5 Best CO2 Laser Engraver Machines of 2018
Much can be made with a laser engraver, from decorations to advertisements to toys to gifts! Yet, not all engravers are made equal. Here we specifically focus on CO2 laser engravers, in which category a wide variety of machines are available.
Introduction
CO2 laser engravers are highly precise instruments used to inscribe, decorate, or make custom logos on acrylic, wood, paper, metals, plastics, and an array of other materials. They have democratized the personalization of items and have given artisans the power to create impressive designs through laser engraving, a process that Popular Mechanics describes as slow and methodical, yet captivating.
These high-power machines etch patterns into glass or cut wood into highly precise shapes. Their laser beam engraving technology guarantees excellent precision, making them darlings amongst designers and decorators.
However, when purchasing a CO2 laser engraver, you must consider your needs:
- What material do you want to engrave?
- Is it for personal or professional use?
- What is your skill level?
- What should the strength of the laser be?
These questions are crucial in decision-making, especially since laser engraving is sometimes a costly affair. Money aside, you also need to consider other factors like performance, speed, maintenance, and ease of use among others.
After a careful evaluation of CO2 laser engravers in the market, we’ve five of the best.
1. Ten-High 40W
- Applicable Industry: toys, advertising, garments, printing, art, engraving, packing, gifts, DIY, small enterprise
- Engraving Area: 40 x 30 cm²
- Materials: a wide range of non-metal materials, like leather, PVC, plywood, paper products, density board, acrylic, non-woven fabrics, cortical, PET, and solid wood
- Weight: —
The Ten-High 40W is considered to be a mid-range machine with lots to offer. The manufacturer includes easy-to-understand videos to guide installation and promises local technical support for USA-based customers.
This CO2 laser engraver comes with its own software, but you can also use other platforms like CorelDraw or LaserCRWe. You may want to stick to the default GRBL high-performance software, though, as it makes the machine simple to manipulate.
The 40W supports g-code and free cornering. It also features controls such as temperature, water temperature, electric lift, red light positioning, communication monitoring, and flame retardant systems.
It’s one of the best appliances for its cost and engraving area. Moreover, the resolution ratio of 0.026 mm makes it easy to engrave almost any design without sacrificing precision. This engraver uses a water cooling system and operates within 5 – 45 °C. Its maximum cutting and engraving speeds are 3600 and 3000 mm/min, respectively.
Ten-High 40W
2. Orion Motor Tech 40W
- Applicable Industry: home use, small business
- Engraving Area: 30 x 20 cm²
- Materials: non-metal and most organic materials, including rubber, glass, leather, paper, film, acrylic, cloth, crystal, bamboo, stone, and wood (won’t work with metal surfaces, even softer metals)
- Weight: 27 kg
The Orion Motor Tech 40W has a box-like construction that makes it user-friendly for most home users. It’s excellent for non-metal materials and comes with predrilled holes for those anticipating future upgrades. (You can add the 50W or 60W laser tubes later). For increased safety, the machine also has water-break protection.
This CO2 laser engraver comes with a ventilation fan for extracting smoke and fumes and has quality CNC parts that give it durability. The resolution is 1000 dpi, and its working temperature is between 4 – 40 °C. It’s one of the decent engravers under $1000 — perfect for hobby projects.
Orion Motor Tech 40W
3. QIILU Mini 1500mW
- Applicable Industry: small projects
- Engraving Area: 4.2 x 4.2 cm²
- Materials: leather, wood, paper, rubber, bamboo, acrylic, and plastic
- Weight: —
The QIILU Mini 1500mW provides outstanding value at a low cost. It’s an affordable, quality machine that comes with an easily adjustable laser head and a powerful cooling fan (to prevent your projects from burning). This CO2 laser engraver can work with mobile devices, computers, and several different operating systems, which makes it a user-friendly and versatile tool.
Setting up and using this CO2 laser engraver is straightforward, but don’t expect it to engrave hard materials like stone, glass, or metal. The interface allows for easy adjustment of laser intensity and is suitable for DIY tasks.
The laser beam has a carving accuracy of 0.05 mm and a wavelength of 405 mm. Another bonus is its lithium-ion battery, which can last for up to three hours, even when communicating via Bluetooth or USB. That means it can continue carving even when cut off from power.
QIILU Mini
4. Mophorn 80W
- Applicable Industry: small business, semi-industrial, shoes, gifts, toys, leather,
- Engraving Area: 50 x 70 cm²
- Materials: bamboo, ceramics, leather, rubber, marble, crystal, plexiglas
- Weight: 180 kg
The Mophorn 80W has a sizeable engraving area and unlimited length design. It comes with an offline control system, an LCD screen, a USB interface, and a resolution of 1000 dpi. Compared to other machines here, this CO2 laser engraver is a beast with the ability to handle a wide range of jobs, especially large arts and crafts projects.
This CO2 laser engraver has a maximum speed of 1000 mm/s and position accuracy of 0.01 mm, which makes it easy to add detail. To enjoy features such as autofocus, a vertically adjustable worktable, and red dot functionality, you’re free to attach additional parts. But remember, you may have to make room since it’s a giant machine.
This CO2 laser engraver comes equipped with a DSP control system for RDraw and supports other advanced software like CAD, Tajima, Photoshop, and AutoCAD. The Mophorn 80W comes with a cooling system that can allow all-day use provided you keep track of the water. Besides engraving, it also performs laser cutting.
Mophorn 80W
5. Suncoo 40W
- Applicable Industry: seal engraving, garments, paper products, computerized embroidery, craftwork, nameplates, decorations, gifts, toys, shoemaking
- Engraving Area: 30 x 20 cm²
- Materials: paper, leather, cloth, crystal, marble, rubber, wood, bamboo, double colored board, plexiglas, density board, epoxy resin
- Weight: 26 kg
The Suncoo 40W laser engraver brings together new light and mechanical movements to provide high precision and high speed. It has a resolution of up to 1000 dpi, a USB port, a high-quality control board, precise stepping motors, and it comes with easy-to-use CorelDraw software.
The machine comes with a 40W water cooling laser tube, but you can opt for the 50W or 60W tube if you need more power. Its thick rectangular body better protects its internal electronic components, making it safe to transport.
The Suncoo 40W also comes with a fan to reduce internal temperature, and its laser tube boasts some 1000 to 1300 hours of use. The cutting and engraving speeds are 35 mm/s and 350 mm/s, respectively.
SUNCOO 40W