THE MICROTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION PORTAL/THE SHOW
17.02.2022
A - Machines
Should I buy a laser machine or outsource my projects?
There are many options when it comes to laser micro processing, so it can be difficult to know which one is best. Although there are some pros and cons of each, we hope that by weighing up the possibilities in this article you'll find a way that works for you.
How does a laser machine work?
Laser beam machining uses thermal energy to remove material from metallic or nonmetallic surfaces. The energy focus on a focal point to heat the material who is melting and then vaporising. Nowadays, the best laser source can sublimate (from a solid to a gas state) the material, to avoid any heat impact. There are different types of laser machining and we are going to focus on the laser ablation process that allows you to engrave cut and drill any materials. Not to be mistaken with a CO2 laser machine that is mainly used to only cut fast and often thick foil.
Laser ablation is an industrial technique widely used in many sectors. With its proven effectiveness in removing thin layers from large surfaces. The pulses emitted by this type of laser are particularly fast in order to ensure each ablation with minimal thermal impact. The duration of a laser light pulse depends on the source that allows the amplification from nano to up to a few femtoseconds durations at a very high power intensity. The removing process is the fact to repeat the process at the same spot to remove more and more material.
What kind of laser machine do I need?
With so many laser machines on the market, it is difficult to know which one will fit our project. The most important criterion when selecting your laser machine is the application you want to use most often. Indeed, you can find plenty of different laser machines, from the cheap one costing few thousand euros, up to a million euro 5 axis machine. The type of laser machine you need will depend on the type of process you need:
Do you need to laser cut?
Do you need to laser engrave?
Do you need to laser engrave and cut the same piece?
How many pieces do you need to process every month?
What precision do you need?
What kind of material will you process?
These are only a few questions among others that will determine the laser machine you would need. In many cases not only one machine would be required.
Pros and cons of buying a laser machine:
Having a laser machine can be beneficial to your business because you can do the work yourself instead of outsourcing and dealing with someone else's deadlines. However, in addition to the cost of the machine, you need to think about the external cost like the space and environment needed, the specific cleaning method after the process, or the specialist needed around the laser. Indeed, laser technology is in other world compare to conventional technology like milling and require different skills like physics and optical knowledge.
Here are the pros of buying a laser machine :
Independence, you use your machine whenever you want.
No logistics and deadlines to deal with a supplier.
Cost, when you have an easy application in volume and you can run the laser 24/7.
Here are the cons of buying a laser machine :
Cost, the machine, maintenance, and the laser specialist behind the machine
Limited capability, often you would need a different laser to achieve your needs
Development time, launching a laser project can take weeks before you get what you want.
Pros and cons of outsourcing to a laser specialist:
Many companies are starting to outsource projects due to the high cost of buying a laser machine and lack of expertise. For example, as laser able to work within ±10µm with a good ablation quality, think that the investment needed will certainly be over a few hundred thousand Euro. And this is when you don't need two different types of laser to realize your application. That's why outsourcing your project to a laser specialist can save you a lot of worries. First, they work every day with laser projects and have the experience to launch your application fast. But also because they can run many lasers to cover your needs and scale with you. Why add a full new department to your factory when your core business is elsewhere?
Here are the pros of outsourcing to a laser specialist :
Cost, no investment needed, get a free quote for all your laser projects and plan your budget
Expertise always gets the best specialist in the laser dedicated to your laser production.
Scale your production fast; laser suppliers have many machines and can run in parallel.
Faster development, a full team of laser experts think about your application.
Here are the cons of outsourcing to a laser specialist :
Cost, it will be more expensive if you think you can fulfill a laser machine with the same project for many years.
Delivery time, excepts if you give them a production planning in advance to respect.
Logistic, your parts will travel outside your company.
Conclusion
Outsourcing the production of a laser application is an excellent opportunity to expand your production without any hidden costs. You will get, in addition, high quality product in a short time. The choice for outsourcing must be taken according to your production planning, difficulties of your project, and internal capacity. For an easy project like a product identification marking, laser machines are not expensive and can do decent work. When you want to get a quality product for a high-tech application, before thinking about investing in a laser machine, you should think about consulting with a laser specialist supplier.