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Wood laser engraving has recently gained a strong position in various manufacturing industries — from advertising productions and souvenirs to children’s toys, as it is a way to quickly and efficiently apply high-precision contrast images and inscriptions on solid wood, plywood, veneer, MDF, chipboard, cardboard and any other wood materials.
In this article, we will tell you what a laser wood engraving machine is, what its advantages are, where it can be used and how to choose such equipment correctly.
Top 5 Wattsan wood laser engravers
The Wattsan plant produces laser engravers for wood for any tasks — from desktop models to large-format ones. A distinctive feature of Wattsan laser machines is that all models are designed for round-the-clock uninterrupted operation, since all the requirements for the machines listed above in this article are taken into account.
We have selected the 5 best models designed for laser engraving of wood.
Wattsan 0503, desktop
| Work area | 500 x 300 mm |
| Tube power | 60W |
| Max engraving speed | 700 mm |
| Dimensions | 650 mm * 1040 mm * 575 mm |
Wattsan 0503 is designed specifically for laser engraving of wood and cutting thin wood materials up to 6 mm thick.
This desktop machine is designed specifically for high-quality detailed and clean engraving, therefore it is equipped with a short-focus lens to obtain the smallest size of the laser spot diameter and an expanded nozzle so that combustion products do not get nailed to the surface of the material during operation.
The minimum size of the readable engraved letter: 1×1 mm. The positioning accuracy is 0.03 mm.
Wattsan 0503 is designed for continuous round-the-clock loads at maximum speeds. This is achieved due to the frame structure, the body thickness of 2.9 mm, reinforced portal and linear guides PMI 15 mm.
The working field is lowered by 200 mm, which allows you to connect a rotary device for engraving cylindrical objects, such as glasses. Also, the lowering table allows you to engrave large objects of different sizes — helmets, ready-made caskets and other dimensional objects.
A special hole in the housing at the level of the working field allows you to work with material of unlimited length, stretching it through.
The machine is as universal as possible and is suitable for engraving and cutting wood, wooden blanks and many other materials up to 500×300 mm in size.
Wattsan 0503 features
- Working field size: 500×300 mm;
- Power: 60W;
- Laser tube service life: 7000 hours;
- Engraving speed: up to 700 mm/s;
- Accuracy: 0.03 mm.
- Price: from $1700 in the basic configuration
Advantages of Wattsan 0503:
- Compact, desktop engraver;
- High resolution engraving;
- The table is lowered by 200 mm;
- Installation of a rotary device is possible;
- Frame structure;
- The housing thickness and the width of the guides as on large machines;
- Through table.
Cons of Wattsan 0503:
- Poorly suited for cutting materials thicker than 6 mm;
- The table lowering mechanism is not automatic, but manual;
- No waste collection compartment;
- No potentiometer.
Wattsan 6040, reinforced desktop laser machine
| Work area | 600 x 400 mm |
| Tube power | 80-90W |
| Max engraving speed | 500 mm |
| Dimensions | 765 mm * 1165 mm * 600 mm |
Wattsan 6040 is an analog of Wattsan 0503, only with a larger working field size and a more powerful laser tube. The size of the working field of Wattsan 6040 is 600×400 mm, compared to 500×300 for Wattsan 0503, and the tube power is 80-90 watts versus 60 watts.
This increases the processing area and the cutting potential. This laser wood cutting machine already cuts up to 8 mm of material, that is, it is better suited for combined tasks than the low-end Wattsan 0503 model. The Wattsan 6040 laser engraver is an improved model with a wider scope of application. In addition, the laser tube lasts longer by 500 hours compared to the Wattsan 0503 model.
The Wattsan 6040 wood laser engraver is suitable for both hobby and home workshop, as well as for business as an auxiliary or main tool.
The Wattsan 6040 wood engraver is also equipped with a lowering table, the lowering depth is 200 mm. You can install a rotary device or process volumetric work pieces.
With other features, this model is similar to the Wattsan 0503 machine: it also has a special expanded nozzle for proper blowing during engraving and a short-focus lens for obtaining the most detailed images and inscriptions. Both machines are equipped with the latest model of the RuiDa 6445G controller, software with a simple but functional RD Works interface is supplied with the machine.
Wattsan 6040 features
- Working field size: 600×400 mm;
- Power: 80-90 W;
- Laser tube service life: 7500 hours;
- Engraving speed: up to 700 mm/s;
- Accuracy: 0.03 mm.
- Price: from $1900 in the basic configuration
Advantages of Wattsan 6040:
- Compact, desktop engraver;
- Increased power;
- Increased size of the working field;
- It has a side hole in the housing and a protective casing for installing a more powerful tube;
- Through table 600 mm wide.
Cons of Wattsan 6040:
- Poorly suited for cutting materials thicker than 8 mm;
- The table lowering mechanism is not automatic, but manual;
- No waste collection compartment;
- No potentiometer.
- The table lowering mechanism is belted.
Wattsan 6090 LT, universal laser machine for wood
| Work area | 900 x 600 mm |
| Tube power | 80-90W |
| Max engraving speed | 700 mm |
| Dimensions | 1030 mm * 1490 mm * 670 mm + 315 mm (if on its wheels) |
This model is one of the most popular in the Wattsan line of machines, as it has a fairly large working field, while it is ideal for both cutting and laser engraving of wood.
Versatility is achieved due to the medium-focus lens, which is well suited for both tasks – laser cutting and laser engraving of wood. Wattsan 6090 LT is equipped with a nozzle with a reduced diameter, due to which, having the same laser tube power as the Wattsan 6040 model, this model cuts through thicker materials up to 13 mm thick. In addition, the service life of the laser tube has also been increased to 10,000 hours.
The working field of 600×900 mm allows processing already larger sheets of material. And the chain mechanism allows you to lower the worktable by 160 mm, which makes it possible to work with large work pieces and also allows you to install a rotary device for working with cylindrical objects. Through the through table, you can stretch material of any length, up to 900 mm wide. The internal reinforcement frame makes the machine stable and eliminates vibrations.
The RuiDa 6445G controller is the latest model, one of the most popular and reliable controllers on the market. RD Works software works with all major formats: PDF, PLT, DXF, PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, AI, DST and others.
Wattsan 6090 LT features
- Working field size: 600×900 mm;
- Power: 80-90 W;
- Laser tube service life: 10000 hours;
- Engraving speed: up to 700 mm/s;
- Accuracy: 0.03 mm.
- The price of Wattsan 6090 LT: from $ 2600 in the basic configuration. Wattsan 6090 LT has an automatic chain mechanism for lowering the table by 160 mm. If you need a similar model with a static table, pay attention to Wattsan 6090 ST.
The Wattsan 6090 LT has an automatic chain mechanism to lower the table by 160 mm. If you want a similar model with a static table, look at the Wattsan 6090 ST.
Advantages of Wattsan 6090 LT:
- Universal model, suitable for both engraving and cutting;
- Cuts wood up to 13 mm thick;
- Increased laser tube life – 10000 hours;
- Through table 900 mm wide;
- The working table is lowered by 160 mm;
- Chain mechanism for lowering the table;
- Frame structure;
- Reinforced portal;
- Potentiometer for fine manual power adjustment;
- Waste collection chamber.
Cons of Wattsan 6090 LT:
- For some tasks, the 600×900 mm working field may not be enough;
- It is desirable to work with a chiller;
- Other machine owners will envy you.
Wattsan 1610 Duos ST, 2-head laser machine
| Work area | 1200 x 900 mm |
| Tube power | 100-120W |
| Max engraving speed | 700 mm |
| Dimensions | 1410 mm * 1790 mm * 670 mm + 315 mm (if on its wheels) |
Wattsan 1610 Duos ST is an unprecedented leader in the speed of laser wood engraving. It speeds up the process twice, as it is equipped with two laser tubes and two working heads that work simultaneously.
This machine is often used in large-scale production, since such a design is very profitable – the machine manages to do twice as much work at the same time. At the same time, it is used not only for laser engraving of wood, but also for laser cutting of all materials that are suitable for cutting with a CO2 laser.
The working field is conditionally divided in half and each laser head works on its own half of the field, performing work synchronously. Working field size – 1600x1000mm. If you need to do the work in full size, in the RD Works program, which is supplied with the machine, you can turn off one laser head and perform the necessary action.
Even with such large dimensions, this laser wood engraving machine provides for amazing accuracy: it is able to engrave readable letters with a size of 1.5 x 1.5 mm.
The power of each laser tube is 100-120 watts, which allows you to cut through up to 13 mm of material in the case of laser cutting. The service life of laser tubes is 10,000 hours, which is about 5 years when using the machine for 8 hours during a five-day working week.
The machine has a static table, so the maximum thickness of the material that fits on the working table is 40 mm.
There is also a through hole of the table on this model, so you can stretch any material up to 1600 mm wide to any length. And this width allows you to work with almost any materials.
Wattsan 1610 Duos ST features
- Working field size – 1600x1000mm;
- Power: 100-120 W;
- Laser tube service life: 10000 hours;
- Engraving speed: up to 600 mm/s;
- Accuracy: 0.03 mm.
- Price: from $3700 in the basic configuration
Advantages of Wattsan 1610 Duos ST:
- Accelerates production twice;
- Powerful laser tubes;
- Laser tube service life is 10000 hours;
- Suitable for both cutting and engraving;
- A through table with a width of 1600 mm allows you to process most standard sheet materials without pre-cutting;
- Reinsurance of the production process: if one laser tube or working head fails for some reason, the second one will continue to work.
Cons of Wattsan 1610 Duos ST:
- Non-lowering working table;
- A sufficiently powerful chiller is needed to work;
- Consumes more electricity;
Wattsan 2030 FlatBed, large-format laser engraving machine
| Work area | 3000 x 2000 mm |
| Tube power | 100-120W |
| Max engraving speed | 500 mm |
| Dimensions | 2400 mm * 3750 mm * 800 mm |
The main advantage of the wide-format Wattsan 2030 FlatBed is the size of the working table 2000×3000 mm — such a working field allows you to work with almost any sheet material without its preliminary cutting. It is enough just to lay the material on the working field and start working. This advantage gives a wide scope in the manufacture of particularly large products: wall maps, engraved paintings, multilayer paintings made of cardboard, advertising structures and three-dimensional letters.
Most often this machine is used in advertising production, as well as for cutting material.
The power of the laser tube is 100-120 watts, and its service life is 10000 hours. Even with such a large working field, the accuracy of the Wattsan 2030 Flat Bed repositioning is 0.03 mm, and the detail remains at a high level thanks to the developments of Wattsan engineers — they paid special attention to the machine body so that it remains stable even during heavy loads.
The laser tube is fixed on the portal and moves with it. This technical solution was adopted to reduce the length of the optical path. This way the laser scatters less and works more efficiently.
The working table is static, so the maximum thickness of the material is 40 mm.
Also, like all Wattsan machines, this model is equipped with a RuiDa 6445G controller. RD Works software is easy to master. The main formats that the machine works with: DXF, JPEG, PNG, AI, BMP, PLT, GIF.
Wattsan 2030 Flat Bed features
- Working field size: 2000×3000 mm;
- Power: 100-120 W;
- Laser tube service life: 10000 hours;
- Engraving speed: up to 500 mm/s;
- Accuracy: 0.03 mm.
- This is not the whole range of Wattsan laser engraving machines for wood. See the full catalog on our website or contact the Wattsan manager for advice.
- Price: from $5300 in the basic configuration
Advantages of Wattsan 2030 FlatBed:
- It can work with dimensional blanks and sheet materials without preliminary cutting;
- Suitable for both cutting and engraving;
- A portal-type machine, this reduces the divergence of the laser beam, which improves the quality of work;
- It has compartments for collecting cutting waste;
- Three-phase stepper motors with belt gears.
Cons of Wattsan 2030 FlatBed:
- It is more difficult to adjust due to the large size of the working field;
- Requires a place in the shop corresponding to the dimensions;
- Non-lowering working table;
- Due to the large size of the working field, the maximum speed is reduced to 500 mm/s by Wattsan design engineers to reduce vibrations and inertial impacts during operation.
- with static table (labeled ST), handle materials up to 40 mm thick,
- with automatic table lowering chain mechanism (labeled LT), table lowering depth 160 mm.
What is a wood laser engraver and where can it be used?
To understand what a laser wood engraver is, first you need to briefly understand its design. The heart of a laser engraving machine for wood is a laser emitter — a special glass multi-contour flask filled with a mixture of gases: nitrogen, helium and carbon. It is carbon that is the main gas in laser emitters of this type, therefore they, like the machines themselves, are called CO2 laser machines.
CO2 laser machines can not only engrave, but also cut wood up to 20 mm thick and plywood up to 25 mm thick.
Wood laser engraving occurs due to computer numerical control, abbreviated as CNC. The brain of the machine, the controller, moves the laser head to the necessary coordinates of the working field at a given speed and activates the laser emitter at a given percentage of power at the right time.
Wood laser engraving occurs due to computer numerical control, abbreviated as CNC. The brain of the machine, the controller, moves the laser head to the necessary coordinates of the working field at a given speed and activates the laser emitter at a given percentage of power at the right time.
During laser engraving of wood, the beam from the emitter is directed to the cutting point on the surface of the material via a system of mirrors. The first mirror is located directly at the outlet of the laser emitter and is stationary. The second mirror is fixed on the portal and moves with it along the Y axis. The third mirror is mounted on the laser head and moves with it along both axes.
The first two mirrors deliver the beam parallel to the working field, and the third directs it perpendicular to the working table down to the material being processed.
The process of wood laser engraving itself is a heat treatment of the upper layer of the material. The power of the thermal influence can be adjusted, so you can get a different depth of exposure and a different shade of engraving – from light to almost black. One of the special techniques of laser engraving of wood is ablation: with the right settings, the laser vaporizes the upper layer of the wood mass without affecting the lower one, while the beautiful natural relief of the wood rings remains unaffected.
The shade of the engraving depends not only on the settings, but also on the material, wood species or various impurities in the composition of the material, for example, on the type of glue applied for bonding the plywood layers.
The power of laser wood engraving machines usually varies from 40 to 180 watts depending on the model. The dimensions of the machine working field vary from 200×300 mm to 2000×3000 mm. These parameters — both the power and the working field size are extremely important when choosing a laser machine for your specific tasks, and we will talk about this a little later. And now let’s focus on the main advantages of laser engraving of wood.
Advantages of laser wood engraving machine
- High degree of detail. Laser engraving of wood allows you to obtain detailed images with a resolution of 2500 DPI even on large-format machines due to the fact that the diameter of the focused laser beam is 0.01 mm.1
- Absolute repeatability, minimal reject rate. By virtue of the CNC, laser wood engraver produce products with one hundred percent repeatability. At the same time, the probability of rejects tends to zero, since all laser movements occur according to a given program, and human participation in the process is limited only to creating a layout, selecting parameters and pressing the “start” button.
- Working speed. Laser wood engraving takes place at a speed of up to 700 mm/s, while Wattsan laser wood engraving machines are designed for round-the-clock operation. This makes it possible to establish efficient continuous production.
- Service life. The service life of a wood laser engraver is determined by the quality of its body and components and estimated for decades of service. At the same time, the laser tube is considered a consumable material, its service life depends on the manufacturer and operating conditions and reaches 10,000 hours, that is, more than 1 year of non-stop operation. If the machine works 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, then the laser emitter will last for almost 5 years.
- Simple and user-friendly operation. You can learn the basics of working on a wood laser machine in 2-3 hours;
- Multipurposeness. The CO2 laser machine can not only perform laser engraving of wood, but also cut wood materials. In addition, such equipment can be used not only with wood, plywood, veneer and MDF, but also with other materials: with most plastics, rubber, textiles, leather and leatherette, fur, glass and mirror, stone and ceramics. This functionality significantly expands the manufacturability of various products.
- High profitability. The laser engraving machine for wood practically does not need consumables to work, the main consumption items are electricity and the material itself, or products that need to be engraved. With an established sales system, the laser machine pays off in 6-12 months.
What products can be made with laser machine
With the wood laser engraving, you can apply any image to the material — both raster and vector. Since such equipment works not only with wood materials and can also not only engrave, but also cut, its scope of application is very wide — from mass production of advertising and information products to the creation of custom-made personalized gifts.
The main areas of application of the wood laser engraver:
- Advertising products: plates, logos, signboards, indicators, numbers, POS materials;
- Souvenirs: key chains, magnets, postcards, souvenirs.
- HoReCa, manufacturing and branding of goods for the hotel and restaurant business: napkin holders, cutting boards and boards for serving dishes, bar counters and counter tops.
- Children’s products: prefabricated models, puzzles, toys, brain teasers.
- Personalized products: multilayer portraits made of veneer or plywood, wall panels and paintings, engraving on request on any surfaces and objects, for example, on phone cases and other accessories.
What types of wood can a laser machine engrave
The CO2 laser machine can engrave many types of wood. We can say that some types are better suited than others. But most often, depending on the type of wood, a different result will simply be obtained. It will depend on the density, resin and moisture content, as well as the ability to reflect light.
Some examples of wood that are well suited for engraving on a CO2 laser machine include:
- Birch is a soft and light wood that allows the laser to create bright and contrasting engravings;
- Bamboo has a dense structure that allows you to create a deep contrast engraving;
- Maple is a hard wood with a smooth surface that allows you to create clear and detailed images;
- Oak is a hard and dense wood that allows you to create deep engraving with high detail;
- Walnut has a dense structure and rich shades, which looks especially advantageous and noble when engraved.
Pay attention to the humidity of the wood mass, ideally it should not exceed 8%.
These materials also lend themselves well to engraving:
- MDF and HDF;
- Fibreboard and chipboard;
- Cork;
- Plywood (veneer, multiplex);
Types of wood that are not recommended to be engraved on a CO2 laser machine include wood species containing a lot of resins — primarily pine. Engraving on such types of wood can turn out burnt, uneven or muddy.
What you should know when choosing a laser engraver
For more than 20 years, Wattsan has been designing wood laser engraver. Over this period our development department carried out testing, listened to the requests of our customers and in total made more than 50 different improvements to the configuration of the machine. Therefore, we really know how to make a high-quality laser engraving machine for wood and, in particular, how to choose it.
The main parameters that must be taken into account when choosing a laser engraving machine for wood are:
- working field size,
- availability of a through table,
- possibility of table lowering,
- presence of the frame and thickness of the body,
- motors, gearboxes, guides and end sensors,
- portal
- emitter power,
- focal length of the lens,
- nozzle diameter and blowing,
- performance and service life of the device.
Wood laser engraver working area size
The maximum size of the possible engraving depends on the size of the working field, the need for preliminary cutting of sheet material, as well as how much time will need to be spent on changing the material.
Laser wood engraving machines can be divided into three categories depending on the size of the working field:
- desktop models: 200х300 mm, 500х300 mm, 600х400 mm;
- medium-format models: 600х900 mm, 1200х900 mm;
- large-format models: 1600х1000 mm, 2000х3000 mm.
If you need a laser engraver for a hobby, one of the desktop models will most likely be enough. Although sometimes medium-format machines are chosen for hobbies, but more often they are preferred for medium and small production volumes. Accordingly, large-format laser engravers are needed either in cases of engraving large-format sheets of material or blanks, or to accelerate the mass production of serial products of small and medium scale.
Large-format laser engraving machines for wood allow you to produce more units of products in one run than machines with a smaller working field size, since you do not need to spend time for changing the material and pre-cutting it.
For example, the Wattsan 2030 FlatBed laser wood engraving machine can engrave most standard sheet materials without pre-cutting, as well as large products such as bar counters, countertops or wall maps of the world.
A through table option for machines
Working with standard sheet materials in most cases involves their preliminary cutting, since a whole sheet will not fit on the working field of desktop or medium-format machines. In this case, an additional tool and a place in the workshop for preliminary cutting of the material will be required, but in some cases, the presence of a through table in the body of a laser engraving machine for wood will help to manage the situation.
For example, on the Wattsan 1610 laser wood engraving machine, the width of the working field is 1600 mm, which exceeds the width of most standard wood sheet materials. For example, a plywood sheet can have dimensions of 1200×2400 mm or 1525×1525 mm. Since the machine has a through work table, the material of any length can be stretched through the machine if it fits the width.
The presence of a through table in the body of a laser engraving machine for metal is an advantage regardless of the size of the working field.
In the Wattsan line of laser engraving machines for wood, all models have a through table, except for the desktop Wattsan 0203 mini and the large-format Wattsan 2030 FlatBed. In the latter case, a through table is simply not needed, since the size of the Wattsan 2030 FlatBed working field is 2000×3000 mm.
Lifting table option for wood laser machines
Also, it is possible to install a table lowering mechanism on all sizes of the working field of Wattsan laser engraving machines except 200×300 mm and 2000×3000 mm.
This function is needed in two cases:
- To install a rotary device that allows you to process cylindrical workpieces. For example, to engrave on balusters;
- For engraving materials and workpieces exceeding 40 mm in thickness.
Desktop laser engraving machines Wattsan 0503 and Wattsan 6040 as standard have a manual mechanism for lowering the table by 200 mm.
When buying Wattsan 0503 and Wattsan 6040 to order, you can equip these machines with an automatic table lowering mechanism.
The Wattsan 6090, 1290, and 1610 are available in 2 versions:
Frame and body thickness
The worst enemy during laser wood engraving is the vibrations that occur due to acceleration and deceleration of the laser head. Vibrations can be the cause of poor-quality engraving. In order to level them, you need a stable and reliable housing.
Most laser engraving machines on wood go wrong due to the absence of an internal frame. Most often, the machine body has a frame made of a minimum cross-section profile, which is sheathed with thin sheet metal. Such machines can wobble even if you just put your hand on them, not to mention the process of wood laser engraving.
Wattsan laser wood engraving machines have an internal reinforced frame around the perimeter of the body. The housing is a 2.9 mm thick sheet metal, which further strengthens the entire structure.
Also, the stability of the structure is affected by the presence of a waste collection compartment — it not only performs its direct function, but is also another internal element that holds the body together and also improves the productivity of the exhaust system.
The next point, no less important for the high-quality operation of the machine is its motors, gearboxes, guides and end sensors.
Motors, gearboxes, guides and end sensors of a laser wood engraving machine
Motors. Three-phase stepper motors installed in Wattsan laser wood engraving machines, unlike two-phase ones, have exceptional reliability, have a large step discreteness, that is, more teeth of the stator and rotor, and, accordingly, a smaller step angle, which increases the accuracy of the machine. Three-phase stepper motors provide faster acceleration and deceleration, which is very important during engraving – this allows you to exclude going over the edge of the engraved image at the time of changing the movement direction.
In Wattsan laser engraving machines, the correct location of the motor on the Y-axis is taken into account — it is located in the middle of the shaft, which eliminates shaft runouts that distort the geometry of laser cutting and engraving.
Gearboxes. The engines of Wattsan laser engraving machines are equipped with gearboxes with a reduction ratio of ⅙. The gearbox not only splits the motor pitch, increasing the detail rate of the engraving and the accuracy of the machine, but also removes the load from the stepper motors, which means it prolongs their service life.
In Wattsan laser machines, all movements of movable units occur by means of reinforced belts with a tooth pitch of 3M, which practically do not stretch and do not tear during long operation.
Guides. The guides of the wood laser engraver ensure the maintaining of accuracy values when moving. They are auxiliary elements that set and maintain the movement direction of the machine moving parts.
Roller guides are the most budget-friendly and relevant for machines with a working field size of no more than 200×300 mm.
Polished shafts and cylindrical rails are already a more serious option, but are more often used in 3D printers. They are poorly suited for laser engraving machines for wood, especially if such rails do not have a support along the length.
Professional guides for laser engraving machines for wood are profile rail guides. They are wear-resistant, guarantee long-term maintaining the movement accuracy and the absence of run out.
End sensors. When choosing between inductive and mechanical end sensors, it is better to give preference to inductive ones. They, unlike mechanical ones, are not subject to direct physical impact, therefore they last longer and their operability and accuracy of operation are not affected by dust, dirt and resins settling during operation.
Laser engraving machine gantry
The working head moves along the gantry at speeds of up to 700 mm/s and regularly reverses its trajectory. Therefore, in order to maintain accuracy during operation over a long period of time, the laser machine needs a high quality gantry.
Wattsan laser machine gantries are made of 7 mm (on the corners) thick aluminium profile. According to long-term testing by our development department and numerous customers’ comments, these gantries retain their perfect geometry even after 10 years of regular use of the laser machine.
Laser tube and power of the laser machine for wood
It would seem that the higher the power, the better — after all, the machine will be able to work faster, but with laser engraving of wood, not everything is so clear. This thesis is more relevant for laser cutting.
In the case of laser engraving of wood, emitters more powerful than 100-120 watts will not affect the performance and speed of work in any way, since during engraving you do not need to cut through the material, but just remove its top layer. Moreover, with a power of more than 100-120 watts, it will be more difficult to adjust the depth of exposure, since the power will be too strong for fine adjustments.
The more powerful the laser tube, the larger the output diameter of the laser beam, which means that high-power laser tubes will not be able to produce the same detail as medium or low-power tubes.
If you need not only laser engraving of wood, but also cutting, keep in mind that approximately 10 watts of power is consumed for every 1 centimeter of material. That is, for cutting wood with a thickness of 5 mm, the tube power should be at least 50 watts.
For laser engraving of wood, 40-50 watts of power will be enough, but if you want to do deeper engraving at high speed, it is better to pay attention to laser machines with a power of 80 to 120 watts.
Wattsan engineers and manufacturers of laser tubes do not recommend working at a power above 80% to extend the emitter life.
Another important nuance when choosing a laser engraver for wood is the attachment of the laser tube. The attachments should allow the convenient adjustment of their position. This will help you when setting up the laser machine and especially when replacing the laser tube. If the laser tube mounts are ordinary clamp rings, look for another option.
Lens focal length of the wood laser machine
The choice of focal length is important for laser wood engraving, because the focal length affects the diameter of the laser beam. The F letter usually denotes the focal length.
Lenses are divided depending on the focal length into the following types:
- Short focus, F up to 40;
- Mid-focus, F from 40 to 75 mm;
- Long-focus, F more than 75 mm.
The larger the focal length of the lens, the larger the caustic zone — that is, the constriction, in other words, the zone in which the laser beam remains in focus. But at the same time it is necessary to sacrifice the diameter of the laser beam — it inevitably becomes larger.
Long-focus lenses have a larger caustic zone and a larger diameter of the focused laser beam, while short-focus lenses have the opposite.
Long-focus lenses are designed for cutting thick materials, but are poorly suited for engraving. Short-focus lenses are ideal for engraving.
If your task is only engraving, choose a short-focus lens, if you plan to combine laser engraving of wood with laser cutting, it is better to choose lenses with medium focal lengths.
Blowing and diameter of the laser head nozzle
Additional blowing is a prerequisite for laser engraving of wood and most other materials. When engraving, blowing prevents fire. Air is supplied to the engraving area by means of a compressor through a nozzle – a technical hole in the laser head, the same one through which the already focused laser beam exits.
The blowing force depends on the diameter of the nozzle — the smaller the diameter, the stronger the blowing, the larger the diameter, the smaller the blowing force. For laser cutting, strong blowing is important, since air facilitates the material cutting and blows combustion products out of the cutting area.
And for engraving — on the contrary, with excessively strong blowing, all combustion products will be nailed to the surface of the material by a powerful air flow. The result is a dirty engraving that requires grinding. Therefore, when engraving wood with a laser, the blowing is set to a minimum and a special expanded nozzle is used, which reduces the force of the airflow.
Number of working heads of the wood laser machine
Specifically to speed up the work twice, we have developed two-headed laser engraving machines for wood: Wattsan 1290 Duos or Wattsan 1610 Duos. As you have noticed, such models are signed as “Duos”. They can be executed both with a static table (ST) and with the possibility of table lowering (LT). Thanks to the reinforced aluminum portal, these machines can easily withstand the operation of two laser heads at once, which work simultaneously.
We have sorted out the main points that relate to the design and mechanics of the machine, if you need additional advice from representatives of the Wattsan plant, call us or message to WhatsApp: +86 131 5302 7371 or by E-mail: info@wattsan.com . We provide a guarantee for the equipment, help with commissioning and training, and also promise lifelong information support for our equipment.
How much does a wood laser engraver cost
The cost of an engraving machine can vary significantly depending on factors such as power, size, level of automation, and especially the quality of components and assembly, as well as on the engineering solutions of designers.
On average, the price of an engraving machine can range from several hundred to several thousand or even tens of thousands of euros.
The differences between cheap and expensive engraving machines can be significant. The main differences that distinguish Wattsan laser engraving machines from others are:
- High speed and accuracy of work, which is achieved due to properly selected components — rail guides, three-phase stepper motors with belt reducers, drivers, reinforced portal and high-quality optics;
- Reliability is ensured by the use of an advanced RuiDa controller of the latest generation, which works without failures, the frame structure of the machine and the thick-walled metal body extend its service life, reinforced belts do not tear during operation, unlike cheap models;
- The convenience of operation, expressed in the simple and intuitive RD Works software, as well as in the design of the machine — in the convenience of its alignment, since the housing provides access to all necessary assemblies, it is convenient to install and configure the laser tube on Wattsan machines during replacement thanks to universal mounts that help to adjust its position;
- Safety is achieved by separating the water-conducting elements of the machine and its electrics into opposite non-connected parts of the body, all fragile elements have a protective casing or a reliable cover.
- The main difference between Wattsan machines and cheap analogues is that these machines are designed for round-the-clock operation without failures.
And now we will present the 5 best models of machines for laser wood engraving.
Conclusion
In order to choose a laser engraving machine for wood, it is necessary to take into account many parameters, such as the size of the working field, the quality of the body and frame, the properties of the working table and a variety of components: motors, portal, optics, emitter and much more.
Since a laser engraving machine is an expensive purchase that should generate income, it is important to pay special attention to the choice so as not to spend money on equipment that will perform poorly or break down in a few months.
Wattsan managers will not only advise you in detail and help you choose, but also, if necessary, conduct an online demonstration. We give a guarantee for all our equipment, and are also ready to send our engineer to you for commissioning and training.If you have any questions or need advice, please contact the managers of Wattsan WhatsApp: +86 131 53 02 7371 , info@wattsan.com
FAQ
Which machine is best suited for wood engraving?
For laser engraving of wood, a machine with a CO2 emitter is needed. The power required for productive laser engraving starts from 40 watts.
How much does a wood laser engraver cost?
The cost of the equipment depends on many parameters: the size of the working area, the quality of the machine body, the power of the laser tube, and the machine components: gantry, motors, gearboxes, guides rails, etc. The price for professional equipment starts at 600 dollars and can go up to 10000 dollars.
Is it worth buying a laser engraving machine?
It makes sense to buy a laser engraving machine for a hobby or for business. But in both cases, it is best to take the time to delve into the subject in order to choose the right equipment. Read our article on how to choose a laser engraving machine (ссылка)
Is laser engraving profitable?
It makes sense to buy a laser engraving machine in two cases: for a hobby or for business. But in both cases, it is better to spend time trying to understand the subject in order to choose high-quality equipment.
How long does it take to laser engrave on wood?
The speed of laser engraving depends on a number of parameters. The first is the size of the engraving. The second is the speed setting and the line spacing of the engraving. So, the engraving of a logo 50 x 30 mm can be done in 2-5 minutes if the logo has a solid fill, and less than 30 seconds if the logo is just a contoured image.
How to start a laser engraving business?
For starting a laser engraving business, you need:
- Analyze the market and decide what you will produce.
- Draw a business plan.
- Register your company legally.
- To test a market room and establish sales channels.
- Find and organize a room for a laser machine. Do not forget to take into account the storage space for the material, the assembly and painting area, if they are necessary and for the storage of finished products.
- Purchase a laser engraving machine.
- Hire and train staff and get started.
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