5 Min Read-15 Tips for Buying a Laser Engraving Machine
In this article, we'll cover some knowledge before buying a suitable laser engraving machine. Here we go:
- What are laser engraving machines?
- How does a laser engraving machine work?
- What is a laser engraving machine used for?
- How much does a laser engraving machine cost?
- Why is a laser engraving machine so expensive?
- How much does a small laser engraver cost?
- What are the types of lasers engraver?
- How long do laser engravers last?
- What is a fiber laser engraver?
- How does fiber laser engraver technology work?
- What materials can a fiber laser engraver?
- Can a fiber laser engraver work on glass or wood?
- Why choose a fiber laser engraver for metal engraving?
- How to choose the best laser engraving machines?
- Why GCC laser engraving machine?
What are laser engraving machines?
LASER is the acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser engraving is the process of subtractive manufacturing to engrave material surface using a laser beam. It is a non-contact process, as the high heat and energy of laser melts and vaporizes the area where you are aiming the laser beam at.
Finally, it leaves a permanent mark on the surface, usually used to create an image of the material. With graphic software and parameter, laser engraving can produce amazing effects, such as photo or 3D engraving.
How does a laser engraving machine work?
A CO2 laser works by electrically stimulating the molecules of a carbon dioxide gas mixture. When focused through a lens, this invisible intensive beam can vaporize many materials. Depending on the speed and intensity of the beam, CO2 laser can be used to engrave a wide variety of materials.
For customers, it is fairly easy to operate the laser system for engraving and cutting, similar to the way your paper printer prints. You can install most kinds of graphics software in the Windows system, such as CorelDraw, to design the graph you need. Set the page size to the same as the plaque, trophy, or other objects you will be engraving, and print it to the laser. With adjustable speed settings from 0.1% to 100%, power settings from 1% to 100%, and dpi settings of up to 1000, the engraver will print with as much depth and detail as you need.
There are two ways how a laser engraver works; one is raster, and the other is vector. Raster is like a high clarity lattice printing, where the laser head scans left to right, engraving a series of dots one line at a time, then moves back and forth to carve as many lines as needed to make up a full-page picture or characters. Different from raster, vector proceeds on the outline of the characters. We usually use this model for cutting materials, like woods, acrylic, and paper, or marking on the surface of them.
What is a laser engraving machine used for?
The versatility of laser system means that it works on many materials, including wood, acrylic, plastics, stone, metals, etc. In particular, it is a great tool to add numbers, logos, images, and serial numbers to parts. Laser engraving is today a technology commonly used for producing promotional products like pens, signs, and displays, which makes laser engraving suitable for a variety of industries, such as signage and advertising, personalization and identification, gifts and promotions, post-press, apparel, and electronics industries.
One of the most noticeable applications is customization which is popular nowadays, like a wedding ring with a name on it. It is more effective than traditional engraving for small objects.
In the apparel industry, it is most common to use laser machines to directly engrave customized patterns on materials. It is also applied to heat transfer vinyl, especially thick or stretchable materials. The laser engravers cut quickly and accurately, thus replacing the traditional cutting method.
Find out more on our Applications.
How much does a laser engraving machine cost?
Laser engraving machines are widely used in various engraving and cutting jobs because of the smooth cutting surface, fast cutting speed and high precision, especially in industries that have higher standards and requirements for cutting speed and accuracy. However, when buying a laser machine, people are likely to be confused as to which laser engraving machine to choose and what the price of the machine is.
It is difficult to give a simple answer as it depends on your needs or what kind of work you want to accomplish? Before starting all projects, you first need to consider the material you want to process and its production volume, and then you determine the specs you desire for the machine, such as the type of laser, wattage, and working area size. Different types of laser engraving machines have different functions and applications. Generally, the greater the wattage and work surface, the higher the cost.
Another thing to consider when buying a laser engraver is the cost of maintenance. The amount of cleaning required for machine maintenance depends on the materials used. Sometimes mirrors or lenses need to be finely cleaned, and the machine may also need to be realigned. Regular maintenance and cleaning help avoid consuming too much time and interrupting the company's production line. There is also the after-sales service, which may incur labor and parts costs when necessary.
With all of these having been taken into account, you just need to contact us, and we will help you choose the right model that suits your needs.
Why is a laser engraving machine so expensive?
The price of a laser engraving machine varies widely from one model to the next. There are some low-cost and self-assembled units available at US$100-300, but the limited efficiency and laser power can only handle paper or the surface of wood and plastic. However, there are some high-quality units that cost dozens of times or even more. This massive difference in equipment cost is reflected by the significant difference in machine quality, functionality, and performance.
High-quality laser engravers typically consist of durable components that do not break down easily and powerful lasers that cut through a variety of materials precisely and quickly. High-quality laser engravers use software that is compatible with many programs, making them highly versatile. Finally, it has a comprehensive warranty and service package that protects you from equipment malfunctions and breakdowns (usually lower-cost laser engravers are not provided with warranty and service and eventually given up).
While it may be tempting to buy the most inexpensive laser engraving machine so you can spend the least money on your latest beloved project, perhaps a more expensive machine is a wise investment for you in the long run. Investing more money into a higher-quality unit means longer service life and smaller maintenance costs, both of which will lead to lower overall equipment costs.
Regarding the high-quality laser engravers, you just need to contact us, and we will help you choose the right model that suits your needs.
How much does a small laser engraver cost?
Small laser engraving machines do not take up much space and therefore have a large market in DIY & hobby users, personalization, and education market. Small laser engraving machines in the market vary in quality and price. The price of laser cutting machine is often determined by the laser brand, laser power, servo motor, laser head and other configurations. Of course, a more affordable system is by default less functional and perhaps less reliable, and the output quality does not always satisfy most people.
One thing to remind you is to consider practical needs rather than price when choosing laser equipment. There are a few factors to determine the suitable laser equipment for you, such as what materials you want to process, what you want the equipment for, and the quality you expect, etc.
What are the types of lasers engraver?
By laser source, the laser engraving machines developed by GCC LaserPro come with CO2 lasers or fiber lasers.
● CO2 lasers
- CO2 lasers are gas lasers that emit infrared radiation and the most common and widely used laser sources with a wavelength of about 10.6 μm (infrared), which is currently the highest power laser in the world. High-power CO2 laser engraving machines are usually used for industrial applications, while low-power ones are used for commodity processing and engraving.● Fiber lasers
- With a wavelength of 1,060 nm and a smaller focal length, fiber lasers are about ten times more intense than CO2 lasers. They are suitable for metal processing and widely used for identification and equipment traceability, such as the numbering or marking of metal parts; in addition, they are also commonly used in industrial technology for equipment cleaning, such as removing rust, paint stains, oxides, etc.
Laser engravers can also be distinguished into X-Y table and Galvo laser systems by processing structure; the main difference between the two is how the laser beam moves for engraving and cutting.
● X-Y table
– The laser beam is reflected by a series of fixed mirrors, directed through a focusing lens, and projected vertically from the laser head on the surface of the material. The laser head cooperates with the slide rail of the X and Y axes and directly moves for processing. The maximum working areas for X-Y table are defined by the size of the machines; i.e., the larger the machine, the larger the working area. In addition, the X-Y table can deal with thick materials.● Galvo laser systems
– The laser beam is rapidly moved back and forth by two reflected mirrors driven by the constant vibrations of a motor, and the beam is irradiated on the processed object with high speed, high precision, and repeatability. The size of the working area is determined by the reflection angle and focal length of the optical element and is usually limited to a working area of up to 300 mm x 300 mm.
How long do laser engravers last?
There is no actual data on how long a laser engraving machine can last, but it is certain that regular and diligent maintenance of the machine as recommended in the user manual will extend the service life of the machine. This not only keeps your laser engraving machine up and running, but also saves you the cost and time of repairing the machine.
Check this article "The Suggestions for Laser Machine Maintenance", which provides 5 basic maintenance tips below to ensure stable and reliable high quality output and extend the life of your machine.
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1. Cleaning the Worktable and Motion System
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2. Lubrication of the X/Y Rail System
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3. Cleaning the Mirrors
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4. Cleaning the Focal Lens
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5. Cleaning the Exhaust Duct
What is fiber laser engraver?
Fiber laser and CO2 laser both project high energy beam on object, and the difference lies mainly in the wavelength of the laser source. Metals absorb the wavelength of fiber laser pretty well, and that makes fiber lasers suitable for metal processing. The working area of most fiber lasers is relatively limited. For this particularly, GCC LaserPro developed a full table size production engraver, which yields spectacular engraving results thanks to the design of the X-Y table.
In addition to S290LS, the S400 and Spirit GLS Hybrid which accommodate concurrently CO2 and fiber dual laser sources produce excellent output quality and allow for a wide range of materials to be processed. No matter it is a font or graphic design, a mark on a plastic surface, or a barcode on the metal tool, you will be satisfied with all the results that come from them.
How does fiber laser engraver technology work?
Fiber lasers use rare-earth-doped fiber as an active gain medium to produce short pulses with high peak power. Fiber laser engraving with high peak power vaporizes material easily to make a clear and visible engraving on the material. Fiber laser with short pulse makes heat-affected zone smaller to reduce over-burning at the edge area of materials during engraving.
What materials can a fiber laser engraver?
You can use fiber laser engravers on a wide range of metals, including stainless steel, copper, iron, nickel, aluminum, brass, and many more. Some materials, like plastics (ABS, PBT, Silicon, ABS, PS), synthetic leathers and carbon fiber, are also suitable for fiber laser engraving.
Can a fiber laser engraver work on glass or wood?
Transparent glass does not absorb the wavelength of fiber laser, and that’s why fiber laser does not work on glass. In some special cases, fiber laser is used on certain glasses with a special surface coating, which makes it engravable with fiber laser. However, the actual result still depends on the glass and its surface treatment.
If you need to process wood, CO2 laser is recommended, since it is good at producing lifelike images and fine text processing on wood. Wood does absorb the wavelength of fiber laser, but it does not produce the effect and efficiency as perfect as CO2 laser.
Why choose a fiber laser engraver for metal engraving?
If you want to engrave metals, a fiber laser engraver delivers exceptional performance. A typical fiber laser engraver works at a wavelength of 1.064 micrometers. It produces an extremely small focal diameter (resulting in intensity up to 100 times higher than a CO2 system) and offers a better beam quality due to its light guiding properties, making it the ideal choice for permanent marking of serial numbers, ID codes, barcodes, and graphics on metals. Furthermore, by adjusting the laser beam, the color of the surface of the material can be changed to achieve a special color decoration effect.
How to choose the best laser engraving machines?
Laser engraving machine is widely used for various applications and lots of laser engraving machines are available in the market. So, the question is how to choose the right laser engraving machine. There are some points to be well considered:
● Determine what materials you want to engrave.
As we talked about in the previous paragraph, CO2 laser machines cannot process reflective and conductive materials like the fiber laser can. Therefore, a CO2 laser engraving machine can engrave almost anything, wood, cardboard, rubber, leather, plastic, marble, tile, glass, etc. In the case of fiber laser engraving machine, it can handle all kinds of metals, as well as some non-metallic materials such as silicon, plastics, polymers and ceramics.● Check the specifications carefully
In order to match your engraving materials and applications, it is important to realize the specifications of the laser engraver you are looking for.▶ Table Size:
The laser engravers on our list come with different table size, which is important when it comes to what you want to engrave. The machine's table size determines how big a piece of material you can fit in the machine to cut or engrave. A bigger table allows you to engrave larger pieces and even if you're doing something small, like engraving on a golf ball, a bigger bed allows you to engrave multiple pieces with jigs in one run, instead of one at a time.
Add-ons for some units are available to create a larger workspace, but most units have a fixed size. For better efficiency, GCC LaserPro laser engravers feature ‘Pass-through Front to Rear Doors’, a design with doors on both ends to accommodate extremely long working pieces such as paddle or baseball bat. If your object has a certain height, you have to check out the Z-axis movement. It is recommended to choose GCC LaserPro laser engraver system, which has a minimum 790x530 mm workspace for you to load the material and the Z-axis depth is up to 165 mm.▶Throughput:
With excellent engraving effects in mind, pay attention to the working speed of the machine. More profits can be realized in a short period of time when working with high-speed laser engraving machines. If you choose a laser engraver with larger table size, a matching speed must be chosen too. Otherwise, you may have to wait for a while to complete the job when there is a lot of engraving to and the table is totally occupied.
The strength of the laser is measured in Watts. Higher watts allow you to engrave faster and deeper. Choose the appropriate laser power according to the material to be processed. For some materials, such as acrylic, double-color plates, etc., higher watts are not required, but for other harder materials such as stone and wood, higher watts are required for excellent working performance.▶ Workspace:
The size of machine is also one of the factors you need to consider when choosing a laser engraving machine. In addition to the multiple models of laser engraving machines for you to choose from, the most special feature of GCC LaserPro is the dual-laser design, which is not only space-saving but more flexible than a single tube laser machine in material application.
● Safety Considerations
No one takes environmental protection and safety more seriously than GCC. From the selection of materials to the inspection of the finished product, the quality is verified at every level to comply with the European environmental regulations RoHS and meet the Pb-free requirements. GCC is ISO 9001:2000 certified, which recognizes GCC's efforts to continuously develop and manufacture products with world-class quality standards.
Safety is the key to the development of GCC LaserPro laser engraving machines that comply with Class I, II, 2006/42/EC and Class 4. In addition to avoiding laser damage and protecting the user himself. For example, an eye-catching, red emergency button is provided to stop the machine upon activation at the first possible moment when an emergency happens and the user has to stop the machine immediately for everybody’s safety; and a key switch is added to keep the machine from unauthorized use.
Why GCC laser engraving machine?
(1) Global GCC LaserPro customer service
— GCC LaserPro has over 200 distributors in more than 80 countries/regions around the world, as well as a sophisticated service network. You can always count on local GCC LaserPro distributors for fast technical support.(2) Experienced and reliable manufacturer
— Established in 1989, GCC has accumulated extensive R&D experiences in optics, mechanics, electronics, software, laser applications and color and image processing. GCC has a strong emphasis on R&D with one-third of employees involving in research and owns many key technologies which makes GCC a leader internationally in visual-tech industry.(3) Stable laser tube
— the laser tube is the soul of a laser system. The GCC LaserPro laser engraver is equipped with the most reliable, long-life laser source with superb beam quality and stable laser output. Quality and performance are always our goal.(4) Total solution
— GCC LaserPro not only offers a full range of features in a laser system, but also provides various options, including air compressors, odor reduction systems, honeycomb tables and software. You have one-stop shopping with GCC LaserPro.(5) Complete product range
— From 12 Watt to 200 Watt laser source options, 11.8”x 8.3”to 51”x 35” working area size, 20ips to 140ips engraving speed, GCC LaserPro offers you versatile and complete laser system choices.(6) Perfect GCC LaserPro drivers and firmware control
— GCC LaserPro drivers and firmware control laser pulsing precisely and present superb engraving and cutting output quality.(7) Global Resource, Worldwide Advantage
— GCC LaserPro builds laser engravers with global resources and advantages, including DC servo motors, linear systems from Japan, laser tubes and optics from the U.S., electronics and professional manufacturing capability from Taiwan, worldwide branch offices (America, China, and Europe) and local distributors network support. GCC LaserPro provides you unprecedented value and outstanding performance.