In today’s landscape, manufacturers are facing a bittersweet reality. On one hand, demand is high. On the other hand, the worker shortage is throwing a wrench in many fabricators’ plans. How can fabricators keep up? Investing in advanced fiber lasers can help. High-powered laser cutting systems can be a game changer for metal fabrication shops looking to boost productivity and cut costs.

It’s amazing how quickly fiber laser technology has advanced. It’s not that long ago that the now standard 6kW was considered high powered. Today, we’re marveling at 15-20kW machines. That bump in power can mean big things for metal fabrication businesses.

High speed, high volume production capacity

For fiber lasers, the relationship between cut speed and power is almost linear. Your cut speed doubles when you go from 4kW to 8kW, and the higher the power the greater the multiplier in speed.  For example, when cutting 1/8” stainless steel a 4kW fiber laser can generate cut speeds of 355 IPM but a 12kW machine can do it 310% faster at 1100 IPM. That great speed means higher production capacity, and more cuts per hour.

Bump up Your Parts per Hour and Profits

Time is money in this industry. The more parts you can cut per hour, the further ahead you’ll be. You can take on more work and put more profits in your pocket. Higher cut speeds and more parts per hour mean less cost per piece and higher profits at the end of the day. Increasing your parts per hour translates directly into profits.

Strong ROI For Your Investment

While the initial investment for an advanced Fiber Laser machine can be high, the potential for productivity can be even higher. Since Fiber Lasers are renowned for low operating and maintenance costs, you could experience some serious upsides with a high-power system – depending on your volume and applications, of course. Typically, when you invest in a higher power laser system, the increase in operating costs is marginal compared to the increase in productivity.

Consolidate Your Operations

Another plus for advanced lasers is the operating and shop consolidation potential. With such high power and incredible speeds, one high power laser cutting machine can do the work of multiple lower power systems. When investing in a 15kW machine, you could replace three to five 2kW machines.

Save on Labour

With the consolidation of equipment also comes savings on labour. Reducing machine tools means fewer operators needed. Depending on how many shifts you run, that could mean you could slash labour costs significantly. If you need help keeping up with heightened demand, or are simply looking for ways to improve the efficiency of your shop – it might be time to consider upgrading to a high-power Fiber Laser.