How do you know if you need to upgrade your old laser marking machine to a higher power?

Should old fiber laser marking machines be upgraded to high-power models? Starting from the actual usage scenario, we look at three dimensions: processing efficiency, maintenance costs, and material adaptability. Combined with the advantages of high-power equipment, we help users scientifically evaluate upgrade requirements, avoiding blind investment.

Why are we considering upgrading to high-power equipment?

Many users of older laser marking machines have discovered that although the equipment is still running, the efficiency is getting lower and lower, and the machine is breaking down more frequently.At this point it's necessary to ponder whether to continue to patch up and make do or to upgrade to a more powerful system. The key is to determine whether the current system is really slowing you down.For example, if the speed of the printer cannot keep up with the volume of orders, the results of printing on complicated patterns are poor, or the cost of maintenance is so high that it hurts, these are all signs that you should seriously consider upgrading.

A practical method for determining whether or not an upgrade is necessary.

First, we look at whether the processing efficiency is sufficient.

If you have to repeatedly adjust the parameters of your equipment to get a job right, or if your machine takes twice as long to complete a job as the new equipment, then it's obvious that your machine is no longer powerful enough to get the job done.Especially when dealing with rush orders, speed directly affects customer satisfaction.It can record the actual production of a week, and compared with the industry average, if the gap is more than 30 %, upgrading to high-power equipment is basically a good idea.

Check for compatibility of materials.

Old machines are not powerful enough to mark on hard materials such as metal and ceramics.Nowadays many orders require intricate carving or special materials, and at this point the power isn't sufficient to meet the demand.Try testing out a few samples of new materials. If the results are blurry, yellowed, or even impossible to read, it's a sign that your current equipment is no longer up to the job.

You have to calculate whether maintenance costs are within the budget.

The old machines had to have their lenses replaced and their optical paths adjusted every few days. The repairman was soon a regular fixture in the factory.In such a situation, the cost of the repair, the loss of production time, and the frequency of replacement parts can add up to more than the cost of a new machine.Although high-power equipment is more expensive to install, it is more stable and has a longer life, so it is actually less expensive in the long run.

Preparation work to be done before upgrading.

Don't rush to place orders for new equipment. First check whether the power supply to the factory is sufficient for high-power machines. Some old workshops will have to upgrade their electrical systems.It is also important to make sure that the supplier upgrades your cooling system and exhaust equipment at the same time, to avoid buying a machine only to find that it doesn't work in your environment.The best advice is to rent a machine of the same power and run it for a few days to see how it works.

What circumstances would allow them to wait a while longer?

If the current equipment only occasionally has problems and the processing requirements are not so high, upgrading may not be the best option.For example, if they are mainly doing plastic, wood, or other simple materials, and the volume of orders doesn't fluctuate much, they can continue to observe.But if the factory is already taking orders for high precision work, or is preparing to enter a new field, upgrading the equipment is a key step toward gaining a competitive edge in the market.