Ray Fine Cyclops 30W MOPA fiber laser

[Kev Williams]

I would think a 50w fiber fitted with a 300-something-mm lens would be the kitty's butt for depth-of-field issues on small-arc items like med bracelets. And since a galvo fires from a single point and flares outward in all directions, the slightest Z movement is going to shrink or enlarge the bounding box. Close to the center/small engraving can take some Z movement, but if you're engraving near the lens's boundaries, a little Z movement means a lot of mis-alignment at the far edges... You CAN adjust focus for 'out of range' engraving, but everything must be engraved separately. I've found out the hard way that I can't engrave all of something, then refocus to re-engrave out-of-range items, you end up with 2 separate engravings...

And James, during your machining career, in most cases: did you search out work, or did work find you?

[John Lifer]

A fiber will have a lot more depth of focus than that. I haven't measured mine but I would bet it is in the range of 1/4" or so, not sure where you could possibly get .08mm - that's .003"!

From the original link...

[James Walker]

Kev in my machining career early on I had to look for work and took on the work that other shops could not do. I established a reputation for being able to do the difficult work and being able to do it with the highest of quality. I also helped design some of my clients equipment with an focus on function and cost effectiveness. So in developing a niche I had the fortune of some very high margin work. I could not compete and did not want to with the shops that were willing to work for a 1/4 of the rate that I was charging.

It sounds like I could lay a curved bracelet on a table and mark it as it were a flat surface and the laser would not be enough out of focus to be of concern? I am assuming that you would make the best focal point to be in the middle of the highest point of the arc and the lowest and be able to engrave successfully. Is that correct? If that is true then the rep is deceiving me or has little application skills. I would rather put more money towards a higher watt laser such as a 50W.

[Gary Hair]

It sounds like I could lay a curved bracelet on a table and mark it as it were a flat surface and the laser would not be enough out of focus to be of concern? I am assuming that you would make the best focal point to be in the middle of the highest point of the arc and the lowest and be able to engrave successfully. Is that correct? If that is true then the rep is deceiving me or has little application skills. I would rather put more money towards a higher watt laser such as a 50W.

That is exactly how it's done, and it's the same for any type of lasering on a curved surface. 50 watts vs 30 watts won't get the engraving done much faster, and if you want more throughput then your money would be better spent on two 30 watt machines than a single 50 - I guarantee you'll get double the throughput on two 30's and you have a backup machine in case one has any problems.

I'll say it again - find a new source for your purchase, it seems like this one is going to lead you down the path that makes them the most money, not to the machine you need.

[Gary Hair]

From the original link...

That link lists "Marking depth" - that is very different than depth of focus or depth of field, which is what we were talking about. Plus, I can tell you from experience that I can get much more depth than .08mm and in a reasonable amount of time.

[James Walker]

Thank You Gary. Your post has been very helpful. I put a request in to Ray Fine and told them what I wanted to do and they suggested a 30W MOPA with a 150 x 150w optic lens. They provided pictures of samples of just what I proposed to do. They quoted only $8200.00 with rotary, 2 year warranty, delivery to my door excluding customs. The other guy pushing for the 3D had me at $32,000.00. For that much difference in price I think I will buy the Ray Fine and add on a 110 x 110mm lens to experiment with. I will also then have the benefit of rotary with this where as the USA guy was not including a rotary in his quote. Again Thank You for your help.

[Scott Shepherd]

If you were considering a $32,000 machine, you might want to look at a Western option, like Trotec. Their Speedmarker FL would fit your needs well and the software is first class with full support and updates. It would be much more like what you're used to in your previous career.

However, if you're in the $8,200 range, your options are limited to Chinese.

The things they are doing with the Speedmarker FL MOPA are fascinating.

[John Lifer]

Sorry Gary, wasn't paying attention, and James this should be good machines full MOPA not my limited, (so far I can't see much change in using the MOPA settings, but I haven't done much to plastic nor titanium. ) And btw, customs on these is way less than the co2 coming by boat. DHL handles a lot at no extra charge. External to gov duty that is. Ask for the paperwork for the FDA forms once they say machine has shipped and before it gets here you need Ascension number to complete form... Good luck!

[Bill George]

James, One other thought. You do 3D CAD work and in the 3D printer world there is a need for talented people to do and sell designs that can be printed.

[Gary Hair]

Thank You Gary. Your post has been very helpful. I put a request in to Ray Fine and told them what I wanted to do and they suggested a 30W MOPA with a 150 x 150w optic lens. They provided pictures of samples of just what I proposed to do. They quoted only $8200.00 with rotary, 2 year warranty, delivery to my door excluding customs. The other guy pushing for the 3D had me at $32,000.00. For that much difference in price I think I will buy the Ray Fine and add on a 110 x 110mm lens to experiment with. I will also then have the benefit of rotary with this where as the USA guy was not including a rotary in his quote. Again Thank You for your help.

I would skip the 110x110 and the 150x150 and get a 175x175 instead. I have a 110 and 175 and with the exception of testing the 110 when I first bought the machine, I haven't used it since. The 110 didn't seem to give me anything that the 175 couldn't do and with the 175 I have a working area that is almost 7". For the curved surfaces you want to mark, the 175 will give you more depth of focus along with the larger area. You'll be limited a bit on power out to the extreme edges, but you can still mark out there but depth will take longer.

edit: I have no idea if the 175x175 will be ok with MOPA, ask them before you make a decision.

[Gary Hair]

If you were considering a $32,000 machine, you might want to look at a Western option, like Trotec. Their Speedmarker FL would fit your needs well and the software is first class with full support and updates. It would be much more like what you're used to in your previous career.

However, if you're in the $8,200 range, your options are limited to Chinese.

The things they are doing with the Speedmarker FL MOPA are fascinating.

I would also suggest jimani for a higher-end machine. Their prices will be a bit higher than some but their support is worth the price! Not sure if they are selling MOPA but it would be worth an inquiry.

[James Walker]

Hi Bill. Thank yuo for the reply. Most of my work in 3D has been functional and industrial. I feel that I am not talented artwise or coming up with aesthetically pleasing designs. I am kind of a boxy guy that can model surfaces with a structural or purposeful use like vanes for a propeller.

[Scott Shepherd]

I would also suggest jimani for a higher-end machine. Their prices will be a bit higher than some but their support is worth the price! Not sure if they are selling MOPA but it would be worth an inquiry.

True. The real problem with Chinese Fibers is the support/software. There are some really good software packages out there for Galvo Fibers, but in my experience in contacting them, none of them were supporting the most commonly used Chinese fiber sources, meaning everyone was stuck with EZCAD.

Jimani overcame that problem, if I recall correctly and has a source that works with better software. He's certainly one of the top shelf guys in the market with his experience and support in the USA.

I think when people see what Trotec is doing with the MOPA it's going to get some attention.

The fiber market has been neglected by all manufactures which has created this vacuum that's pulling all the Chinese machines in. I'd love to see a Western Galvo Fiber in the mid $20K range.

[Gary Hair]

I'd love to see a Western Galvo Fiber in the mid $20K range.

I think they missed the boat on that one, China has been filling that need and has probably taken the bulk of the possible sales already.

[James Walker]

Thanks Gary. I will ask about the 175 x 175. I have a few requests out to China manufacturers. I just sent one to XT Laser and they had a very quick response and as with all of the China manufactures they did not recommend 3D. Most have recommended a 50W Raycus as apposed to 30W MOPA for black marking. I sent XT a photo file and they offered to post a video of it being lasered on Stainless with a 50W Raycus. The Chinese go out of their way to make a sale. I am 99% sure that I will go with a China made laser, I just need to decide what type and from which manufacture. I will probably give more weight to the Ray Fine because of their reputation with those here at SawMill Creek. Would you purchase a backup power supply or any other parts to have on hand to get the machine back up and running should something fail?