Types of Lasers and their Applications

Have you wondered how the things around us are made? Most of them are the result of laser system operations. From industrial uses like cutting, marking, and welding to medical applications like scanning, precision tool manufacturing, and the luxury industry for finishing and imprinting, laser applications extend as far as possible. 

So, does every industry use the same type of laser? No, there are multiple types of laser with a wide range of applications. Brands like Prima spare parts and Bystronic parts provide components based on their type. 

Here are some commonly used laser techniques. 

1. Gas Lasers

In a gas laser, an electric current discharges through a gas to produce coherent light. As they convert electrical energy to light laser output, they were the first continuous laser. The first gas laser was introduced in 1960 when Iranian-American physicists Ali Javan and William R. Bennet invented the Helium-Neon laser (He-Ne).

Due to low cost and high coherence, he-Ne lasers are used in optical research and educational labs. C02 lasers have the capacity to emit 100 watts in one spatial mode. Hence, they are used for cutting and welding. 

2. Chemical Lasers

Chemical lasers generate energy through chemical reactions. They emit radiation and thus serve best in the military. However, when combined with gases, they prove helpful for various industrial applications too. For example, a high power COIL transmitted by fused silica-fiber optics can be used for cutting and welding. 

The chemical reaction used in the lasers is based on the excitement of HF* and DF* molecules. 

3. Excimer Lasers

An excimer laser, also known as exciplex laser, is a form of an ultraviolet laser. Here, the laser technology uses a particular gas laser driven by an electric charge, where the lasing medium is excimer. Excimers are the molecules that exist with an atom in an excited electronic state. These lasers operate at a wavelength of ultraviolet and are used to produce microelectronic devices, semiconductor based circuits, eye surgery, micromachining, etc. 

4. Solid State Lasers

A solid state laser uses a solid medium rather than liquid as in dye laser or gas in gas laser. It uses glass or crystalline rod that is doped with ions, providing energy states. It is used for developing defense equipment. 

The common type of solid state laser is neodymium laser. Note that semiconductor-based lasers are in the solid state, but they are of different classes. 

5. Fiber Lasers

The most commonly used laser for industrial applications such as cladding, cutting, engraving, marking, hardening, and welding is a fiber laser. Here, the guided medium for total internal reflection is an optical fiber. As light travels a long distance, it provides cooling conditions. The high surface-to-volume ratio increases the cooling effect. 

Fiber lasers have an expected life of 100,000 hours, which is typically 45 years of use. Hence, they make the best choice for industrial purposes. Also, brands like Bystronic provide high-quality Bystronic parts to increase the laser’s life span. 

6. Free Electron Lasers

Free electrons, as the name says, are not bound to molecules or atoms. They use a relativistic electron beam and cover a wide range of wavelengths from microwaves to infrared and X-rays. As the electrons are free of state, they have a broad range of wavelengths. 

Types of Laser Operations

Though there are multiple types of lasers, they operate in 2 different forms - continuous wave operation and pulsed operation. In continuous-wave operation, the beam imparts power for an extended period of time. Pulse operations, on the contrary, provide an optical power in pulses, repeated over time. They are customized for time frame output power. 

By this, we hope that you have got an idea about the laser types. In the following article, let’s learn how laser technology impacts our daily life.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/types-of-lasers-and-their-applications

Everything You Need to Know About Laser Etching

Speed and durability are the factors that make laser etching suitable for marking applications.

So, in this article, we’ll learn everything about laser etching – how does it work? What kind of materials can you etch? Why should you brand spare parts like Trumpf spare parts or Prima spare parts? What are the various types of laser etching? And how to implement it?

Let’s start by understanding the laser etching process. 

What is Laser Etching

It is a process that melts the surface of the material and creates marks on it. It belongs to the category of laser marking that also includes laser engraving and laser annealing. Laser etching is highly versatile and can be used with most metals.

It is mainly used to produce permanent markings such as data matrix codes, serial numbers, barcodes, and logos. 

How Does Laser Etching Work

Whichever laser marking method you use, there’s one thing common in all. The laser beam is pulsed, which then releases sudden bursts of energy at specific time intervals. A 100W laser pulse can release 100,000 pulses within a second. Each pulse consists of 1 millijoule of energy and can reach a max of 10,000W power.

In laser etching, the metal requires less energy than engraving. Hence, in etching, the pulses are more distant compared to engraving.

For marking, the beam hits the surface, and materials absorb the energy. It reflects most of it while absorbing a proportion, converting it to heat. For laser etching, the material should absorb enough heat to melt the surface and expand. 

When the beam’s energy is transformed to heat, the temperature increases. At such a high temperature, the material becomes malleable, allowing its shape to change.

As the material cools down within milliseconds, the surface roughness of the material changes, making a permanent mark. Also, the color change occurs as a result of permanent marking. For high-quality, black and white make the best contrast. 

This is a generic process. However, each material would have its own course of the process. The process would be optimized and different from the general process. 

What Materials Can You Etch with Laser?

Laser etching is a versatile process, and you can etch almost all the materials. Here are the few from the list of non-exhaustive. 

• Aluminum
• Lead
• Magnesium
• Steel
• Steel Stainless
• Zinc
• Anodized Aluminum

Types of Laser Etching Laser

You can only use fiber lasers for laser etching. The reason is that etching is a process used for metals and thus reacts better with a fiber laser. To be precise, the laser depends on the material you want to etch and not on the marking process.

But why do you exactly need fiber lasers? Let us find out!

Lasers release beams and energy at specific intervals. The material reflects most of the energy while absorbs the remaining, converting it to heat. For etching, the material should absorb enough heat to melt the surface. 

Now, fiber and Co2 lasers generate different wavelengths, and each material reflects these wavelengths differently. To maximize the heat transfer, the material should absorb enough wavelength. If you test it, you will find that material absorbs fiber wavelength more efficiently than Co2 lasers, making it a better choice for marking materials.

Why you Should Choose Branded Spare Parts

We often talk about lasers – how to choose lasers and maintain them. But we forget that a spare part or a consumable is what defines the further use of that laser during a wear-and-tear.

To ensure that the marking quality is as precise as it was in the initial stages, use spare parts such as Trumpf spare parts. These branded parts are high-quality, have better resistance, and don’t wear quickly. As in laser etching, the energy release is high, and the spare parts would ensure that they are high temperature resistant and can withstand energy. 

How to Implement Laser Etching

Consult an expert that offers laser marking machines and OEM laser markers. Specify your requirements and take their guidance about the same.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/everything-you-need-to-know-about-laser-etching

5 Steps to Modernize your Old Press Brake

Just like other press brake owners, you might be wondering what to do with your old press brakes. You might be caught in between selling the old and buying a new press brake. Well, if you’re planning on a new one, I would suggest going for the Amada press brake for sale. But let me tell you that replacing old with new can cost you thousands of dollars. Up of that, you might have to deal with logistics overhead.

A cost-effective solution would be to increase your existing machine’s productivity by retrofitting. In case, if you need to replace parts, you can go for prima spare parts.

While retrofitting, knowing about the type of retrofits and the ones suitable for your machine would be better. It will help you decide whether upgrading the machine is worth it or not.

You can follow these steps to assess the condition of your press brakes.

1. Evaluate the Condition of the Machine

First, identify the condition of hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical components of the machine. While doing so, focus on – RAM, pedestal control, back gauge control, and press brake control. See if your RAM is accurate, consistent, and level on both sides. If they are producing proper results, you can go with a retrofit. Also, check the bending method.

Next, check whether the foot pedestal is working or not. If it is, you can avoid replacement. Also, check if your back gauge needs replacement or reusing would work. Lastly, see if your press brake can work manually, as basic retrofit often works with it.

2. Learn About your Machine

Consider the type of machine you’re working with. If your machine is a mechanical-style press brake, you can add a standalone CNC back gauge system, though ram programmability won’t work.

Rocker-style hydraulic press brake can be retrofitted with a programmable position and control interface. Synchro-style hydraulic brakes often focus on libraries and simulations. So, learn about your machine and then consider retrofitting.

3. Identify the Pain Points

Assess your challenges by asking questions like:

• Which method would be suitable – back gauging or front gauging?
• Are you making frequent changes to the tool? Are you changing die heights often? If so, you can adjust your surface’s height to accommodate the new tool by incorporating the R axis.
• Do you often adjust the angle and depth of the ram manually? If so, adding a ram axis or y-axis would help increase productivity.  
• Do you handle the same parts multiple times and adjust the gauge often? Use the X-axis, Y-axis, R-axis, Z1 axis, and Z2 axis to increase operator productivity. 
• Are operators capable of offline programming? A few retrofits offer offline programming, so operators must be well-versed with programming and provided essential training.  

Evaluate these and jump onto the next step.

4. Determine an Approach

Retrofit companies need to know about your press brake application in order to provide a proper solution. They will ask questions like the length of the press brake. Whether you’re bending little gauge sheet metal or heavy plates. Are single operators enough to support the sheets?

So, determine the approaches you would like to take. For this, keep questioning – How much job storage do I need? Should I add the components’ programmability? Do I need a full tool library? Do I need networking? Will I import DXF, AutoCAD, SolidWorks?

Answering these questions will assist you in determining the retrofit approach.

5. Implement Your Solution

If your press brake is working properly and still you want to increase your bending process’s productivity, you can go for one of three options.

• Leave the machine and limp it for as long as possible.
• Purchase a new multi-axis press brake. (You can choose Amada press brake for sale.)
• Retrofit the whole machine or some parts. (For spare parts, refer to prima spare parts.)

Lastly, you can take the help of an experienced supplier specializing in metal forming and fabrication machinery. 

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/5-steps-to-modernize-your-old-press-brake

All you Need to Know: COVID19 and Metal Fabricators

 The Covid19 pandemic disrupted lives, economies, businesses, and work structure. And the metal production industry is of no exception. However, if you work in the metalworking industry, you know how there’s a light at the end of the crisis tunnel.

Like many metal fabricators,  Laserfab, a Lebanon, Pa.-based job shop, faced a tough time initially. “When it all hit, everyone had questions. There was so much uncertainty as to how to proceed. And the guidance coming from the state government changed daily.” So, said Dain Zimmerman, business development manager, who added, “Uncertainty sums it up, really.”

But then businesses began to stabilize by the end of April 2020 as their lasers were cutting parts for hospital beds. The business is also fabricating stainless steel parts for test tubes in medical labs.

That order was huge for us,” Zimmerman said. “We’re cutting the same day we’re receiving material.”

This goes out to show that while many businesses are being temporarily shut, metal fabrication operation is at the forefront providing supplies. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently deemed metal manufacturing part of the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce.

What does the essential critical workflow include?

• Workers necessary for the manufacturing of metals and products needed for supply chains associated with food and agriculture

• Workers necessary for the manufacturing and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary for mining production and distribution

• Workers needed to maintain the continuity of these manufacturing functions and associated supply chains

So, the manufacturing industry including metal fabricators is essential to maintain certain services majorly food and agriculture that Americans depend on during the pandemic. 

How is metal fabricator helping in feed and grain storage?

Even during extreme climate changes, a customized metal fabricator will help protect the bins and silos. 

A metal fabricator can apply the following techniques:

• Hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) to coat the metal in corrosion-resistant zinc

• Spot or metal arc welding to fuse silo or hopper parts together prior to galvanizing

• Additional fabrication detailing, such as adding metal fasteners that are compatible with the zinc coating

 Custom metal fabrications are helping not just in feed and grain but also in—

• Mining production and distribution

• Oil and gas

• Essential manufacturers who require custom-fabricated metal storage and infrastructure support

A key to adding precision and efficiency to this growing demand for metal fabricators is laser technology. Laser metal cutters are popular for the precision they provide. If you make the cut with lasers, the result will be smooth and clean. It will also save time and reduce costs by eliminating waste and reducing manpower. 

Laser cutters are also efficient in cutting a variety of materials like stainless steel, mild steel, plastic, leather, or titanium that have different thickness.

Lasers can cut, join, and subtract material. You can also add materials with the help of laser metal deposition or 3D printing. You can make the changes in power levels, pulse frequencies, and energy densities via beam diameter manipulation.

If you are looking for laser parts, go for popular brands like Amada laser parts or Prima Spare Parts that offer quality solutions.

The changes in technology, for instance, a C02 laser beam allows for constant laser beam length that will help you deliver a consistent cutting performance. Therefore, the result is clean, and precise cuts every time.

To get the best out of metal fabrication, you must utilize the most efficient methods for cutting. Avoid mistakes, waste materials, and complex programming. This will increase both time and expense. 

Final Remarks

In this crisis, metal fabricators are in a better place. High customer demand is preventing a major downturn in this space. Moreover, using efficient laser parts can add to the efficiency of your machines which will allow you to serve in the best possible way. You can buy  Amada laser parts or Prima Spare Parts to get the best possible results.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/2020/09/09/All-you-Need-to-Know-COVID19-and-Metal-Fabricators

Benefits of Using Laser Marking in Beverage Industry

Laser marking today takes over the majority of the market. They are popular in different industries.

The Food and Beverage industry is one of them, successfully leveraging its applications. In this article, we are going to disclose how the laser marking industry is useful in the food and beverage industry.

Basics: What is laser marking?

It is a process in which a laser beam interacts with the materials and changes its properties as specified. There are four popular forms of laser marking in the packaging industry i.e. annealing, foaming, coloration, and carbon migration.

Each of them has a specific use in the food and beverage industry. According to the research, laser marking might be the most sustainable technology for beverage packaging in the near future. Additionally, there are predictions that it will soon replace papers with wood fibers and paper pulp.

Additionally, thanks to new government of USA regulations regarding the labels on the food, laser marking has become an important part of the food industry today.

Here are 10 major benefits of the Laser Marking industry.

1. Brand Protection:

If you are looking to leave a mark in the market or in your industry then you need to protect your brand. It is wise to have a competitor or have some local brands trying to copy your style and sell your products. Laser marking helps you achieve these things with parts like Prima spare parts, Fanuc replacement parts. You can use them and etch on your packages leaving the unique identification marks.

This makes it easy for your customers to find your brand easily. Today there are millions of deliveries taking place every day. You will not prefer that your customers feel cheated right? So, with the help of the laser machines, you can rely on technologies like smart coding and convert coding to protect your brand and for hassle-free delivery.

2. Innovative Solutions:

Innovation is everywhere in the food and beverage industry. Beverage producers are working hard to make not only their drinks exciting and fresh but their packaging as well. Today with the innovation in the bottle designs there is also innovation in labeling these bottles as well. It is important to use the good quality of the laser marking with quality parts like Prima spare parts, Fanuc replacement parts for labeling your products and make them stand out.

3. Reliability in Mass Manufacturing:

When the operation scales up to a large extent you need to ensure that your product labels are accurate and reliable. Traditional labeling methods don’t adapt by giving you the quality and assurance you need. Many large organizations are using laser marking to get rid of reliability issues. You need all your processes to move smoothly and cannot afford to slow down your supply.

Thus, when working with mass manufacturing laser marking can do a phenomenal job.

4. Laser Coding for permanent markings:

Many times, you might have faced a situation where your customers return you the products because of labeling issues either on your cans or bottles.

In such situations, laser marking can come to your rescue.

If you place things using laser marking on the beverage containers you don’t have to worry about whether it will stick or not. Laser coding is a permanent solution. You can use it for printing machines on glass, bottles, cardboard, and many more places. In short laser marking is versatile and can perform various operations with laser parts like Prima spare parts, Fanuc replacement parts.

5. Easy to Maintain:

One of the major advantages of using laser machines for your beverage labeling is the ease it provides to use and maintain. These machines don’t have maintenance costs and if anything breaks down then the warranty of the machine covers it. In fact, laser machines are more affordable compared to any other. There are multiple benefits of having laser marking machines in different industries depending on their usage.

Conclusion:

Laser marking today is a big hit in the packaging industry and is here to stay. They are widely useful for its advantages and benefits it brings along. With the passage of time passing people have started realizing the importance of using them in their day to day business and grow their customer base and business as well.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/2020/06/20/Benefits-of-Using-Laser-Marking-in-Beverage-Industry

Rebirth of Vinyl Records

Vinyl records have been in the market for years. It was a major source of music for the people of 20th century.

And after that, they were almost gone. However, with the advancement in the laser industry, laser engraving has been a versatile solution for many industries.

This article talks about the recent re-emergence of vinyl records because of laser engraving technology.

A little throwback to the history

Developed in the mid-1800s, Vinyl records were among the most dominant source of music till the 20th century. In 1990s the small size cassettes and CDs replaced these vinyl records.

The introduction of technology in the entertainment industry made people adopt new emerging things. However, these instruments were able to maintain their worth. With a large number of people still using vinyls to record their music.

With the introduction of engraving technology, these recorders have started coming back in trend. 

Numerous artists have started recording music in this format. In fact, according to current reports, vinyl sales are increasing year over year.

Additionally, Sony recently made an announcement that for the first time in 30 years they will be reopening the vinyl plant.

On the other hand, CNBC did a report on vinyl sales that stated that in 2016 total sale numbers for vinyl were 13 million. The highest number ever the company has had since 1991.

How this transformation became possible?

Laser Engraving in Vinyl Record:

In 2016 a company named Rebeat, located in Australia did a patent of the new method i.e. producing vinyl records using laser engraving. Later when they were able to increase their funding, they went on to reintroduce these records in the market.

Rebeat is calling these new records HD vinyl. And according to sources, these new records would have long playtime and better sound quality.

If you are looking to upgrade your laser machines with new parts you can look online for Bystronic spare parts or Prima spare parts for quality results.

Working:

The digital audio data from the device converts into an accurate image and represents it in a 3D inverted surface model for music. Further, it goes for mastering and size evaluation to prevent any unneeded gaps during printing.

It creates 3D images on ceramic plates. Whereas in traditional vinyl pressing, nickel stampers are useful instead of ceramics. 

But, they wear out faster compared to other ceramics and produce records that decrease the quality as stamping plates lose details.

In fact, Rebeat claimed that with the help of laser engraving along with ceramic plates, up to 10,000 records production is possible without any loss in quality.

Additionally, they even said that by replacing vinyl pressing with laser engraving they were able to reduce the manufacturing time by 60%.

Pro tip: All HD vinyl produced by Rebeat will be backwards compatible and will be playable on any standard turntable.

Oreo Records and Laser Engraving:

Another big news is from Oreo cookie company. According to reports from Digital Music News, oreo recently partnered with the company called Dimension Plus to create Oreos capable of playing on the special turntable.

The company engraves the grooves on the iconic cookies which in turn produces Oreo’s theme song in different music styles like Jazz, classical, electronic and Chinese pop music.

To upgrade your laser machines with new parts you can look online for Bystronic spare parts or Prima spare parts for quality results.

A few of the major reasons that define the longevity of the records:

1. Young collectors are having interests in collecting these records as it gives them a retro feel.
2. The interest of baby boomers who grew up using them.
3. The audio quality of vinyl records renders the best results. Because they are the closest to the original format.
4. Additionally, engraved Vinyl records can be an art piece or autographs from their favorite artists.

Final Words:

Sometimes it may seem that technology is overpowering the world of music. However, Vinyl records and laser engraving can be the best example to overrule this type of statement. The collaboration between laser engraving and vinyl records is thriving in the industry and creates the need as it gives them the freedom of reliving those good old days again with a touch of technology.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/2020/03/03/Rebirth-of-Vinyl-Records

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.

Glass vs. Metal CO2 Laser Tubes: Which one to Choose?

When looking to buy a CO2 laser machine, it is important to consider a number of primary attributes. One of the primary attributes that bifurcate the type of laser tube which machine uses is its laser source.  There are major two options including water-cooled glass tubes and air-cooled metal tubes. Let’s look at the differences between glass and metal laser tubes. 

Metal Laser Tubes

Metal laser tubes use radio frequency to fire a fast pulsing laser with quick repeatability. Most of the metal tubes use air cooling system excluding higher wattages. They perform the engraving process with ultra-fine detail as they have a smaller laser spot size. They have a longer life span of 10-12 years, given they have premium parts like bystronic parts or prima spare parts, before the need for the refurbishing of gas arises. Its turnaround time in some cases can be quite long.

Glass Laser Tubes

Glass laser tubes come at a lower cost. They produce laser with the direct current. It produces good-quality beams which work well for laser cutting. However, here are some of its drawbacks.

There are some safety issues as it operates with a water-cooling system. The DC power supply excite the CO2 gas in a glass laser tube. It needs high voltages for the operations. And combining such levels of voltage with a water-cooling system, it might create some safety hazards.

Glass tubes need water-cooled temperatures as it is a poor thermal conductor. Hence, in order to remove the heat from the system, it is important to keep water circulating. If there is no water-cooling system in place, a glass laser tube would overheat and become inoperable. It might increase your production cost. It also introduces other points which can come as your maintenance cost.

The DC process limits the rate at which the laser tube can work. While the laser engraving process is running in progress, it doesn’t fire in one continuous burst. Rather, it “pulses” while moving and working across the material. When DC-excited laser tubes work on the piece, they tend to pulsate less. It significantly reduces engraving speeds and lowers quality.

Plus, there will be concerns over the lifetime of DC-excited glass tubes if they don’t have premium parts like bystronic parts or prima spare parts. Glass is naturally a fragile element. After a period of time, DC-excitation process can bombard a tube’s optics and electrodes with ions. It increases the chance of deterioration over time. Most of them come with a 6-month warranty. At the time of system failures, you will have to purchase a brand-new laser tube, which will increase your costs and waste. 

Here’s the one-on-one comparison between two:

Cost: DC laser tubes are cheaper than metal tubes. This cost difference is a result of lower technology and manufacturing cost.

Cutting Performance: To be realistic, both laser tubes are appropriate at their place. However, because the RF lasers work on a pulse base, these materials show a slightly rough edge. With that difference, the quality of the final results is hardly noticeable to most of the users. 

Performance: Metal laser tubes generate a smaller spot size out of the output window of the laser. For high precision engraving, this smaller spot size would make a difference. There are various applications where this advantage would be clearly visible. 

Longevity: RF lasers last 4-5 times longer compared to DC lasers. Its longevity can help offset the initial higher cost of the RF laser. Due to its capacity of refilling, the process can be more expensive than the replacement cost of a new DC laser.

Comparing the overall results, both of these tubes are perfect at their own place. Understand their use cases, their making, their parts like bystronic parts, and choose which is more perfect for your business model.