Detailed Steps to Take Before You Buy a Laser Engraving Machine

Buying a Laser Engraving Machine can be a daunting task, especially if it is the first time you are doing so. Choosing the right laser engraving machine can act as an impetus for your business’ growth as the possibilities of what you can do with a laser machine are endless!

1 Do your Research: Research is the first and the foremost step that you should perform before you decide to buy a laser engraving machine and we cannot emphasize how important this first step is. Since laser engraving machines are applicable in various industries like personalized gifting, signage, medical equipment manufacturing, trophy designing and much more, there are plenty of options available in the market, each catering to different needs.

Hence, conducting an internal research to understand why you need a laser machine and then conducting an external research to recognize the features you require in your laser machine, is essential. For example, if you are looking to engrave barcodes on metals, you would be better off with a fibre galvo laser machine instead of a CO2 laser engraving machine as fibre galvo laser machines result in a permanent marking solution and are much more suited for high contrast markings on metals.

2 Devise a Budget: Allocate a budget for yourself and see what products meet your criteria. After understanding the kind of laser engraving machine you need, it is important to set price boundaries to ensure you do not get tempted by fancy lasers that do not match your need but only fulfil your wants. Visiting showrooms and talking to experts is always better than comparing and contrasting between various lasers online, as it helps you have a closer look at the machines and run some tests before you make your decision! Besides, the technicians or sales-persons may turn out to be extremely helpful as they might know and understand your needs better than you do, thanks to their experience. There have been numerous times when a customer has walked into our showrooms with their eyes set on a particular machine, only to realize there are better suited or even cheaper alternatives at their disposal. Hence, never hesitate to walk in and shoot us a hello!

3 Know what you are buying: When you buy a laser engraving machine, know that you are buying more than just a supporting product for your business. Laser Engraving Machines bear a lot of production responsibility in a company, the machine’s downtime could quickly imply your business’ downtime. Hence, ensure that you ask your laser engraving machine provider what comes with your purchase. Some important questions that we suggest you ask are:

-        Will a representative come down to install the machine at my house/office? Imagine buying an expensive laser machine only to realize that you are unable to switch it on, stressful, right?

-        Will I be given any training as to how to use the machine? Each machine is different and learning how to use your laser effectively from a specialist can save you a lot of self-analyzation time.

-         Will I get any warranty for my purchase? The last thing you want after making an important purchase is to realize that you have no right to seek help from your machine provider in times of need, do yourself a favor and buy a machine that your supplier can vouch for!

-        What is covered under the warranty? Knowing what falls under your warranty is essential as you would want to cover as many components as you can so observe and differentiate between various warranty clauses to see if crucial and expensive components like laser tubes are included.

-        What about support, maintenance? Laser engraving machines go through wear and tear much like other machines do, knowing the timeline of service visits that you get with your purchase might be an essential detail for you to note.

-        Cost of consumables: As customers we tend to overlook the cost of additional components and just consider the price of the main item that we are buying, this can be highly detrimental as these small amounts eventually add up and burn a big hole in our pockets, so do not forget to calculate the prices of the mirrors, lens, etc. from the beginning when buying a laser engraving machine.

-         Whom do I contact in case of any questions or queries? We all have some questions when we buy a new device, some minor, some major; and knowing how and where to get the answers to those questions can be reassuring. Especially in times like COVID, when you can not take your machine to the supplier’s shop or call the supplier to your site to have a look at your machine, these concerns begin to amplify. Hence, you might want to find out how your supplier aims to provide service in such difficult and restrictive times.

4 Sit back and wait for your delivery: After you are done performing the above steps, treat yourself with a cookie for having gone through a major decision-making process and wait by the door to be greeted by your machine! Maybe while you are at it, you could mentally think of the first test runs that you will be performing on your new machine.

We hope we have made the purchase of a laser engraving machine an easy task for you and our checklist helps you in choosing the perfect laser for your business! Kindly let us know in the comments below if you find this guide helpful or if there are any other steps that you think we have missed and share this article with your friends who are looking to start their process of buying a new laser engraving machine!