or their birthday, customized rulers are just the perfect gift for any teacher. Engraving their names or anything related to them on these rulers makes it more personalized and can help you connect with your mentors better. Such personalized gifts make sure that your professor remembers you forever.

• Engraved Birth Announcements:

Child of birth is as big and important as a wedding. These custom-made birth announcements will always be special for any parents. Because we know how special children are to their parents. So, if you are looking to open yourself to the array of new opportunities then this could be just right for you. Once you enter this market it is for sure you are going to get the orders around the year. Make sure you let parents decide the design and all the minute details as this could be an extremely special moment for them.

• Bamboo Engraved Home Decor:

Untapping the power of the home decor is just a perfect decision as a business owner. It is a huge market and includes lots of opportunities for your business to grow. You can make many things for home decor like a customized opener, basic things for keeping in showpiece and what not.

Final Words:

Well, bamboo is useful for many things and many of its unique characteristics and offers high value for which your consumers will ready to pay. Additionally, these bamboo material is very easy to customize and provides proper finishing and perfect designs.

Laser Engraving: The Innovation Your Woodwork Business Needs

Woodwork business has been in existence since time immemorial. And as long as there are forests on this planet, it’s here to stay. Be it furniture, construction materials, picture frames, cabinets, tools, or flooring, woodworks are everywhere. Hence, it is one of the core industries in today’s world.

However, of late, modernization has hit the woodwork business hard. Other materials like plastic, etc. are taking place of wooden items. The reason behind it is that this industry has failed to innovate.

Though great efforts and craftsmanship go into this industry, profit margins remain too low. And creating, designing and selling wooden items don’t come with big rewards.

Tough work but minimal profits! Sounds depressing, right?

So, how can woodworkers give a new direction to their ancestral occupation? Is it possible for woodworkers to turn over a new leaf and start making bigger profits?

Well, it is - with laser engraving. 

So, let’s see how the woodwork industry can strike gold by introducing laser engraving. 

Reasons Why Laser Engraving Is Profitable for Woodwork Industry

Low Operating Cost 

A laser machine has a low operating cost. So, you can get more profit with less investment. And you get a high return on investment with laser engraving.  

Custom Woodwork

If your customers want you to engrave something on a wood item, you can do that easily with wood engraving. This way, you can create custom wooden products for your customers. This helps you impress your customers more by giving them what they want. 

Easy Promotion through Your Brand Logo

When customers notice your beautifully engraved logo on your wooden products, it might impress them. And it helps them in remembering the name of your company easily. So, laser engraving serves two purposes - good sales and brand promotion. 

Ways to Increase Profit Margins with Laser Engraving

• Choose the Right Laser Machine

Well begun is half done. This is a universal saying and thus applies here too. Selection of a suitable laser machine is a must prior to introducing laser engraving in your woodwork business.

The laser machine you choose depends on the type of wood you need to engrave on. But not all types of wood are suitable for laser engraving. While softwoods like balsa and poplar need a low power laser for engraving, hardwoods like oak and cherry need high power laser.

It is also important to choose a good quality nozzle like an Amada laser nozzle for your work. One more good option for nozzles is TRUMPF nozzles as these are available in different apertures and you can put them to use for various purposes. A good quality nozzle helps you achieve accuracy in your laser engraving work. 

• Personalize your Wooden Products

Personalization sells a lot today. It adds value and sentiment to wooden products. Customers love it when they get to see their names and personal images on such products. Moreover, you can promote your brand by engraving your logo beautifully on the products you sell. 

You can engrave almost anything from wood plaques, cabinets, doors and panels to auto parts, granite and even iPhone cases. And this personalization elicits great emotional responses from customers. And the value of your products doubles or even triples with them willing to pay a higher price.  

• Diversify your Woodwork Business

Personalizing wood products using a good quality laser machine with an Amada laser nozzle or any other good quality nozzle isn’t enough. Along with that, it is a must for you to understand the importance of diversification. With the power of laser engraving right in your hands, you can grow your business horizontally. And literally serve any industry that requires engraving, be it signage, pet products, wood trophies, inlays, prototypes, photo frames and even more. And you can do that with minimal overhead costs. 

In a Nutshell

So, it is evident that the woodwork industry can go a long way towards maximizing their profit margins. All it needs is the magic wand of innovation in the form of ‘laser engraving’. Along with personalization, diversification, and the right choice of a laser machine and good quality nozzles like an Amada laser nozzle or TRUMPF nozzles and other spare parts.

6 Useful Tips Before Buying a Press Brake Machine

Is your current press brake machine becoming a headache for you? Or are you thinking of starting a business with a press brake? To find one you can try searching “Amada press brake for sale” online and would come across several options to choose from.

If above mentioned are some of the factors stopping you from buying the machine then this article is a must read for you.

Before going into details of press brake machines’ features, let’s have a look at their major types:

1. Hydraulic Press Brake:

They are easy to use and designed to work with heavy materials. If you are working with such materials then this is a must have. They are cost-effective and suitable if your material does not require high accuracy of bending. If you already have such a press brake then make sure they are tended well and there is no sign of wear and tear. In case you find that your press brake needs any replacement parts, then go for Mitsubishi replacement parts.

2. Electric Press Brake:

If you bend metals with high accuracy or your shop is manufacturing expensive materials, then it's a great investment for your shop.

Now, let's talk about the features you must consider while purchasing any press brakes:

1. Tooling:

It’s extremely important to identify the type of tooling you require. Now, that depends on the type of materials your shop work with. You also need to be careful about bending limit.

Additionally, if you are planning to buy new tools and use them with the existing press brake then make sure, they both are compatible.

There are two types of tooling:

• Conventional tooling: Here the accuracy should be +/- 0.001 inch-per-foot. It should not exceed +/- 0.005.
• Precision ground tooling: It’s accuracy must be +/- 0.0004 inch-per-foot and should not exceed +/- 0.002.

2. Accuracy:

When it comes to bending, accuracy is the most crucial factor. You need to undertake the angular accuracy of press brake into consideration. If the angular accuracy is not up to the point, then it might result in some loss. You need to find out how precise the press should be and based on that you will know the amount of angular accuracy it must have.

3. Tonnage:

Specifications are must have when buying and the same goes with press brakes. Also, you can select a suitable press brake for you by searching “Amada press brake for sale” online. Your aim while considering tonnage should be buying the one with the shortest and lowest tonnage which complies with the specifications.

The tonnage of machine depends on the type of material you use. If you are using 16-gauge mild steel with 10 feet of length or less than it, then you need only 50 tons of machine. But, if you are working with a higher amount of bottom work, then you might need 150 tons of air binding.

4. Deflection Limits:

Press brakes have deflection limits. The bigger the machine more the deflection it has. Whereas, smaller machines have less deflection comparatively. Hence, while purchasing you need to consider the deflection ratio depending on the type of material you are using.

5. Work with Experienced Suppliers:

It is important to work with a specialized supplier because it becomes easier to understand the products. They provide value-added services to you whenever needed. They will also be able to fulfill your requirements. They will provide you with technical support, address your issues and will help you to solve them as well.

6. Types of The Material:

The type of machine you need depends on the thickness of the material you use. For example, if you want to bend the stainless steel then bending force will increase by about 50 percent. But if you are using the soft aluminum then your binding force will decrease by 50 percent.

7. Flange Width:

Last but not least, it is important to consider flange before purchasing. If you do not have properly measured flange for, it might increase your cost and time to make wider parts. Also, to produce quality wider parts implementing Mitsubishi replacement parts can benefit you with more efficiency. Many of the fabricators while purchasing forget to consider Flange Width of the machine.

Wrapping up…

You must consider the above-mentioned points while purchasing a press brake machine. Oh yes, don’t forget the most important factor- bending accuracy. Because it defines at what angle the material will bend and how accurate it will be. If you are looking for the replacement parts you can consider Mitsubishi replacement parts as they fulfill the needs and are easily available to you.

How to Select Laser Cutter for Signage Business

Fabricators use laser machines for cutting or engraving their materials. But have you ever heard about using them in sign boards business?

When it comes to laser engraving or cutting, using it on sign boards will be no exception as all. They are one of the simplest and most used ways to share information and advertise. We often see them on the roads, our surroundings, outside of restaurants or shops, etc.

Their major aim is to provide people with the information they need to know. It costs a lot of hard work and efforts. To expand their capabilities, you can consider customizing them with Laser engraving machines. They can help sign board businesses in making creative and unique boards that yield results.

The sign shop owners aim to provide something unique to their customers. And Laser engraving machines can make it possible. Let’s see how it can help sign shop owners in growing their business and provide better customer service.

Being the sign shop owner, the first question pops up is that why you need laser in your business shop?

Here is a list of some of the amazing applications of signage shop:

• Custom wooden signage
• Indoor and outdoor signage
• Dog labels
• Office door signage
• Warning signs
• Product display signs
• Badges and plaques
• Acrylic signs

These are just a few of the applications of using the laser cutting machines. Let’s look over the advantages of using these machines.

1. Precision:

Laser machines are very well known for their precision. Laser’s narrow width cut makes it possible to cut the corners of any material of your sign boards.

2. Engrave Detailed Artwork:

The laser machines have the ability to engrave the material at 600dpi. This makes it possible to engrave the artwork with correct precision and make it look more real.

3. Polished Edges:

Laser machines produce fine-tuned polished edges. You do not need any other second process after this and did I tell you the best part, you do not need to face headache of cleaning the material after the completion of process.

4. Speed:

Laser machines cut down 50% of your time compared to old machines or other labor work. It becomes easy to cut multiple materials with the same file again.

Here are some of the things you must consider while purchasing a laser machine for the sign shop.

1. Size of Laser Machine:

Before starting a laser, engraving or cutting business it is necessary to know which type or size of material you are going to use. To know it more deeply, study the market and customer requirements. When there are a variety of machines available in the market knowing your requirements can solve half of your buying hurdles.

2. Customer Support:

It is extremely important to know which company provides better customer services. While purchasing the laser machine you need to consider this feature as you are a beginner in this field and you need someone to guide you with understanding the details of machine and using it. So, it is a smart choice to purchase a laser machine from the company which is in this business for a long time.

3. Laser Machine Accuracy:

Accuracy is one of the most important factors when purchasing laser machines. It includes quality of laser parts from different brands like Prima Parts and LVD strippit parts as well. Working with laser cutting or engraving you need to check the accuracy of the machine as this will be necessary even while engraving or cutting the materials.

Wrapping Up

These are the basic guidelines we ask our customers to follow while purchasing a laser machine. Did this article encourage you to use laser machines in your sign shop? Make sure to invest in quality laser parts like Prima Parts or LVD strippit parts for better results. Especially LVD strippit parts can come as a major benefit as this machine can provide your customers a unique experience. This helps you not only to showcase your creativity but also increase your customer base and leave a lasting impression of your brand.

Giving Back To Community With Laser Engraving

Laser engraving is a cutting-edge addition to any business where there is a scope of personalization. It is one of the booming industries.

If you are a funeral director running a funeral then this is something you might be interested in. With your industry going through a disruption period and the introduction of new technology, laser engraving will be something that adds charm to your funeral services.

You can either hire a fabricator who can engrave multiple things on different materials or you can invest in a laser cutting machine. This will help you create lasting memories of your client’s special moments with customized products.

But before you outsource your engraving work, you have to learn about the fabricator and their work. What kind of laser machines do they use? Are they using Fanuc fans and TRUMPF laser parts for the maximum efficiency of these machines? Then get them accustomed to people and families who are going through one of the painful times.

Funeral homes are among the most sensitive places. Everyone wants to remember their family members in a special way. They don’t want them to fade away the special memories they have of them. They want to conduct a special memorial and make sure their family member lives as a good memory in everyone’s mind.

You can offer a lot with laser If as a funeral director, your two main objectives are: 

• Meeting the needs of families by providing creative solutions

You need to make sure that you fulfill the needs of the family members and provide them with the best creative way to remember their lost family members. Additionally, you also need to make sure that while being creative you do not hurt anyone’s feelings.

• Increase market share:

To make this happen, you need to make sure that your service speaks louder. Services help in increasing the market share and provides a reason to people as to why they should use your funeral home over others.

People want a memorial service with unique things that can create a lasting memory. At the same time, they also want to make sure that the funerary box, headstones, etc. are unique. 

As a funeral director, you always have this responsibility to bring something unique in the funeral home to make sure families get unique headstones and can create lasting memories of their loved ones forever.

The purpose of providing such unique and creative ideas is it gives a personal touch to the family members.

Here we’ve listed a few ideas that you use to provide for exceptional experience to the grieving families in your funeral home using laser engraving machine.

• Personalized Cremation Memorial

Give personalized cremation options to your customers which they can treasure forever. These personalized cremation memorials will help these families say goodbye to their loved ones in a special way. If you are not providing cremation services in your funeral home, then it’s time you think about it. The number of people choosing to cremate their lost ones is increasing day-by-day.

• Timeless Headstones

Provide customized headstones to your customers. Just imagine how pleased these families would be when they see names and favorite quotes of their loved ones engraved on a black or white granite headstone which reflects their personality.

• Laser Engraved Casket

The families choosing your funeral home can use the laser engraved caskets for their loved ones to provide the personal touch and reflect the life of the lost member. Caskets built using wood like oak, bamboo or steel or any other metal make engraving easy.

Laser engravers with Fanuc fans and TRUMPF laser parts are the ones you want to invest in. They will last a long time and help you bring more business

• Memorialize their Pets

Losing a pet is difficult for every pet parent. They don’t get options where they can use the memory of their loved pets during the last rituals. And there are not many options available in creating a memorial for your pets. In such a case, you can provide pet owners with the laser engraved memorials for their pets. This helps them in remembering the special moments they would have shared with their pets.

You can provide pet owners with pet urns, personalized photo frames, engraved pet memorials or customized pet jewelry. These are some of the examples but there are many things that you can provide to pet owners.

• Customized Keepsakes

Families want personalized items to keep as a souvenir in the memory of their family members. These keepsakes help the family members remembering the special memories of the person who has passed away. 

Closing note

Laser engraving has many different uses. You can use these machines in engraving any type of material. The idea discussed here helps you as a funeral director not only take your business ahead but it also helps you spread compassion and happiness to some extent in many people’s lives.

The Guide to Leather Designing With Laser Cutting Machines

Laser cutting and engraving started in the 90s. Even today, people use it for its fine accuracy and ease of use. If you are a designer, then these machines help you turn your designs in reality. It provides you the opportunity to start your own company and work independently, or if you don’t wish to invest much in these machines you can submit your designs to other laser cutting companies who might help you in bringing them to reality.

Many designers use laser cutting and engraving as it gives them the freedom to curate their own designs.

One can use this laser cutting machine in different fields like jewelry designing, medical devices, fabric designing, leather designing, etc.

In this article, we will see how laser cutting can be useful in leather designing and how it overcomes the limit of the manual cutting, machine cutting, punching presses, etc.

Advantages:

1. No risk of physical damage to the leather as the cutting tool is light.
2. Laser cutters are precise. They make it easier to carve intricate designs easy on the material.
3. We can cut a variety of materials using a laser cutter.
4. They are affordable compared to other machines.
5. Their spare parts are easily available including the best ones like Mazak parts, TRUMPF parts, etc.

 Disadvantages:

1. When carving the design on the material one needs to have experience and expertise in using the laser machines.
2. The laser machine produces fumes as it burns and vaporizes the materials. So, it is advisable to perform laser cutting in a ventilated area or a place with an exhaust system.
3. Thick materials are difficult to cut and they require low speed.

There are many different types of laser machines available in the market. So, to help you make the right decision, we’ve listed a few factors you must consider before making the purchase.

• Speed

It depends on the type of material, thickness, and power of the laser. If the laser is high powered then it increases the speed of the laser in direct proportions. Also, depending on the material and its thickness, the impact on the speed of the laser varies.

• Power

Leather is a flexible and durable material. It requires a sufficient amount of power to vaporize. The CO2 laser machine would be perfect for leather designing as it has a power of 40 Watts and above. This is the recommended amount of power for thick materials like leather.  Hence, if want to work with leather material then you need to consider a high-powered laser machine.

• Working Space

Large laser cutters are expensive. But, in the long run, it will help you save more leather. With large laser machines, you can make strategic cuts and create more objects with just a single sheet. So, while purchasing you need to understand your requirements and purchase accordingly.

• Machine Parts

When opting for a laser machine, make sure they have top-class laser parts like Mazak parts, TRUMPF parts, etc. Among these parts, TRUMPF parts are compatible with almost every machinery making it a long-term investment for you.

But what if you want leather-cut designs without investing in a laser cutting machine?

Well, we do have a solution for that too. There are few online stores that can help you with cutting and engraving leather. You have to create your designs and give them to fabricators. These fabricators turn those designs into reality keeping your requirements in mind.

Here we’ve listed a few websites which can help you with leather engraving:

• LaserCut Finland: If you are a designer in Finland or Europe then this is the perfect choice for you. It is a Helsinki based studio that provides services at a low cost.

• LaserCuts: It’s a US-based company. They provide laser cutting services on different types of materials like acrylic, vinyl, leather, plastic rubber, ceramic.

• Ponoko: They serve business owners, designers, entrepreneurs, etc. They provide remake guarantee, same-day delivery option and many more. Just provide them with your designs and they will do the rest of the work.

• American Laser Cutter: This LA-based company will help you with almost any type of laser cutting and engraving. It is the only company in LA that engraves on metal. Additionally, they sell laser cutting machines as well. This shows they are experienced and can guide you if you are a start-up business.

As the saying goes, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works!” - Steve Jobs. But these designs become more special when it turns into reality.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started with your designs today.

9 Myths About Starting Laser Engraving Business Busted!

Thinking of starting a laser engraving business?

Beware of these 9 myths!

Starting a laser engraving business is a big decision. It’s a great way to earn extra income or you can pursue it as a hobby as well. This field is growing as engraved artifacts are always in demand. People love personalized things as it reflects their personality. It’s amazing to gift engraved things to your loved ones. And they want designs to be out of the box which is the hard part of starting a laser engraving business. So, with the right laser machine, spare parts like Bystronic spare parts or Amada parts, and the right motivation, you can build a huge business.

All the other things you might have heard about laser engraving are just myths.

So, in this article, we will bust some of the misconceptions these myths might have created in your minds.

• Laser Is Hard to Learn

Learning anything new is hard. The same goes for laser machines too. Initially, you might find it hard to learn but with time, you learn how to use it to perfection. Companies selling these machines have training staff who can help you in learning and using these machines. So, you don’t have to worry about finding an expert or trainer to learn this machine.

•  Return of Investment

Of course! You do get a return on your investment. Starting a business always comes with a risk. Initially, your goal should be to breakeven. But once you start showing your creativity in this industry you will grow your business and start getting customer orders. You just need to have patience, creativity, good customer service and strategy to grow your business. And the right laser cutting machine.

•  Difficult to Learn Software

Well, it’s not so. You just need to design a program for the laser machine to engrave or cut. The program must support vector and raster format.

Let’s learn what raster and vector formats are:

A raster file has a grid of pixels that builds up an image. It is useful in engraving an image or a grayscale image on any material.

A vector format has nodes. You can enlarge images of this format without losing quality.

But, if you don’t know how to write a program, you can use free files that are available online and start using laser machines or you can refer some online tutorials to make it easier for you to understand how to use the machine.

•   Marketing Is Tough

Not really. Marketing your engraved products is not that difficult. You know why? Because your products show your creativity. Customers love personalized products. You can post your product images on any social media platform, share in the local groups or collaborate with any of the local companies. To increase your visibility, you tie up with companies and engrave their company logos on mugs or shirts and provide them as a free giveaway. These are just some of the ideas. But let me tell you there is no limit when it comes to marketing your products or showing your creativity.

•  Lack of Creativity

It’s fine at the initial level if you lack creativity. As I mentioned above, there are many free designs available online. You can use the ones you love and start engraving with those designs. As time passes, you will realize what type of designs your customers love and which designs are trending. You evolve as you learn. So, just be patient with yourself.

• You Can Not Make Enough Money

Laser engraving business is always in demand because it gives customers the freedom of personalization. You just need to think out of the box and bring out your creativity. Buyers are always ready to pay what you ask. So, if you are putting accuracy and perfection at the core of your products, you won’t have to worry about not earning enough money.

• Lack of Support

You will not lack support as the companies who sell the laser machines are in business for decades and know very well the basics of customer service. So, you will not remain in darkness. Companies send trained fabricators to their customers to teach how to use the laser engraving machine. But if you still have doubts you can always call their technical support staff as they are ready to help you 24/7.

• Market Is Competitive

Of course, it is. Every market today is competitive. But that should not stop you from starting your business. This market is very huge. And believe us, there will be space for your unique designs.

Closing statement:

Make sure you don’t fall prey to the above-mentioned myths of laser engraving business. Start your business with your unique designs, right laser machine, Bystronic spare parts, Amada parts, etc. The market is competitive but everyone can make a place for themselves if they want to and customers love personalized curated designs.

Things You Must Know Before You Start Laser Cutting

Laser cutting, etching, engraving. It is one of the coolest ways to bring your designs to reality. It provides you results with precision, multi-layered lettering, and design.

Laser cutters are powerful, realistic tools to burn most things like wood, paper, plastic to create a design that you imagine.

So, before you buy a laser cutter, keep these five things in mind to make a precise choice.

The Main Choice: Laser Cutter

A typical laser cutter that most designers and engineers use consists of a 100W laser that have Trumpf nozzles. Between the laser’s extractor fan and sourced materials, your cost can reach $8000 to construct the whole setup. If you are just starting, you can even go for a smaller laser like 40W laser cutters available online. You can even search for parts like precitec nozzles or Trumpf parts online to setup the perfect product for your use.

40W laser cutter can help you with etching the designs you want on a thin place of birch plywood. You can also use acrylic material if you are looking for some cool opaque effects. Also, you can retrofit an old DVD players’ 5W laser into a working laser cutter if you have smaller use cases. It can do more than just etching a design on a piece of paper.

How to Source the Equipment to Build One?

In the digital age, you find many online options for your requirements. For nozzle parts, you can go for precitec nozzles, Trumpf nozzles online to source the best equipment for your business. Other than that consider referrals from your circle. They might also work best!  

What Materials to Choose?

You can not just pick any old material and start blasting it with a laser. There are numerous materials like polycarbonate sheets that produce thick, acrid smoke when coming in contact with the laser. Also, make sure that you don't go for cardboard as much as possible. Because the focused heat can cause fire easily when dealing with electrical equipment.

Birch plywood is a few millimeters thick but worth to add material; you can design simply with this material.

Your First Design

To find the best designs to start with, the internet is your bible. Of Course, it does not mean copying others' work. But you can get some cool ideas with which you can create your own designs. You get ready-made SVG files, DXF to put into a laser cutter software for printing.

General Things for Using Laser Cutter

Power: It defines the output power of the laser. It can be from 0 to 100%. Generally, high power to cut thick materials and lower power to engrave and cut thin materials.

Speed: It decides the movement speed of the laser head. To engrave and cut thin material, the speed is usually set to the maximum.

Frequency (Hz, PPI): It specifies the number of laser pulses per second. For instance, wood cuts are best at 500 to 1000 Hz. For acrylic, 5000 to 20000 Hz is the minimum requirement.

Focus: There comes a focus lens inside the laser head. It should be on the surface of the material or slightly below for most of the applications. Make sure that materials are at a certain distance from the lens. The exact distance depends on the type of focus lens.

There are so many types of laser machines that come with a motorized bed. You can move up and down to set the focus distance. And the position of the material surface should be also manually adjusted.

Parts: Make sure you are using the best brand parts like Trumpf nozzles, Amada laser parts, etc. to get the most accurate results.

It’s time to cut!

Don’t worry, it can take a few tries to find the ideal settings for your material. Make sure you change only one parameter in a test process. For example, do not forget to write down your current settings for future reference.

High-Powered Fiber Lasers: Are they Right for You?

For processing laser cuts with 0.25-inch to 4-kW laser, it can be a hurdle-less task for fabricators. Now when it comes to 12-kW or 15kW, they need high-powered fiber lasers.

And there are choices available in the market, but if you as a fabricator want to focus on thick metal cutting, only high-powered lasers are not the right choice. The 15-kW machines can do more tasks than cutting the thick material.

Overall, the major motive behind this laser technology is about decreasing process time in laser cutting. Let’s explore what these fiber lasers can do for a fabrication shop.

A Little Throwback to History

During the mid-2000s, high-powered laser cutting machines were a necessary tool for quick and efficient armor kits for US troop vehicles. After a few years with the debut of fiber laser technology, these giant machines were not in the trend anymore.

Why Fiber Laser Technology is a Hero

Fiber lasers produce a beam wavelength which is about 10 times shorter than the 10-micron beam wavelength with a CO2 resonator. It produces a higher power density which you add to the higher absorption rate will create a great cutting speed. This cutting speed outpaces that of a CO2 laser in less than 0.25 in.

It becomes easy for manufacturers to increase the power of these machine tools with the additional laser-producing modules, Amada laser parts, and Prima parts. That is the reason for the sudden surge in wattages. In fact, these systems can exceed 100KW in some instances.

Beam delivery systems cannot handle the power of 100-KW systems on their shop floors. Hence, each laser cutting system manufacturer is looking to produce a reliable cutting head which can deliver the fiber laser beam for an extended amount of time.

Recently, these machine tool developers are stepping into the production of cutting head optics which can modulate the beam size during cutting. Its development propelled fiber laser cutting machines from being a tool just for cutting thin sheet metal. When the cutting material gets thick, you need a wider beam to create kerf to remove the molten metal.

It is important for a company to look at the typical thickness range which makes up 80 percent of its work. Also, to make sure that your lasers are working fine, you need to install Amada laser parts and prima parts.

Here are the general rules to cut common metal such as steel, stainless steel, or aluminum with nitrogen:

• Up to 9 gauge—6 to 8 kW
• 0.25 to 0.75 in.—8 to 10 kW
• Over 0.75 in.—8 to 15 kW

Utilize the Material Exchange

The processing time on a fiber laser cutting machine is tied with the system’s ability to load sheets, unload cut parts, and skeletons. A fabricator does not gain any cycle time advantage if it has to wait for several times for the material movement. A lot of pallet changers are designed with CO2 lasers. It cuts slower rates compared to fiber lasers. They use hydraulics and can take 35 to 50 seconds to exchange a sheet.

The modern pallet changers rely on servo-driven technology. Here the automation is critical. When it comes to selecting pallet changer technology, fabricators should select one which can handle the thickest material they process.

Is High-powered Laser the right choice for you?

No, if your shop’s laser cutting workload is not expecting continuous growth. If it consumes only half of work shift, paying for a powerful laser to reduce the workload to a quarter of a shift won’t deliver a good return on investment.

If metal fabricators are maximizing their current laser cutting capacity, adding another shift, they can look at high-powered lasers. It is true when they use older laser technology. They can invest in a fast and efficient laser to reduce the number of laser operators needed.

Fiber laser cutting machines will grow in power if the cutting head and material handling can complement the power. You as a fabricator can take advantage of the power if you can feed these cutting machines for proper maintenance.

How to Achieve Burr Free Laser Cutting

Picture this scenario:

You are offloading a sheet of cut parts from the laser machine. From all these pieces, you will pick up a few pieces to reveal clean edges for the next step. And you leave the rest of the pieces with the burred finish.

In order to avoid such burred finishes, you need to know which parameters you exactly need to work on. Here are some handful of strategies to help you get the burr-free prints the way you want.

What Causes Burr?

During the process of laser cutting, the laser beam’s intense energy brings the metal beyond its melting temperature, and the powerful action of the assist gas leaves the metal from the kerf. When you use nitrogen, the cutting process relies on the beam’s energy to melt the metal. When carbon steel is cut, the oxygen interacts with the hot metal for an exothermic reaction. And that adds extra heat.

This is why you don’t need as much gas pressure to eject the material. With oxygen cutting, you have much lower pressure and slower dynamic flow of the gas. Overall, these burrs form from the molten metal solidifying faster than its evacuation. The solid material becomes a deposit at the bottom of the kerf. You can also control the burr by using the right nozzles, Mitsubishi spare parts, and Fanuc spare parts.

The Gas Dynamic

When it comes to nitrogen assist gas, operators need to make changes with quality, efficiency, and costs in mind. It can make up to 35 to 50 percent of the variable cost in laser cutting. Hence, it is important to control the overall consumption. When you set up cutting parameters, it is important to minimize the nozzle diameter. It is also essential to choose the smallest nozzle diameter that you can use to achieve the anticipated quality and performance.

After determining the smallest nozzle diameter, you need to determine the lowest possible pressure to obtain a quality cut with good molten metal separation with no burrs.

It is not the Speed

A burr-free finish is not something achievable with nozzle diameter and gas pressure. You also have to pay attention to the spare parts you are using. Make sure they are either Mitsubishi spare parts or Fanuc spare parts. Additionally, when you go too slowly, you might end up injecting more heat than needed in the kerf. And this might end up raising the temperature to an extreme level. Eventually, it causes vaporization which disturbs the gas flow

That disturbance, in turn, causes more burrs, not less. This means that an operator can make cut quality worse by slowing the feed rate.

You can prevent such events by increasing the cutting speed incrementally.

Consider Oxygen Cuts

When it comes to oxygen cutting for carbon steel, consider the exothermic reaction. It is a fact that with both CO2 and fiber lasers when you increase oxygen global purity to 99.95 percent or above, you can increase the cutting speed in production. Sometimes between 30 to 40 percent.

When an oxygen vacuum flask or cylinder has a drop in purity level, it is usually argon. It happens because the oxygen gets produced cryogenically in an air-separation unit, both oxygen and argon liquefy at similar temperatures.

When you add argon into it, it changes the exothermic reactions. It, in turn, affect the cutting performance. The exothermic reaction works in conjunction with the gas flow rate to burn and evacuate the molten material. If the molten material and oxidized slag aren’t removed effectively, it remains as a burr on the cut edge.

At last pumping

In most laser cutting systems, installers know to avoid elbows in the gas plumbing or to oversize the piping diameter to compensate for pressure drops. With downtime and gas not flowing to the laser, air penetrates and fills the pipe. It can cause problems when the laser is restarted for the next shift or operation.

Final Words!

In order to achieve the burr-free cut, the beam parameters and gas dynamics should work together to ensure the right amount of molten metal evacuates the kerf at the prime time.

Let's Discover the Behind the Scenes of Laser Cutters

Laser cutters help you produce products with high standards of precision. They are accurate and capable of providing you detailed and complex cuts. Overall, they provide you the freedom to design your products the way you want. You can cut materials using these machines according to your designs. And 99.9% of the time there are no chances of error.

These are fully automated and saves a lot of your production time. As your worker just needs to move materials, it leads to low material wastage with lower production costs. They can also provide laser engraving services to develop your projects and find a solution for your production. You can produce different depths and dimensions of your projects.

Let’s find out how.

The Working

It is a digital manufacturing technology, working on 2D vector files. The laser cutter has a laser resonator that depends on the cutting method, containing a mixture of a crystal body or glass fibers. When there is a force of energy applied to the mixture of the cutting process, the force sends the beam through different mirror lenses which focus on the laser.

The laser beam travels through the nozzle straight at the material. When it contacts the surface, it vaporizes the material in the shape of the vector file. There is a part of the material which melts with the laser, that is Kerf.

Basically, the laser beam is a column of very high-intensity light of a single wavelength or color. For a typical CO2 laser, its wavelength is in the infra-red part of the light spectrum. Hence, it is invisible to the human eye. The beam is about ¾ of an inch in diameter. It travels from the laser resonator that creates the beam on the machine’s beam path. These rays may bounce in different directions by several mirrors, or beam benders before they focus onto the plate. The focused beam will go through the bore of a nozzle right before it hits the plate. Also passing through that nozzle bore is a compressed gas like Oxygen or Nitrogen.

You can focus the laser beam by a special lens, or a curved mirror that takes place in the laser cutting head. It should focus on the spot of the laser material. The focus spot and density of the energy on it should be perfectly round, consistent, and centered in the nozzle. Just like when you use a magnifying glass to focus the sun’s rays onto a leaf, and that soon catches fire. Now when you think about when you focus 6KWatts of energy into a single spot, it can get extremely hot. The laser cutters containing Mazak parts or Bystronic parts can easily handle these high wattages for the best results.

This high-powered density can cause rapid heating, melting, and partial or complete vaporizing of the material. When you are cutting mild steel, the heat of the laser beam is enough to create an “oxy-fuel” burning process, and the laser gas will be pure oxygen, resembling an oxy-fuel torch. When you cut stainless steel or aluminum, the laser beam melts the material. The high-pressure nitrogen is the main component to blow the molten metal out of the kerf.

With a CNC laser cutter, laser cutting head can move over the metal plate in the shape of the desired part. Hence, it cuts the part out of the plate. A capacitive height control system can maintain an accurate distance between the end of the nozzle and the plate being cut. The cut can be affected by raising or lowering the focal point from just above the surface of the plate.

Other than these, many other parameters that work and affect quality. But when you control them properly, laser cutting gives a stable, reliable, and accurate cutting process.

The Endless Opportunities that come with it

You can make the most of this technology in various industries using high-quality laser cutters with Mazak parts and Bystronic parts. Whether it is a mechanical engineering, a technical firm or a creative space. For example, you can combine 3D printing and laser cutting. And after that, you get perfect for production needs and highly customized products.

Dual Source Laser Machines: Does your Business Need one?

Lately, there has been a huge rise in the number of dual-source laser machines. These machines can deliver better results in less time. The main reason is the demand in the market and the ease these machines provide. With such a laser system, you can have more options in one machine. You can choose a suitable laser source for your requirements.

If you are a novice in the laser cutter world, let me give you a brief on this. The dual-source system includes both CO2 and fiber laser sources in a single system. The CO2 laser has a versatile frequency that works well with wood, plastic, glass, marble, and more. But for engraving, you cannot rely on them. That’s when fiber lasers come in the picture. Now when you have a dual-source laser machine, you can switch out between these two sources according to the use and application. These machines are durable if used with the right parts like Amada parts or Trumpf replacement parts. The key is to invest in the right things.

The major benefit you get from this dual laser source is the versatility of the system. But is it really suitable for your business? Do you actually need one?

Let’s find out.

Are you using/planning only one source?

Based on your needs, you might use fiber laser less often than CO2. But there has been a surge in the applications of these fiber lasers and you will find yourself using these lasers more & more in the near future. Hence, having a dual source laser in place can prepare you for the future and you can add additional material processing capabilities. You can do all this without having to invest in the second machine.

However, it is important to remember that with the dual-source, you can use one type of laser source at a time. If you wish to use both simultaneously, then a dual-source laser machine is not the right choice for you. In such cases, opting for the systems separately would be a better option. You can make use of your single-use machines to the fullest too by using Amada parts & Trumpf replacement parts.

What’s your work area look like?

When you have limited floor space, a dual system makes perfect sense for you. It can be an appealing option having a system that can produce results of both CO2 and Fiber laser without expanding your physical workspace. Hence, if you have space for only one machine, a dual system would maximize the capabilities of your machinery.

What is the nature of your products?

After these factors, it is important to consider if the products you work on contain dual material. For example, does it contain plastic and steel? Or metal and leather together? In such cases, a dual-source can be the perfect choice for your application. With a dual system, you can engrave using both the CO2 and fiber laser in a single job.

Benefits:

Has the Best Features

When it comes to dual source laser machines, it allows you to process a variety of materials in a single operation. For example, the CO2 laser course is best for engraving, cutting plastics, wood, rubber, leather and other materials. And the fiber laser is correct for marking metals and staining plastics. You get a blend of these features in dual-source laser machines which makes it a perfect combo for your business.

Fewer Laser Jobs with High Output

Depending on your material, you can get your job done easily using a dual-source laser without manually changing laser tube, lens or focus. In such machines, you can easily assign sources to the associated software with just a touch and get the job done. You can do each of the laser applications, annealing marking, metal engraving, etc. in no time. It saves a lot of time providing you more flexibility to help you grow business.

Before investing in such a machine, it is important to describe your requirements. Decide if your system needs such a type of laser system or not. When you go into the purchasing process, ask the right questions to yourself and make sure you are prepared to make an informed decision.

Automated Laser Cutting: A Hit or Miss?

Automation has been a common factor in all the industries now. And the metal fabrication industry is just one of them. The common goals of a fabrication company include increased production speed and boosted capacity to meet the growing demand.

Can automation help you meet these requirements? Let’s find out.

Is Automation Right for Your Business?

It solely depends on your short-term and long-term needs. By applying laser automation, you get:

Speed: With automation in place, material loading speed accelerates up to 35%. 

Capacity: You can achieve the highest production results with your machine.

Consistency: With automated laser cutters, you can perform precisely and get everything (time between cycles, load and unload times) down.

Finding the Right Type

Loading/Unloading System: When you add such type of system with the existing machines, it enables them to function unattended for a longer period of time. You might see an increase in productivity by 2.8 times. It includes a single load and separates unload tables. It restricts you to one material type/thickness at a time, making it an ideal choice for batch productions where you require fewer changes.

Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS):

Such a system makes it possible to run a variety of material types and thicknesses without any assistance from an operator. FMS has multiple storage shelves that let you load materials into one or more laser cutting machines. These systems typically deliver a beam on-time of roughly 92% and 14.7 hours of cutting per day. They can be an ideal choice for small-batch productions and frequent material changes.

Your Initial Stage Configurations

The Types of Materials

With simple systems like the load/unload system, it uses a single table. With FMS systems, you can load a range of materials into different shelves.

The Number of Machines

A compact system can work well with the machines you already have. In the future, when you want to expand your business to a certain extent, a modular solution will be a more logical option. 

The key here is designing your system to handle a bit overcapacity. And you would not want to go overboard, as it might tie up too much operating capital.

The Considerations

Most systems have a maximum capacity of 1” sheet of the mild steel. You can design systems to run single sheets without using any transceiver which will give more flexibility. In case if you need parts automatically sorted, you can build some systems to cut parts from a skeleton, depositing them on a specific offload table or you can deposit them in a bin.

How would you like to control your automation system?

Load/Unload systems are typically simpler. They use a basic cell controller to load the program sequence-wise on your machine. An FMS will need a more sophisticated system which prioritizes tasks, manage inventories, provide data about the cuts, when, and more.

What type of material unloading system will you need?

There are so many options available which you can consider. It could be any of the following: fixed tables, scissor-lift tables, multiple offload tables, rail systems, and conveyors. Also, make sure you are using either Prima spare parts or Mitsubishi laser spare parts when converting to automated lasers.

The Challenges

Here are some of the challenges to keep an eye on:

• Labor: You will need highly skilled operators to monitor production if you want superior quality results.
• Morale: When your team supports the transition of production from manual to automation, it will help you become a greater success in the long run.
• Effects on Other Machines: If laser cutting is a bottleneck, it is important to make sure that operators and machines downstream are prepared to handle the increased production time, when your automated laser cutter is fully functional.
• Laser Parts: There are some medium quality parts available in the market which could seem like an economical choice but will hurt you in the long run. So, whenever doing the transition from manual to automation, make sure you are using Prima spare parts or Mitsubishi laser spare parts.

If you as a fabricator wish to accelerate the overall flow from automated laser cutting, it is important to choose the right laser machine with the right partner by your side to make this implementation a success for your business.