Now more than ever, brands and businesses of all sizes are actively seeking and investing in laser cutting machines in order to take care of their own engraving and marking requirements in-house. If you are in a business area where engraving or marking is the kind of thing that needs to be carried out as standard and on a fairly large-scale basis, it simply makes sense to consider investing in the technology to carry out the process without third-party involvement. Even when factoring in what can be rather high initial cost of investing in a top quality machine, the long-term benefits in terms of quality, cost-reductions and total independence are more than worth the initial outlay.
Of course it should come as no real surprise to learn that not every machine or indeed brand name behind each machine is built to the same standard or of the same calibre. Quite to the contrary in fact as while laser engraving technology has come a long way over the last 20 years, this doesn’t mean every manufacturer out there is developing machinery to a full 2015 standard. It’s therefore important to invest as much time, effort and thought as necessary in the process of finding and selecting the ideal machine for your business, in order to make sure you get the very most out of it in terms of both performance and value for money.
Here is a quick overview of some of the primary deciding factors to bear in mind before making any final purchase:
Manufacturer
As already touched upon, one of the most important things of all is that of ensuring you buy from a recognised manufacturer with a solid reputation. Just because the market isn’t what you would call flooded with options when it comes to buying this kind of very specific technology does not mean that there are no big differences from one brand to the next. It’s actually easier than it’s ever been for those wishing to do so to invest in a bunch of cheap and wholly unreliable parts and components from the Far East in order to throw together substandard machinery for the lowest possible price. Suffice to say this is not the kind of machinery you would like your business to operate around, therefore it’s important to take the manufacturer into consideration.
Recommendations
You personally may not know a great deal about laser engraving technology or the kind of machinery that does the job, but there are plenty of people out there who do. As such, it’s always wise to seek recommendations either from other businesses and buyers of any kind that have been using this kind of machinery in a real world setting. More often than not, it’s as easy as carrying out a quick web search or by following up any kind of affiliations or brand or business partnerships the manufacturer has. You’re basically looking for verification that what they do and how they do it ticks all the right boxes when put in practice.
Marking Needs
It’s also important to bear in mind that there is a very good reason why there are so many different types of laser marking machines on the market right now, as opposed to a single one-size-fits-all solution. Roughly translated, you need to ensure that you know exactly what it is you need prior to heading out and looking for it. The reason being that while some machines are absolutely incredible when it comes to marking wooden products, others are better suited to glass, metal and other materials. And then of course there’s the question of whether or not it is three dimensional engraving that your business needs or simple two dimensional marking. There’s a perfect machine out there for every need and requirement across the board, though you will only get your hands on this machine if you first know what it is you need.
Costs
Last up, try not to fall into the trap of assuming that the initial purchase price of the machine represents the be all and end all. The reason being that while there will often be machines that on the surface look to be considerably more expensive than others, there’s a very real chance that this additional expense will be augmented going forward by way of long term savings. As is the case with all machinery and technology, some laser engraving machines are built to last and require little to no maintenance of upkeep, while others represent something of a nonstop expense from day one. Try to factor in long-term expenses against the initial purchase price.