With a high gross of $3 Billion, the laser engraver market has been recently reigning in the customizable product sector. Laser engraver are predominantly being used in several industries due to their precision and potential. It’s versatile in many manners, benefitting SMEs and even industrial-scale units with minimal input.
There is a whole consumer ground that gravitates toward customization, whether it is the media industry, jewelry business, advertising, apparel, or label making. With every big to small business investing in the latest technology engravers, its overall market value is poised to see substantial growth.
Even though competitiveness in markets is fierce, there is an optimistic outlook for this industry due to the apparent global investments and demands. With that said, however, the best laser engravers are the ones that deliver the necessary results while being reasonably priced.
When it comes to a laser engraver machine being a long-term business investment, there are more in-depth factors to look at than just time efficiency and precision. Finding the ideal option can be a bit tricky. To help our readers gain a more comprehensive look into this. To help them ponder over what key points to keep in mind before narrowing in on a laser engraver, we have outlined some of them in our article below.
1. Laser Categories and Types
The first and foremost point is to delve into the types of engravers, depending on their workability. The basic working principle of all laser engravers is the same. Nevertheless, the most drastic difference between them is their output and the laser machine lens and how it operates. Here we are discussing the 3 major categories readily used and available.
a. Pulsed Laser
A pulsed laser is one that emits light in short bursts at a predetermined rate unless it is turned off. It fires an individual laser pulse with a duration of fewer than twenty-five seconds at regular intervals.
- These create a conduction cooling effect and better performance.
- They can generate high-peak power
- These do not require a lot of maintenance as pule light is being used to label the optical fiber.
Fiber optic laser engravers are relevant to this category. A shorter focal length and a shorter wavelength (1,060 nm) provide fiber-optic lasers with their increased power. In addition to their widespread usage for metal laser engravers, these are also often utilized on glass, wood, and other related materials. To understand a product related to it, we have mentioned a distinguished name below.
Metal Laser Engraving
In addition to their widespread usage for metal laser engravers, these are also often utilized on and other related materials，leather, plastics and rubber all fall under this category.
In this aspect, by making clients’ visions a reality, the ComMarker B4 30w fiber laser engraver advances engraving techniques. Its output power exceeds that of any other commercial fiber laser engraver. It uses a ‘Q-switched pulsed laser source’ and makes faster, more accurate engravings. It works well for engraving metals, leather, and plastics.
b. Continuous Lasers
Now moving on to the continuous lasers, when a laser constantly releases light, we refer to it as a continuous laser. It maintains a continuous state of activity. Distributions of particle count across energy levels inside the chamber are constant for this kind of laser. Therefore, it can work for a longer period of time.
- They work non-stop, causing it to heat up sometimes.
- Their maintenance is quite low.
- Their peak power is the average power of the laser.
- This laser has applications in engraving cutting, welding, and spectroscopy.
c. Ultrafast Lasers
The third category is the ultrafast laser. Instead of generating energy as a single, continuous ray (cw), ultrafast lasers produce a sequence of pulses. Every one of these pulses lasts less than a millisecond.
- They also show a high peak power.
- These have the ability to work at very high repetition rates, making them fast and consistent.
- These are pretty expensive and, thus, are not much employed widely in recent times.
- They have applications in multiphoton microscopy, biomedical imaging, and micromachining.
2. Engraving Material-Focused Laser Engraver Types
Apart from the type of laser source used, while buying a laser machine for your business, keep in mind the types of laser engravers depending on the material they engrave on and the quality of their etching. There are 3 basic types which are discussed further:
l CO2 Lasers
With medium power, these utilize Carbon dioxide to engrave on materials. It has impressive output capabilities, ranging between 30W – 200W generally. It utilizes carbon dioxide as a working substance to generate a laser beam to engrave on materials.
These show medium-level precision while engraving.
These are not ideal for etching on metals, however, they can be used to engrave on wood, fabric, and leather.
These are easy to operate.
They are affordable.
ComMarker CO2 Laser Marking Machine
Industry-leading CO2 Galvo Laser engraver and Marking System Different from fiber laser engraver machine ,CO2 laser marking machine adopt CO2 RF
l Fiber Lasers
As discussed previously, fiber laser engraver with high power output are some of the most widely employed lasers in the market.
Their biggest use is that they can be used to engrave on metals, leather, and plastic.
They show a high level and depth of precision.
These are expensive, but compared to industrial-scale lasers, they are considered affordable for small to medium-sized businesses.
ComMarker B4 can engrave on a series of materials such as aluminum, gold, stainless steel, chrome, fabrics, synthetic leather, ABS, Nylon, coated glass and wood etc.
ComMarker B4 – 20W/30W/50W/60W/100W fiber laser engraver&laser marking engraver machine
B4 fiber laser engraver 0.01mm Precision 15000mm/s Engraving speed 20W Laser power ComMarker B4 fiber laser engraver 0.01mm Precision 15000mm/s
l Diode Lasers
Lastly, we have laser engravers that employ diode lasers and are the least powerful ones among the three.
These utilize low power to operate.
They only engrave on a limited type of material, including wood and acrylic.
They show very low engraving precision
They are cheap.
Q1 Diode Laser Engraver
ComMarker Q1 True Industrial-grade 10W Diode Galvanometer Laser Engraver Portable & Affordable Industrial-Grade Application: Q1 diode laser engraver VS CO2
l UV Lasers
This laser emits a UV beam with a wavelength of 355 nm, placing it firmly inside the range of UV rays. These are often used for items made out of glass. They have a wide range of use since their use isn’t limited.
UV laser engravers may reach speeds of more than 500 mm/sec.
These are fast and efficient.
Semiconductors, glass, ceramics, polymers, and other delicate materials often benefit from their use.
These are precision-focused and make delicate engravings.
They are relatively expensive.
UV Laser Marking Machine
ComMarker UV Laser Marking Machine 📜Specification parameters: Air Cooling, Power: 3W/5W Size:350x650x720mm(13.78×25.59×28.35inch), Lens: 110mmx110mm(6.89×6.89inch), Weight: 50.71 lbs(23KG) 🤖ComMarker UV laser
3. Output Power
Another factor that plays a significant role in the performance of a laser engraver is its power output, which must be analyzed. It directly affects the utility of the engravings. With higher power, it can make deeper engraves. This is usually measured in watts, and an engraver that works between 25–80 Watts is ideal. However, this also has further measures to consider.
ComMarker is a great fiber laser as it offers a sequence of output powers ranging from 30 W to 100 W for various materials and speeds. It makes cuts at a precision of 0.01 mm.
- Continuous Power Output – It is considered one of the most important factors and helps make the design.
- Maximum Power Output – This is another crucial aspect as it determines the depth of the cut, especially in metals. It should be on the higher end of the range.
- Pulse Power Output – For non-industrial scale laser, a PPO of 5–50 Watts is considered top-notch.
4. Advanced Software
Talking about the software associated with laser engravers is a vital consideration. A variety of features should be relative to the software installed with the engraver to control as well as analyze its functions. This includes the highly convenient LightBurn software, which helps operate the laser engravers.
ComMarker B4 is compatible with LightBurn utilizes EZCAD 2 for pre-designs and offers step-by-step detail which should control the setting parameters. It allows users to fully control the engraving process and to speed it up as required for maximum productivity.
Vector Editing
One of the features that the software should have in-built is Vector editing. This easily enables creating or editing lines, curves, etc., and mapping on the respective material. This is ideally used to engrave logos etc.
3D Engraving
In modern times, 3D carving is made easy with professional accessories. It estimates and maneuvers through the topographical layers of the material and determines varying depths on engravings In this regard, EZCAD3 combined with a 3D machine can create high-quality 3D carvings.
Real-Time Monitoring
It should also have the ability to notify the user during various stages of the engraving process in real-time. This enables corrections without ruining the design.
Automation
In batch engraving, automation through the Software saves time and energy. This enables to create scripts that fully automate the engraving process.
5. Longevity
The amount of service hours a laser gives is one of its defining factors that should be considered. The ideal service life of a laser engraver usually falls between 5 and 8 years. This directly adds to the value of the device.
ComMarker B4 guarantees a lifespan of 10 years with minimum maintenance, making it an ideal long-term investment without many expenses.
6. Economic Considerations
The last thing to point out is the economic benefits the laser engraver offers to the user in order to become a buying choice. A laser engraver should be easy to use and affordable in order to be a hit.
Overall Value for Money
The first consideration is the initial cost of the device and If it falls under the affordability spectrum. Secondly, we need to consider the overall ROI it produced relevant to the products it created and its functioning cost such as energy consumption. If the laser creates products double its cost, then it’s worth considering and is a viable long-term investment.
Maintenance Cost
Next, we need to look at the maintenance cost due on the device. Cleaning, alignment, repairs, and service all come under this. It shouldn’t cost you much to keep the machine up and running. Being time-efficient can be another economic benefit that should be considered, as it directly improves revenue.
Concluding Note
Laser engravers are the rage as people’s attraction towards customizable goods has peaked. These are not only high revenue-generating machines but also improve the brand’s overall visibility. They can be a great investment for SMEs to expand and create unique products. Depending on the many factors mentioned above, we consider ComMarker B4 as an ideal Galvo Laser Engraver with variety in engraving, affordability, and efficiency. We hope this article contains all the information necessary to choose the best laser engraver for you.
