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WHY USE LASERS FORMANUFACTURING?

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Why Use Lasers For Manufacturing?
Lasers are a unique manufacturing tool, offering advantages that other processes simply cannot match. Industrial CO2
lasers have been used in a huge variety of applications for the past 30 years, but the mystery remains: what benefits does
this equipment offer? What limitations will I be faced with? And most importantly: how do I know if laser processing is theright choice for my needs?

What benefit does laser equipment offer?
Over the last decade, laser marking and coding has expanded into all industries looking to make similar features not only
because of their performance, but also for its added benefit. Key advantages include:.
•Unique Processes: because of the physics governing laser/material interactions, lasers can offer unique effects andapplications. This includes innovative new part designs that integrate fine features other equipment cannot provide
or entirely new processes like additive manufacturing. Because laser processing is non-contact, lasers can also workwith extremely delicate materials or materials that need to remain sterile.

•Multiple Processes: a single laser is capable of performing multiple application processes on a material, including:cutting, marking, drilling, engraving, scoring, perforating, and more through a combination of laser settings andbeam delivery. The option to have a single piece of equipment perform multiple steps in a manufacturing processprovides cost-savings and saves valuable floor space in manufacturing environments.

•Digital Processing: lasers and their beam delivery equipment are software-controlled, allowing designs to becreated or updated on-the-fly. This makes changeovers quick and painless, and even allows each manufactured partto be entirely unique if desired.

•Highly Reliable: CO2 lasers are designed to be rugged industrial pieces of equipment, many run 5+ years without
requiring service. This reliability and the lack of consumables or replacement mechanical parts means downtimes
will kept to a minimum.

•Late-Stage Alterations: lasers can be combined with other equipment to provide customization late in the
manufacturing process, providing greater efficiency and costsavings. For example, many automotive manufacturers
produce bumpers that fit on multiple car models. Lasers are used to cut holes for mounting sensors in the massproduced bumpers, allowing them to be unique to each car model.

•Fast Learning Curve: the digital nature of laser processing allows a fast learning curve: laser settings and design files
can be saved as a baseline for future projects or materials. Application Engineers are also available to test new materials
and provide process settings. For initial installation of laser equipment, laser systems (combined laser and scanhead assemblies) can be used to minimize integration design work and allow users to be operating within minutes.

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Why Use Lasers For Manufacturing?

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Reduced Operating Costs: the above benefits combine to provide cost-savings over the laser’s lifetime. Especially
key are the digital nature of the process, the ability to accomplish multiple processes with a single piece of equipment,
and minimized downtime associated with change-overs and repairs. This allows cost-effective manufacturing,
including: prototyping, short runs, and even unique individual parts.

•Added Flexibility and Improved Efficiency: CO2 lasers are proven performers for a wide variety of industrial
applications, replacing legacy technology with digital precision and control. Users of CO2 laser processing systems
stay ahead of their competition by offering their customers more flexibility with greater efficiency to keep pace withever-changing market trends.

What tradeoffs are there?
•Safety: like any piece of industrial manufacturing equipment, proper care is required for safe operation. This caninclude: emergency stop circuitry, electrical interlocks, safety enclosure around the processing area, fume extraction,and proper signage. With the proper training and safety measures, lasers are no more of a safety risk than traditional
mechanical equipment.

•Laser Wavelength: materials absorb different laser wavelengths to varying degrees. By pairing the target material
with a laser wavelength that it absorbs efficiently, the process result will have higher quality and better throughput.
Work with an Applications Engineer to determine the correct wavelength for your processing needs.

•Laser Power: the average power and peak power of a laser can impact process speed, the thickness of material thatcan be processed, and resulting edge quality. Typically lasers with higher average power can process materials more
quickly. Again it is best to work with an Applications Engineer to ensure your process requirements are met.

•Beam Delivery: there are a variety of ways to deliver the laser beam to the target material, including galvanometerscan heads, XY-gantries, and fixed-focus setups. The choice of beam delivery can impact processing speed, size of theprocessing area, and the achievable level of detail or quality.
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Why Use Lasers For Manufacturing?

•Auxiliary Equipment: all lasers require a few pieces of additional equipment for proper operation, including: power
supplies, fume extraction, beam delivery, and cooling (this could be either water cooling, which would require achiller, or air cooling, requiring fans). Processes may also benefit from added options like gas-assist.

•Environment: care must be taken to protect optics on the laser and beam delivery system. This means that hot,high-humidity environments (which may cause condensation to form on optics) or dusty environments (causing
contamination on the optics) can lead to optics failure. Enclosing optic trains from dust ingress and preventing
condensation formation will ensure long lifetimes for optics and lasers alike.

What tradeoffs are there?
Lasers offer many benefits that other manufacturing methods cannot match. Laser processing should be considered if:•Your process either cannot be achieved by other manufacturing methods or those solutions are not as cost-effective
as laser processing. This could include late-stage alterations to standard parts, prototyping, short runs, and more.

•You require a high level of flexibility in your manufacturing, which could include multiple application processes(cutting, marking, scoring, etc.) for job-to-job flexibility or even producing unique individual parts.

•You require fast time from design to market.

•You are interested in migrating to a digital process or including Industry 4.0 in your manufacturing.

•Your customers are demanding higher levels of customization, no minimum order quantity, or faster turnaroundtimes on their jobs.

Still have questions? Our Application Engineers have answers. They are available for consultation on new projects ormaterials and can also provide free applications testing on your specific materials.

Novanta Benefits
Novanta is uniquely positioned to solve even the most complex challenges for OEMs, system integrators, and end-use
customers seeking to advance their manufacturing processes with high precision laser systems. With some of the mostwell-known brands in the industry and in-country application and service support, Novanta delivers reliable, precise,and durable components and sub-systems. For more information, visit our website. www.novantaphotonics.com.

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