Well anyone that has read some of my posts recently know i (am all over the place lol) and have a speedy 400 en-route, and am expecting delivery in the next 1 to 2 weeks. Just some quick background here, my very loose business plans are to focus on the CO2 hence the trotec, and we have some jobs lined up. Fearing i don't have enough to learn I thought it would be fun to add a Fiber since we are a "laser engraving" business, once again though focusing on CO2 for now.
Ok onto the fiber, I admit its mostly for my personal use that I want one, I am a shooter and a hunter therefore I would like to try and stipple my personal polymer hand grips and of course my PMAGs. Would I offer a service if i get it figured out, possibly, however where I am in located in Canada this would in all honesty be a side hobby, doing these would not be a J.O.B. as far as rifles and pistols are concerned.
So what can I see it being used for? Just to add to my CO2 service so I don't have to turn clients away, and until i figure out what fiber I "Really" need if any and most likely just when customers are persistent that they want depth engraving in metal over cermark or if specs require it. So the metals i foresee deep engraving into would be cast aluminum, stainless and tool steel for the most part with a possibility of titanium....
Apart from deep engraving The other thing that i would like is to make a decent WHITE mark on metals and plastics.
As far as color with a MOPA it is neat but i do not have a use for it, unless MOPA parameters are needed to mark and engrave the materials i want.
I should also note that since i have plenty of time, For now, if something takes 10 minutes vrs 30 minutes to finish is of no consequence to me as long as the quality is good and the machine is Capable.
Enough Rambling, being a "entry" laser I sourced some from China and would appreciate if you would be kind enough to tell me what you would choose from these based on your experience along with my requirements above. All 30 watt split systems. All have motorized Z Axis. All work on win 10 64bit. All use OPEX lens and OUYA or SINO GALVO scan head. i have only wrote down upgrade costs as it seems taboo to write down full cost. All systems have option of auto focus and cyclops camera vision to be added.
Option 1 ---- CHEAPEST, BASE COST
Rayfine source Q-switch
M2 beam quality <1.8
Pulse energy 1 Mj
Freq 30-60 KHZ
Pulse duration 90-130 ns
Option 2 ---- JPT (EXTRA $600 USD above base machine)
JPT LP1+-S 30w source
M2 beam quality <1.3
Pulse energy 0.8 Mj
Freq 37-400 KHZ
Pulse Duration 200 ns
Option 3 ---- JPT (EXTRA $1500 USD above base machine)
JPT LP2+-L1 30w source
M2 beam quality <1.8
Pulse energy 1 Mj
Freq 30-400 KHZ
Pulse Duration 200 ns
Option 4 ---- CHINESE SOURCED IPG (EXTRA 3000$ USD above base machine)
IPG source
M2 beam quality 1.5
Pulse energy 1 Mj
Freq 30-200 KHZ
Pulse duration 90-120 ns
Option 5 MOPA ---- JPT (EXTRA $5300 USD above base machine)
JPT M6+-L1 30w source
M2 beam quality <1.8
Pulse energy 0.97 Mj
Freq 31-2000 KHZ
Pulse Duration 1- 250 ns