Beams of Might
Laser diemaking stands ready to serve big and small shop needs.
by Susan Friedman
Many bigger die shops are upgrading; many smaller outfits are finding the investment more palatable. But where do the rosiest prospects—for buyer and seller—lie in laser diemaking systems?
"Laser system sales have been cyclical," says Tim Christopherson, regional sales manager, Laser Machining. "Heavy sales prior to 1984 filled existing need, and very few were sold in the next few years." From his perspective, 1992 was the next peak sales year, and volumes are likely to swing upward again in the near future.
Renewed sales volume could spring from any point on the die shop size spectrum. Thomas Marino, president of Elcede, says many commercial die shop customers are re-evaluating bringing equipment such as laser diemaking systems back in-house. At the same time, he notes, bigger die shops are in search of higher dieboard output to lower costs.
At Data Technology, where laser offerings include fixed beam/flatbed systems, hybrid "flying optics" systems for flat tables, and rotary systems for the corrugated market, V.P. of Sales/Marketing Steven Gore projects nearly even demand for each design in the coming year.
Data Technology plans to build 30 to 35 different types of systems, and expects to sell around 10 of each. When the company's hybrid system was introduced five years ago, Gore says it was initially expected to replace fixed-beam technology, but the market for the latter has remained strong. Other frequent purchases have included combination rotary and flat systems, upgrades to faster lasers, and rotary capability add-ons.
Because there is a healthy selection of laser systems available for budgets big and small, it's tough to assemble a hard and fast profile of the typical laser system purchaser. Higher wattages that ensure faster cutting speeds will push prices skyward, explains Christopherson, with larger 2200 watt, 90 ipm systems running $240,000 to $340,000. Diemakers interested in adopting laser on a lesser scale can opt for systems such as Laser Machining's Model 6200, a 500 watt, 20 ipm flatbed machine that burns dieboards up to 4´ x 4´ and costs about $175,000.
A company can typically swing an investment in the 6200 if it is cutting/ruling more than 10 boards a day, advises Christopherson, while the most common candidates for buying bigger models already own smaller laser systems.
For die shops still doing the math on a laser purchase, the numbers haven't changed much. "Prices have remained fairly stable over the past few years, and when you take inflation into account, the price of systems has effectively dropped," says Dave Forstrom, V.P. of operations at Lasercut.
Forstrom contends diemakers shouldn't view a move into laser as a $300,000 purchase, but more as a $12/hr to $15/hr extra employee that will pay for itself in five years.
Dissecting system differences
Diemakers may encounter a sense of deja-vu when comparing laser diemaking system specifications, but differences can be eked out with a bit of scrutiny.
"Virtually all die systems use the same basic lasers, and therefore deliver a laser beam that is essentially the same on any system," affirms Forstrom. "Operator requirements and overhead costs are also essentially the same."
On Forstrom's recommendation, key variables to consider are: processing time, including ease of set-up, kerf adjustment, and moving material on and off the system; ease of operation; rigidity and stability; quality of the servo motors; and kerf control flexibility. Forstrom also advises establishing in-house software support to solidify a software back-up system.
There may not be much variety among laser wattage categories, but there are an assortment of approaches to cutting accuracy and efficiency.
Data Technology's LaserBlade double-pass process, for instance, is said to save time and power and minimize pollution by using a narrow 1 point beam to make two cuts on either side of the area to be removed, allowing a small rectangular slice to drop out. Upcoming developments include KerfVision, a camera mounted behind the laser that follows the beam to check and adjust the quality of the cut.
Elcede, meanwhile, has applied much energy to furthering the adoption of Slab laser technology, a two-and-a-half-year-old innovation in which a sealed laser cavity replaces the discharge tubes, cavity mirrors, and external gas supply integral to conventional slow-flow and fast-flow lasers. The system uses an internal sealed gas bottle which lasts for one year.
Marino describes Slab as a low-maintenance, less-fussy alternative to older laser systems. With Slab, he believes nearly any user can get up to speed easily, whereas smooth operation of older systems might hinge upon one "office guru."
Varying options can also be found in system controllers. Gore contends that software-driven, PC-based controllers are more easily upgraded for less cost, than CNC-based, proprietary controllers.
Marino recommends eschewing a standard industrial controller in favor of a controller geared specifically to diemakers that can display die layouts and send and store large format files.
