Which Laser Cutting Machine To Buy ??? MAZAK / AMADA / TRUMPF

Hello,

I am based in Mumbai, India and planning to buy a laser cutting machine for a job shop. In our entry level market, most of our jobs are into below mentioned thickness.
[U][B]
MS - max 8 to 10 mm
SS - max 4 to 6 mm[/B][/U]

Sheet size will be 5 ft x 10 10 ft.

Considering above criteria, we have short-listed following 3 machine.

1. Mazak : STX 510 Champion 1.8 KW.
2. Amada : 3015 NT 2.5 KW
3. Trumpf : 1030 (this is a new model by Trumpf and its not made in germany but made in USA)

All 3 are co2 lasers. I am first time buyer of laser cutting machine and hence I need some advise from experineced users . As you can see above that the thickness mentioned for MS & SS is not so high. So, mostly its going to be a very light work

can someone give rating to above mentioned machines on a scale of 1 to 10 on a following criteria

1. basic machine cost,
2. operating cost.
3. Productivity.
4. machine performance, accuracy , quality, finishing etc.
5. ease of maintenance
6. maintenance cost

1 indicating poorest performance & lowest rating and 10 indicating best performance & highest rating.

Besides giving rating, one can also comment on each criteria or any specify point if you think that is important and help in selection process.

Quick reply will be highly appreciated.

Hello vmmehta,

I am very familiar with Mazak machine's (from 1987) and have been operating a Amada LC2415A and a LC3015B for some years.
About Trumpf a cannot tell a lot, everybody is bragging about how good they are, I did some service on a L3030 and I wasn't impressed by it.

To advice anyone buying a laser one should know more.
-What accuracy is needed?
-What's the quota needed to be cut per year?
-Is it essential to cut multiple jobs unmanned?
-Do you need a new machine or a young occasion will do?
-What's the floorspace available for the machine?
-What kind of floor do you have?

All in all I would advice you to get in touch with a local consultant who has the knowledge you need.

Having said all this I would still go for MAZAK!

Cheers and good luck with the choice on hand!

LaserCase

I would first find out if there is service in your area and parts availability. I like the amadas and trumph. We don't have a mazak laser, but we do have mazak cncs. The service from them is pretty bad IMO.

I would say Trumpf, however, I also agree that you need to see what machine has the best service in your area.

Independent CNC Programmer
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My mission is to share CNC programming innovations for a lifetime.

I would look at a Mitsubishi lvp with a 2000 watt resonator

AMADA is the best in laser cutting, we have three types of machines and works best cutting machine AMADA

It's been a while since I've looked at new lasers. We bought a 5040 in 2005 and have had pretty good luck with it. When we looked at lasers in 2005, it seemed that the other brands were pretty underpowered. Ask your salesman for cut speeds for the different materials you want to cut; that should tell the story. A few dollars more for more power us usually money well spent.

I currently operate the Trumpf TruCoax 1030 and i have to say it is a good machine.

Operation is very simple, almost too simple, and it is very easy to maintain. With a well trained operator a beautiful cut can be obtained on the thicknesses of MS and SS you specified and is very repeatable. The Trumpf operating system is very user friendly

There is no need for any sort of G code training as it lacks any sort of NC code input, which can sometimes be annoying but illustrates the simplicity of the machine.

The height sensing system is very accurate, the machine is great at following materials as it warps preventing loss of cut events

Maintenance is very simple, many of the processes are automated or explicitly outlined in the user interface.

The machine however lacks a dual pallet system present on many lasers and productivity (loading raw material and unloading cut pieces) can be somewhat slow (compared to other machines) as the machine cannot run while loading or unloading

The resonator is not a free flow chamber, gas is static and only needs to be swapped every three days, saving money on CO2 laser gas. Mirror do not have to be replaced, i was actually shocked to hear that, which also saves money. Lenses have a long lifetime.

If machine cost is an issue for you, it may be better to look into a Cincinnatti CL-7a. Though it is a slightly less powerful machine it is very, very reliable. The one i have had experience on was 15 years old and ran without a hiccup. A used one should be relatively cheap to obtain

The only lasers i've operated were the Cincinnati CL-850, Cincinnati CL-7a and the Trumpf 1030, so unfortunately i can't answer your questions on the Amad or Mazak.

Hope this post help

greetings vmmehta
looks like you are also interested in lasers, check out this post from a while ago:
[url]http://www.cnczone.com/forums/laser_engraving_cutting_machines/125711-laser_cutting_machine_go_mazak.html[/url]
that person had the same questions as you and was considering the same machines. You may possibly contact them to see how their purchase has worked for them.
I agree with OmarMourad also. The Trumpf is as he describes. The only thing I can comment on is the Cincinnatti CL-7's I have seen had axial fast flow resonators (the unit that develops the actual laser beam). That type of resonator is high maintenance in both gas use and internal parts usage. But I am not familiar with the specific models mentioned.
best of luck!

hii

i am from ahmedabad and we are two partners in a firm with sheet metal fabrication.

we are user of 2 mazak lasers since 2007 and 2010
good to say, we have best up times of machines as support of Mazak is very prompt and fast.

recently online service telephone support is great and many times no need to engineer to visit even as my operator can solve many of doubts/queries on phone only.

only one drawback...they are not so agreesive in marketing. but neverthless once you buy a machine, you can be sure for good support and performance.

I do not know about Amada but compared with trumpf, the operating cost is really low as electrical power requirement and start up time is very less.

i would vote for Mazak at place one and Trumpf at place two.

SASO1310

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Hii

I am user of both trumpf amd Mazak. User of trumpf for last 4 years and purchased one mazak 3D just one year back.

both machines are worth the brand names they reflect!! Performance, cutting speeds, software features etc are best to compare equally.

when it comes to support, as both companies has set up in Pune, has no issues about availability of local service.

But when it comes to spare parts, Mazak has advantage as now they are maintating good spares inventory. Trumpf also good in spare parts but has to wait for delivery from abroad.

Recently visited mazak new set up in pune. comapred with any other companies it really rocks!! you can imagine that they are in India with very firm long term planning.
Toll free telephone online support by mazak in Pune is very attractive. My operators are not worried about mid night support as Mazak has 24 X 7 telephone online support in INdia.

Both are equally comparable brands but wattage to be given to after sales support, spare parts availability and max up time ofmachine.

End of the day investing such a big money should be worth to be paid back!!!

thanks!!

You should take a look to Mitsubishi, the resonator is a piece of art, no limit life.