Laser Technology Trends and Improvements

Various laser solutions have been in use on construction jobsites since the 1960s, and over the past 50 years, lasers have increased productivity and accuracy for various applications, delivering more efficient processes for users. However, as more manufacturers have entered the laser market, various trends have started to take shape.

Visiting a jobsite today, it is common to notice substantially more complex laser units in use than ever before. Like other jobsite tools and equipment, manufacturers are continuing to introduce new technologies into the laser market. These various improvements are helping to reduce time, money, and labor required to complete set-up and layout applications throughout builds.

Green Lasers

A consistent trend over the past few years has been a shift towards green lasers. Green lasers have risen in popularity because they are far brighter than the traditional red. The human eye is more sensitive to green light than red light, which means green lasers appear brighter and are easier to see.

The brighter lines allow for easier material installation, taking measurements, and working in brighter environments. The increased visibility from green lasers is noticeably improved when working at a distance, allowing users to be even more productive for applications that require long-range visibility.

Rechargeable Battery Solutions

While green lasers improve overall visibility, they require up to six times the power of red lasers. When using alkaline battery-powered lasers, users will quickly notice increased downtime and additional costs from constantly having to find, change, and replace AA batteries.

To help mitigate the power required to deliver the visibility benefits of green lasers, some manufacturers have been shifting towards rechargeable battery solutions. These higher-capacity batteries allow for longer runtime, making it easier for users to complete projects without the need to repeat set-up and alignment after replacing alkaline batteries.

Lithium-ion battery technology has quickly become a standard for rechargeable battery lasers. These batteries are known for high energy density, long lifespans, and fast charging capabilities that continue to improve productivity for users on jobsites. In addition, most lithium-ion batteries can be used interchangeably with other power tools on the same platform. Some lasers, for example, open an entire 150-plus tool system that runs off the same battery. Users frequently have multiple battery packs available to them, so even when they need to replace a battery on their laser they are not left searching for one in the middle of an application.

New Technology and Features

As most manufacturers have already shifted to green lasers with rechargeable battery packs, the industry is now seeing new technology and features included on various laser units to continue making jobsites more efficient and accurate. Some simple examples include magnetic mounting features that allow more flexibility during set up.

However, to truly address inefficiencies in layout, solutions need to be quick, easy, and intuitive to set up. Getting the perfect alignment with a laser at the accuracy that is needed can be tedious and time consuming. As the functional range of lasers improves, the need for faster set-up at distance continues to grow. For example, 1 degree of movement at the laser equals 21 inches of movement at 100 feet, making it extremely difficult to perfectly align a laser between two points.

Various laser features have been introduced to mitigate the time and resources required to perfectly align lasers during setup. One example is the micro control adjustment feature integrated into rechargeable laser brackets. These brackets pivot on the plumb point for easier and faster alignment without having to move the entire laser and base, making it simpler to adjust.

More recently, manufacturers have started to introduce wireless remotes that pair to their lasers via Bluetooth for an even more productive layout. Some lasers, for instance, allow users to connect to a wireless remote and control the pivoting from afar once it is set up on its mount or stand. This essentially removes the second user required to complete set up during the layout of long runs.

Closing

Lasers being introduced into the market today vary immensely from those used on jobsites in the 1960s. From the color of the lines to the way lasers are being mounted, modern solutions are making small but significant changes not only to the design and function of lasers on the jobsite, but also to how applications are completed. Ultimately, manufacturers have been able to improve visibility and accuracy with the shift to green line lasers, make jobsites more productive by introducing rechargeable battery solutions, and deliver time and cost savings by introducing various new technologies and features to their lasers.