Better Serving Counters are Possible Because of Our Better Laser Cutter

June 6, 2019

When you promise customers a product that delivers precision, quality and timeliness, it’s in your business’s best interest to follow through on those promises. As a manufacturer, it becomes much easier to produce a product with these characteristics when you have the right tools for the job. In our case, having our own laser cutting machine makes our job that much easier, but more importantly, it means our customers are receiving exactly what they were promised. And it just so happens that our cutter is better than most.

For those unfamiliar with manufacturing equipment, the term “laser cutter” usually means “a tool for cutting metal.” And while many manufacturers can say they use a laser cutter, not all laser cutters are created equal. When most talk about their laser machines, they are most likely referring to a fiber laser cutter or possibly an older CO² laser cutter. While these machines can get the job done, they don’t do it with the same ability as a direct-diode laser (DDL) cutter. This is why we made the major capital investment in the DDL cutter, which was purchased in November 2018, making it the first in the southeast. So, what’s the difference between a CO², Fiber and DDL and why does it matter? In short, the laser’s wavelength. The DDL uses a short wavelength laser that allows us to cut material far faster than we ever could before. Our machine also allows us to cut wider and longer material than we ever could, which dramatically increases our efficiency. What’s more is that the nitrogen required to run the machine is generated right here on site. Where we once had to purchase nitrogen in bulk, now we can produce our own – resulting in greater cost savings.

What it comes down to, is that with the DDL cutter, we’re able to produce highly customized serving counters with extreme precision in a quicker time frame. We can work on pieces of metal that are three times longer than what we could work on with our previous fiber laser. Large round counters might have once meant cutting several sheets of steel to create the single shape. In some cases we can now use one piece of, giving the customer a better product that comes with savings on labor costs.

The more precise cuts on material also means less work in the field at the time of installation. This allows our installation crews to get in and out as quickly as possible – helping our customers stick to their own timelines and not ours.

We’ve been making serving equipment for a long time. In the history of the company, our new laser cutter is easily one of the top-five things that have helped us change the way we do business. We think those who have worked with us would agree.

For more information on what sets the serving equipment that we manufacture apart from others, take a look at our four unique lines of serving counters.