The Rise of Laser Technology

We live in an ever-changing world where manufacturing is constantly impacted by the geopolitics of the moment. The current topic of conversation is the relocation of supply chains. Covid has highlighted the potential risks around reliance on complicated supply chains shipping goods all around the world. While current political sentiment and the changing trade relationships that go with it have made many companies review the cost and risk in their supply chains. Although this all sounds rather worrying, this presents an excellent opportunity to establish and grow more local supply chains.

How do you compete with low-cost economies? The main competitive edge low-cost economies have is the ability to produce products cheaply, mainly driven by lower wages when compared to more advanced economies. Automation offers a potential solution to help level the playing field in this area.

Some of the most successful manufacturing companies have been able to stay competitive whilst still maintaining large manufacturing facilities in some of the most labor expensive markets. Automotive is an excellent example of this. Investment in automating production has been key to making this happen. Datum have invested in coil to part lasers offering a lights out manufacturing solution, enabling competitive delivery and price on thin laser cut components.

In the rapidly growing industry of battery and power generation, the flexibility of the laser has had real added value against other technologies such as stamping. Some of the more interesting projects recently have been at the start of the product design phase where there are multiple design changes in quick succession while designs are tested and perfected ready for mass manufacture. Rapid turnaround and the ability to change designs without long lead times on delivery, tool modifications and the costs associated with it that are seen in competing technologies such as stamping, have been very advantageous to customers.
Coupling the advantages of laser manufacturing with automation allows the laser to compete against manufacturing techniques on higher volume applications, this along with companies re-evaluating supply chains, has led to some exciting opportunities.

Although stamping can be seen as the competition to thin laser cut parts, there are situations where the two technologies can work together as a product moves through the various stages of design and production. Initial design R&D moving through to batch production and low to medium volume ramp is where the coil to part laser has been most useful to customers, continuing to support projects into high volume production is where stamping can then show strengths.