Purchase of Laser cutting equipment

I have been using an 80 watt laser cutting machine for over 2 years now, quite often. Thinking of getting my own smaller bed 700x500 machine at 50 watts and have a few Qs.

Here goes.

I am wondering about using a filtration system on top of the extraction system and will probably get a better air assist system for extra air. As the extraction tube out of my business building is quite a low roof I am thinking it may be best to filter the mainly acrylic fumes than just to simply extract them. How much more would this likely cost and is this a wise choice?

Also wondering about the power of a 50 tube as to an 80watt tube. I am using a machine that has been recently re-fitted with an new 80watt tube and have found we are using 40 to 50% power settings cutting 3mm up to 8mm acrylic. It seemed a bit lively for the first 4 weeks, not helped by a weathered laser bed!!!

Typical setting for 3mm 40 power and 11 speed, 5/6mm power set at 45 and speed set at 7 for a decent edge and 8mm power at 55/55 and speed of 5. Any more power and I get more flashback issues. Would I notice a big difference in speed (not that much an issue) and or power using 50watts? For example speed lower and power higher ratio. I may sometimes cut as deep as 10mm acrylic.

Thanks in advance

mart

Hey Mart,

I think I can help get you pointed in the right direction. For starters, I am a real big fan of filtration versus porting fumes outdoors, especially when acrylic is concerned. This is not something you would install inline with you current extraction system, but a substitute for it all together. Once the fumes have been filtered, the air is released back into your workshop where it is safe to breathe.

The two main things to consider when shopping for a fume extractor are CFMs and matching the filters to the material(s) you will be processing most. You absolutely need to make sure that the fume extractor can pull the appropriate volume of air which is relevant to the cubic size of your cabinet. For our Aeon NOVA 7 model, we recommend between 300-400 CFM. BOFA's AD 500 IQ would be a nice fit, but you could also entertain a Chinese fume extractor, like the Pure-Air PA500-FS-IQ for about half the price.

Moving on to the laser tube, there is something you should really understand. Power is not broken down perfectly by percentages. For example, your 80W tube running at 50% does not mean you are getting 40W. Laser tubes carry most of their available power at the low end and very little changes once you get up past 70% or so. Think of it as you would an American muscle car where all the power is expressed as torque at lower RPMs. If you took a calorimeter and measured your 80W tube, you'll find a huge spike in power between 20% - 50% where it will then begin to taper off until it almost flat lines. In fact, between 80% - 100% you only stand to gain a couple of watts at most.

Judging by the settings you are using now, I think you should stick with an 80W or at the very least a 60W if you're on a tight budget. Anything less and you will be at a real crawl.

I think that answers all of your questions. Let me know if you need any help picking out a machine and/or extractor to fit your budget.

Danny
Engraving Machines Plus, Corp.
(321) 821-7774
Melbourne, FL

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