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What is best for engraving?

Xer0

Xer0

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I want to build a small CNC laser engraving machine for various materials

mostly colored plastics, but wood leather and brighter paper too.

So what would you recommend? 808nm? 445, 405?
it shoulda be not expensive, fit in a AiXiZ and be good to focus on a round dot...
 





bobhaha

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Personally I think 445nm would be the safer and more practical way. It burns almost the same as a 808nm laser would, but its only benefit is that it's visible.
 
Wolfman29

Wolfman29

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You're going to want to use a 12x blu-ray diode... those are the most capable of burning due to the fact that most materials hugely absorb photons of the near-UV part of the spectrum.
 
Xer0

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will it burn even better than the 1W 808nm 9mm diodes on fleebay for 20 bucks?
 
Wolfman29

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Certainly.

A) 12x 405nm diodes can get up to 750mW already.
B) The only things that readily absorb 808nm light are black or very dark things, whereas 405nm light is absorbed by almost everything readily (I have burned clear plastic with mine, I have burned white paper at the bottom of a cup filled with water... everything).
 
ARG

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Also, 405's are single mode, which can focus the beam onto a smaller area.
 
Xer0

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Wolfman29 said:
B) The only things that readily absorb 808nm light are black or very dark things, whereas 405nm light is absorbed by almost everything readily (I have burned clear plastic with mine, I have burned white paper at the bottom of a cup filled with water... everything).
Click to expand...

What? i always tought IR is the stuff everything absorbes best and thats why the commercial CNC's are using tubes...
So a 12x should seamlessly outperform a 1W IR in most cases?
 
Wolfman29

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The thing is, 808nm and 10.6um (the wavelength CO2 lasers produce) are VASTLY different - a difference of more than an order of magnitude. 10.6um is absorbed by almost all organic material. 808nm, on the other hand, isn't. 405nm, though, is a high enough wavelength that the energy in each individual photon is enough to just brute-force be absorbed.
 
T

Things

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I've engraved and even cut lots of stuff with a 445nm diode running at 1.2A.

In terms of power, 750mW of 405 and 1W of 445 would probably engrave about the same.

In terms of focusing it down more, this is true, however usually the resolution of the cutter is too slow to start worrying about the beam diameter.
 
foulmist

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Xer0 said:
makes sense... didnt know that

So ok, convinced, i will choose a good ol Bluray :thanks:
Click to expand...

umm.. better be a good NEW bluray :D :crackup:

anyway good luck and post pictures and video of the finished cnc machine !! :beer:
 
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