Comparison of Czech and Chinese laser
Our company had the opportunity to get a hold of a laser of Chinese distribution, so we decided to thoroughly test the laser and compare it with a laser of our production with similar performance so that you can get an idea of how important a factor is the lower purchase price of a laser.
Introduction
We were contacted by a customer dissatisfied with the laser he ordered from China. Specifically, he was interested in a laser cleaning device with a ytterbium pulse fiber resonator from IPG, which is a very high quality and expensive device. It often happens that sellers argue the quality of the machine being sold by associating it with the IPG brand, below you can read about what it really looks like. As soon as our machine arrived, he found that the machine was cleaning with much lower efficiency than is standard with laser of such power.
The customer therefore turned to us, as a manufacturer and experts in laser cleaning machines, to assess whether the laser can be modified or improved to fulfill its purpose.
Our job therefore was to thoroughly test this Chinese cleaning laser in terms of both hardware and software.
Resonator
At first glance, the resonator acts as an original source from IPG, including processing, all stickers, labels and covers. However, after verifying the serial number of this source, we received official confirmation that the laser resonator with this serial number was never manufactured by IPG. It is therefore a company-confirmed forgery. Given that this is the most expensive part of the machine (the resonator forms more than half of the price of the entire machine), from our point of view it is a serious fraud on the customer.
According to the measured parameters, the laser has a peak power of around 1000 W, it is not a pulse but a continuous source, it is modulated and when setting short pulses for laser ablation, it has almost zero power. These sources are used for cutting, not cleaning.
Laser head
We compared the head with our own laser head of the ROD 500 laser. Another disadvantage of the head is the protruding hoses and cables that lack shielding, as well as the less flexible cable covering the laser processing fiber. Our head meets all these parameters, its control is conveniently located directly on it, all cabling is securely covered and the laser fiber is protected by a flexible cover.
Laser cart
The welded construction of the trolley is very durable and heavy, from the back there is the possibility of winding the fiber, which in our opinion is not safe to secure the laser head (the whole fiber is wrapped around the handle). Another disadvantage is that the special holder, which is supposed to hold the laser head when the laser is not in operation, does not hold the head and it can happen that the head falls out of it and breaks (see video).
Control – software
- The software allows you to save parameters that cannot be set on the laser.
- The software writes something other than what it actually sets up in the laser – the laser seems to be achieving performance it doesn’t really achieve.
- The laser head can be started directly from the system without any warning – dangerous
- User profiles cannot be changed
- However, the machine will allow you to change the color backlight of the logo
Laser efficiency testing
In the video and pictures below, you can judge for yourself how the Chinese-made laser performed against a comparable machine of our production (ROD 500).
The laser can be used to remove paint from steel surfaces and cleaned rust, but these applications are seldom the reason why a company ultimately invests in this technology.
Is it possible to produce a laser cheaper?
The laser is definitely not a cheap thing, the development of a laser is demanding and expensive, its production requires both a huge amount of time and money. We stand firmly behind the price of our lasers, because we know that it is not possible to build cleaning laser cheaper, certainly not in such a way that the quality or functionality of the laser does not suffer and at the same time you receive the appropriate service. Unfortunately, no one, not even China, has a miraculous method of manufacturing lasers, where it would be possible to produce a laser for a fraction of the price so that the quality is at least close to the products and services we provide.
What is in our price compared to the competition from abroad?
Unlike the competition, which offers low-quality products, we do not hide behind foreign shopping portals or, worse, behind foreign brands whose products we imitate. We will be more than happy if you visit us in our showroom in Prague and we will be able to show you the lasers, test them and choose the optimal variant that meets your requirements.
We are also separated from the competition by the fact that we trust our products so much that we are able to provide up to an eight-year warranty on any of our cleaning lasers. It often happens that when you order a laser from China, you receive a device that is no longer working and the trader is ignoring the you. Ordering a laser from a seller who has no reputation or is completely anonymous is a risk of high amount of money.
With our laser, you are always assured of a quick response to any problems, our service response is in 99% of cases between 10-48 hours, when we try to solve your problem as quickly as possible, we are even able to connect to the laser remotely and in many cases, the problem is solved without the need of physically seeing it. In the event that your laser from China breaks, the seller will most likely give up. In that case, all you have to do is either write off the laser or pay a huge amount to specialized technicians for a repair that can be completed in a few months.
Another parameter is the life of the resonator (source), which is a key (and most expensive) part of the laser system. While with the resonator life of our lasers is around 200,000 hours of operation and more, we have often encountered lasers where this life is several times lower.
We are, of course, able to deliver, connect or directly integrate your laser into your production. We will acquaint you with the laser, train you and perhaps there is no need to add that we will add a comprehensive manual in Czech or English.
We are a 100% Czech company, by buying our product you support the domestic industry, but that is definitely not the key reason. We stand behind our products and we know that we are able to offer the best we can at the appropriate prices.
Disclaimer: We certainly do not dare to say that the Chinese origin of the laser automatically means that the laser is of poor quality (we also distribute some high-quality lasers of Chinese distribution ourselves). We only try to give customers a product that is really worth their money.
If, after our article, you believe that buying a Chinese laser is a good choice, definitely insist that you want to try the laser before you buy, and don’t just believe the photos, catalogs and claims that the laser will do everything you want from it.