Laser engravers have various applications in the manufacturing industry for laser marking and cutting materials. Desktop Laser engraving machines have applications for marking on wood, glass, metal, or leather. Type of material laser can engrave depends on the type of laser engraving machine available to you. This article covers various types of Laser engraving machines, their applications, and How to select them?
Don’t miss this article on the difference between laser marking vs engraving vs etching.
What Material Can be Laser Engraved ?
Laser engravers can cut, etch, mark or engrave the following materials.
- Metals such as Aluminum, stainless steel, copper, etc.
- Thermoplastics such as ABS, PC, etc.
- Jewelry
- Coated metals
- Wood Parts
- Acrylic and glass
- Paper and cardboard
- Stones
Applications of Laser Engraving
Laser engraving is extensively used in the manufacturing industry and by hobbyists for marking and cutting materials. Compared to stickers, screen printing, or pad printing, laser marking has the advantage of printing variable information at a low cost. Here are the applications of laser engraving in manufacturing:
- Marking variable and fixed information such as QR code, Serial number, Mac ID on products.
- Mark brand name or logo on products.
- Used to create artwork on jewelry (Gold and Silver).
- Marking on printed circuit board (PCB).
- Artwork printing: Printing photographs on acrylic.
Selection of Laser Engraver Machines
Various types of Laser engraving machines are available in the market. Each type of laser engraver machine has its advantages and limitations. Therefore before purchasing, it is always recommended to analyze engraving machines on the following parameters.
Bed Size (Engraving Area)
Laser engraving machines are available in various engraving area options. The engraving area is the maximum area where a laser engraver can print in one go. Bed size selection is done according to the part maximum printing area.
Materials to be Engraved
Laser engraving machines come with different technology and power options. One machine can not print all materials. Therefore it is always recommended to check machine capability to engrave the type of material before buying the machine.
Cycle Time and Speed
How frequently you want to engrave your parts has a direct impact on your machine selection. For example, laser engraving machines for production are very costly ($ 15000). Whereas for the home you can buy it for approx. $500.
Laser Engraving Machine Technology Available
Following technologies are used in Laser engraving machines to engrave a material. Each of these technologies has its advantages, limitations, and applications.
- Fiber-Based Laser Engraving Machine: These machines can engrave metal, anodized aluminum, and Plastic material.
- CO2 Based Laser Engraver: Used for engraving jewelry, rubber stamps, nameplate, rating plate, and thermoplastic materials, etc.
- Green Laser Engraving Machines: Green laser engraver can mark on reflective materials (copper, silver, and gold), plastic materials, glass, and ceramic.
- Hybrid Laser Engraving Machines: These machines can engrave organic materials and metals.
Best Laser Engraver Machines
We recommend you discuss your application with the machine manufacturer before the selection of a laser engraver machine for your application. Having a detailed discussion with the manufacturer is the best way to select the machine. Here are some of the best affordable laser engraving machines available in the market.
| Laser Engraver | Bed Size (mm) | Laser Type | Laser Power | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snapmaker 3-in-1 3D Printer | 125x125 | Blue Laser Diode | 200mw | ~$800 |
| Cubiio Laser Engraver | 100x100 | Blue Laser Diode | 1600mw | ~$560 |
| Morphon 40W Laser Engraver | 200 x 300 | CO2 | 40w | - |
| Qiilu 1500mw Mini | 42x42 | CO2 | 1500mw | ~ |
| NEJE MASTER 3500mW | 150 x 150 | CO2 | 3500mw | ~$220 |
| Emblaser 2 | 500x300x50 | Solid State Diode | - | ~$2500 |
| Insma Laser Engraver | 80x80 | CO2 | 3000mW | $80 |
| TEN-HIGH Laser Engraver | 300x500 | CO2 | 50w | $2000 |
| Comgo Z1 Laser Engraving DIY Machine | 400x400 | Diode Laser | 5W LD+FAC=40W | $259 |
Snapmaker 3-in-1 Engraver and Printer: Best laser engraver for beginners
Snapmaker is a complete metal open design. This is one of the best budget laser engraver for beignners if you are looking for a 3D printer, CNC Carving, and Laser Engraving. With this one device, you can do 3D printing, CNC Carving, and Laser Engraving.
Features:
Work Area: 125 x 125 mm
Laser Type: Blue Laser Diode
Laser Power: 200mW
Supported File Types: SVG, JPEG, PNG, etc.
Supported Materials: Wood, bamboo, leather, plastic, fabric, paper, non-transparent acrylic, etc.
Click Here for More Details on Snapmaker 3-in-1 Engraver and Printer.
Cubiio Laser Engraver: A Portable Laser Engraving Machine
Cubiio is a portable laser engraver that you can control remotely with a smartphone. As claimed, this is the first laser cube started as a Kickstarter Project. Apart from engraving, it can also cut materials up to a limited thickness.
Cubiio Laser engraver features
Work Area: 100 x 100 mm
Laser Type: Blue Laser Diode
Laser Power: 1600mW Adjustable
Supported File Types: G-CODE, BMP.
Connected: Yes Through BLE
Supported Materials For Engraving: Paper Board, Cardboard, Fabric, Leather, Felt, Wood, and non-transparent acrylic
Supported Materials For Cutting (up to limited thickness): Paper Board, Cardboard, Fabric, Leather, Felt, Wood, non-transparent acrylic
Morphon 40w Laser Engraver
It is a low cost DIY Laser engraving machine.
Features:
Work Area: 200 x 300 mm
Laser Type: CO2
Laser Power: 40w
Supported File Types: Corel Draw
Connected: Through USB Port
Supported Materials For Engraving : Bamboo piece, double-color planks, boulder, horns, Leather, crystal, wood, organic plastic, abrics, paper ,film, canvas , acrylic, and plastics.
Qiilu 1500mW Mini
This Laser engraver is a high-power laser engraving machine that can be controlled by a laptop or smartphone.
Features:
Carving Space: 42 x 42 x 78 mm
Laser Type: CO2
Laser Power: 1500mw
Image Resolution: 550 x 550 px
Connected: Through USB Port and Smartphone Bluetooth
Supported Materials For Engraving: Wood, Plastic(fire-proof material not included), Acrylic, Bamboo, Rubber, Leather, Paper and other flammable materials
NEJE Master 3500mW
Its a low-cost affordable open structure Laser engraver machine.
Features:
Work Space: 150 x 150 mm
Laser Type: CO2
Laser Power: 3500mw
Image Resolution: 2000 x 2000 pixels.
Supported File Type: nc, dxf, bmp, jpg, png
Connected: Through USB Port and Smartphone Bluetooth
Supported Materials For Engraving: Acrylic, Aluminum, Stainless Steel
Emblaster 2: IoT enabled 3D Laser Cutting and Engraving Machine
This is one of the advanced IoT-enabled 3D laser cutters and engravers with a relatively large bed area. It comes with an in-built camera for material alignment.
Features:
Work Space: 500 x 300 x 50 mm
Laser Type: Class I Solid State Diode Laser
Laser Power: Equivalent to 15-20w CO2 laser.
Supported File Type : .nc, .dxf, .bmp, .jpg, .png
Connected: WiFi and USB
Supported Materials For Engraving: Cotton Fabric, Leather, Corrugated Cardboard, Acrylic (except transparent), Plywood, Balsa, Anodised Aluminium, Corkboard, Rubber.
Other Features: Automatic Laser Optic Calibration, Laser Height Set, and Control Built-in Camera.
Insma Laser Engraver 3000mW: Laser Engraving Machine for Beginners
This is a low cost laser engraver machine for beginners.
Features:
Work Space: 80 x 80 mm
Laser Type: CO2
Laser Power: 3000mw
Supported File Type: JPEG, JPG, PNG, BMP
Connected: USB
Supported Materials For Engraving: Wood, Paper, Plastic Leather, and non-transparent acrylic.
TEN-HIGH Laser Engraver: Best laser engraver for Professionals
This is a high-power laser engraver that can be used to engrave metal and plastics with relatively good quality.
Features
Work Space: 300 x 500 mm
Laser Type: CO2
Laser Power: 50W
Supported File Type: Corel Draw, bmp, dib, jpg, jpeg, png, gif, wmf, emf, pcx, tif, tiff etc.
Connected: Through USB
Supported Materials For Engraving: Organics or non-metal materials such as acrylic, plywood, density board, leather, wood, double color plate, glass, cloth, bamboo, paper, etc.
The COMGO Z1 Laser Engraver has an open work area of 400 x 400 mm (15.7 x 15.7in). This can be used with materials such as aluminum(like 7075-T6), plywood, EVA foam, leather, plastic, cardboard, wood, non-woven fabric, bamboo, acrylic, film-coated glass, etc.
It comes as a pre-assembled kit. All you have to do is put four profiles together and start creating neat engraved things in 15 minutes. It’s a wonderful tool for a woodworking hobbyist.
Features
Work Space: 400 x 400 mm
Laser Type: Diode laser with LD+FAC
Laser Power: 5W LD+FAC=40W
Supported File Type: jpg, jpeg, bmp, Gcode
Connected: Through USB
Supported Materials For Engraving: aluminum(like 7075-T6), plywood, EVA foam, leather, plastic, cardboard, wood, non-woven fabric, bamboo, acrylic, film-coated glass
To sum up, Laser engraving machines are widely used for marking organic and nonorganic parts. Nowadays this technology has become so affordable that even hobbyists can buy desktop laser engravers for home use.
We will keep updating this article on the best affordable laser engraving machines available. You can ask questions and give suggestions on laser engraver by sending a message in the comment box. We will do our best to add it to this post.
We suggest you check out this article on the best affordable laser cutters.
I’m looking for a low cost laser marking machine to mark 3 numbers on a stainless steel part 7/8 in. diameter x 3/16 wide.