XT LASER
Solutions for Power-Outage Resumption Cutting Function in Intelligent Laser Cutting Machines
Written by Steven, Technical Operations at XT LASERPublished: August 2026 | Read Time: 3mins
TL;DR:Unplanned power outages are a major sudden factor causing production interruptions and material scrap in laser cutting. The post-outage resumption cutting function enables the equipment to precisely resume processing from the breakpoint after power is restored, avoiding full-sheet rework and secondary cutting damage. This paper systematically elaborates on this function from three aspects: technical challenges, implementation solutions, and application results.
Technical Challenges
The main challenges of power-outage resumption cutting include: at the moment of power failure, the controller experiences delays due to capacitor energy storage, making hardware detection prone to state recording deviations; the dynamic changes in processing speed during power failure make it difficult to achieve accurate re-alignment through reverse stroke calculation; and the discontinuity of laser restart may cause rough edges at the breakpoint, requiring additional repair.
Technical Solutions
Current mainstream solutions are divided into the following two categories:
Time-based recording solution
The system records processing time (single-axis pulse time) at fixed intervals (e.g., 5–7 ms) into FRAM ferroelectric memory, with data retained after power failure. When power is restored, the system adds the recorded time to the controller delay, and simulates the pre-outage process from the starting position (without driving the XY axes or the laser). When the simulated time equals the calculated value, it determines that the breakpoint has been reached and initiates resumption cutting. This solution uses time as the sole variable and is unaffected by changes in speed or trajectory.
Contour backtracking-based solution (RESU)
Represented by the Siemens RESU function, the system automatically records all running program blocks within the contour area between the interruption point and the starting point. After restoration, the operator triggers a reverse movement command, and the system automatically backtracks along the contour to the target re-continuation point without requiring knowledge of the program block number. Upon arrival, it implicitly executes program block search and contour calculation, automatically resuming processing. It supports multiple switches between reverse and forward movements to precisely approach the re-continuation point, and is suitable for complex contours composed of straight lines and arcs.
Accuracy compensation and edge repair
After resumption is completed, deviation values are calculated through image acquisition and comparison with standard products. If the deviation exceeds the threshold, automatic forward or reverse repair is performed to ensure smooth edges and dimensional accuracy.
Implementation Results
This function eliminates full-sheet scrap and reduces material waste; resumption accuracy is unaffected by speed, ensuring consistent reliability; operation does not require knowledge of the program structure, simplifying the process; and it eliminates re-positioning and debugging time, reducing downtime labor losses.
Conclusion
Intelligent laser cutting machines achieve comprehensive support for breakpoint resumption cutting under power-outage conditions through technical approaches such as time recording or contour backtracking. These solutions use time or contour as the reference, avoiding the uncertainties of traditional hardware detection, and ensure processing quality through edge repair. They effectively solve the problems of production interruption and material waste caused by unplanned power outages, making them a key configuration for improving equipment operational resilience and overall efficiency.
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