Laser Cutter engraver

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Keith 66

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5 Jan 2013
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Location
Benfleet Essex
Anyone on here got a laser cutter? I had access to an excellent Lotus laser systems RF machine for 5 years when i worked in a school as a D&T technician. Used it a lot for all sorts of things. Missed it when i retired!
So im off to have a look at a couple next week at Kent lasers, Been put off buying a cheap k40 as i just want to use it not spend time rebuilding & upgrading something. Anyone else got one?
 
I got a NEJE master 2s plus before christmas, took minutes to put together and using with Lightburn. Impressed by the build quality. Not fast, as it is a diode but as but have been cutting out 6mm hardwoods on it and lots of engraving. About £360 including customs fees direct from NEJE. I got the A3 one where everything runs off one Y axis rail and the x axis holds the diode, I like this smaller design.
 
Thats impressive cutting depth for a diode machine, how many passes? There is huge price differential between makes, many have zero to worse backup then the top range ones from Epilog & Trotec cost as much as a good car, between then a host of others.
One reason i'm going to have a look at Kent's ones is they have an excellent reputation for quality & backup.
As for software, i used to use Lotus own software, not sure what it was based on but it worked ok. Then the service provider changed maintenance contractors & they "Upgraded the machine" with RD works, I found it a clunky incomprehensible mess & despite several training sessions we never got it running right ever again. I suspect that was the intention to say "Its obsolete you have to have a new one supplied by us"!
Lightburn does look good.
 
I also have the Neje with lightburn and it is very good - have only used it for engraving… @Sean Hellman - which power laser unit do you have, and what settings do you use in lightburn to cut wood?
 
I also have the Neje with lightburn and it is very good - have only used it for engraving… @Sean Hellman - which power laser unit do you have, and what settings do you use in lightburn to cut wood?
the A40640, cut speed 5 mm/sec 70% power about 2 to 4 passes depending on thickness of the hardwood.

also Keith 66 I am looking at the Omtech Mid range for my next machine which is CO2 and does have backup.
 
Not really, I left after a row with the head over h&s (the extraction system that didnt work & they wouldnt fix) Hell would freeze over before i set foot in there again. But the machine was on its last legs anyway, I heard from an ex colleague that it is barely working now.
But on the bright side i went over to Kent yesterday & had a look at Kent lasers Solo range. Very impressive well built machines.
They are a small company with just 4 guys, Engineer salesman Tim hall, steelwork, case & stand fabrication guy, electronics specialist & a software engineer in Denmark. Machines assembled in Chatham. Laser tubes SPT & parts bought in using good quality components.
They build up the lot on a small batch basis. So its as near to a UK built machine as you can get.
Compact desktop machine with large bed size for its footprint. Software is Laser cad or their own APM, this is primarily intended for schools where plug & play simplicity is desired so machine will run directly from 2d design (most common cad software used in schools) It has full database of materials & speeds n feeds built in.
DC version of the Solo has its own watercooler unit built into the machine itself. Machine i saw was a 50w & cut 6mm hard maple with ease.
Unlike a lot of cheap lasers i was impressed with the low noise level of the machines really very quiet.
A far cry from the laserite machine i used to use at school, that frankly roared when it was running & was at the point where er defenders were advisable.
Now all i go to do is work out which version will do me!
 
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