[Tom Said]

Hi, this is my first post, I have read a lot of discussion and gain a lot, thank to all members of this great forum.

I am new bee in laser engraving. I am planning to use CO2 laser engraving into my new business of advertising, photo engraving and making souvenirs. I will be dealing with non metal materials. The confusion that come to me is how to select good manufacturer, model, required accessories. I have a budget of 5000-6000 US $. I want laser engraving machine with work area of 1200mm by 900mm or close to. My thought goes to 100w Machine. My work will be very slow in the beginning and will grow after. I prefer machine that can make also 3D engraving.

Please help me by your advice for good manufacturer, required accessories and spare for my business. One manufacture suggest the following for 100w laser machine :

1. Electric up and down table
2. Honey comb work table ( the honey comb worktable is made get together with the electric up down table)
3. Water chillier: CW6000
4. Auto-focus
5. Red dot position
6. Air pump
7. USB data transfer files offline/online
8. Irregular rotary clamp
9. Regular rotary clamp.
10. servo motor
11. Spare parts: laser tube, Focus lens, Reflection lens

Is this a good suggestion?.

Your help pls.

[cinematic2]

No, it isn`t.
Budget of 5000-6000 US $ is too low for reasonable machine such size and options.
Much too low.
Of course you may buy a piece of s***t like XYZ (EXLAS) but you will loose your money, time and health.
We did it some time ago. Never more.

[TurbineJesse]

I know through G.Weike you can get the same machine I'm working on ordering, the LC1290 (1200 x 900mm) with all those accessories(with the exception of servos), 80w tube (perhaps even 100w), plus CW5000 chiller, for under $6k. Check them out, many people have had good success with them over the years. Contact them for prices. I've got them here, but out of respect, I wont post them. As soon as I can get my shop all ready to go, I'll be ordering! :-)

Oh... and I'd suggest really reading through the forum posts here. All of your questions have actually been answered many times. Also check over at http://www.sawmillcreek.org/forum.php, lots of invaluable information is there too.

[Melody-gweike]

Hi, Tom,

If you mainly focus on engraving, servo motor is not suggested. Because servo motor only plays good role with the match of ball screw, and this match is only good at cutting. The engraving result of the machine with servo+ belt is not better than step+ belt in engraving, even worse. Servo is incompatible with rotary.

Also servo motors cost much. If you would like to control the cost within your budget then you'd better give up that.

Melody

[cinematic2]

Hi Melody.
I really appreciate what you do here, helping people to find a way.
But this time you are completely wrong.
Servos just "plays good role" in engraving, not cutting.
This is why real laser machines works with servos.
But servo motors must cooperate with appropriate RF laser to reach all of its possibility.
Just be honest and declare "Our Company makes good machines but without servos because using expensive servos with chinese glass lasers is usless"

Regards
Wojciech

[Tom Said]

Thank you all for your comments

Any suggestion for the accessories especially for my intended use.

Do you think such configuration will be good for quality photo engraving.

Can I use it for 3D engraving.

Thanks again.

[Melody-gweike]

Hi, Wojciech,

Thanks for your reply.

The topic around " servo " is quite large.

I just meant with our servo, engraving is not good as cutting.

In China, we use AC servo, while you use DC servo. DC servo has quite a faster starting speed than AC servo, it is suitable for fast speed work. AC servo is not suitable for belt enraving.
So not only the glass tube reason. We have RF tubes also.

Our belt+ stepper's engraving result is good too. If you focus on faster speed, you can upgrade to German stepper.

We have servo+ ball screw for cutting, it can cut acrylic up to 30mm and quite well. I think that is also the advantage of Chinese laser.

Melody