Will laser cutting still exist in years to come?

Could laser cutting cease to exist in years to come? Perhaps.

We can’t be definite, but as experts in cutting technology, we can offer an opinion.

As UK leading water jet cutters we are very happy with the industry we have chosen to work within. As written about many times on this blog, water jet cutting has advantages that other options cannot match.

We have also acknowledged that laser cutting can be suitable for many jobs and there will be times a laser cutter can do a job at a cheaper rate. For simple cuts of thin materials, laser cutting is an option worth considering.

But, can it survive?

Losing more work to Water Jet Cutting

Water jet cutting is growing in use rapidly – indeed, Google water jet cutting, hit news and you will see that almost every article is a news report talking of the growth in the sector. Asia has rapidly moved towards using this tech whenever possible and Europe and the US are catching up.

As ever more jobs are undertaken by water jet cutting, will the bottom fall out of laser cutting? Will those who offer this service diversify? As clients move more of their jobs over to water jet cutting and other options, what will remain for the lasers? What seemed the height of technology in sci-fi films decades back, might soon be the stuff of the archives.

Environmental Concerns

Water jet cutting is a tech that uses water and an inert garnet to cut. No heat is created and waste is merely the shavings of the cut part, easily washed away.

Laser cutting creates heat, more energy is used. If it could cut better, or take on tougher jobs this might be an accepted payoff at times, but it is fast becoming a less powerful option that is less environmentally friendly – a lose/lose situation.

Affordable Basic options

Laser cutting can be an excellent choice for those simpler cutting tasks, but will ever more affordable ‘home’ options take this market? For example, there are water jet cutting machines that can be housed in a garage or warehouse now.

While expensive current prices will drop in the same manner 3d printing has become more accessible.

More complex jobs will still need expert production, but laser cutting is already missing out on many of these. Laser offers bulk cutting but this could be done in-house,

But, change can be slow

We could have made this same prediction five years ago, and yet laser cutting is still popular. Many clients still love it.

The pace of change can be slow. In five years’ time, will laser cutting still be common? What about 20 years?

What do you think?

Work with the UK’s leading Water Jet Cutters

At TMC, we are a water jet cutter that serves the whole of the UK and increasingly Europe too, with clients across the content trusting us to work on their projects.

Despite our success, we remain a company that focuses on every client and work on projects of all sizes. If you think water jet cutting might be of use for your project, please do get in touch for an obligation-free chat.

Call us on 01625 610 441 or use our Contact Form.