Buying Guide The Best Laser Cutting Machine

Are you looking forward to building DIY Laser Cutting machine kit plans with CO2 laser tubes or fiber laser generators for metal, wood, plywood, cardboard, die, board, chipboard, fabric, textile, leather, paper, acrylic, polymer, plastic, foam, rubber, ABS, EPDM, MDF, PE, PES, PUR, PVB, PVC, PUR, PMMA, PTFE? Are you coming up with an idea to buy the best budget laser cutting machine for home use, small business, hobbyists, commercial use, school education, or industrial manufacturing in the USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Australia, Russia, South Africa, China, India or other countries from Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Oceania? Review the 2022 affordable laser cutter buyer’s guide to CNC machinists, craftsmen, operators, and beginners.

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What Is A Laser Cutting Machine? – Definition

A laser cutting machine is a type of automatic laser system with a CNC controller, which adopts a CO2 or FIBER laser beam to cut metals (steel, copper, brass, aluminum, gold, silver, alloy, iron), acrylic, rubber, wood, plastic, leather, paper, foam, textile, fabric into 2D/3D shapes and profiles. Laser-cutting machines are designed for industrial manufacturing, commercial use, school education, small business, home business, small shop, home shop, hobbyists, and craftsmen. A laser cutter is an automated laser kit composed of a CNC controller, machine frame, laser generator, power supply, laser tube, laser head, lens, mirror, water chiller, stepper motor or a servo motor, gas cylinder, air compressor, gas storage tank, air cooling filer, dryer, dust extractor, CNC laser software, and computer numerical controlled system. A laser cutting machine is also known as a laser cutter, laser cutter machine, laser cutting system, laser cutting equipment, laser cutting table, laser cutting tool, laser profile cutting system, and laser profile cutting machine.

How Does A Laser Cutting Machine Work? – Working Principle

A laser beam is a type of light, and like other natural light, it is produced by the transition of atoms (molecules or ions). However, it is different from ordinary light in that the laser depends on spontaneous radiation only for a very short period of time. The subsequent process is completely determined by the excitation radiation, so it has a very pure color, almost no divergence direction, extremely high luminous intensity, and high coherence. Laser cutting is achieved by applying high-power density energy produced by a focused laser beam. With the CNC controller, the laser is discharged in a pulsed manner, and a controlled repetitive high-frequency pulsed laser is output to form a beam of a certain frequency and a certain pulse width. The light beam is transmitted and reflected through the optical path and focused by the focusing lens group. A tiny, high-energy-density light spot is formed on the surface of the part, the focal point is located near the surface to be cut, and the material melts or vaporizes at an instant high temperature. Each high-energy laser pulse instantly sputters a small hole in the surface of the object. With the control of the computer, the laser head and the material to be cut perform continuous relative movement and dotting according to the pre-drawn graphics, so as to cut the object into the desired shape. The technological parameters (cutting speed, laser power, gas pressure) and movement trajectory during slitting are controlled by the CNC system, and the slag at the slit is blown off by the auxiliary gas with a certain pressure. The laser beam emitted by the laser generator is focused by the optical path system into a laser beam of high power density. The beam is irradiated onto the surface of the part to bring the part to a melting point or boiling point, while the high-pressure gas coaxial with the beam blows away the molten or vaporized material. As the beam moves relative to the part, the material is slit finally, thereby achieving the purpose of cutting. Different laser powers can cut different projects with different thicknesses. Generally speaking, higher power for the thicker part. You should make the appropriate choice according to your requirements

What Are Laser Cutting Machines Used For? – Applications

Laser cutting is used in a wide range of applications including personalization (customization), digital printing, medical technology, fab labs, education, architectural models, smartphones and laptops, computers & electronics, toys, watches, arts & crafts, awards, trophies, rubber stamps, packaging design, die-cut, mold making, sign making, displays making, giveaways, electronics industry, automotive industry, signage, mechanical engineering, ball bearing, jewelry making, fashion & apparel fabrics, stencils, paper cards, car floor mats & liners, textile and garment industry, bar code serial numbers, watches, machining industry, data plates industry, packaging industry.

What Materials Can Be Cut With Laser Cutting machine?

Fiber laser cutting systems are able to cut a variety of metal materials (sheet metals, metal tubes, metal profiles, 3D curved metals, and irregular metals) of carbon steel, stainless steel, mild steel, tool steel, spring steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, copper, gold, silver, alloy, titanium, iron, brass, manganese, chromium, nickel, cobalt, lead, and more metals. CO2 laser cutting systems are able to cut a variety of thin metal and non-metal materials of wood, MDF, plywood, chipboard, acrylic, plastic, PMMA, leather, fabric, cardboard, paper, rubber, depron foam, wood leather, wood paper, EPM, gator foam, polyester (PES), polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PUR), neoprene, textile, bamboo, ivory, carbon fibers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl butyrate (PVB), polytetrafluoroethylenes (PTFE / Teflon), beryllium oxide, and any materials containing halogens (chlorine, fluorine, iodine, astatine, and bromine), phenolic or epoxy resins.

How Much Does A Laser Cutting Machine Cost? – Pricing Guide

If you’re looking to start your business with a used or new laser cutting to make money, you may wonder how much it cost. and what is the average cost in your area? The best budget laser cutter costs can range from about $2,600 to $300,000, excluding the price of shipping, tax rates, customs clearance, service, and technical support. Costs depend on the brand and type, and whether you want any extra features, including personalized design, custom table size, laser generator, power, rotary attachment, controller, software, parts, accessories, upgrades, setup, debugging, and other special features. Here are the average costs of different types of affordable laser-cutting machines. A fiber laser cutting machine costs from $8,800.00 to 260,000.00. A CO2 laser cutter cost is from $2,600.00 to 68,800.00. From entry-level to high-end or eco-friendly laser cutters, the costs vary depending on the type you choose

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Technical Parameters – Specification Guide

What Benefits You Can Get From Laser Cutting machine?

Laser cutting will replace traditional mechanical cutters with invisible laser beams. It has the advantages of high speed, and high quality, it is not limited to cutting pattern restrictions, saves materials by automatic typesetting, smooth cut edges, and low machining cost. Laser cutting processes will gradually improve or replace traditional cutting processes. The mechanical part of the laser head has no contact with the workpiece, and it will not scratch the surface of the part during operation. The cutting speed is fast, the slit is smooth and flat, and generally, no subsequent cutting is required. The heat-affected zone is small, the sheet deformation is small. The slit has no mechanical stress and no shear burr. It is high precision, has good repeatability, and does not damage the surface of the material with a smooth cut edge. It adopts CNC programming, which can process any plan, and cut the whole large format part without molding.

How Many Types Of Laser Cutting Machines? – Selection Guide

Laser cutting machines are identified into laser metal cutting machines (metal laser cutters), laser wood cutting machines (wood laser cutters, laser MDF cutters, laser plywood cutters), laser fabric cutting machines (laser fabric cutters), laser leather cutting machines (laser leather cutters), laser paper cutting machines (laser paper cutters), laser acrylic cutting machines (laser acrylic cutters), laser plastic cutting machines (laser plastic cutters), laser foam cutting machines (laser foam cutters), laser paper cutting machines (laser paper cutters) based on materials to be cut. Laser cutting equipment is classified into fiber laser machines and CO2 laser machines based on laser sources. Laser cutting systems are defined into handheld & portable, mini & small, tabletop & desktop laser cutting systems, large format laser cutting machines, 2×3 laser cutter tables, 2×4 laser cutter tables, 4×4 laser cutting tables, 4×8 laser cutting tables, 5×10 laser cutting table based on table sizes. Before buying, take some measurements of your workshop space to ensure that it will fit, and buy the right cutting table. Laser cutter kits are divided into flatbed laser cutters, laser tube cutters, home laser cutters, hobby laser cutters, laser die-cut machines (laser die cutters), laser profile cutting machines, and industrial laser cutting machines based on applications.

How To DIY A Laser Cutting machine? – Building Guide

As a DIYer, when you have an idea to build & make a laser cutter kit, you should first understand its structural composition. A complete laser cutting machine consists of core components such as a laser generator, cutting head, beam transmission components, cutting table, CNC controller, and cooling system.

Laser Generator

A laser generator is a component that generates a laser light source. For metal cutting, fiber laser generators are professional. For non-metal engraving and cutting, CO2 laser generators are the most suitable choice.

Laser Cutting Head

The head is mainly composed of a nozzle, a focusing lens, and a focusing tracking system

Nozzle

There are three common types of nozzles on the market: parallel, converging, and conical.

Focusing Lens

Focus on the energy of the laser beam and form a high-energy density spot. The medium and long focusing lens is suitable for thick plate cutting and has low requirements on the spacing stability of the tracking system. The short focusing lens is only suitable for thin plate cutting, which requires high spacing stability of the tracking system and greatly reduces the laser output power requirements.

Focus Tracking System

The focus tracking system is generally composed of a focus cutting head ana d a tracking sensor and system. The cutting head consists of light guide focusing, water cooling, air blowing, and mechanical adjustment parts. The sensor is composed of sensing the element and amplification control part. The tracking system is completely different according to the different sensing elements. Here, there are mainly two forms of tracking systems, one is the capacitive sensor tracking system, also known as the non-contact tracking system. The other is an inductive sensor tracking system, also known as a contact tracking system.

Laser Beam Delivery Components

The main component of the beam delivery assembly is the refractive mirror, which is used to direct the laser light in the desired direction. The reflector is usually protected by a protective cover, and a clean positive pressure protective gas is introduced to protect the lens from contamination.

Laser Cutting Table

The table is mainly composed of the bed frame and the driving part, which is used to realize the mechanical part of the X, Y, and Z axis movement.

CNC Controller

The CNC controller is used to control the movement of the machine to the X, Y, and Z axes, and can also control parameters such as power and speed during cutting.

Cooling System

The cooling system is a water chiller, which is used to cool the laser generator. For example, the electro-optical conversion rate of the laser is 33%, and about 67% of the electric energy is converted into heat energy. In order to ensure the normal operation of the equipment, the chiller needs to be cooled with water to reduce the temperature of the whole machine. After understanding these main parts of the machine, the rest is to assemble the kit and debug the software and hardware.

How To Use A Laser Cutting machine? – Basic Operation Guide For Beginners

Laser cutting is a non-contact subtractive manufacturing technology to cut materials in industrial manufacturing applications. The working principle is to guide the output of a high-power focused pro laser beam to melt the material so that the edge has a high-quality surface finish. The industrial-grade maintenance-free laser cutting system has outstanding technical advantages, ultra-low power consumption, reduced operating costs, and repeatable and accurate laser positioning performance, which sets a new benchmark for the cutting of complex patterns and establishes a new standard for process quality inspection. First, we should check all the connections of the machine (including the power supply, PC, and exhaust system) are correct and inserted correctly. Visually check the condition of the machine. Ensure that all mechanisms move freely, and check that there is no material under the processing table. Ensure that the work area and optical components are clean, and clean if necessary. For more information on this issue, please read the “General Maintenance” section of the operation manual. Check the exhaust system and start the cooling system if necessary. Check whether the filter and activated carbon of the exhaust system are installed in accordance with the instructions. After checking, close the protective cover. Next, press the main switch to turn on the main power of the machine. Turn the key switch on the control panel. This is machine-specific and not relevant to all lasers. If all the covers fixed with safety circuit breakers are closed, the system will start to quote after startup. After turning on the machine, the laser table will move all the way down while the pro laser head moves to the zero position (located in the upper left corner). When there is a sound and the LED light flashes slowly and steadily, the reference process has been completed correctly and the machine is ready to start operation.

Step 1. Place the raw material to be cut steadily on the table;

Step 2. According to the material and thickness of the raw material to be cut, adjust the system cutting parameters of the equipment correspondingly;

Step 3. Choose suitable nozzles and lenses, and inspect them to make sure their appearance and cleanliness are intact;

Step 4. Repeatedly debug the equipment and adjust the focus point of the cutting head to a suitable position;

Step 5. Check and adjust the nozzle of the equipment and adjust it to the center;

Step 6. Adjust and calibrate the sensor of the laser head;

Step 7. According to your own cutting needs, select a suitable gas, and check whether the jet is in good condition;

Step 8. Try cutting the raw material to be cut, and observe whether the section is smooth and the cutting accuracy is accurate. If there is a deviation, adjust the equipment parameters accordingly until the proofing meets the requirements;

Step 9. Draw and typeset the graphics to be cut, and import them into the cutting system;

Step 10. Adjust the position of the cutting head. After all, preparations are completed, you can start cutting;

Step 11. During the operation, the staff needs to be present at the scene to observe the cutting condition of the equipment, and if there is an emergency, they need to quickly press the brake button;

Step 12. When the equipment is stopped, always clean the guide rails, wipe the rack of the equipment, and often apply lubricating oil on the guide rails to ensure that there is no debris;

Step 13. The motor ring should be cleaned frequently to ensure the normal operation of the machine and accurate cutting, so as to ensure the cutting quality;

Step 14. The staff must use a vacuum cleaner to suck away the dust and debris from the machine every week to ensure the cleanliness of the equipment;

Step 15. To ensure the service life of the machine, it is necessary to check the straightness and verticality of its track every six months, and if any abnormality is found, it must be maintained and debugged in time.

How To Buy A Laser Cutting machine? – Buyer’s Guide

When you have the idea of buying a laser cutting machine, there are many things to consider. Let’s make a detailed purchase plan for you.

Laser Cutting Plan

First of all, you need to consider some factors such as the scale of your business, which materials you need to cut, and the thickness of the materials, and then confirm the laser power of the machine and the size of the workbench according to your own needs. Currently, the laser powers on the market range from 80 watts to 40,000 watts, and the size of the workbench can be customized according to the needs of customers.

Preliminary Selection of Manufacturers

If you confirm your needs, you can go to do research on it. Maybe you can learn from your peers with laser cutters, and understand the machine functions and basic parameters. Select a few powerful manufacturers with favorable prices to conduct preliminary exchanges and proofing, and then conduct on-site investigations in the later stage, and conduct more detailed discussions on prices, online and offline training, and after-sales services.

Laser Power

When choosing the function of the laser cutting machine, it is very important to consider the environment and the size of the laser power. If you often cut sheet metals, you can choose a low-power machine to meet your production needs. Materials with higher thickness need to consider high-power machines, which is beneficial for enterprises to control costs.

Core Parts

Some important parts should be paid special attention to when purchasing. Especially laser generator, laser cutting head, servo motor, guide rail, water chiller, and other accessories. These parts directly affect the cutting speed and accuracy of the machine.

Quality & Stability

Today’s products are being updated faster and faster. Due to the short product development cycle, there are more product diversity, sample trial production, and mass production. How to complete customer orders with quality and quantity, enhance corporate competition, and maintain corporate reputation is also every time. Therefore, the purchase of processing equipment with stable functions is the condition and foundation. Try to choose a brand with a high market share, a sound after-sales service system, a large number of after-sales service outlets, and a long-term shopping mall inspection. Greedy buying of low-quality products with low prices and no after-sales service will have a great negative impact on the processing of enterprises.

After-Sales

Service Each manufacturer’s after-sales service is different, and the warranty period is also intertwined. For machine and laser software, there must be a professional training system to help customers get started as soon as possible. No matter how well a machine is made, it will encounter various problems in the process of use. If customers encounter problems that cannot be solved, it is particularly important whether the manufacturer can provide solutions in a timely manner. This is also an important element to consider when purchasing a laser-cutting machine.

Purchase Process

Consult, quote, process evaluation, place an order, production, quality control, shipping, customs clearance, support, and service.