Single-Phase vs Three-Phase: What Your Facility Needs Before a Laser Arrives
A laser that runs perfectly in our demo bay won't necessarily plug straight into your plant. Before a machine ships, we want to know what power is available where the work will happen, and that conversation is quicker if you know what to look for.
The short version: Needle and Kamino run on single-phase power. Jango and Dagger need three-phase. The details below are what an electrician will ask you.
Start with the nameplate
A spec sheet tells you what kind of power a machine is designed for. It isn't a wiring plan. The machine's rating plate, its approved electrical drawings, the Canadian Electrical Code and your local inspection authority are what count.
Before anyone sizes a circuit or a transformer, get the exact model and configuration. And don't confuse optical power with electrical draw. A "1000 W" laser is rated on the light it puts out, not the power it pulls from the wall. The complete machine, with its cooling, controls and electronics, draws considerably more.
These machines are designed in Belgium for a 50/60 Hz world. A plug that happens to fit a North American receptacle isn't proof that the voltage, neutral, grounding or protection is right.
Single-phase: Needle and Kamino
Needle 100/150 and Needle 200/300 run on single-phase 110–240 V, 50–60 Hz. The larger Needles draw more current than the smaller ones, so size each circuit for the actual model. Kamino 300 also runs on single-phase 110–240 V.
That's a big part of why these machines are so easy to deploy. Most maintenance shops, production floors and plant rooms already have a suitable supply, so you can move the laser to the job instead of bringing three-phase power to every location. For weld prep, small parts and selective cleaning, that flexibility saves real time.
It doesn't mean any outlet will do. Check the voltage, the circuit's capacity, the plug, the protection and what else is on that circuit. Take extra care with long cord runs, wet areas, temporary site power and shared circuits. Your electrician and safety team should agree on the connection.
One more thing: the process fibre is not an extension cord. Place the base where it has power, airflow and safe access, then route the fibre within its bend limits.
Three-phase: Jango
Jango needs three-phase power at 380–440 V, 50–60 Hz (3P + N + PE). It's also water-cooled and needs compressed air at the handset, so electrical readiness is only part of the picture.
Most Canadian plants have three-phase service, but many distribute it at 600 V or 208 V rather than in Jango's 380–440 V range. That's normal, and it's solvable. It just means the supply at the work location has to be checked, and a properly engineered transformer or dedicated feed may be needed.
Jango's long process fibre means the base can stay outside the cleaning area. Plan where it will sit before you plan the electrical run. You want a safe, protected supply that doesn't create a trip hazard, block an exit or get in the way of an emergency stop.
Three-phase: Dagger
Dagger 4000 is a continuous-wave laser with a 1000 W Gaussian core and a 3000 W top-hat ring. Like Jango, it runs on three-phase 380–440 V.
Here's the trap: 4000 W is the optical output, not the electrical load. Once you add cooling, chillers, pumps and controls, the machine draws several times that from the supply. Never size a generator or transformer from the laser rating. Use the nameplate and the approved electrical documents for the exact unit.
If Dagger will be moved between sites, include the transformer or distribution equipment in the plan. It has to be safe to lift, move, protect from weather and transport, not just correct on paper.
Which Netalux model?
Model | Supply | What it means for your site | Don't assume |
Needle 100/150 | Single-phase 110–240 V | Easy to deploy almost anywhere | Any outlet will work |
Needle 200/300 | Single-phase 110–240 V | Higher current than the smaller Needle | Same circuit as a Needle 100 |
Kamino 300 | Single-phase 110–240 V | Portable with more cleaning energy | Every shop outlet is suitable |
Jango 500–2000 | Three-phase 380–440 V | Industrial supply plus coolant and handset air | Your three-phase is already 400 V |
Dagger 4000 | Three-phase 380–440 V | Highest total draw, plus cooling | 4 kW optical = 4 kW electrical |
This is a first screening, not an electrical design. Your electrician takes it from here.
What if your plant runs 600 V?
Many Canadian industrial sites distribute three-phase at 600 V, and that doesn't rule out a Jango or Dagger. It means a qualified electrician or engineer needs to specify a suitable transformer and protection.
That includes sizing for the real load (kVA), the primary and secondary voltages, frequency, neutral, inrush, grounding and bonding, overcurrent protection, temperature rise, enclosure and how it will be lifted and placed. Netalux should approve the arrangement too.
An adapter isn't a transformer. Changing a plug or re-terminating a cable doesn't change the voltage. Get it right before the machine is on your loading dock.
If you're planning to run from a generator on a remote site, check its voltage, regulation, phase balance, starting load and grounding against the machine. The generator's headline kW isn't enough.
A simple pre-delivery checklist
Send your electrician the machine's electrical documents and a photo of the rating plate.
Mark where the base will sit and the route from the panel.
Confirm the supply, disconnect, protection, cable route and plug with your installer.
Include emergency stops, and any interlocks if the laser is going into a guarded cell or robot.
Then check everything that isn't electrical: coolant and handset air for Jango, airflow around an air-cooled base, a safe route into the building, power for the fume extractor, and the laser barriers and controlled area.
Commissioning an imported machine in Canada can involve equipment approvals, provincial workplace rules and your local electrical authority. We'll help you work through it.
Limits
Good power doesn't make a machine the right choice. A plant with plenty of three-phase may still be better served by a portable Needle for precision work. A shop with only single-phase may not justify the upgrades for a large machine, even if a demo looked impressive. And the right power doesn't prove the laser will remove your coating to spec.
Test the work first, then plan the installation around the process that works.
Safety
Every Netalux family is a Class 4 laser. An electrician's sign-off isn't a laser hazard assessment. You still need controlled access, eyewear rated for 1064 nm, fume extraction, fire planning and trained operators. Enclosures, interlocks and emergency stops have to work together as one system.
See our laser safety equipment, training, and CCOHS's laser guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Needle run on a regular 120 V outlet?
The Needle accepts 110–240 V, but the plug, current draw and circuit need checking for your exact model. Don't assume every receptacle is suitable.
Is Jango a 400 V machine?
Jango runs on three-phase 380–440 V. Your site needs an approved supply in that range, not just "three-phase."
Can I connect a Dagger to a 600 V panel?
Not directly. It needs an engineered transformer or distribution setup.
What should we send before a site visit?
The model you're considering, your service details, and photos of the electrical room and work area. Book a demo, send us your site information, or call +1 (705) 805-2737.
