Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England - Martin Cook, managing director, Cutting Technologies Ltd., is quoted in the current issue of the AILU e-Newsletter as follows: “We’ve recently installed a 4kw Fibre Laser at Cutting Technologies to replace an aging 4kW CO2 machine. The difference is dramatic; it’s roughly twice as quick up to about 8mm thick in ferrous metals and similar in speed at thickness above this. In non-ferrous, it’s really dramatic—there’s no comparison. It uses half the electricity and consumables appear minimal. So, the perfect machine then? No—like anything we buy, there are downsides and in this case it’s gas usage. It eats nitrogen and oxygen like it’s going out of fashion; it appears the nozzle has an opening the size of a football. So we’re saving all that money on electricity, but spending it on gas. We have a nitrogen generator (thank the gods of old), but it’s sucking that dry on a daily basis so we’ll have to upgrade it in the near future. Our oxygen tank is no longer big enough, so that has to be changed. Welcome to new technology!"
ILS asked Cook if he would like add to his printed comment. “The theme of the editorial was to get across there are always things/issues you don’t see when you buy new technology and it’s only when you start using it you know the true costs and capabilities. The fact we’re looking at installing a second fiber probably tells you how highly we regard it!”