Buying a Laser Marker?

Want to buy a high-quality, low-power laser marking machine? Start with your actual needs, and share practical tips for buying low-power laser equipment. This includes comparing power consumption, understanding performance parameters and analyzing maintenance costs, so you can avoid purchasing pitfalls and easily find a high-performance, low-power marking machine.

First, get clear on what you really need.

Don't rush to look at the numbers. First ask yourself a few questions: How many hours a day will you be using it? What kind of materials will you be processing? How high a level of precision do you require? For example, if you're running a small workshop that will use the laser for three to five hours a day, then a regular fiber laser will do.

Don't be fooled by the "energy-saving" label.

Some machines are advertised as being energy-saving, but in fact consume a lot of electricity.Just look at the "rated power" on the label and calculate the daily electricity bill. For example, a 1000-watt machine that works for 10 hours a day costs NT $ 1000 more in electricity than an 800-watt machine.Remember to ask the seller if the appliance has an energy-saving mode, which is especially useful when running at low loads at night.

The three key indicators are:

Efficiency of light-to-electricity conversion.

This value determines how much electricity is converted into actual laser power.A conventional CO2 laser can achieve about 10 %, while a fiber laser can achieve 30 % or more.Every 5 % increase in the conversion rate saves enough electricity in a year to pay for two maintenance jobs.

Heat dissipation system design.

We've seen too many machines forced to shut down because of poor heat dissipation.When selecting a model, it is best to turn the machine on for half an hour and feel the temperature of the case; if it's too hot to touch, it's best to pass.

The standby power trap

Don't be fooled by standby power Some machines still consume more than 50 watts of electricity even after they are turned off. Choose a model with a physical power switch, and cut off the power completely when you don't need it.

Three things to do when you test the machine on site.

Bring along your own samples, and don't use the samples that the shop provides.First they run the printer non-stop for an hour to see if the speed drops off. Then they turn it off and back on again to see if the settings are lost. Finally, they touch the heat sink. If it is hot to the touch, that indicates there may be a problem with the design.

Don't overlook maintenance costs.

If spare parts are exorbitantly expensive, the cost of ownership is even greater.The key questions are: What is the laser life? (20,000 hours is the minimum.) What is the recommended lens replacement cycle? (More than half a year is best.) Do they have a local after-sales service outlet? (If the machine breaks down, a vendor that can send a technician within 48 hours gets extra points.

Be sure to ask about the cost of consumables in advance.

One brand of machine, for example, saves electricity, but its special lenses cost NT $ 2,000 each.They suggest that customers choose models with standard components, which can save a third of the cost of later maintenance.

You don't lose out by doing so.

Make a table of the parameters of the model you like best, and compare the "cost per thousand hours of use" (including electricity, consumables, and maintenance).The most important thing is to make sure that the machine is reliable.

Finally, don't just look at the laboratory data given by the manufacturers, but also ask for real user cases.It is best to go to the factory of the manufacturer in person to see how the machine actually performs on the production line. This is the most reliable way to purchase a machine.