My name is Ken Liversidge, owner of Granite State Laser in New Hampshire,, USA. I have
been working in the membrane keyboard industry since 1976, and have worked in every
department associated with that industry including design engineer and manager of the digital
cutting department using both knife plotters and lasers. I left my job after 30 years in 2002 to
take on work freelance design engineer, and in 2006 sought to expand my home business with
the purchase of a CO2 laser so that I could fabricate prototype parts for various clients. My
main requirements for the laser were:
•
Close tolerance cutting if a variety of materials
• Longevity of the laser tube (metal tube)
• Pulsed laser as opposed to a continuous beam
• Ability to do both vector cutting and raster engraving
Having excellent past experiences with Synrad lasers, I chose to go with the LTT 60W ILS-3.
The laser well protected with all required manuals, drivers and set up instructions. Set up was
easy and straightforward, and the laser software proved to have a fairly simple learning curve.
As with any start-up, it took some time to get the industrial side of the business rolling, but with
the laser being so versatile, I took on orders for several products I hadn’t considered
previously:
•
Engraved plaques in granite and marble
• Awards in wood and some plastics
• Glass products, including drinking glasses and wine bottles (unopened) using the included
rotary fixture
• Anodized and powder coated metals
• Photo engraving in various materials (stone, anodized aluminum and acrylic)
About 2 years into this, and with the industrial side of business increasing, I had need to bring
in a second laser, and purchased a 30W ILS-3 specifically used for the photo engraving side of
the business, while the 60W was used for all other work.
In 2022, after 16 years of use, I retired the 60W ILS-3 and purchased an ILS-3V. In
comparison, the ILS-3V has some great new improvements to auto focus, lens change overs
and cutting parameters in the software. The beam quality also seems to be greatly improved
over the entire cutting surface.
Routine maintenance has been fairly minimal. Cleaning of lenses and mirrors should be done
often, as with any laser. Beam alignment in the event that it is needed is simple enough. And
in the 16 years of use the 60W laser tube did not need to be recharged or replaced. Customer
support has been quick and responsive, although I’ve only had to contact them a couple of
times.
I currently have four lasers in my shop. Three are CO2 and one 50W Fiber. Unlike the others,
the ILS lasers let me print and engrave directly from AutoCad, ZWCad and Adobe Illustrator
which makes work flow extremely easy.
I wouldn’t hesitate recommending the ILS-3V to anyone considering a small business venture.
The laser is extremely versatile and reliable over a long period of time.