Laser/Engraver Help

[rherrell]

I want to start labeling my metal products with either an engraver or some kind of laser or etching process. I need to mark on all different kinds of steel and aluminum.

I need to label round stock (mostly 3/4" and 1/2") and flat stock, most of the lettering will be in the 1/8" - 1/4" range.

I currently have a Dremel electric hand engraver but I don't like it, I want to step it up a notch.

It has to be less than $1,000.

It doesn't need to do "art work" or logos, just letters and numbers.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jrista]

I purchased an Ortur Laser Master 2 last year. I have used it a number of times to do wood engraving. Once I got the hang of centering my designs and setting laser power, I've had a lot of success. One of the reasons I chose this particular engraver is it works on pretty much any material, including metal.

The one I bought, after some accessories and whatnot, cost me about $550 or so. There is a newer Laser Master 3 from Ortur, which is even faster at max speed (20,000mm/min) and has a 10W laser (that would be the actual laser power, as I understand it, not the input power). It is listed at $699.99 right now, pre-order as it was just released and is due to hit shelves soon.

Anyway, I think the LM2 would do fine for metal engraving, if you wanted to do any cutting you might want the LM3. Both of these have a large 400x400mm engraving area, which is probably more important for art. You might be able to get away with a much smaller engraver if all you need is small engravings.

 

[Aurelius]

Rick,
I'm in the process of researching lasers myself so here's what I can tell you.
You want a fiber laser. The gantry-style diode lasers operate at a wavelength that isn't ideal for metal and they are significantly under-powered for the task anyway. The next most expensive option is a CO2 which simply will not work as metal is reflective to the wavelength a CO2 operates at.
Fortunately or unfortunately, that brings you to a fiber laser. It's fortunate because a fiber will be bale to do exactly what you want and do it very quickly (go check the YouTube videos, they are impressive). The unfortunate part is that they are going to blow up your budget. I'm not an expert and I would definitely double check this but you might be able to get away with a 20W unit if all you are doing is small marking but, even then, you are looking at $2500-$3000.
If you are interested in exploring that option, please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to pass along the info I have gathered.

 

[Csteck00]

Good Afternoon Rick,
I ran across your post and thought I would share my experience with you. I have been engraving pens for a couple of years now. I started small with a NEJE and then graduated to an ORION (Chinese made Generic) 40 watt laser and have now moved up to a Glowforge. The Glowforge is a 40W CO2 laser and will not etch metal directly....I use a spray on coating that allows me to permanently mark metals, glass and ceramics. I tell you all of this to say that I am not an engineer by any sorts and I was looking for something that was browser based and not software platform specific. I want to spend as little time as possible learning a graphic design program and more time turning custom pens. The Glowforge has been my answer and has allowed me to up my engraving game significantly. When you look at the price, they ain't cheap. But they are a solid choice for our line of work. If you are interested, I can give you a link (as a GF owner I am provided a referral link from GF that I can share) that will provide you with a discount. Even if you don't want the link, I am happy to share with you in greater detail my research and some of my project results. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have.

best regards,
Chris

 

[KenB259]

I want to start labeling my metal products with either an engraver or some kind of laser or etching process. I need to mark on all different kinds of steel and aluminum.

I need to label round stock (mostly 3/4" and 1/2") and flat stock, most of the lettering will be in the 1/8" - 1/4" range.

I currently have a Dremel electric hand engraver but I don't like it, I want to step it up a notch.

It has to be less than $1,000.

It doesn't need to do "art work" or logos, just letters and numbers.

Thanks in advance.

For a living, I program 6000 watt lasers, we cut up to 1 inch thick steel on them. We will not etch on aluminum at all because the aluminum can reflect the beam back up into the machine causing thousands of dollars of damage in the blink of an eye. This is with CO2 lasers. Fiber lasers do not have this issue. If the small lasers are fiber, you'll be fine, I would shy away of CO2, for etching on aluminum.

 

[bsshog40]

I thought of an idea which may be a cheaper route. Maybe someone else will know more. My sister engraves tumblers. They make a product called Cermark. You're suppose to be able to apply this to metal tumbers and then laser your design on them. Not sure what power of laser is needed, but I wouldn't expect it to be a large expensive laser to do it.

 

[gimpy]

Check out the YoraHome
Great product and even better
Customer service

 

[showcaser]

You need a fiber laser.
My CO2 laser will engrave anodized aluminum. Brushed stainless steel can be done with cermark.
Fiber laser materials

What Material Can a Fiber Laser Engrave? - Negosentro

What Material Can a Fiber Laser Engrave? Fibre laser engraver, also known as fibre laser marking machine, is the best. Readb more

negosentro.com

CO2 Laser materials

What Materials Can a CO2 laser Engrave/Cut?

CO2 laser engraver & Cutter is pretty famous for the workshops conducting non-metallic fabric cutting and engraving work. The CO2 laser engraver is a superb weapon to advantage earnings due to its excessive efficiency, desirable precision, and full-size application. Many people are always con...

www.aeonlaser.net

You get what you pay for.
More money spent = easier the learning curve usually

 

[rherrell]

This is the model I'm leaning toward xTool D1 Laser Engraver

If anyone has this model I sure would appreciate your thoughts on it engraving steel.

THANK YOU to everyone who has commented, I've learned I have a lot of research to do!!!

 

[duncsuss]

Rick - I know that Jonathan Brooks @Brooks803 has a laser which he uses to engrave stainless steel fountain pen nibs, he might be able to offer some advice.

Also, Doug Thompson (of Thompson Lathe Tools) routinely engraves HSS tools and the tool handles he makes/sells. I've seen the laser unit he takes to shows so he can engrave handles but I don't remember the model (Epilog perhaps?) nor do I know if he uses the same one to engrave tool steel as he uses on handles. He's a very helpful guy, if you need more information I'm sure that he'd answer questions.

 

[rherrell]

Rick - I know that Jonathan Brooks @Brooks803 has a laser which he uses to engrave stainless steel fountain pen nibs, he might be able to offer some advice.

Also, Doug Thompson (of Thompson Lathe Tools) routinely engraves HSS tools and the tool handles he makes/sells. I've seen the laser unit he takes to shows so he can engrave handles but I don't remember the model (Epilog perhaps?) nor do I know if he uses the same one to engrave tool steel as he uses on handles. He's a very helpful guy, if you need more information I'm sure that he'd answer questions.

Thanks Duncan, I appreciate the help.

 

[Aurelius]

Rick - I know that Jonathan Brooks @Brooks803 has a laser which he uses to engrave stainless steel fountain pen nibs, he might be able to offer some advice.

Jonathon uses a MOPA fiber laser. I believe it's 20W but it might be 30W.

This is the model I'm leaning toward xTool D1 Laser Engraver

If anyone has this model I sure would appreciate your thoughts on it engraving steel.

THANK YOU to everyone who has commented, I've learned I have a lot of research to do!!!

I had one. Briefly. It is very well built, went together easily, and fit and finish was top notch. I ended up selling mine for two reasons. First, I was looking to engrave plastics and was told that it got very finicky having to adjust setting for every different material. Second, the main circuit board on mine was bad and so was the replacement they sent. I never actually got it running and just gave up and sold it for parts.

Be aware of a couple of things.

1. Despite the first inclination to believe the new 20W unit xTool just released is more powerful than the older 10W unit, the 10W is actually approximately the same power as the new one due to the 20W having almost twice the spot size.

2. Watch some videos of the machine actually working, it is not fast by any measure. If you have seen videos of a CO2 laser cutting wood, this is not that. It is most certainly not fiber speed. The time can be manageable if you set it to run and then go work on something else while keeping an eye on it, but when figuring out the value to a business, throughput matters. I mention this especially since engraving metal is going to be a lot slower than say wood and could require multiple passes. Obviously, the longer the machine is running, the higher the chance of something crashing/power failures/bumping the table/etc.

3. Be aware a laser of this type is not going to be able to actually engrave steel, you are going to need to use a product such as Cermark. In which case you are more fusing a dark material to the surface. It's actually closer to enameling than engraving. From what I understand, you will be left with a raised "bump" you can feel. I have read that it is pretty sturdy when done right, but it can also be chipped off if your settings aren't dialed in. The difference might not be a big deal, but you should be aware of it. Also, keep in mind, the Cermark is not cheap ($20 or so per spray can) so factor that in to any calculation of the lifetime cost of the machine.

 

[rherrell]

Thanks for the reply Mark, I appreciate it.

I've ruled out the diode laser, what I need is a fiber laser. The only problem is the price, $2,000 is where they start which is out of my league.

Does anyone know of a fiber laser for under $2,000?