Simple changes can make the biggest difference in keeping your competitive edge. Shops that have already incorporated automation with their laser, know that maximizing “beam on” time reduces the cost per part.
Another opportunity for a shop with a laser and automation to maximize production would be to look at the material support slats. An alternative to metal slats is copper slats.
Copper slats have proven to last up to eight times longer than conventional steel slats and are available for the majority of the lasers in the market today. They do not accumulate the same slag build up and do not have slugs weld to them allowing the slug to fall through the slats into the scrap trays freely.
Slag breaks off of the copper slats more easily and copper slats have been estimated to last up to eight times longer than conventional steel slats.Yes, the copper slats will cost more, however they will minimize the simple yet required maintenance of cleaning and replacing slats dramatically, keeping your laser’s beam on and cutting, making your shop more productive.
There are some considerations to keep in mind when looking into to changing over to copper slats which include the following:
- Your industry type
- Types of material you cut
- Types of parts you are cutting
- Production volume for your laser
There are also hybrid style slats that use steel to fit into the slat trays and use copper to support the material and this hybrid design helps reduce the price of the copper slats themselves.
This simple change can get more production time out of your laser and keep the “beam on” and cutting!