What can be cut with a laser machine

What can be done on a laser machine?

Laser engraving is the most effective and modern method of engraving images on the surface of products. The technology combines high precision, speed of creation and energy efficiency. All this significantly reduces the cost of products and allows you to keep a high quality of work.

The principle on which the technology is based is the effect of the laser beam on the surface of the workpiece material. The material is either discolored or completely removed where the program calls for it. In this case the image, applied to the workpiece, turns out volumetric. The main distinguishing feature of the technique is the ability to change the power and focus of the laser depending on the task at hand, creating patterns of varying complexity, color and texture.

IMPORTANT! Laser engraving and cutting is performed with high precision, and products created with this technology are also extremely durable.

laser, machine

The laser beam allows you to print images on almost any solid material: cardboard, paper, fabric, wood, metals, glass, etc. The carving process gives an attractive appearance to the product.

Laser machines are versatile, and can perform the following operations:

  • Laser carving (cutting). Products made with this technology are highly complex and have great attention to detail. Cutting out material is one of the most popular ways of using laser equipment. Machines which are able to use a laser beam as a cutting tool are extremely popular in woodworking, jewelry, medicine, etc. industries.
  • Engraving. Drawings made by laser machines. are characterized by the highest possible clarity and durability. They are not afraid of water, dust and other adverse factors. The laser beam is controlled by computer and engraves the image on the surface of the product with maximum detail. The engraving is used for decorating personal watches and cigarette cases, lighters, purses, jewelry, furnishings, etc. д.
  • Marking. Laser marking makes it possible to mark with the best possible contour and readability, even if the image is small in size. The principle of operation is similar to that of engraving. a laser beam moves along a set route, removing a layer of necessary depth from the surface of the material.
  • Laser marking, drilling. Holes created by means of the laser do not require subsequent processing, and strictly correspond to the specified parameters. Laser peorization can be used to create decorative elements in clothing, shoes, electronic parts, etc. д.

Packaging

The use of laser cutting and engraving technology in the production of packaging materials can achieve high results, which are difficult to achieve using knives and other mechanical methods. The laser beam is highly precise and seals the cut edges, thus avoiding quality problems typically associated with other manufacturing methods. In addition, the customer can independently set all parameters of the process, setting the basic working parameters based on the characteristics of the material and the tasks to be performed.

Computer control allows you to quickly change the shape or size of the manufactured package, add or delete design elements, change their location, etc. д. It should be noted that the “sharpness” of the laser beam allows to process those materials, which are fragile and can be easily deformed while cutting.

Garage laser workshop. Post CO2 metal laser.

Greetings to you, my dear readers. Thank you that you are still with me and patiently waiting for me to finally deign to write the next post. And so it finally happened! We are in a period when there are almost no orders and time has freed up to write this post.

Today I will tell you the story of my big (by my standards and for my workshop and for my needs) machine. About the tragedy that happened before I started and how to fix it. As is customary, please do not scold me for my spelling. It’s good, but for some reason very lame, so those to whom “ZHY” and “SHY” are giving their eyes a hell of a tear and bruise, please either bear with me and grind your teeth or just scroll through this post and don’t even open it. Thanks for the insight.

And so it is. Last summer, along with a 900×600 machine with camera came this big guy:

Meet. it’s a CO2 laser, no name, a copy of the famous Raylogic 1600×1000 with a metal cutting head. I already mentioned the accident with this machine in one of my posts. The copy is good enough and I’ll say more, this machine was made in the same factory as Raylogic, only in the third shift, what is called left, from the same components, but painted a different color, so much detail about the content I will not tell. If you are interested, there are more than enough TX’s on the web.

The adventures with this machine began, as it turned out even before it came into my grasping clutches, but it became clear only when you open the package, and while the solemn moment of unloading and euphoria raised me on the wings and made me float, like a little boy who bought the father a cherished and long-awaited car!

Since the truck that brought me the “little” boxes of machines couldn’t get close enough to my shop, I had to look for an area where two trucks could turn around. I had to play around a bit, but nevertheless the transfer was successful and without incident.

We got to the workshop, and we opened the drawers. My own wings of happiness were very much in the way. In my bustle I could not find the right tools, I turned the workshop three times in search of scrap metal and a cutting-off wheel for angle grinder, and finally only metal scissors and two hammers were found, which helped to unpack all the boxes in the shortest possible time. Let me tell you guys, neither before nor after I opened the drawers so fast, even with the right tools.

But as usual, all good things come to an end sooner or later. In my case, it was a mess. That’s not exactly how it works. BLEEP.

“All right, STIHL Baby, just STIHL.”. and the inner ghost with the motor said to me. “Now let’s calm down and think about what we’re going to do. ” But the STIHL didn’t come, and attempts to calm down further ignited my farts to the point that the thrust it produced would have more than outstripped the engine of a Topol missile. A few pictures. No Комментарии и мнения владельцев and opinions of the owners.

You get the idea. Even a year later, continues to get burned by this situation. In general, the list of damages:

1) The upper part of the machine was ripped off. Bolts sheared off;

2) The lid was damaged. How by some miracle the windows survived, it is still not clear;

3) The frame is slightly warped. Although how can I say, not significantly. For such a machine a deviation in alignment, even a half of millimeter is wildly critical;

5) The blade holder broke (you can see it on the video);

6) The control wires on the X-axis are torn;

7) The tube is worth 150 thousand (at that time) shattered to pieces.

And that’s not counting little things like a bent smoke detector inside the machine. It seems to have been well pressed by a snail, which was driving inside the machine, a lot of chips, scratches, bent brackets with mirrors, torn straps, etc.

Immediately a call was made to the supplier and the situation was reported. in the tube you could also hear the sound of the turbine starting to accelerate. At one point it even seemed to me that the phone was transmitting the smell of the chair Ruslan was sitting on, which was burning. Ten minutes later he was there. We drew up a report and began to make claims both to the Chinese and the shipping company, began to clarify at what stage this trickery happened. But again, let’s talk about everything in order.

Laser cutting plastic: acrylic, polystyrene, plexiglass

In the production of promotional materials, souvenirs, license plates, door signs and many other items made of plastic, there is a need for pre-cutting and engraving the material from which it is all made. We encounter plastic objects at every turn, and their production in today’s world is a very diverse and extensive industry.

Nowadays, laser technology has greatly simplified and improved human life and many objects of human activity, including the production of plastic products. Cutting and engraving of polystyrene, Plexiglas and other plastics is done with laser equipment. Laser equipment is now used when materials need to be composed or made of plastic items like this. When working with laser machines the accuracy of cutting materials is equal to 0,015 mm, which would not be possible with any other equipment.

Cutting and engraving on laser equipment is convenient because the laser beam is very thin (0.1-0.2 mm), and its properties are such that the material processed on a laser equipment is the minimum amount of thermal and physical effects, which is a big plus compared to mechanical processing of materials. The laser beam acts locally, and this effect is very precise and accurate. After the laser equipment there is no need for any further processing of the material, and, in addition, the amount of waste is significantly reduced. Finished material becomes smooth and it is even possible to perform processing so that the edges of the material become not only smooth, but also mirror-transparent.

Working with laser equipment is convenient and economical, and the given examples confirm it.

laser, machine

The special LaserWork software is supplied together with the laser equipment. It is in Russian and is a simple program that can be integrated into graphics editors (CorelDraw, AutoCaD) and can also work without them, by itself.

Laser machines can quickly, accurately and economically cut non-metallic materials. When working with plastic materials laser equipment and milling machines are often used together. This speeds up the processing of materials and makes it even more convenient and flexible. As a result, even quite complex products become of high quality and inexpensive.

But for the material there is one limitation that you should be aware of when working with laser equipment and plastic. It is not recommended to cut PVC (polyvinyl chloride) material on laser machines. The reason is that when cutting PVC, hydrochloric acid is formed, which negatively affects the equipment and causes corrosion of its components.

Let’s look at several models of laser machines. There are a series of entry level laser machines like the Kamach 6090. It is designed not only for cutting plastic, but also some other materials (cloth, wood and others), and for engraving plastic, glass and other materials in various industries. Kamach 1525 RFB has a large work table (2500×1500), thanks to which it is possible to accurately process plastic and other large objects. It takes a small amount of time, and there are few scraps after cutting the material.

About availability of the equipment you need you can always check with our managers.

Caution: Cutting of PVC is not desirable with laser equipment because of the formation of hydrochloric acid and as a result the rapid corrosion of the metal guides, mirrors and lens.

Approximate performance parameters of a laser machine with a 60 watt laser tube:

Business plan: laser plywood cutting

To start a laser plywood cutting business, you need to consider and calculate the following points:

  • Purchase of the machine. For 100000 you can buy a good quality machine.
  • The room. It must be characterized by powerful extraction, because when cutting plywood many small parts are released. Also you need to think about square footage, to put there not only the machine, but also the materials for production. That is, it must be at least 10 square meters. Rental price depends on the region of residence and conditions in the room (eg, the presence of repairs or heating).
  • Equipment and materials. In addition to the machine itself, you’ll also need a circular saw, since plywood sheets are sold large, and the working field of the machine is small. You’ll also need a grinder, which will remove the scorch marks after cutting. And, of course, you will need the plywood itself.
  • Analysing competition in a city or a whole region, generating ideas that can help attract customers.

Advantages of using a CNC laser machine for business

CNC machines that use a laser instead of metal cutting tools offer a number of advantages for both business and home use:

  • high speed of engraving, which allows you to perform a large number of orders and make a good profit;
  • higher quality of the finished product due to the thinness of the beam and its precision (possible deviation from the set parameters is only 0.01 mm);
  • unlimited durability of the objects made (the pattern will not lose its sharpness even after several years);
  • large selection of materials that can be used;
  • computer control speeds up the production process and eliminates errors that could occur with manual control;
  • due to the fact that the processing is performed by the non-contact method, the material surface is not damaged and the product itself does not need to be fastened (this saves money on the purchase of fastening devices);
  • the degree of detail is high, even when applying small images or images with a large number of small elements;
  • the edges and walls of the material become perfectly smooth after one pass of the beam, there are no cavities, which are typical for milling, there is no need for additional processing of materials;
  • even fragile materials that are prone to cracking are suitable for processing (this is possible due to the fact that the laser does not physically affect the material);
  • Low dust and noise level;
  • No need to buy a lot of additional tools.

Laser machine tool. a great business idea. Investments for the opening of production will be minimal, and they will pay off in a very short period of time. In order to begin production, enough and one person, do not need to hire a whole team of employees.

Materials for laser processing

Acrylic. “The classic material for laser cutting. Cuts very well to a thickness of 10 mm. Applies well and any kind of laser engraving. Rather better than all other materials for laser processing. It is mainly due to the fact that during laser influence there is practically no melting of the material, but there is evaporation and vapor removal by compressed air, which is supplied to the treatment zone. The melted surface of the cut is only noticeable at low cutting speeds and minimal airflow. just to prevent the material from catching fire. Then we have what is called a “mirrored cut edge”. This effect is less pronounced when working with milk and colored acrylics.

There is usually a fine banding on the cutting edge which is almost unrecoverable and is caused by physical processes occurring in the area of the cut. But this fine structure should not be confused with higher amplitude jags, which are the consequence of deficiencies in the equipment.

When cutting acrylic with a thickness of more than 5-8 mm we must take into account the thermal stresses that can occur in the material, especially in the “mirror cut” mode, and interact with its own internal stresses.

Polystyrene is slower and worse cut than acrylic glass. Cutting polystyrene runs through the melted material. That’s why burrs are inevitable on cutting edges. With a little compressed air the cutting edge is almost transparent, but the burr is significant. With more airflow, the burr decreases, but the cutting edges become rough, and the process table grid and ventilation system become clogged with thin threads blown out of the cutting zone. After cutting almost every sheet of workpiece, the table and ventilation grate must be cleaned. Cutting polystyrene is possible but very time consuming.

Polyester glass (PET, PETF, PETG). Polyester glass can be cut well with a laser, but not as well as acrylic. A small amount of burr is almost unavoidable. The cut surface can also be close to a mirror like shape, but the occasional roughness of the cut surface is always present and is somewhat more pronounced than with acrylic.

Styrolacronitrile (SUN), a relatively new polymer material used in advertising technology, cuts well with a laser. Cutting quality is about average between acrylic and polystyrene.

Mirror and foil laminates are cut in the same way as the base material, but there are certain problems associated with the possibility of damaging the mirror layer. Much depends on the type and brand of metallized plastic, the method of applying the metallized layer and/or the protective layer of paint. In all cases, to reduce the probability of fire and damage to the mirror, a more intensive blowing of air is required. over it is often advisable to cut such laminates with the mirror layer upwards in order to avoid the mirror layer damage. Therefore it is desirable for each type of material to make test cuts.

Polycarbonate is not easily cut by the laser and only in small thicknesses, up to 1-2mm. Cut edges are mirror-brown, with pronounced burr and a distinctive periodic pattern. It is possible to cut polycarbonate honeycomb of 4-6mm thickness, but with very low quality of cut.

Laminated plastics. Textolite, Gethinax, etc.п. They are very poorly cut by laser and only of small thicknesses. This is largely due to the laminated structure of the material and the characteristics of the polymer binder used.

Polypropylene, Caprolon, etc. Cast polymeric materials, including.ч. Thermoset materials can be cut quite decently up to thicknesses of 5-10mm. But a great deal depends on the specific material brand and manufacturer. That is why test cuts are always necessary.

Fluoroplastic can be laser-cut, but only with very good extraction. The volumetric character of laser light absorption in fluoroplastic determines a very specific explosive character of the cutting process.

Facing plastics and thermoplastics. Most can only be cut at small thicknesses (up to 1-2mm). Cutting quality can be quite decent, but the labor intensive nature of the cut is great. Trial cuts in every batch of material are obligatory.

Foams and foams can be cut without problems. Cutting is possible with or without melting of the cutting edges. But when the material is very thick (over 20-25mm) the laser cut is very “barrel-shaped”, t.е. Cutting edges are no longer perpendicular. When cutting foam rubber, there are problems with internal stresses in the material that can lead to a distorted cutting contour.

Wood and veneer can be well cut up to 10-15 mm thick, depending on the type of wood. Intensive blowing is required to remove combustion gases. Pine, spruce, aspen, poplar cut well. Considerably worse than birch, much less beech or oak. The harder and denser the wood, the harder it is to cut. laser. Cutting behavior along and across fibers is different. A common problem is knots, which make it very difficult to obtain a perfect cut. Cutting edge light brown to almost black, slightly charred. The thicker and harder the wood, the darker the cutting edges.

Plywood. Good cuts up to 8-10 mm thickness. The cutting of plywood strongly depends on the type of wood, the glue and the processing. The best cut is desmossed softwood plywood. Birch plywood is cut worse. Plywood with formaldehyde resins is even worse. The cut surface is always dark. The cutting mode and quality of a particular type of plywood is determined experimentally.

laser, machine

Cardboard, foam board, paper, textiles cut well with a laser. Cutting edge is slightly yellowish or brownish. The problem with thin materials is their even laying and flatness. Cutting in several layers is hardly ever used, since.к. in this case it is extremely difficult to avoid the penetration of decay products between the layers and their contamination.

Leather can be cut well with a laser up to a thickness of 3-4 mm. Intensive blowing is required. The color and degree of charring of the cut edges is very dependent on the skin type. Test cuts are always necessary. Another problem. Even stacking on the cutting table surface.

Fiberboard and EPS are easy to cut with the laser up to a thickness of 8-10mm. But the characteristics of the material (type of bond, pressing density) vary greatly depending on its brand and specific manufacturer. That’s why it’s imperative that test cuts are made. The edge of the cut is even, light to dark brown, slightly charred. A heavy blast of compressed air is mandatory.

About Dreams, Laser Machines, Hard Truth and Hope. Part 1.

All who choose to read this post, I absolutely welcome! I’m warning you right away, so that you won’t think that I’m a spiteful advertiser who’s trying to promote his company. this post isn’t advertising or trying to get new customers 🙂 Everything written below is purely the author’s personal IMHO, his story and his thoughts, no more, no less 🙂

WARNING, lots of letters, pictures and explanations of topics that are not interesting to 99% of users, and worst of all, the POST DOES NOT INCLUDE CUTS!

First, a little about how it all started. Way back (well, it’s been three years) in 2014, I started thinking about buying a laser machine. The fact is that my friends have a small business and they constantly needed to cut paper, quality and at the same time. Small print runs (no more than 100 pieces). If someone is familiar with printing, he understands that the production of the same envelopes or postcards with carved patterns in the printing presses is done with the “punching”, that is ordered a special stamp, which looks like this (photo taken from the Internet, the authorship is not claimed):

With this technology you can produce a huge number of copies and very cheap, because the price of the stamp in the price of 10000 products becomes very low. BUT! When you have a print run of up to 100 products, the cost of making a stamp becomes very tangible and the products are “golden”.

My friends in the beginning tried to cut it by hand, but it was hell 🙂 It took 2 working days to make a batch of 80 pieces (envelopes). After another such order, and I was involved in that too (who will refuse a good beer) and the subsequent heated discussion the guys decided to buy a cutting plotter, this one:

Yes, in the beginning this seemed like a logical decision, especially the salesman assured me that this plotter would cut 300 g/m2 paper without any problems. storytellers 🙂 No, he certainly cut, but about the quality could safely forget. The explanation was simple enough. These plotters are designed primarily to cut self-adhesive film. In order to cut the paper, it had to glue it to a special plastic substrate with a special glue that is sprayed on the substrate from a spray can. As a result, the weight of the paper plus the weight of the substrate, plus weak rollers. All this led to the fact that during the cutting of long contours, when the plotter drags the sheet back and forth (just cutting an envelope) micro slippage occurred and the contour did not close. If you increase the pressure force of the paper. then the paper in the places where the rollers passed was so sticking to the substrate that when you try to remove the cut part, some of the paper remained on the substrate, in general. The product was going out of business 🙂

But in spite of all these shortcomings, the guys suffered, stabbed and continued to gnaw on the katkus continued to work on this cutting plotter. In the course of another beer party, we came to the conclusion that we needed a laser, and since they are creative guys, I will do it, and they will order the cutting from me. It was my infinite optimism or the amount of beer I drank, but I agreed to this scam and I GOT THERE 🙂

The first thing I did was to buy a ready laser machine, thanks to Aliexpress they are already actively traded. When I saw the price for a machine tool with a working area of 60×40 (smaller is not an option, the paper is like that, it requires space), I shed a man’s tear and began to think hard about building a home-built machine. On one of the forums dedicated to this case, I was advised that a man who brought from China ready-made kits, they say, just add water to the body and you will be happy with a laser machine, with an impressive operating field of 60×40 cm and for the ridiculous price of 700.

Well, risk is a noble thing and I decided to buy. Came to me really set, consisting of mechanics, mirrors, electronics and even a laser tube at 40W. With awe and awe I unpacked this miracle of Chinese thought, already anticipating how much money I would earn on this machine, because you can cut paper, plywood, acrylic, engraving, etc., etc! The Chinese and Russian salespeople won’t lie in their YouTube videos. The case was assembled, all the mechanics were placed inside and hurray, the first run. succeeded. Yes, yes, the machine worked right the first time and I could even set it askew with a twist, but it was fine-tuned (alignment of the mirrors so that the laser beam hits the exact center of the lens everywhere in the working field). And then the disappointment started. The kit was crappy. о. Not, it was more or less possible to cut plywood and acrylic and engrave on them very slowly and sadly. but this machine was not suitable for cutting paper. In order for the paper to cut without crumbling, that is, the cut was not darkened, you need to cut at maximum speed, the more. the better. I found out by experiment, much later, that good results are achieved at speeds of 150 mm/sec and higher. My machine gave at best speed of 60 mm / s and at the same time the cut was awful, in the places of rounding, changing the direction of motion of the head, there was a “herringbone” and other artifacts. Now I know that it was because the mechanical component was so bad that it could not give me the quality I needed. It was floppy, it rattled, it was crooked and slanted. And the most important thing was that I used a shaft on one side of the Y axis, and on the other side of the. just a roller that rode in the groove. Just so you understand, here’s a couple

  • High production speed: 500-700 mm/sec, depending on the technological process. Substantial time savings are achieved thanks to this.
  • All materials can be processed. Laser can process hard metals, thin paper, wood, corrugated cardboard, glass, stone, rubber, woven, nonwoven fabrics, etc.
  • Wide range of tasks to be performed. Equipment can be used for various technological processes: welding, drilling, marking, engraving. All these operations can be performed at one place, what excludes the necessity to purchase other equipment.
  • Clean technological process. No noise, dust, or other contaminants when making products with the laser. Personnel do not require personal protective equipment.
  • No need for finish machining. The edges of the part after laser treatment are perfectly flat and smooth. No finishing, sanding or polishing required.
  • High precision work. The diameter of the laser beam is very small, allowing to obtain contours of any, even complex shapes. Workpieces can be positioned close to each other on the material, which saves raw materials. High precision work is only possible with the experience of the operator.
  • No mechanical damage and defects on the surface after processing. The laser affects the material not mechanically, but thermally, and does not cause dross.

The advantages of this equipment are more than enough. And now let’s see what you can do with a laser CNC machine. This information will be useful for those who are looking for a reliable universal equipment to perform versatile tasks in metal, glass, wood and other materials processing.

What can be done on a laser machine

There are so many application possibilities, since this equipment is considered versatile in terms of manufacturing capabilities. They are most commonly used for the following tasks:

Cutting

Laser has long been used as a cutting material. In many industries it is used to cut materials. Machines are used in factories that produce compressors, packagings, containers, etc. They are indispensable in sewing shops, shoe shops, in manufacturing dentures.

  • Interior decorations;
  • Entrance doors, interior doors;
  • souvenirs;
  • parts for aviation, automotive, machine tools, furniture industry;
  • elements of outdoor or interior advertising;
  • wooden, cardboard puzzles, etc.

They can be used to cut any material of varying thickness.

engraving

The laser allows to receive accurate and clear inscriptions, images, which do not lose their decorative effect during the entire period of exploitation. They are impervious to water, abrasion, chemicals. The laser engraver is computer-controlled to produce sharp images with maximum detail. This technology is used in manufacturing:

  • souvenirs: watches, lighters, stationery, figurines, etc.;
  • jewelry;
  • stamps, seals;
  • leather accessories;
  • decorative items.

Both flat and three-dimensional surfaces can be engraved.

Marking

Like engraving, it allows to obtain clear, easy to read, indelible and non-erasable inscriptions. Marking equipment is compact and comes with specialized software with a large base of fonts. It is applied at manufacturing enterprises of various orientation.

Drilling

The laser beam produces perfectly flat and accurate holes of any diameter. They can be both through and into the material to the required depth. Laser drilling is widely used in radio electronics, clock manufacturing, jewelry manufacturing. It has proven itself in small detail work.

Welding

Laser welding is used to make strong, permanent joints on parts of any size and thickness. This technology is widely used in the manufacture of electronic products, instrumentation, watch, jewelry, electronics, mechanics, medicine and other industries.

LLS offers laser machine tools from HGTECH brand (Wuhan Huagong Laser Engineering Co.,Ltd). Equipment is available in a wide range of models, allowing you to select options for the upcoming work. All machines are new and certified. Orders are shipped to any region of Russia and abroad in the required quantity.

Our experts will tell you in more detail what to do on the laser machine, note the features of each process, the scope of application, working rules, provide related information. They will also help to find a suitable model for each customer. Call us or send us online inquiry.

What can be done with a laser engraving machine: engraving, laser cutting, imaging

Laser engraving is one of the most popular fields of materials processing today. The technology is successfully used in almost all areas. from needlework to mass industrial production. Laser engravers allow you to apply the selected image on any surface with the highest possible accuracy.

Modern laser engravers are CNC-controlled machines of mostly portal design. They differ depending on the initial power, the size of the working surface, the constructional features of the emitter and the mechanics of the process.

The following types of materials can be processed using a laser engraver:

  • All types of wood, including solid wood, plywood, veneer, etc.
  • Plastics such as PVC, acrylic, organic glass, etc. д.
  • Rubber.
  • Artificial and natural leather, textile.
  • Cardboard and paper.

An image is created on a chosen surface by a directed burning process at the point where the beam is focused. Due to the design of the device and technological features of the process when working with a laser engraver, processing of metal workpieces should be excluded. Work with such materials requires highly specialized equipment where power of emitters is much higher than in standard engravers designed for home and small batch production. Combustion of surface layers requires higher temperatures and additional treatment of workpieces with special matting compositions.

IMPORTANT! Use of CNC engraving laser machines allows to apply images in both vector and bitmap formats. The source can be any image made in monochrome, processed in a special editor supplied with the equipment.

As a rule, vector images, which include any inscriptions, trademarks, logotypes, etc., can be used as source for images. Can be printed on any material as requested by the customer. Raster images, which traditionally include portraits, landscapes, etc., is applied to special laminates, wood, plywood, etc. д. To apply the image had a high clarity and was readable, should properly select the material blanks.

CNC laser engraving machines can be equipped with several types of laser emitters:

  • LED. They are most often installed on models with low power, designed for home use and small-scale production. The optical power of the laser in this case rarely exceeds 15 W, so the list of usable materials for these devices is rather limited.
  • Gas. Power of such laser tubes is more than 40 W, which significantly expands the range of tasks that can be performed by such an engraver. Devices equipped with such a laser are suitable for use in mass and high-volume production.

The optical system of the machine consists of three mirrors, two of which are movable, and an output lens which changes the direction of the radiated beam and focuses it at the point set by the control program.

Engraver gantry and carriage are equipped with separate drive systems capable of providing the required operating speeds, acceleration capability if required and the highest possible accuracy of movements of the working head.

How long the machine can operate without interruption depends on the cooling system installed. Most often the laser tube is cooled by a water system which provides removal of the excess heat generated. The cooling system is included in the scope of supply.

Another design feature of a CNC laser engraver is the need to promptly remove the combustion products generated during operation of the device. Most engravers are equipped with high-powered blowers and exhaust fans. Their presence makes it possible to work with plastics and other plastics that emit toxins when heated. If your graver is not equipped with a smoke evacuation system. do not use it in workshops without a supply and exhaust ventilation system.