Lasers at IWF 2016? They're fabricating wood, not celebrating Pink Floyd
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LANSING, MI  – AP Lazer will display its laser cutting and engraving technology at the 2016 International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta, GA on August 24 through 27. The laser machine company 
 
Inventor and company founder Tong Li will give live demonstrations of how to operate and maintain the machine. Demonstrations will focus on increasing profit potential for woodworkers by using lasers to make precise, intricate wood cuts and engrave photo-quality graphics onto the surface of any wood.
“Wood working is a tough business that generally has low margins in spite of all the design, craftsmanship, and effort that is involved in the production process,” said AP Lazer President, David Strickler.
 
“It’s time to look at the wood working industry differently,” said Strickler. “One way to dramatically improve profit is by adding laser engraving to the finishing process to capitalize on the rapidly growing personalization trend in the US.”
 
An online 2013 Forbes article, “Having It Their Way: The Big Opportunity In Personalized Products”, confirms that product customization increases a company’s profit revenue and customer brand loyalty.
 
Products sporting engraved company logos are perceived by customers as having high product value and quality. Consistent logo presence also increases brand recognition.
Laser machines offer a particularly low-cost personalization solution. By engraving products that a business already offers, there are few additional costs to implementation beyond the initial cost of the machine.
 
Laser machines have a very low operating cost, requiring only electricity to run the machine and time spent creating and engraving text and images. Laser engraving can operate as a separate, additional step to the production process or be implemented right into an existing production line.
 
A laser machine’s cutting ability varies based on the specific type of wood, but can cut some woods up to ½” thick. Baltic Birch seems to be the favorite of at-home hobbyists, but Alder, MDF, and Bamboo are popular choices for commercial use.
By using a laser machine to cut multiple identical pieces from a single piece of material, manufacturers maximize efficiency and minimize waste.
 
AP Lazer specializes in high-powered laser machines with exceptionally large work areas. Developed to engrave granite funeral monuments, their “open architecture” design offers work spaces as large as 48” x 36” with no height and few weight restrictions.
 
All of their machines use CO2 powered lasers that kick out 80 to 100 watts of cutting and engraving power.
 
Their machines can also cut and engrave materials such as textiles, acrylic, paper products, metal, and stone.
 
AP Lazer was founded in 2010 in Lansing, MI as a division of granite supplier SuperNova International. www.aplazer.com
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