I'm just beginning my process for sourcing a Chinese cnc laser. I have directly sourced two other Chinese machines (80w Co2, 64amp plasma) over the past decade with good results so I'm sticking with what works.
But this time I'm sourcing a dual head machine with an 80w tube for engraving and at least a 300w tube so that I can cut metal too. (If I could afford a fiber laser, I would do that... but that cost isn't justified for my use case.)
I have been chatting with several reps and was surprised when a rep from one of the very large manufacturer said that 300w tubes are what she referred to as "unstable". I believe what she means is highly prone to damage, i.e., fragile. My first thought was that maybe she just wanted to push me toward a more-expensive option. But that's not it. She genuinely reports that her customers report a lot of problems with tubes in that power range leaking and needing to be replaced. She would rather sell me a 200 watt machine for less money than a 300w machine. For a while, she was trying to talk me down on my requirements, i.e., steel thickness I need to cut. Imagine that!
Has anyone heard of this before? I haven't been able to figure it out. Is the damage caused by insufficient cooling, perhaps in warmer climates or working environments? Or maybe they get damage from the shock of heavy sheets of steel crashing down on the bed when loading? Maybe it's the overall length of the tube gets so long that the sheer weight of the tube glass creates stress? Are they just short on stock of 300w tubes and don't want to loose the sale? :-) I doubt it.
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Originally Posted by John Lifer
