Although there are now a large number of suppliers of laser cutting machines there are primarily just two design principles of how to control the machine.
Some manufacturers prefer to use an on-board user interface with a buffer to which the user downloads a file via some kind of graphics or CAD package through a print driver. The user then selects the file to run via the laser cutting machine user interface. This type of control for a laser cutter has a limited level of functionality and will have a finite buffer file storage capacity, so there is a limit to the number/size of files that can be downloaded to it. Another downside of using this design is that the commonly used buttons, such as START for example, will wear-out at which point the whole panel needs changing, which for some machines can be an expensive part swap.
An alternative way to control the laser cutter is directly from a PC. This kind of control is more like the advanced CAD/CAM interface found on high-end CNC machines with the most functionality and virtually no limit to the size/complexity of the job file. However it can be more risky to control the laser cutter like this if during production the skill or experience of the user is limited or even, for example, for security reasons the operator is not allowed access to the PC. Controlling the laser cutting machine in this way can also be more time consuming, especially if the system is of a larger format and the PC is some distance away from the main laser cutting area.
Some laser cutting machines offer a combination of both of the above options so that the operator can select the method that is best suited to the skill of the operator and the application at hand.
Sometimes the operator can use the two methods for one job. For example, during initial set-up a skilled operator will use the enhanced CAD/CAM functionality of controlling the laser cutter from the PC but at the point where production starts and possibly another lower skilled worker is used for the labour, the operator can download the file to the laser cutting machine so that that all the operator has to do is to handle the materials and press the START button on the machine interface.
At Lotus Laser Systems we manufacture a wide range laser, marking and engraving solutions. All of our laser cutting machines incorporate both of the control methods described above. Our experts would be happy to advise you on this or any other aspect of how best to configure a laser cutter for your application.
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