Kern Laser Systems Partners with nLight as Source Supplier

Wadena, Minnesota-based Kern Laser Systems has chosen Vancouver, Washington-based laser manufacturer nLight as the laser source supplier for is FiberCELL laser system.

The official announcement was made recently but talks between the companies began one year ago.

Kern Laser Systems took part in a bit of testing to choose the right supplier. “I believe we tested four or five different brands before we decided to go with the nLight,” says Derek Kern, president. “We wanted to make sure the laser would cut all the materials it needed to cut.”

nLIGHT manufactures the module that generates the laser beam. “We install that product onto our CNC machine to allow primarily for cutting metal,” Kern says. nLight will supply the laser source solely for FiberCELL. “Our other machines are all CO2 lasers and we buy those from Kern Technologies.”

The reason Kern Laser Systems chose nLight as its supplier came down to three main points: serviceability, overall footprint, and price. Kern adds that, if required, the delivery fiber can be replaced onsite in as little as two hours by an nLight technician, which is much quicker than most of the other vendors.

According to Kern, this laser module has one of the smallest footprints in the industry and saves customers valuable shop space. The system is also available in a rack mount configuration.