So ARA attendees, Universals next big thing is...?

[Sean Coyne]

I know quite a few of you folks are at the ARA show in Vegas where Universal is supposedly debuting the next big thing in laser production. I have been waiting with baited breath to hear about this. Googling "universals next big thing" is far too ambiguous for reliable information. The Creek is my only source of information and Im dying to know. So creekers whats the hold up? What do we know so far?

[David Somers]

I agree Sean! My doctor has prescribed heavy meds to keep me calm until we hear. The suspense......! Tremble.....Quiver!!! <grin>

Seriously....hope you all are having fun in Vegas. And remember, while what goes on in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas, that doesn't apply to Universal's "Next Big Thing" announcement.

[Jason Hilton]

If Universal is smart (and I think they are) they'll send an e-mail after the announcement detailing the announcement. Looking forward to finding out too, although the only thing they can announce that would pull me away from my decision to buy a trotec would be quartering their prices.

[Tim Bateson]

There's a new duel machine. I think CO2 & Fiber - big machine. Also a Massive sized machine laser that runs about 500 watts.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Hope that's not it Tim or it's just stuff others have been doing for years.

cheers

Dave

[Gary Hair]

There's a new duel machine. I think CO2 & Fiber - big machine. Also a Massive sized machine laser that runs about 500 watts.

Do you have to have two so they fight to the death?

[Scott Shepherd]

Hope that's not it Tim or it's just stuff others have been doing for years.

cheers

Dave

Dave, if that's it, and IF I understood something I saw before, then it is big for them. There was a video demonstration of their combo machine on their website some time ago. It was 2 cartridges, 1 C02 and 1 fiber. They made a big deal about how you could now mark and cut various materials. Then they showed it in action and the guy actually stopped the job after fiber marking it and physically swapped out the tube to the C02, and then vector cut the part. I was thinking "this has to be a prank". There's no way you have to physically swap the tubes out every single time. That's insane. I honestly thought I wasn't seeing it right.

So if they now have 1 machine that doesn't need to have the tubes swapped, then it probably did excite them.

Universal is a solid company with solid machines. You don't hear too many stories about them putting out things that have a lot of bugs in them. They tend to get it right from the start, so whatever it is, it's probably really well done.

I was hoping the next big thing would have been high speed servo motors Sorry, no prize for me. Still low speed steppers.

[Guy Hilliard]

If it's a CO2/Fiber resident at the same time then it's been done already (Trotec FLEXX). If it's a single tube that can be tuned from 10.6microns to 9.4microns that would be cool and useful.

[Tim Bateson]

I can't emphasize enough how big both these machines are. Neither would likely fit through my double doors into my basement. These are very big machines.

[Dave Sheldrake]

I know what you mean Scotty, I just hoped it would be something ground breaking but the big manufacturers are the ones likely to bring that sort of thing out. Problem with super speed machines is the need for the power to go with it, 600+mm per second move rates are great if you have 2Kw to go with it but the upper limit on *affordable* sources seems to be the limiting factor. Even with great move rates for engraving they still won't keep up with high end 12,000mm per second Galvo's (that cost considerably less).

By choice I'd like to see a combination laser/router with some decent performance figures at a sensible price.

cheers

Dave

ps: so are these Tim and have been around a while

laser2515.JPG

[Gary Hair]

By choice I'd like to see a combination laser/router with some decent performance figures at a sensible price.

I don't think that's very likely. The dust and contaminants from the router would wreak havoc on the laser. That's why my cnc router sits in the garage and the laser is in the house.

[Mark Sipes]

Dave "By choice I'd like to see a combination laser/router with some decent performance figures at a sensible price."



Xenetech has gotten very close to the laser/rotary system

[Don Corbeil]

I saw their new product at the show today.
As Tim emphasized, it is massive, now called their XLS series. High end equipment: $85K - $130K I believe. They call it a multiwave hybrid, able to use up to 3 types of wavelengths (really two CO2 wavelengths and a fiber) on a single pass, no swapping, on the fly. It can be configured up to 500W CO2 with dual 250W tubes. It also has a color touch screen control.
I've attached a few photos that may help illustrate/explain it a little better.
tube.jpgcard.jpgpic1.jpg

The show is good, having a great time here, lots to see

[Dave Sheldrake]

Cheers Mark, that looks rather nice. I just like the idea of a router combo Gary, highly impractical but I can dream

Humm multiwave....meh, very expensive and in the price point of second hand small industrials of higher power. Would be interesting to see how they have achieved it,likely 3 resonators from looking at the literature rather than a tune-able source. I can't really see the application of having hot swapping resonators, novel idea but why have sources so far apart? CO2 has it's uses as does Fiber but having them combined in a relatively low power package? I'm sure somebody has organic and metal materials in one unit somewhere but it's rather rare I would think.

cheers

Dave

[Jeff Woodcock]

I just like the idea of a router combo Gary, highly impractical but I can dream
Dave

That would be reinventing our wheel. We can actually 3D spindle engrave a relief in wood and then laser engrave a photo onto it with shades afterwards with the same machine.

Jeff