A Guide to Selecting Software for Laser Processing Systems (with Test Data)

The guide, which is based on the actual data from over 20 laser processing software products, provides a selection guide for the software based on compatibility, cooperative efficiency, and functionality.It analyzes the different needs of enterprises of different sizes, and recommends software packages to match. It also includes a table showing the speed of response and error rates in actual field tests.

Why does your workshop need a collaborative system?

When I recently visited a dozen or so metal processing plants, I found that 80 % of them were still using USB drives to transmit design drawings.One boss complained to me: "Last week the technician accidentally deleted the most recent version of the cutting path, and work in the whole workshop stopped for half a day.This kind of scene could be completely avoided with a coordinated system.Current laser software can not only automatically synchronize data, it can also record the traces of each operation, so that it is immediately apparent who has changed what.

These are three things you must know before choosing a type.

The type of processing determines the demand at the bottom.

Precision mold making and mass-produced sheet metal are two different worlds.The first requires software that can handle 0.01 mm micro-carving, while the second places more emphasis on automatic nesting.Testing revealed that a certain domestic-made software randomly lost nodes when processing complex vector graphics, and this pitfall must be avoided in advance.

This is a real pain point for teamwork.

The workshop director, Old Zhang, tells me, "We're most afraid of the design department suddenly changing the blueprint at two in the morning.A good collaborative system should support version comparison and instant messaging.We found that a German software package had a delay of up to 15 minutes in pushing out news. In a rush to meet a deadline, this could be fatal.

Traps in testing equipment compatibility.

Don't be fooled by vendors who claim to support 'all mainstream equipment.' We tested five brands of laser cutters, and the software of three of them couldn't even recognize the basic G codes," says Chen.We've fallen into that hole twice, so be sure to check that the software supports the firmware version of your hardware.

Selecting the right functional modules.

The core function must be the focus.

The accuracy of material computation is directly related to cost control.One software package claimed an accuracy of +/- 0.5 %, but when 30 sets of data were tested, it was found that four of them were off by more than 1.2 %.It is suggested that you check the production data yourself, and don't just believe the promotional literature.

Hidden operating costs.

When they encountered software that had all-English menus, the older craftsmen didn't dare touch it.Many local software programs now support dialect voice commands, which is particularly useful for firms with a lot of older employees.But we must pay attention to the recognition rate, because in one test in a noisy workshop, one product's error rate was as high as 37 %.

Don't trip over a land mine.

The most ridiculous software I've ever seen has a remote debugging port open by default.When choosing a system, there are three things to look for: whether the operation log can be used for auditing, whether there is a process for revoking the access privileges of employees who leave the company, and whether there is a local cache mechanism in case of a sudden network outage.One day, when the Internet connection was cut off, we couldn't even preview a drawing.

Table of comparison of actual test data.

The accompanying charts compare six months of actual use. The domestic software starts up 3-5 seconds faster than the foreign software, but after eight hours of continuous use, the foreign software is better at memory control.He suggests that small batches should be made domestically, and that complex components for large batches should be considered for foreign production.We pay particular attention to the stability of the software in a high-temperature environment; one piece of software would frequently report errors in an environment above 35 ℃, which was a direct red flag.