[Nolan Yang]

Hello gstrong
1. may I ask how much power of your laser tube, and please don't set at 90~100% power, the laser tube will be broken quickly.
2. your machine also can install LasserCut software, but you also need to replace the mainboard as well.

I checked all the threads I could find, but still didn't come up w/ what I was looking for.

I have the IE400 50w Chinese/Ebay laser (CO2). It's advertised to be able to engrave anodized aluminum, but I can't seem to get it to engrave the metal itself. It will essentially engrave in the paint, but that's about it.

The software I got with it is RDWorks 8. I have the settings in there to a very slow "cut" (10mm/s) at 90-100% power, and it's still just engraving paint. Are my settings wrong?

My other question related to this, is - I have seen other people talk about LaserCut and how it's great software. is it possible to use that software with my laser, or are they all specific to a certain laser/brand?

Thanks a lot for any insight you can give!

[gstrong]

It's a 50 watt laser.

Hello gstrong
1. may I ask how much power of your laser tube, and please don't set at 90~100% power, the laser tube will be broken quickly.
2. your machine also can install LasserCut software, but you also need to replace the mainboard as well.

[Nolan Yang]

Have you solved the problems? usually, if you use 50 watt laser tube, I suggest 200~400mm/s and 20~30% power for engraving on anodized aluminum.

[gstrong]

Thanks Nolan. No I haven't solved this yet. For the settings you mentioned, would that be on the "cut" mode or the "scan" mode. I'm not sure if those terms vary by software, but essentially I can only use cut mode with vector images and if it's a jpg or png then I can only use the "scan" setting, which is essentially like a laser engraving version of an inkjet printer.

Have you solved the problems? usually, if you use 50 watt laser tube, I suggest 200~400mm/s and 20~30% power for engraving on anodized aluminum.

[cinematic2]

Thanks Nolan. No I haven't solved this yet. For the settings you mentioned, would that be on the "cut" mode or the "scan" mode. I'm not sure if those terms vary by software, but essentially I can only use cut mode with vector images and if it's a jpg or png then I can only use the "scan" setting, which is essentially like a laser engraving version of an inkjet printer.

Cut mode is for cutting, scan for engraving.
Normally you need RF laser to engrave on silver or bright color anodized alu.
You may succeed on black but Chinese DC laser is not good solution.

[ELaser]

Cut mode is for cutting, scan for engraving.
Normally you need RF laser to engrave on silver or bright color anodized alu.
You may succeed on black but Chinese DC laser is not good solution.

Bull****.

I have a friend with a desktop cheapo chinese fleabay laser, he put decent mirrors and lenses on it, and the only job it does is engrave anodised very light silver parts for RC machines.

RF vs DC is also bull****, they are just different ways of exciting the gas, glass tube laser doesn't use DC so much as PWM DC, once you excite the gas, it lases, the beam is then down to the gas mix and mirror quality, end of.

RF is slightly more efficient than DC as regards input power v beam power, and RF is pretty much the only way to get high powers, eg > 200 watt. commercially, eg what you can buy

RF is however several times more expensive to buy and maintain than a tube, and longevity isn't necessarily any bloody better, I have mates who own multi-kilowatt RF metal cutters, and they both get regassed and serviced every two years, and it is staggering sums of money.

RF is also lower precision to make than glass tube, and is safer (not HT) and is air cooled which is another complexity / cost saving, flipside is the RF electronics are complex and cost a bomb too.

RF beats DC hands down at short pulse performance eg lots of very fast very intricate work with lots of power changes and precise power control
DC beats RF hands down at sustained high powers

Going back to my mates with the multi kilowatt metal cutters, despite regassing and maintenance costs being astronomical, the serious money goes on the electricity bill and the cutting / assist gas bill

[cinematic2]

Wow! We have some new theories about CO2 lasers :-D
Unfortunately all you think to know is "second hand" pseudo-knowledge.
By the way, we DO NOT talk about multi-kilowatt lasers.