Laser types and power

Who Actually Needs a UV Laser Engraver?

Published · By the Laser Lineup editors

Summary

People whose main work is glass engraving or fine detail on plastics and acrylic. Its 355 nm wavelength is absorbed by a wide range of materials and makes jobs like 3D engraving inside a glass block possible. For heavy wood cutting or color marking on metal, CO2 or MOPA fiber is the better fit.

Can it engrave inside glass?

Yes. xTool describes the 355 nm source in its F2 Ultra UV as absorbed by almost all materials. Its FAQ lists surface engraving and 2D/3D inner engraving on glass, most plastics, acrylic without melting, wood without yellowing, leather, metal, ceramics, and stone.

Inner engraving goes up to 70 × 70 × 150 mm, and xTool recommends K9 glass. Tempered, laminated, and deeply tinted glass are listed as unsuitable, and acrylic can't be engraved from the inside.

How much can it cut?

xTool's lab-tested maximums are 15 mm wood, 12 mm acrylic, and 1 mm glass. The safety guide rates the working laser at 5.5W maximum, which is why a shop cutting wood or acrylic all day gets more from a CO2 machine. On color marking metal, xTool's own FAQ calls the results very limited, unstable, and not comparable to a professional MOPA laser.

It also runs on xTool Studio only. LightBurn isn't supported.

Is every plastic fair game?

xTool's documents disagree here. The FAQ counts ABS, PVC, and PC among the plastics the machine can engrave. The safety guide for the same machine says PVC, vinyl, ABS, polycarbonate, and materials containing chlorine, fluorine, and similar substances can release toxic dust, smoke, or gases and corrosive vapor, and it tells users not to process them without proper ventilation, an air purifier, and protective equipment. Exhaust must go outdoors or to a qualified purifier. Venting straight into the room is prohibited. The simpler rule is the one in xTool's own S1 safety guide, and it's the one we'd follow: don't engrave or cut PVC or vinyl at all, and leave out any material you can't identify.

The enclosed machine is rated Class 1 because interlocks cut the laser when the lid opens, but the working laser inside is Class 4. Goggles are not included. xTool recommends a pair rated for 355 nm with an optical density of 5 or higher.

Sources

  1. xTool Support — FAQs on xTool F2 Ultra UV
  2. xTool Support — Safety First for xTool F2 Ultra UV
  3. xTool Support — S1 Safety First

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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