Struggling to Find Skilled Labor? Let the FC510LTE Do the Heavy Lifting

Is the FC510LTE with Swing Loader the Answer to Your Labor Shortage?

How Automated Laser Cutting Can Help Fabricators Stay Competitive Without Adding Headcount

Skilled labor is in short supply—and it's not coming back fast. The U.S. manufacturing industry is projected to have over 2 million unfilled jobs by 2030, according to the Manufacturing Institute. Fabricators everywhere are feeling the crunch, especially when it comes to maintaining production schedules without burning out their limited staff.

If your shop is struggling to keep up due to labor shortages, it may be time to explore how the FC510LTE with Swing Loader can do more than just cut—it can stabilize your operation and future-proof your workflow.

The Skilled Labor Bottleneck Is Real

Manual material handling. Sheet alignment. Setup and teardown. These are the kinds of repetitive, time-consuming tasks that tie up your most valuable workers—often your most experienced ones.

Common pain points we hear from fabricators:

• “We can’t find reliable help for the second shift.”
• “Our best guy is spending too much time loading material.”
• “We’re turning down rush jobs because we just don’t have the manpower.”

This isn’t about replacing people—it’s about letting your team focus on high-value work while automation handles the rest.

What the FC510LTE with Swing Loader Actually Automates

• Material Handling: The Swing Loader lifts and loads sheet metal automatically, eliminating the need for forklift operators or extra labor for staging.
• Sheet Alignment: Built-in sensors and alignment logic ensure proper material positioning without manual tweaking.
• Cut Execution: Once the job is loaded, the FC510LTE cuts with precision, speed, and repeatability—even across different shifts or operators.
• Job Setup: The control interface is designed for simplicity—most operators can be trained in a day.

This setup turns one machine into a near self-managed work cell.

Labor ROI: What Does It Save You?

Let’s say you currently require two operators for your cutting station—one for setup and programming, one for loading and unloading.

With the FC510LTE and Swing Loader:

• You may only need one operator to manage two machines.
• You eliminate unproductive time spent waiting for material staging.
• You reduce risk of handling damage or misloads.
• You cut back on overtime needed to catch up after staffing gaps.

Multiply those savings over a month or quarter—and it often covers the cost difference between a base model and the FC510LTE + automation.

It's Not Just About Labor—It's About Consistency

When a machine can self-load and repeat jobs without constant input, your process becomes more stable. That means:

• Fewer errors
• Less rework
• More predictable scheduling
• Easier cross-training (any shift can run the same job)

And in today’s environment, consistency equals capacity.

Should You Invest? 5 Questions to Ask:

1. Do you rely on one or two key operators to keep things moving?
2. Are you regularly behind schedule due to labor gaps?
3. Do you turn down work because you can’t staff for it?
4. Are you running multiple shifts just to keep up with demand?
5. Would eliminating material handling free up experienced talent for higher-skill work?

If you answered “yes” to two or more—automation is worth a serious look.

See It for Yourself

We’re running the FC510LTE with Swing Loader live at FABTECH 2025 – Booth A5713.

Come see:

• Automated sheet loading in action
• Full-speed fiber laser cutting
• How one operator can manage a complete job cycle