Am I the only one who thinks laser engravers get too much hype in this trade?

Went to a fabrication shop in Austin last Tuesday and watched a guy spend 20 minutes setting up a laser engraver to mark some aluminum tags. I could have stamped those with a hand press in 30 seconds and been done. Lasers are cool for art projects but for real production work I don't see the big deal. Has anyone else found them to be more trouble than they are worth?

2 comments

2 Comments

maxpalmer28d ago

Nah I gotta disagree hard on this one. Setup time is a one time thing, try running a batch of 200 custom parts with variable text or serial numbers on a hand press. Lasers kill it for traceability jobs where every piece needs a unique mark, and you don't have to worry about worn out dies or inconsistent depth. The repeatability alone saves way more time in the long run than stamping ever could.

clark.joel28d ago

20 minutes setting up" just to tag some aluminum? That's about how long it takes me to find my reading glasses some mornings.