This article is about Laser Engraver & Laser Engraving Machine for Metal & Wood, it helps beginners understand different solutions and important things we should know before buying. Now let us get started:
Wood & Metal are popular & typical materials in our life, they bring us different feelings. We always cut them to parts, or engrave patterns, letters on them to make amazing & useful works. In this article, we mainly discuss laser engraver.
How to choose a laser engraver machine for wood & metal is really a big thing for beginners.
Laser engravers recommendation:
Laser engraver for metal
Laser engraving machine for metal, it takes fiber laser source, good at metal engraving & marking, mainly for 2D engraving on mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, rubber, etc. Fiber laser machine is almost free of maintenance, easy to learn and operate;
Laser engraver for wood
Laser engraver for wood, it takes Co2 laser source, good at non-metallic engraving & cutting, such as wood engraving, paper cutting, glass engraving, fabric cutting, acrylic cutting.
Hobby CNC Router engraver for woodworking, soft metal
CNC Router is a woodworking solution for wood engraving and soft metal engraving, This kind engraving is a deep 3D engraving, much lower speed than laser machine, it is a contact-engraving, not good at very tiny and thin materials.
#1, We always choose a CNC laser engraver, why CNC?
CNC laser engraver is programmable, it is fast speed and more precise than hand engraving, but if hand & CNC engraving cooperate with each other, it will be excellent. We can design on the computer by software, and software inverts our design to be G code, a kind of CNC command, and then the CNC working according to the code to make what we designed.
It sounds so easy, but not so easy, we need to learn how to use software and how to operate CNC laser engraver, set parameters based on different designs and materials, because we not only working on wood, but also on fabric, acrylic, glass, rubber, etc., and other things that we learn and practice.
The operation of a CNC laser engraver sounds so different, but not so difficult. In fact, it is a really interesting thing, because you are not alone, the factory or supplier of laser engraver will offer training and support, and the most amazing thing is that you are exploring, easy to exchange experience and designs with people at another side of the world, and put into practice of other people’s design at once.
CNC Router engraving machine for wood & soft metal
CNC Wood router is another very popular choice, coz CNC Router can do cutting, engraving, carving works on wood, and soft metals, such as aluminum & brass, etc.
The engraving of the CNC router is a milling engraving, it is good at deep and big engraving in woodworking, different from the burning engraving of a laser machine.
Both solutions of wood engraving are unique, they are different from each other, laser engraver uses a laser beam as a fire-knife to engraving on wood, but the CNC router machine takes a tool bit to engrave. Choose them on your requirements or come to our sales manager for advice.
#2, Laser Engraver for Metal vs Laser Engraving Machine for wood:
There are two different laser engraver machines: fiber laser engraver and Co2 laser engraver, fiber laser is good at metal and Co2 laser is good at wood.
Some laser machines are equipped with both kinds of laser sources, but the performance is always not so good as the machine with a single laser source.
The solution of Laser Engraver for Metal: fiber laser engraving machine
Fiber laser engraving machine has a function of marking on metal, a kind of 2D engraving. it laser prints patterns on metal by laser burning metal on the surface layer and leaves a permanent mark.
Laser Engraver for Metal can also make 3D engraving, just like CNC Router carving on wood, it requires higher laser power and longer time engraving.
The solution of Laser Engraver for Metal: Co2 laser engraving machine
Co2 laser engraving machine for wood always has a relatively lower power, it is weak and not capable of 2D engraving, marking on metal. Clever people find something and make it to be spraying-ink that can be burned on metal by low power Co2 laser beam, it burns and works with metal, washes ink away and it leaves a kind of permanent marks.
The solution of Laser Engraver for Wood: Co2 laser engraving machine
Co2 laser engraving machine is really good at wood engraving, coz it is a burning-engraving, so we mainly use it as 2D engraving.
Co2 laser engraving machine for wood can also make engraving & cutting on food, stone, fabric, etc. The best choice for non-metal cutting & engraving.
Conclusions:
Which machine to buy is mainly according to your actual need, especially when there is not enough space to place them.
If there are any questions in choosing a laser engraver or CNC router, please come to me for further suggestions.
