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Thread: Fiber Laser question.

  1. #1

    Fiber Laser question.

    So this is probably a dumb question, I see what a Fiber laser can do with metals but can it engrave non metals as fast as a CO2 laser would? Reason being, I'd like to get more into engraving and lean towards metals so a fiber seems like a wise choice but I'd like the ability to not turn work away if I could. Would that mean Id need one of each in a nice world where I could afford two.
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  2. #2
    Nope, the wavelength only works on some materials, it's not a case of speed it's a case of whether the beam will be absorbed by the material that decides if it will work.
    You did what !

  3. #3
    As always, thank you Dave. Two it is then : )
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  4. #4
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    A fiber certainly shines on marking/engraving metal but it can also mark/engrave lots of other materials as well! I have both and there isn't much I can't mark and there are things that one does better than the other. For the most part, anything that both machines will mark, the fiber will mark faster and better. Two examples - anodized aluminum and leather. Both mark very well with the co2 and speeds are very acceptable. The fiber marks both materials better and several times faster. One of my best investments was buying the fiber last year, I wish I would have done it sooner! Dave makes it sound like the fiber will only mark metal, but that couldn't be farther from reality! I don't have a link, but a quick google search should yield a list of materials that you can mark with a fiber. Be aware that there is a big difference between galvo and gantry fiber lasers - gantry can't do near as much or as well as a galvo.
    Last edited by Gary Hair; 01-31-2015 at 1:24 PM.

  5. #5
    So Gary, I guess if you had to have only one, you'd have a fiber, but doing what you do, would you only have a fiber laser? Glad to hear that you would have bought it sooner thought, that's telling.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neville Stewart View Post
    but doing what you do, would you only have a fiber laser?
    I could get away with just fiber and still do pretty well, but I have one customer that I mark thousands of anodized parts every month and it would be a lot more work with the fiber vs the laser. That's only because they have a large number of parts and a large number of designs per part and the orders are random. I have macros and custom programming in Corel to make this very easy, not so easy with the software that runs the fiber. I suppose I could do it if I had to, but I don't have to so I won't even try. If/when my co2 dies, I'll buy another for sure. Now that I have both I really couldn't live with just one.

  7. #7
    Ok this is too cool. A fiber/CO2 dual!
    http://www.troteclaser.com/en-US-CA/...y300flexx.aspx
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  8. #8
    Neville

    Most people I've talked with consider this to be less than an optimal solution preferring instead to have two machines. The cost of the dual machine is a challenge as well.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  9. #9
    Thank you Mike, I assumed the cost of a dual machine might be sensibly less that one of each. So in general if I could get a demo 80 w for around $25k what range would a fiber be in?
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neville Stewart View Post
    Ok this is too cool. A fiber/CO2 dual!
    http://www.troteclaser.com/en-US-CA/...y300flexx.aspx
    The fact that it's a gantry machine makes it very undesirable to me. You lose a lot of functionality and quality with gantry vs galvo.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neville Stewart View Post
    Thank you Mike, I assumed the cost of a dual machine might be sensibly less that one of each. So in general if I could get a demo 80 w for around $25k what range would a fiber be in?

    YOu can import in a 30 watt Chinese fiber for less than $15k. You lose support on a Chinese laser but the machine is not a whole lot different than any mainstream brand so you get three times the value, in my opinion anyway.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Neville Stewart View Post
    Thank you Mike, I assumed the cost of a dual machine might be sensibly less that one of each. So in general if I could get a demo 80 w for around $25k what range would a fiber be in?
    If believe it was about $20000-30,000 more to add the fiber to the Trotec. $20,000 for the 20w, and $30K for the 30w if I recall correctly. It's been a couple of years since I've seen it quoted, so that might not be accurate, but it's close. It's almost like adding the cost of another entire machine onto it, I do know that. I think I saw a quote that was in the $50-55K range for it.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  13. #13
    I was looking at Chinese Fiber machines from an American distributor in fact. I'll have to do my homework. Does anybody on the forum have one? As you say the machines arent terribly different. I wonder why they can't compete with the speed of a trifecta or any American brand when it comes to engraving?

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Neville Stewart View Post
    I was looking at Chinese Fiber machines from an American distributor in fact. I'll have to do my homework. Does anybody on the forum have one? As you say the machines arent terribly different. I wonder why they can't compete with the speed of a trifecta or any American brand when it comes to engraving?
    They could if they wanted to, but they don't want to. They could certainly offer better motors, electronics, software, but if they did all that, then they wouldn't be able to offer cheap machines, which lures people in. Then they'd have to add English speaking tech support that was available during western business hours, and English manuals written by people that speak English as a first language, etc.

    That's just not who they are, in the market place, I don't think.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  15. #15
    "Trifecta". Good lord, autocorrect can be a pain in the bum. I meant Trotec, anyway, thanks all. I will be looking at real performers for the engraving machine so a Trotec is high on the list. So what would be the pros and cons of a gantry versus galvo fiber laser, and the galvo is the one with the fixed head, that you place parts under?
    355 - 10400 : )

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