Chinese Laser engraver for marking and engraving

[Strostkovy]

The "Galvos" seem to be pretty much a commodity item with prices all about the same based on power output. After looking at what other were using to mark steel parts I bought a 50W galvo off Ebay for $3,200. The supplied EZCAD software defied my lack of computer skills so I added Lightburn for $150. and replace the supplied marginal safety eyewear for an additional $75.
You need to figure out what your gonna use it for and how much power you need which will show you what it's going to cost. Beyond that using your credit card and buying off a site that offers customer protection is about all the risk mitigating your gonna get.

Prices keep dropping too. A 300x300 50W Raycus cost me $2600 last year, and is now down to $2200. It warps thin stainless, as it certainly isn't a MOPA, but it does a phenomenal job ripping through powder coat, which is my main use.

 

[EmGo]

The shim needed seems weird.

Who knows what evil lurks in the countryside ... I'd choose the company right outside shanghai, or maybe dongguan, those two places are a little pickier. Some country people are more of the "just wrap it in bob wahr and it'll be fine" school.

My midget owner was like that, grew up on a farm. We even stuck the whole front end on once with baling wire, got pushed into the wall in the heat and had fifteen minutes to make the dash. I s'pose that was dangerous but oh well ... (yeah, I did that without any prompting. Whatcha gonna do, they don't hold the races up waiting for you).

it does a phenomenal job ripping through powder coat, which is my main use.

The ones I would love to have would probably be illegal in the US. They shoot a beam several inches wide, just pass it across rusty old material and zipzam, flames everywhere but left with a surface all clean and neat ! I should toss up a video, pretty cool ... but probably too dangerous for the little girls who inhabit the US now.

 

[Strostkovy]

Who knows what evil lurks in the countryside ... I'd choose the company right outside shanghai, or maybe dongguan, those two places are a little pickier. Some country people are more of the "just wrap it in bob wahr and it'll be fine" school.

My midget owner was like that, grew up on a farm. We even stuck the whole front end on once with baling wire, got pushed into the wall in the heat and had fifteen minutes to make the dash. I s'pose that was dangerous but oh well ... (yeah, I did that without any prompting. Whatcha gonna do, they don't hold the races up waiting for you).


The ones I would love to have would probably be illegal in the US. They shoot a beam several inches wide, just pass it across rusty old material and zipzam, flames everywhere but left with a surface all clean and neat ! I should toss up a video, pretty cool ... but probably too dangerous for the little girls who inhabit the US now.

You can get those here just as easily. They just aren't that versatile unless you have some very specific use case.

 

[standardparts]

Prices keep dropping too. A 300x300 50W Raycus cost me $2600 last year, and is now down to $2200. It warps thin stainless, as it certainly isn't a MOPA, but it does a phenomenal job ripping through powder coat, which is my main use.

Give credit where credit is due...other posts from you and CarbideBob, and others on PM helped get me going so owe you all a big thanks.

And another....Creating white lettering on manganese coated parts works like a charm...permanent mark with no apparent cut into the base metal.

 

[EmGo]

You can get those here just as easily. They just aren't that versatile unless you have some very specific use case.

Like blasting off rust ... doing old rusty junk (antique cars ?) I'd be using it a lot. Boats. '67 Eldorado engines. I'm a fan

 

[Strostkovy]

Like blasting off rust ... doing old rusty junk (antique cars ?) I'd be using it a lot. Boats. '67 Eldorado engines. I'm a fan

That's fair, especially if it does paint, which I'm sure it does, at a significant stink cost.

 

[Strostkovy]

Give credit where credit is due...other posts from you and CarbideBob, and others on PM helped get me going so owe you all a big thanks.

And another....Creating white lettering on manganese coated parts works like a charm...permanent mark with no apparent cut into the base metal.

I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but focus your laser on titanium. Start at maybe 5 watts and have a continuous circle going at a moderate speed. Raise or lower the head until the circle glows bright white as it is engraving. Reduce power and do it again. Keep going until you have the power so low that the bright white glow only occurs at a 0.5mm range of focus and you'll be dialed in. I then defocus by 10mm because it lets me ablate powder coat faster without much detail penalty and prevents digging into the base metal too much.

 

[standardparts]

Like blasting off rust ... doing old rusty junk (antique cars ?) I'd be using it a lot. Boats. '67 Eldorado engines. I'm a fan

That's fair, especially if it does paint, which I'm sure it does, at a significant stink cost.

'the stink cost'....important to point that some type of exhaust fan dust collector is a must.

 

[standardparts]

I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but focus your laser on titanium. Start at maybe 5 watts and have a continuous circle going at a moderate speed. Raise or lower the head until the circle glows bright white as it is engraving. Reduce power and do it again. Keep going until you have the power so low that the bright white glow only occurs at a 0.5mm range of focus and you'll be dialed in. I then defocus by 10mm because it lets me ablate powder coat faster without much detail penalty and prevents digging into the base metal too much.

Have no titanium in the near future but have played with effects of moving the head up or down during engraving cycle. Sort of tuning to the sound and sparks.

 

[Strostkovy]

Have no titanium in the near future but have played with effects of moving the head up or down during engraving cycle. Sort of tuning to the sound and sparks.

Also try engraving a grid spaced the minimum distance you want to be visible. Then defocus at maximum power until you can't see the grid. That lets you take the minimal amount of lines to fill an area, if you have the power to do it.