Laser types and power

Do You Need a Fiber Laser to Engrave Metal?

Published · By the Laser Lineup editors

Summary

For marking bare metal, in practice, yes. Metals reflect most CO2 laser light, while the 1064 nm wavelength of a fiber laser is the one widely used on metal. Choosing between fiber machines is the harder part: they differ in how large an area they can mark, which metals they can color, and which software can drive them.

Which metals, which finishes

Someone who wants a colored logo on a stainless-steel keychain and someone who wants the same on an aluminum name badge will get different answers. According to xTool's F1 Ultra Q&A, the machine's color engraving works on stainless steel and titanium, not on aluminum or silver. It can cut 0.3 mm stainless and 0.4 mm brass, but xTool's own example for 0.2 mm aluminum takes 10,000 repeat passes. On this kind of machine, cutting metal is a side feature.

Field size

Most desktop fiber lasers are galvo machines. They steer the beam with fast mirrors instead of moving a head across a bed, which makes small repeated marks quick and limits every job to the lens's field. On the F1 Ultra that field is 220 × 220 mm.

Running it from LightBurn

LightBurn drives galvo lasers only under its Pro license, and only machines with EZCAD2, EZCAD3, or SeaCAD-type controllers connected over USB. Its documentation warns that galvo settings can't be found by trial and error and that settings that work on one laser may destroy another. It tells users to import the manufacturer's configuration file.

Sources

  1. xTool Support — Material Processing Guide
  2. xTool Support — xTool F1 Ultra User Guide
  3. xTool Support — xTool F1 Ultra Q&A
  4. LightBurn Documentation — Add a Galvo Laser
  5. LightBurn Documentation — License FAQ

Specs and prices are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.

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