Every gas mixing device on the market does one thing: it feeds one laser. If you have two lasers, you buy two devices. Three lasers, three devices. That's been the rule.
LISHI LASER breaks it. One mixing station, up to three lasers — different powers, different cutting schedules, same stable gas mix at each nozzle. It's the only One-to-Three configuration available today, and it changes the economics of multi-machine shops entirely.
How It Works
The core insight is that a single IGBT-controlled mixing station has far more capacity than any one laser needs. A typical 12kW fiber laser consumes roughly 30-50 m³/hour of mixed gas at peak flow. The LISHI mixing station handles up to 150 m³/hour. That excess capacity is wasted in a one-to-one setup.
The One-to-Three configuration splits the output through independent pressure-regulated lines, each feeding a separate laser:
| Laser | Power | Typical Flow | Gas Supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser 1 | 20kW | 40–60 m³/h | Independent regulated line |
| Laser 2 | 12kW | 30–50 m³/h | Independent regulated line |
| Laser 3 | 6kW | 15–25 m³/h | Independent regulated line |
| Total | 85–135 m³/h | One mixing station running at ~60–90% capacity | |
The key technical requirement is that each output line must maintain the same gas mix ratio regardless of downstream pressure fluctuations — which is what happens when one laser starts, stops, or changes cutting parameters while the others keep running. The IGBT controller samples pressure at each output independently and adjusts the O₂ injection in real time, at millisecond speed.
What Makes Independent Supply Possible
The hard part isn't splitting the gas. It's keeping the mix stable when demand changes.
Picture this: Laser 1 is cutting 20mm plate at 20kW, drawing 55 m³/h. Laser 2 is piercing 3mm sheet at 6kW, cycling through rapid starts and stops. If the mixing system can't compensate instantly, Laser 1's mix ratio drifts — and a 20mm cut at the wrong O₂ percentage means a scrapped part.
LISHI LASER solved this with three design decisions:
- Per-line pressure regulation. Each output has its own regulator and flow sensor, so one laser's demand spike doesn't pull from another's supply.
- IGBT closed-loop control. The controller monitors downstream pressure at each output and adjusts O₂ injection in real time. Response time is under 100ms — fast enough that the operator never notices a fluctuation.
- Independent check valves. If one laser stops cutting, its line seals automatically. No backflow, no cross-contamination, no pressure bleed into the idle line.
The result: three lasers running independently, on different jobs, at different powers, fed by the same gas source with the same ±0.5% mixing accuracy as a dedicated one-to-one setup.
The Economics: One Device Instead of Three
A shop with three lasers has two options for gas mixing. The conventional route: buy three separate mixing devices, install three sets of gas lines, maintain three units. The LISHI route: buy one device, run three output lines, maintain one unit.
| Cost Factor | 3 × Standard Mixers | 1 × LISHI (One-to-Three) |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment cost | 3× unit price | 1× unit price |
| Installation | 3× gas lines, 3× electrical | 1× gas line in, 3× lines out |
| Floor space | 3 × (800×350mm footprint) | 1 × (800×350mm footprint) |
| Power consumption | 3 × ~2 kWh/day | 1 × ~2 kWh/day |
| Annual maintenance | 3 units to service | 1 unit to service |
| Spare parts inventory | 3× consumables | 1× consumables |
The equipment savings alone are substantial. But the ongoing advantage — one device to maintain, one set of consumables, two fewer electrical connections to manage — compounds every year.
Real Deployment: Mixed Power Levels
A common configuration in practice: a shop runs one high-power laser (20kW or 30kW) for thick plate, and one or two lower-power machines (6kW or 12kW) for thin sheet and stainless. These machines run simultaneously, but their gas demands are completely different.
The One-to-Three setup handles this naturally because each output line regulates independently. The 30kW line sees stable pressure at 55 m³/h for 25mm carbon steel. The 6kW line cycles between 15 and 25 m³/h as it moves through a nest of 2mm parts. The mixing station doesn't care — it maintains the target O₂ ratio across all outputs.
What About Redundancy?
A reasonable concern: if you put three lasers on one device, doesn't a single failure take down all three?
Yes — but the same logic applies to your nitrogen tank, your liquid oxygen supply, or your main gas manifold. Those are already single points of failure for the entire shop. The mixing device sits at the same level in the supply chain. And with only one device to maintain (instead of three), the failure probability is actually lower than running three independent units — fewer components total, fewer points of failure.
For shops that want full redundancy, we typically recommend keeping a manual bypass manifold on each laser's input line. If the mixing station ever needs service, each laser can temporarily switch to its existing pure N₂ supply. Downtime is measured in minutes, not days.
Is One-to-Three Right for Your Shop?
The One-to-Three configuration makes the most sense for shops with two to three lasers running simultaneously during at least one shift. The more overlap in cutting hours, the more the shared infrastructure pays off.
Shops with a single laser can start with the standard one-to-one setup — the One-to-Three expansion capability is built into every LISHI device. Adding a second or third laser later means running additional output lines, not buying additional mixing stations.
It's the only multi-machine gas mixing solution on the market. And for shops running two or three lasers, it's the difference between a gas system that scales with the business and one that multiplies with every machine purchase.
Planning a Multi-Machine Setup?
Send us your machine specs — power levels, typical materials, and shift schedule — and we'll design the optimal One-to-Three layout for your shop floor.
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