Wow, MOPA really seems like a future of small format shop-style lasers. Fast as hell, no need for adjustment of axes, and most importantly, and the freedom of wavelength adjustment. Now diode lasers have come a long way in last few years...but this is a different animal altogether. Super excited about this machine...
For more interesting colors on stainless you have to defocus the head about 1mm up to spread the heat out, something I've experimented with on a 70 watt Tykma large field and later heard from a former Tykma applications person. Be glad the clones cost what they do since the industrial machines are usually 15x that price. If they are running the same ripped software there should be tools to distort the marking field to match your part's contours in the absence of a rotary head.
Since MOPA is better for plastics, I'm curious how well a small, simple machine like this would do with PCB prototyping or small scale manufacturing. It wouldn't be too difficult to have a multi-material profile, just switch frequency and amplitude within a certain set of lines in the code. 'Etching' a PCB would be such a great alternative to the typical developing methods, as even some of the newer prototyping methods, like using a photoresist PCB blank on the LCD of an MSLA printer, still require developing in chemicals. If this could not only etch the traces, but also etch the board for proper marking, I don't see why this couldn't be a viable alternative to cheap board manufacturing. Stemming from this, I'm curious how well this kind of laser handles various solder masks, say if someone wanted to mask a whole board then etch the masking off the pads, instead of more typical processes; most PCB software already separate pads and traces, so technically you'd already have a file for just pads, with the proper settings you could potentially etch the solder mask but not the copper pad underneath. If it works out, something like this could be great for maker spaces, assuming someone had already gone through the calibrations for specific materials, thicknesses, etc. Even as a hobbyist or small business, a machine like this would be amazing for prototyping and small production runs.
I’m starting a bizz with custom name engraving. My LaserPecker 2 had 3rd-axis issues (I get a new within weeks), but after researching a ton (where your content is king amongst a few - thanks) I came to the conclusion that a galvo laser was exactly what I need. Since the laser dot size is important, galvo CO2 was excluded, leaving me with the LaserPecker 2 5W and hoping they would evolve to possibly 10, 15 or 20W diode. Kind of annoying when you want to upgrade.. And Boom then you post this beast an hour ago - Thanks once again!🙏🏽
For real checkout the cheaper options in the EM Smart line, it's still going to be about double the price of a Laserpecker but would be great for production work (and making the money back).
In the future a compinaton of gantry and galvo is the way to go with also both laser sources CO2 and also Mopa Fiber laser. Trotec is the leading in that sector
That is such a cool laser setup. We have 50 watt OmTech like you showed in the video. This would be a great portable laser. I’m always worried that we are going to kink the fiber from the head on our current one.
For my projects it's looking likely that I'll need a fiber laser. I've seen some videos of fiber lasers doing a really good job of cutting carbon fiber. Other types of lasers don't seem to be able to cut carbon fiber well. I'm probably looking at a 50w machine, but I'm not sure if only the MOPA fiber lasers can cut carbon fiber?
Question: I already have a cnc machine that i use for making aluminium modular panels, I am looking at getting a laser for marking the adonised panels with text and legend markings. Is it possible to see one of these lasers do marking on adonised panels, also which do you recommend? I have looked at the atomstack x20 pro 130w and have watched the video on this one also. I am a little torn for which one to invest in, also then is getting the laser at the right origin X/Y point. Could you possibly do a little tutorial info on this? thanks again for another great video!!
Hi our laser fully compatible with Lightburn, there will be some smell during the engraving, you can decide whether you need fume extraction according your feeling
How’d you get a black mark on aluminum? I’ve had a 100W MOPA for a few months now and have yet to get anywhere close to an actual black mark on aluminum. I can get dark gray but not black
Hi dear, our basic and mopa series can not be folded like EM-Smart One or Nova. :) But the laser head can do 180 degree rotation for larger workpieces engrave
Since this laser creates an angle between the surface being cut and the beam output. Does it CUT through 3/8 thick material at a slight angle since the laser beam is NOT CUTTING from Directly above at a perfect right angle to the surface being cut. I would like to make a whole bunch of wood puzzles and I do NOT want there to be any angles of any sort on the pieces. I want the pieces to be truely Square to the surface. So since the laser is NOT MOVED directly above I would guess that the laser is always cutting at some varying angle to the surface of material being cut which for my uses makes it a worthless device for me to have. Thank you for your time.
I know that wood is not a good idea with those fiber lasers, but would something harder work like tiles with the norton white method or something familiar?
@@makeorbreakshop Whoah, it's sad I do not get notifications. Is carving on tiles only possible on a mopa laser? or is a normal fiber laser possible too?
This is awesome! I am looking for a laser that can actually cut into and engrave at least 4mm deep into carbon steel, cold rolled steel. Do you have any suggestions? I make texture plates that will be used in rolling mills and presses. The smaller the better, thank you so much for all your help
That requires a lot of power. We’re talking about at least a couple hundred watts of fiber laser. That’s also rarely found in a small machine like this, and they’re priced at around $10,000 and up.
@@makeorbreakshop Do you think this EM-Smart 20W MOPA could cut through 0.3mm thick brass foil/sheet? I need to cut some 250-350 micron thick metals (brass or stainless) for a technical project and am wondering if this might work. Or would it take so many passes as to be impractical (e.g. >10 sec. to cut a 30mm circle out)?
@@EM-Smart-Laser Thank you for your reply, I found your channel and quite enjoyed your approach and content. But if I may ask you this I never did any form of laser, CNC machining only a hobby wood work, So if I may ask out of all and price I am seriously thinking of Xtool D1 20w. Would you say that is the safest and best buy for my experience level? Thanks!
Do you think it makes more sense to have a high power diode and one of the cheaper fiber lasers or one of the new MOPA lasers? I am building a maker space for myself and my Scout troop. Also the High School plans to come see my maker space after I get it up and running, hoping to use mine as an example of what they can do at the school. If you know any of your sponsors or companies that would like to help me my troop is located in Northern Arkansas troop 639.
I bet it's fast at double to triple the price. Think we are a full year away from these being affordable or worth it for small shop/hobby. Time isn't a factor unless you are doing mass production. For most, I'm betting this is such overkill it just won't come into play this year for most of us! I rather spend money on a quality CNC table top system. At 3k, I can get a nice cnc setup, which has an optional laser. ;)
too bad those lasers are so hard to manufacture.. splicing fibers, packed full with expensive components.. their price will never go to the usual hobby levels of current tech. 2..5k isnt much if you are making money off it, but if its just for hobby its hard to justify
Wow, MOPA really seems like a future of small format shop-style lasers. Fast as hell, no need for adjustment of axes, and most importantly, and the freedom of wavelength adjustment. Now diode lasers have come a long way in last few years...but this is a different animal altogether. Super excited about this machine...
For most shops you need a laser that can engrave AND cut. This one can only engrave. Good for limited applications.
@@Stevieboy7 no no no... This gives finer details than diode... Marks faster than diode... But I think they all have their parts to play...
@@TheMessenger012 but the size is limited, it's a nice machine though. Also did I miss something? why couldn't this cut?
@@_JustBeingCasual i think it does not cut... But i have seen some versions cut...
This video taught me more about diode lasers than the one he was “reviewing”.
That's pretty slick, Brandon. Hadn't heard of that tech yet, thanks for sharing
Thanks Brad!
It is amazing were this tech is going but I look forward to when this comes down in price
For more interesting colors on stainless you have to defocus the head about 1mm up to spread the heat out, something I've experimented with on a 70 watt Tykma large field and later heard from a former Tykma applications person. Be glad the clones cost what they do since the industrial machines are usually 15x that price. If they are running the same ripped software there should be tools to distort the marking field to match your part's contours in the absence of a rotary head.
Since MOPA is better for plastics, I'm curious how well a small, simple machine like this would do with PCB prototyping or small scale manufacturing. It wouldn't be too difficult to have a multi-material profile, just switch frequency and amplitude within a certain set of lines in the code. 'Etching' a PCB would be such a great alternative to the typical developing methods, as even some of the newer prototyping methods, like using a photoresist PCB blank on the LCD of an MSLA printer, still require developing in chemicals. If this could not only etch the traces, but also etch the board for proper marking, I don't see why this couldn't be a viable alternative to cheap board manufacturing. Stemming from this, I'm curious how well this kind of laser handles various solder masks, say if someone wanted to mask a whole board then etch the masking off the pads, instead of more typical processes; most PCB software already separate pads and traces, so technically you'd already have a file for just pads, with the proper settings you could potentially etch the solder mask but not the copper pad underneath.
If it works out, something like this could be great for maker spaces, assuming someone had already gone through the calibrations for specific materials, thicknesses, etc. Even as a hobbyist or small business, a machine like this would be amazing for prototyping and small production runs.
i'm only six months late to the party but I'll still try to help everyone out and save them 8 min of their time to just say this is like $2.5k+ !!
Staff at 3pL said this can not engrave on jewellery made from gold, you need 50W minimum. What do you think?
I’m starting a bizz with custom name engraving. My LaserPecker 2 had 3rd-axis issues (I get a new within weeks), but after researching a ton (where your content is king amongst a few - thanks) I came to the conclusion that a galvo laser was exactly what I need.
Since the laser dot size is important, galvo CO2 was excluded, leaving me with the LaserPecker 2 5W and hoping they would evolve to possibly 10, 15 or 20W diode. Kind of annoying when you want to upgrade..
And Boom then you post this beast an hour ago - Thanks once again!🙏🏽
For real checkout the cheaper options in the EM Smart line, it's still going to be about double the price of a Laserpecker but would be great for production work (and making the money back).
In the future a compinaton of gantry and galvo is the way to go with also both laser sources CO2 and also Mopa Fiber laser. Trotec is the leading in that sector
Light burn for Fiber comes out on 6/30!!!!!! And, its a free upgrade for current license holders!
Flip the head 180 degrees. secure base to underside of cupboard. Put xy bed on counter and seriously increase engraving area.
Very cool Technology. What is the most Bugetfriendly Fiber Laser for small engravings? Is there somethimg below 1000$ on the market ?
I want one of these so badly! But I just can't afford dropping $3,000 to $5,000 on something I would just be using for fun/hobby use.
ditto
Interested in the physics and deeper dive! Love your videos!
I will add this to my list for future purcahse and have an eye out for other MOPA Laser Engravers
That is such a cool laser setup. We have 50 watt OmTech like you showed in the video. This would be a great portable laser. I’m always worried that we are going to kink the fiber from the head on our current one.
Yep same! Always worried when I move
Thanks for your Review Brandon! Really nice video, Looking forward to the next video! :-)
Marking MOPA lasers are almost always(99.999% of the time) fiber lasers. Different topology.
Thank you fir your smart information. What do you suggest for cutting polyester lycra fabric? To cut bundles of several layers of fabric? Thank you..
using Lightburn with 3p em2 getting unrecognized board signature. ani ideas
YES, Interested in video on Frequency and Pulse Width!
thx
For my projects it's looking likely that I'll need a fiber laser. I've seen some videos of fiber lasers doing a really good job of cutting carbon fiber. Other types of lasers don't seem to be able to cut carbon fiber well. I'm probably looking at a 50w machine, but I'm not sure if only the MOPA fiber lasers can cut carbon fiber?
Question: I already have a cnc machine that i use for making aluminium modular panels, I am looking at getting a laser for marking the adonised panels with text and legend markings. Is it possible to see one of these lasers do marking on adonised panels, also which do you recommend? I have looked at the atomstack x20 pro 130w and have watched the video on this one also. I am a little torn for which one to invest in, also then is getting the laser at the right origin X/Y point. Could you possibly do a little tutorial info on this? thanks again for another great video!!
Do you have an update on Lightburn combability? Also does this require some type of fume extraction?
Hi our laser fully compatible with Lightburn, there will be some smell during the engraving, you can decide whether you need fume extraction according your feeling
Will this raise the image. Like what you see on business cards and newer creditcards?
What would your recommendation for a straight fiber laser for the money right now.
I need one that cuts at least up to 1 mm. Please help.
In Your Experience what Fiber Laser do you think would be Best to make Challenge Coins?
Hi, 20W enough. For deep engrave, the higher power, the shorter engraving time. :)
would be interesting to show the technology behind the laser.
Cool! question: Can either of them MOPA or fiber (even the omtech one) cut metal? (i'm talking about very thin sheets from .50 to 3.50 mm)
0.5-1mm max if you have 50W-100W fiber/mopa laser. That too on repeated passes. Can be Time consuming and problematic for laser sometimes
Do you know why this can engrave wood but the o tech can’t aren’t they both fiber lasers
Any suggestions on em laser vs omtech?
Great video, this unit be able to make small cut shapes of metal or other material?
What about bricks or concrete blocks? Could it do that?
How’d you get a black mark on aluminum? I’ve had a 100W MOPA for a few months now and have yet to get anywhere close to an actual black mark on aluminum. I can get dark gray but not black
no enclosure? isnt this bad for your eyes, even if the light isnt visible?
Yep always be sure and wear their provided safety glasses.
How did you get black on aluminium? Even the ppl selling them say that isn't possible. Only white engraving
Hi, it can get black or white on aluminium, just can not get color marking on aluminium. :)
@@EM-Smart-Laser what setting are you using to get black?
my 40W K40 was $300 and works great
Totally! the K40 is an awesome bang for your buck, especially if you like to tinker.
@@makeorbreakshop O yes Tinker in deed lol :)
Can the head fold around to laser things not over the main base?
Hi dear, our basic and mopa series can not be folded like EM-Smart One or Nova. :) But the laser head can do 180 degree rotation for larger workpieces engrave
Really cool, would buy it in a heartbeat at 500$, can't justify 3-5k for hobby yet tho
Hey G'day, is there a DIY version of this?
Can 20w mopa do deep engraving?
Very nice WOW Fast. question? can you use another brand of axis rotary or do you need to use the 1 that 3PLaser offers? thanks
Hello dear George, our mopa laser with rotary version will come with rotary axis. :)
i am searching for a laser to structure glass, could u test the mopa laser for that?
Lightburn is supporting galvo lasers now.
Nice! looks like the type of laser used to remove rust. Do you think this can do the same?
Yep!
Since this laser creates an angle between the surface being cut and the beam output. Does it CUT through 3/8 thick material at a slight angle since the laser beam is NOT CUTTING from Directly above at a perfect right angle to the surface being cut. I would like to make a whole bunch of wood puzzles and I do NOT want there to be any angles of any sort on the pieces. I want the pieces to be truely Square to the surface. So since the laser is NOT MOVED directly above I would guess that the laser is always cutting at some varying angle to the surface of material being cut which for my uses makes it a worthless device for me to have. Thank you for your time.
C02 gantry style.
I know that wood is not a good idea with those fiber lasers, but would something harder work like tiles with the norton white method or something familiar?
You could carve directly on tile, no need for Norton
@@makeorbreakshop Whoah, it's sad I do not get notifications. Is carving on tiles only possible on a mopa laser? or is a normal fiber laser possible too?
This is awesome! I am looking for a laser that can actually cut into and engrave at least 4mm deep into carbon steel, cold rolled steel. Do you have any suggestions? I make texture plates that will be used in rolling mills and presses. The smaller the better, thank you so much for all your help
These fiber lasers engrave but what about the cutting ?
That requires a lot of power. We’re talking about at least a couple hundred watts of fiber laser. That’s also rarely found in a small machine like this, and they’re priced at around $10,000 and up.
For cutting your going to get into some pretty high powered industrial stuff.
Thank you for your answers. :-)
@@makeorbreakshop Do you think this EM-Smart 20W MOPA could cut through 0.3mm thick brass foil/sheet? I need to cut some 250-350 micron thick metals (brass or stainless) for a technical project and am wondering if this might work. Or would it take so many passes as to be impractical (e.g. >10 sec. to cut a 30mm circle out)?
the buttons really looks like the atomstack machines... ;) just a question, it dosn't work on wood??
Yeh the laser frequency isn’t really suited for wood.
Tanks
I'm pretty sure I can make black marks on aluminum with my 50watt JPT fiber.
That’s really impressive, Brandon 👍👍
Can you use it on wood
After reading the materials you listed I am wondering why stone wasn’t on the list? Would it work on slate?
Hi dear Ran, yes can engrave on slate
@@EM-Smart-Laser Thank you for your reply, I found your channel and quite enjoyed your approach and content. But if I may ask you this I never did any form of laser, CNC machining only a hobby wood work, So if I may ask out of all and price I am seriously thinking of Xtool D1 20w. Would you say that is the safest and best buy for my experience level? Thanks!
@@RanA-xo8ek Hello Ran, For this question I think you can find the help from Brandon. I would certainly recommend EM-Smart Laser. :)
cost in india?
Will a 20W Mopa do what a 20W Fiber laser can do?
yes
Do you think it makes more sense to have a high power diode and one of the cheaper fiber lasers or one of the new MOPA lasers? I am building a maker space for myself and my Scout troop. Also the High School plans to come see my maker space after I get it up and running, hoping to use mine as an example of what they can do at the school. If you know any of your sponsors or companies that would like to help me my troop is located in Northern Arkansas troop 639.
I would go with a cheaper fiber unless you have a pretty specific use case where you need the increased abilities of a MOPA.
@@makeorbreakshop Thank you
I would like a separate video going more in depth
My wallet hates you but loves the videos!
Yeh this one is a bit of stretch coming from a diode machine, but for a business it could be a great fit!
interesting what is price how to get it to india
Hi Manohar, we can ship to all country. :)
Would this be good for PCBs?
Hi, yes
I bet it's fast at double to triple the price. Think we are a full year away from these being affordable or worth it for small shop/hobby. Time isn't a factor unless you are doing mass production. For most, I'm betting this is such overkill it just won't come into play this year for most of us! I rather spend money on a quality CNC table top system. At 3k, I can get a nice cnc setup, which has an optional laser. ;)
Ah, now you got real making machine. :)
ok selling my kidney now to get one
Well, Mr. Carve can do the same.
Price...😅😅😅
It's also 48x more expensive than a diode laser
My 30W fiber is the size of a washing machine. 😒
too bad those lasers are so hard to manufacture.. splicing fibers, packed full with expensive components.. their price will never go to the usual hobby levels of current tech.
2..5k isnt much if you are making money off it, but if its just for hobby its hard to justify
Yeh I see this pretty targeted towards those who can make money with them.
wait what? lol a MOPA is a fiber laser. It its not its own league. its the same wavelength of 1064
I never said it was a fiber laser, just that they look pretty similar and use a galvo to move the laser beam.
and 48x more expensive!
$2500 bucks. Ok. Nah.
2500 bucks or more lolllll nope
bullshit.
Really cool, would buy it in a heartbeat at 500$, can't justify 3-5k for hobby yet tho