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Thread: Galvo Fiber questions

  1. #1
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    Galvo Fiber questions

    Hello, I have been reading the forums for some time and, like many before me, I am ready to invest in a Glavo Fiber laser. As many of you who already have or are going through the order process know, the choices can be very daunting. I ve received a number of quotes over the past few weeks with prices and options all over the place. Some with lower prices but higher shipping, others with different models of laser sources. The 30w M6 quotes range from $8k to $10,800, with some including a rotary and others not. After perusing the forums for awhile now, and funds permitting, I am pretty settled on a 30 watt MOPA in the Split type design with a Rotary for doing Stainless Tumblers and mugs with some color here and there. The problem or question I have run into is with the JPT sources. I noticed some companies quoting YDFLP-30-M6+-S and YDFLP-30-M6+-L1 laser sources and others showing C-30-M6+-S and C-30-M6+-L1 sources. None of them seem to be able to tell me the difference between teh YDFLP- and the C- source. Thinking it was just each companies naming, I decided to look at the JPTOE website and sure enough they list both YDFLP and C version with identical specifications. The -L model of each has a 31-2000kHz range and the -S version 60-2000kHz range, otherwise everything else is identical. Does anyone have any of these models and if so which one? What is the widest kHz frequency range you have used with your fibers? What is the wildest thing you have been able to mark? leather, wood, pu notebooks, etc... Of the people that have Glavo Fibers, what would you do differently if ordering again. If you have a MOPA, do YOU use color and do you play with it to get the best colors? Have you paid off your investment and how long did it take you? I am somewhat torn between LaserPower Company who is offering the YDFLP-30-M6+-L and XT Laser who uses the C-30-M6+-S. XT Laser has a blog that's updated regularly and they are constantly posting videos of their lasers. LaserPower seems to be offering a better source for a little less but I can not find anything on them and they do not post videos very often. Thanks, Jeff

  2. #2
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    Got mine through DLM Lasers in Minnesota. Would I get something else now - probably not. Great machine. My 50 watt is a bit more expensive than what most here use, but I still think it was worth the extra cash. Only had it 5 months, so not yet paid for itself, but pretty darn close. There were less expensive lasers out there, but I'm an established business man, so cheapest isn't my primary goal. Dependability & capability are a bit higher on my priority list. I only cut corners by not getting a hood/box for it. Jury is still out if that was a miscue. Been a couple jobs I would have wanted one, others, it would just have been in the way.
    DLM Lasers

    Tim
    There are Big Brain people & Small Brain people. I'm one of the Big Brains - with a lot of empty space.- me
    50W Fiber - Raycus/MaxPhotonics - It's a metal eating beast!
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  3. #3
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    The only thing that I regret is not going for a 30w .. my 20W was $5k door to door
    Paid for itself in a month or so. It makes a ton of money , oddly enough , with rowmark and other engraving plastics
    I would look at getting a larger field lens (220mmx220mm) along with the stock (110mm x 110mm)
    a 220 lens allows us to do 40 5cm x 2cm plates in a couple of minutes , I use the laser to engrave and cut the stuff ... the stock lens we change for metals (a 2 minute job) as it has better power density
    Rodney Gold, Toker Bros trophies, Cape Town , South Africa :
    Roland 2300 rotary . 3 x ISEL's ..1m x 500mm CnC .
    Tekcel 1200x2400 router , 900 x 600 60w Shenui laser , 1200 x 800 80w Reci tube Shenhui Laser
    6 x longtai lasers 400x600 60w , 1 x longtai 20w fiber
    2x Gravo manual engravers , Roland 540 large format printer/cutter. CLTT setup
    1600mm hot and cold laminator , 3x Dopag resin dispensers , sandblasting setup, acid etcher

  4. #4
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    Don’t buy a fiber to do color engraving, it’s not worth it. Someone recently posted a picture of a US flag that took 18 minutes to laser, it was pretty small, maybe 1/2” x 1” or so. At a typical rate for lasering, that would have cost a minimum of $36US to the customer - nobody will pay that (on a regular basis anyway) for such a small mark. Stick to what a fiber does really well - engraving metal.

  5. #5
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    @Tim I looked at DLM, did you do their Portable or Desktop 50w machine? While DLM's prices are higher than similar China machines they aren't nearly what some places are charging.

    @Rodne Do you have any Rowmark pictures you could share with detail and edges? I've been doing 10x2 Rowmark Name plates on my 45w CO2. There's a detailed logo on it and while it took awhile to get perfect I keep wondering if the Fiber can do better. How much angle do you get on the outer edges and how long does cutting Rowmark take?

    I'm honestly just looking at 30w due to reading everyone's comments, it seems like a good compromise as I don't do any high volume yet. Some of my CO2 jobs take 30-60 minutes if I'm engraving and cutting Acrylic or Wood. Ozark Trail tumblers take about 10 minutes either stainless with cermark or powder coated for a 3x3ish logo.

    As for color, I've seen some things take awhile to do and other that went fairly quickly. Wisely has a video doing a stainless phone back with 7 color logos covering most of the back that took 5 minutes so it seems like settings are a big factor in speed. I have to agree that color marking will always be slower but having the option seems like a good idea. What's funny is almost every CO2 video is sped up while most of the Glavo Fiber videos are in real time. I want the option of doing Color and not having to say no when someone asks. I also like the expanded options the MOPA is supposed to give for plastics.

    I discovered from reading spec sheets that the JPT MOPA 30-M6+-S and 30-M1+-S (S model) are rated for .5mJ energy and the 30-M6+-L (L model) is rated at 0.97mJ. Most of the Raycus non Mopa are rated >=1mJ. This probably accounts for a couple mentions I've seen that stated MOPAs don't deep engrave as well. The JPT L series is supposed to take care of that so that's what I'm trying to get. A couple places quoted the L model as $200-$300 extra but one offered to upgrade me to it at not cost. $$$$ is the final deciding factor.

    I'm open to suggestions if anyone has anything else to add that I'm missing.
    Thank you all for your input.

  6. #6
    If you think you are going to run stainless tumblers on it and make money, you might want to take another look. Like Gary said, it's not practical. We have fiber and CO2 and we wouldn't even consider doing a tumbler on the fiber. The rotary would end up leaving marks where it splits the image and rotates, and it would take forever. We can do a 3" x 3" graphic on a tumbler on the CO2 in less than 3 minutes.
    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.

  7. #7
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    I've done one on my fiber. One. Full circumference, 80mm diameter roughly 50mm high, an hour and 15minutes. Yeah, could probably shave off a few minutes now that I know more, but 5 to 8min on co2 is way quicker fiber is great for very small items or deep Engraving. Not cheap ss cups.
    Woodworking, Old Tools and Shooting
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  8. #8
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    Wow, thanks for the info. Are you referring to stitching type marks with the rotary? I have to ask, if the rotary will leave marks where the image is split, how are these jewelry makers marking wrap around designs on rings? Wouldn't it mess up their designs? Most of the 30oz tumblers and beer coozies I have seen on youtube appear to be running in less than 5 minutes and in real time. Is that not the case?

    I make a number of different items, the tumblers being one of them but they take 10 minutes on my 45watt machine so I can knock out 6 and hour if I have my files set up and ready to run. The tumblers I do are all personalized with a logo and badge number so I setup individual layers with different badge numbers in Illustrator. I see you all have 75w or higher machines so your run times are less than mine.

    So how long would a 3x3 image take on a fiber with Powder Coated tumblers. I've seen a number of people ranting about less cleanup with the fiber by running a cleaning pass when it's done and leaving the engraved area brighter than the rest of the tumbler. Like many, I don't trust my CO2's rotary for a second pass so I though the Fiber would add a second machine and more options.

    Thanks

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Watkins View Post
    Wow, thanks for the info. Are you referring to stitching type marks with the rotary? I have to ask, if the rotary will leave marks where the image is split, how are these jewelry makers marking wrap around designs on rings? Wouldn't it mess up their designs? Most of the 30oz tumblers and beer coozies I have seen on youtube appear to be running in less than 5 minutes and in real time. Is that not the case?

    I make a number of different items, the tumblers being one of them but they take 10 minutes on my 45watt machine so I can knock out 6 and hour if I have my files set up and ready to run. The tumblers I do are all personalized with a logo and badge number so I setup individual layers with different badge numbers in Illustrator. I see you all have 75w or higher machines so your run times are less than mine.

    So how long would a 3x3 image take on a fiber with Powder Coated tumblers. I've seen a number of people ranting about less cleanup with the fiber by running a cleaning pass when it's done and leaving the engraved area brighter than the rest of the tumbler. Like many, I don't trust my CO2's rotary for a second pass so I though the Fiber would add a second machine and more options.

    Thanks
    When Chinese rotary devices turn, they are rarely perfect and you will get a few lines of overlap. People that make perfect looking rings rarely are using Chinese lasers with rotary devices. Higher end rotary devices and control boards will rotate smoothly while engraving. You can put the rotary step size super small and elimate that step, but then it takes a lot longer. It’s by no means superior to CO2 on powder coatings in any respect.

    Just for reference, we do a lot of thick powder coated devices on our rotary. I think we got an order for another 100 today. At no point would I EVER consider the fiber lase as a faster or better solution. I wouldn’t even consider it. Keep that in mind when you are planning on doing it that way, while people like Gary and myself are saying we never use it for that because it’s not as efficient as the CO2.

    We also have a 45W and we used to use it almost exclusively for rotary pieces. It sits about 12” from our fiber. Never picked the fiber over the CO2 there either.

    I cant speak to any videos on YouTube, I just know from doing 1000’s and 1000’s of rotary pieces. Trust me, if the fiber is faster, we would have a row of them doing cups.

    Dont kid yourself, it’s a bad choice for cups.
    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.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    @Steve, thank for the honesty I appreciate it. So which fiber do you have, and what do you use it for?
    I too have a Sawgrass/Ricoh printer so I'll have to give sublimatable tumblers a try for the customers that want color, that's be much brighter anyway just not as permenant.

  11. #11
    I love engraving powercoating with my fiber. As I type this I'm fiber lasering 10 black powdercoated aluminum cases. All 6 sides get engraved; Per the fiber's timer, total actual engraving time for all 6 sides is less than the time it takes me C02 engrave one powercoated Hydroflask. Many setups involved, but my jigs and routine make fast work of it all... If I could get just 20 of these per day and stop all other engraving, I'd make the same money I now make, in 1/3 the time. I've been going to take a stab at doing PC'd mugs with it but I haven't had time to experiment...
    Last edited by Kev Williams; 12-12-2017 at 3:11 AM.
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
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    ONE - vinyl cutter
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  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    I love engraving powercoating with my fiber. As I type this I'm fiber lasering 10 black powdercoated aluminum cases. All 6 sides get engraved; Per the fiber's timer, total actual engraving time for all 6 sides is less than the time it takes me C02 engrave one powercoated Hydroflask. Many setups involved, but my jigs and routine make fast work of it all... If I could get just 20 of these per day and stop all other engraving, I'd make the same money I now make, in 1/3 the time. I've been going to take a stab at doing PC'd mugs with it but I haven't had time to experiment...
    That's experience talking there. You picked the right machine for that that job and it's making you money. I still believe that a fiber rotary is not the right tool for the job on powder coated or stainless cups. Especially not for stainless cups. Horrible for that, unless it's an outline and it's very small.
    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
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Cape Town, South Africa
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    detail on the fiber with most engraving lams is exceptional
    edge quality is great..no bevel
    here are some pics on 4"x 4" plates
    http://www.tokerbros.co.za/Tokers-Technical/index.php/
    Rodney Gold, Toker Bros trophies, Cape Town , South Africa :
    Roland 2300 rotary . 3 x ISEL's ..1m x 500mm CnC .
    Tekcel 1200x2400 router , 900 x 600 60w Shenui laser , 1200 x 800 80w Reci tube Shenhui Laser
    6 x longtai lasers 400x600 60w , 1 x longtai 20w fiber
    2x Gravo manual engravers , Roland 540 large format printer/cutter. CLTT setup
    1600mm hot and cold laminator , 3x Dopag resin dispensers , sandblasting setup, acid etcher

  14. #14
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    @Rodne, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing your site. So just to be clear, with Rowmark for example, the fiber is still removing the cap layer exposing the secondary plastic color? I realize you can mark plastic with a white mark on black plastic or vise versa but wanted to make sure it'll actually remove the cap layer like a co2 does.

  15. #15
    Join Date
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    It either ablates the cap or it foams the material .. you can feel its engraved
    Doesnt work on all materials and colours .. I didnt get good results with reds and blues
    My operator who I passed it on to has experimented and got amazing results on metals
    I see our overhead cnc doing a lot more metal work and the results ending up being fibered...
    Rodney Gold, Toker Bros trophies, Cape Town , South Africa :
    Roland 2300 rotary . 3 x ISEL's ..1m x 500mm CnC .
    Tekcel 1200x2400 router , 900 x 600 60w Shenui laser , 1200 x 800 80w Reci tube Shenhui Laser
    6 x longtai lasers 400x600 60w , 1 x longtai 20w fiber
    2x Gravo manual engravers , Roland 540 large format printer/cutter. CLTT setup
    1600mm hot and cold laminator , 3x Dopag resin dispensers , sandblasting setup, acid etcher

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