What Are The Factors That Affect The Service Life of Laser Cutting Machines?

Many factors affect the service life of a laser cutting machine. A well-maintained and reasonably operated laser-cutting machine can last for tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of hours of operation. Wrong operation or non-maintenance of the machine will inevitably consume the service life of the machine and affect the after-sales cost of the laser cutting machine. The equipment of the same brand and the same model must have different service life under the operation of different customers. How long can the laser cutting machine be used? What are the factors that affect its service life? How to prolong the service life of a laser cutting machine? Please read this article carefully.

How long can the laser cutting machine be used?

Different laser cutting machines have a different service life. Generally speaking, the life of a laser cutting machine is calculated based on the working hours, usually in hours. A good quality laser cutter, if properly maintained, can last anywhere from thousands to tens of thousands of hours. And lower-quality devices may fail more quickly or degrade in performance. Laser cutting machines generally fall into three categories. Their function and lifespan are discussed below:

CO2 laser cutting machine

CO2 laser cutting machine is the most commonly used laser cutting machine because of its high efficiency and affordable price. The CO2 laser has a wavelength of 10.6 mm and the laser beam is generated in a laser resonator. The resonator contains a gas mixture mainly composed of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and helium. The resulting energy is strong enough to penetrate thicker materials and is suitable for cutting non-metallic materials such as glass, leather, plastic, foam, acrylic, wood, etc. The life of the CO2 laser cutting machine laser tube ranges from 3 months to 4 years. When the laser tube is excessively driven, it will accelerate its aging process and reduce the service life. Under normal use cases, the rated life of a 100W laser tube is 3000-3500 hours.

Fiber Laser Cutting Machine

The beam wavelength of the fiber laser generator is 1.064 mm, and high energy density allows them to smoothly cut thick and strong surfaces, such as copper, aluminum, steel, and other metals. The fiber laser generator can convert 25%-50% of energy into laser beams, which is low compared to the CO2 laser generator power loss and can be used for a long time.
The general lifespan of a fiber laser cutting machine is 100,000 hours. The service life of different fiber laser cutting machines will be affected by the mean time between failures (MTBF), a high MTBF is a good indicator of the long service life of a laser cutting machine.

YAG laser cutting machine

YAG laser cutting machine is stronger than the CO2 laser cutting machine. These cutters use nd: YVO (neodymium-doped yttrium orthovanadate) and nd: YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) to generate a powerful laser beam that emits at a wavelength of 1.064mm and can cut relatively thicker and stronger materials.
In contrast, due to the higher power of YAG lasers, their parts wear out faster. Usually, the service life of a YAG laser cutting machine is about 10,000 to 15,000 hours. After reaching the service life, the pump diode needs to be replaced to make the laser cutting machine work normally. They have a shorter lifespan compared to other laser cutters.

What are the factors that affect the service life?

Many factors affect the service life of laser cutting machines, and these factors cover various aspects such as laser generator quality, material quality, service conditions, maintenance, and cleaning. These factors are described in detail below.

Laser generator quality

The core component of the laser cutting machine is the laser generator. The quality of the laser generator directly affects the stability and service life of the entire machine. High-quality laser generator sources usually use better laser generator chips and undergo strict quality control. These laser generators generally have a longer life and are stable during use.

Machine Structure Design

The structural design of the laser cutting machine should be reasonable, and factors such as thermal expansion and mechanical deformation during operation should be considered. For example, the laser generator and optical components of a laser cutting machine generate a lot of heat during operation, requiring an efficient cooling system to stabilize the temperature. The stable structure can avoid the deformation caused by the cold and hot changes of the machine at this time, which helps to prolong the life of the machine.

Material Quality and Cutting Process

When cutting different materials, the requirements for laser cutting machines are also different. Some materials have high reflexivity and absorption, which may cause optical components to suffer greater losses, which directly affects the focus and output quality of laser. Therefore, the parameters of the cutting process need to be adjusted to maximize the life of the machine.

Conditions of use

Frequent high-intensity workloads will cause the various components of the laser cutting machine to be under greater pressure, thereby shortening the service life. Users should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, arrange the workload reasonably, and avoid overloading for a long time.

Use environment

Laser cutting machines have higher requirements on the use environment. Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and dust can affect a machine’s performance and lifespan. Higher temperatures and humidity can lead to damage and oxidation of electronic components, while excessive dust can clog optics and moving parts.

Cleaning and maintenance

Regular care and maintenance are essential to prolong the life of your laser-cutting machine. Maintenance work includes cleaning optics, checking electrical connections, lubricating drive trains, and more. Finding and solving potential problems in time can avoid the expansion of faults and greater damage. Guarantee the long-term stable operation of the machine.

Operational skills and training

The skill and experience of the operator are crucial to prolong the life of the laser-cutting machine. Operators should receive professional training to understand the correct use of the machine and maintenance skills to avoid machine damage caused by the wrong operation.

How to prolong the service life of a laser cutting machine?

While the laser cutting machine brings us economic benefits, there are also purchase costs and operating costs of the machine itself. Therefore, to avoid maintenance costs caused by machine damage, from regular maintenance to correct operation, we need to take some measures to extend the service life of the machine.

Correct operation

A laser cutting machine is a high-precision, high-efficiency industrial cutting equipment. Correct use of laser cutting has the advantages of improving production efficiency, reducing costs, and improving product quality. The correct operation of the laser cutting machine needs to do the following:

Reasonable use: Follow the manufacturer’s workload recommendations and avoid prolonged overloading. Reasonably arrange the production plan to avoid frequent switching on and off, thereby reducing the wear and tear of the machine.
Material selection and cutting parameters: According to the characteristics of different materials, adjust the cutting parameters to reduce the loss of optical components. For special materials, you can consider using auxiliary gas and special lenses to protect optical elements.
Accessories and consumables selection: Choose high-quality accessories and consumables to ensure a perfect match with the machine. Original parts are usually more reliable in quality and can ensure the stable operation of the machine.
Operator training: Ensure that the operator receives professional training to understand the correct use method and operation process of the machine. Correct operation can reduce misoperation and damage to the machine, and improve the stability and life of the machine.
Environmental control: Try to place the fiber laser cutting machine in a dry, temperature-stable, and clean environment. Avoid exposure to high humidity, high temperature, or dusty environment, these factors will adversely affect the performance and life of the machine.

Regular maintenance

Carry out regular maintenance and maintenance by the maintenance manual and recommendations provided by the manufacturer. Cleaning optics, checking electrical connections, lubricating moving parts, and more are all critical maintenance steps. Regular maintenance of laser cutting machines mainly has the following steps:

Regular inspection: The laser cutting machine is composed of several main parts: circuit system, transmission system, cooling system, light source system, and dust removal system. Regularly check the system to avoid system software crashes. It is also beneficial to prolong the service life of the equipment.
McLean in time: To prolong the service life of the laser cutting machine, the easiest thing to do is to clean it. The operator must clean the equipment and surroundings after each job. Any debris or waste around the machine is a safety hazard.
Timely maintenance: If you want to keep the machine running stably and for a long time, you must also carry out preventive maintenance on these machine systems, mainly including the cooling system (to ensure constant temperature effect), dust removal system (to ensure dust removal effect), light source system (to ensure beam quality), and transmission system (to ensure normal transmission). Preventive maintenance can prevent more serious problems with your machine. A laser cutter can last for years with the components working properly and the machine not overheating.

Summarize

To sum up, the service life of a laser cutting machine is affected by many factors, covering the design quality of the machine itself, operating environment, material selection, maintenance, etc. It is worth noting, however, that these figures are general estimates only, and the actual lifespan of a particular machine will also depend on its operating conditions, type of material being cut, maintenance, etc. Proper use and regular maintenance will help extend the life of your laser cutter and ensure peak performance over time. As technology improves, newer machines may also have a longer life expectancy than older models.
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