Investing in Laser Cutter for your Business: What are the Benefits?
Last Updated - December 2024
If you own a small business, you've likely heard about the growing popularity of CO2 laser technology. Renowned for their precision and versatility, CO2 lasers are becoming a game-changer across various industries. In this blog post, we'll dive into why small businesses are embracing this technology, debunk some common myths about laser cutting, and highlight how CO2 lasers can give your business a competitive edge. Ready to discover the benefits? Let's get started!
Why Are CO2 Lasers So Popular with Small Businesses?
Here are a few more reasons why CO2 lasers have become such a valuable asset for many small businesses:
They allow businesses to elevate their marketing strategies.
Laser machines are a cleaner, eco-conscious choice for manufacturing
Read on to explore all of these benefits in more depth below.
They Provide a Range of Processing Techniques
CO2 lasers provide a wide range of processing techniques that make them incredibly versatile and beneficial for various applications. Here's a closer look at the different processing techniques that CO2 lasers can offer:
Cutting: CO2 lasers can cut through a variety of materials like wood, acrylic, cardboard, and fabric with incredible precision. The laser beam melts or vaporises the material along the cutting path, leaving behind clean, smooth edges.
Engraving: CO2 lasers are particularly well-suited for engraving intricate and detailed designs, text, and logos onto materials such as wood, glass, leather, and stone. Whether you're looking to create personalised products, signage, or decorative items, a laser engraver is an invaluable tool for adding a personal touch to your products.
Engraving with Rotary Attachment: CO2 lasers often come with the added option of a rotary attachment that allows you to engrave cylindrical objects, such as bottles and glassware. This opens up new possibilities for creating personalised gifts and promotional items, such as branded water bottles for small businesses.
All in all, laser machines are incredibly powerful tools. You'll quickly wonder how you ever managed without them! Their versatility and ability to laser cut and engrave a wide range of materials make them an invaluable asset to any business.
Boost Your Marketing Efforts and Add Value to Your Products
The first half of 2024 has set a record for business incorporations in the UK, with 468,000 new firms starting up. Competition is more fierce than ever. It's about standing out from the crowd, and personalisation is the way forward!
CO2 lasers provide small businesses with endless possibilities and unmatched flexibility. You can engrave a wide range of materials, from glass and stone to leather and cardboard. Additionally, they are capable of cutting various materials, including paper, plastic, wood, and foam.
Below, we've listed a few ideas on how you can utilise your CO2 lasers to promote your business and add that personal touch to your products.
Marketing your Business
Create captivating time-lapse videos for your social media platforms showing the process of laser engraving or cutting, which can grab attention and increase engagement.
Take advantage of key holidays to boost your brand by creating exclusive product ranges or offering special promotions. For example, launch a limited-edition collection for Christmas or entice customers with a complimentary engraving service in the run-up to Mother's/Father's Day.
Customise and create branded promotional items for local events, fairs, or festivals. For example, engrave water bottles with your business's logo or create custom signage to highlight an exclusive promotion.
To enhance your influencer outreach campaign, consider personalising products with the influencer's name or branding. This thoughtful touch not only increases the likelihood of your products being featured but also strengthens the connection between your brand and the influencer's audience.
Add Value to Your Product
You could engrave your logo directly onto your products in-house, whether it's a one-off or creating a jig to provide you with the ability to engrave multiple items as you go about your day running your business.
When a customer buys your product online, why not give them the option to engrave a message onto their product at checkout for an additional fee?
Use your CO2 laser to create custom packaging for your products, including engraved wooden jewellery boxes, laser-cut gift boxes, or branded wooden crates for gift sets. Personalised packaging can be a great way to add value and differentiate your brand.
Streamline Your Production for Consistent, High-Quality Results
Laser machines typically use software like LightBurn or RDWorks to convert your designs into a format the laser system can interpret and execute. This powerful capability not only allows for precise control over your designs but also enables you to streamline your production process. By fine-tuning the laser's power settings, engraving speeds, and other parameters, you can achieve optimal results specific to your materials and products. Once these settings are calibrated, they can be saved and used consistently across multiple runs, ensuring uniformity and efficiency in your production. This consistency minimises errors, reduces waste, and enhances overall productivity, allowing your business to scale while maintaining a high standard of quality in each finished piece.
CO2 Lasers are Super Easy to Use
When investing in any type of machinery for your business, it's essential to have peace of mind, knowing that you're not relying on just one person to operate it. Fortunately, CO2 laser engravers are designed to be incredibly user-friendly, making them accessible to everyone, whether you or your team members are experienced professionals or complete novices to the world of CO2 laser technology.
Safety Features that Provide Peace of Mind
CO2 lasers are popular with small businesses, not only because of their versatility and precision but also because of their safety features, which are crucial for maintaining a safe work environment.
When you purchase a laser machine from a UK supplier, you can be confident in its safety standards, as these machines are legally classified according to their safety levels, ranging from Class 1 to Class 4. Class 1 lasers are the safest option, making them ideal for businesses that prioritise safety. These machines are equipped with essential safety features, including independent safety sensors on all doors, a laser tube protection circuit, automatic shut-off of the machine's axis and laser power when the lid is opened during operation, and secure key locks for hatch openings, ensuring both operator and bystander safety.
Laser Machines Are More Affordable Than Ever
CO2 lasers offer numerous advantages over other types of cutting and engraving machinery, and one of the most surprising benefits is their affordability. Over the past few decades, the cost of laser machines has significantly decreased, thanks to advancements in laser technology and the mass production of key components. These improvements have made CO2 laser technology more accessible than ever before.
For small businesses, this reduction in cost is incredibly beneficial. With a relatively low upfront investment, small business owners can now acquire a high-quality, reliable CO2 laser system that enhances their production capabilities without stretching their budget. This affordability makes it easier for businesses to scale, offering a competitive edge in industries such as manufacturing, engraving, and custom product creation. By providing an effective tool for cutting, engraving, and marking a wide range of materials, CO2 lasers empower small businesses to diversify their product offerings, streamline operations, and boost overall profitability. The benefits go on and on.
CO2 Lasers are Eco Friendly
With natural disasters on the rise, the melting of polar ice caps, and growing awareness of climate change, businesses are more focused than ever on finding ways to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to environmental sustainability.
While not entirely "green," CO2 lasers are highly energy-efficient when compared to more wasteful or energy-hungry manufacturing processes.
Additionally, CO2 laser cutters can process a wide variety of materials, including wood, acrylic, paper, and even some metals. Many of these materials are recyclable, meaning businesses can create environmentally friendly products. However, it's important to note that some materials may emit fumes (such as certain plastics), so proper ventilation and filtration systems are necessary to maintain safe working conditions.
You can further improve your business's carbon footprint by implementing proper waste management and using sustainable materials such as recycled perspex or sourcing plywood manufactured from sustainable forests, for example.
Make the Smart Choice: Best Laser Cutters for Small Businesses!
At Focused Laser Systems, we are the UK's leading supplier of laser cutters for small businesses, with an emphasis on affordability and reliability. Our Class 1 laser cutters are built on decades of industry knowledge at their core, using only the highest quality components and come in a wide range of bed sizes and power levels. We're so confident in the reliability of our laser systems that we even provide an industry-leading 2-year warranty.
From desktop laser engravers to large laser cutting machines, our systems are ideally suited for businesses across a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, signage, retail, fashion, apparel, engineering, beverages, architecture, the list goes on and on.
Upon delivery of your new machine, you'll receive comprehensive CO2 laser training as standard, ensuring you and your team are fully set up and equipped with the knowledge and skills to operate your laser system from day one with confidence.
Additionally, our extensive aftercare services include lifetime technical support, laser machine repairs and a range of service packages, all designed to streamline your business's journey as it expands into the world of CO2 laser technology.
