Fiber laser engravers are some of the most advanced tools on the market. They can work on inorganic (metal) and organic (non-metal) substances to create engravings and other markings to suit any aesthetic, practical, personal, or business need.
Such laser engraving technology works by concentrating a high-powered laser beam onto fiber optic cables. This beam is so intense that it can make a permanent mark on materials, with many options at your disposal.
This article looks at the best fiber laser engraver machines that will fit your needs and provide the results you are looking for.
Choosing The Best Fiber Laser Engraver For Yourself
The best option depends on what kind of laser engraver you are looking for. Options range from machines made explicitly for engraving on metal and non-metal materials to those available for laser cleanup and other laser marking applications.
Let’s take a look at a wide variety of laser machine engravers that will help you narrow down the perfect one you need.
US Stock MCWlaser 30W Fiber Laser Machine (Under $4000.00)
The first thing you will notice about this US Stock Fiber Laser Marking Machine is the wide variety of materials that it can engrave on.
It works on metals like stainless steel, aluminum, and iron, but it can also engrave on non-metal materials like Industrial Plastics, Ceramic and Leather. Talk about an engraver being all-in-one!
Not only is it one of the more inexpensive options available in the market, but it is also perfect for office and industrial usage. This price makes it an economical yet versatile laser.
It has a robust control system and a unique design to ensure quality and accurate marking for your business endeavors.
Things We Like:
- It averages an output power of 30W (the customarily used and most cost-effective setting) for markings, giving the engraver a choice of power or efficiency as required.
- It uses high precision and advanced beam technology to make possible deep, accurate markings and engravings for bar codes and logos.
- It offers a long, healthy service life of up to 100,000 hours and a free replacement warranty of up to 2 years.
Things We Don’t Like:
- It is quite large and too heavy to be easily portable. For that reason, the device will require extra labor to carry.
Relief Carving 2.5D Motorized Fiber Laser Marking Engraver Machine (Under $8500.00)
The Relief Carving Fiber Laser Machine is a great advanced option for experts who want a great rotary attachment with their fiber laser.
This engraver has durability and stability with a top-of-the-line laser source with fast marking speed. It can be used in various applications, including for gifts, tables, instruments, medical equipment, and more.
The laser device and beam quality alone are impressive. It uses a JPT LP series laser with much better flexibility (and frequency range of 1-600KHz). Thus, it can be better controlled and gives a more precise and perfect engraving, especially compared to Q-switched fiber lasers.
Things We Like:
- A beneficial red dot focus point to help concentrate on where the laser is currently marking.
- Used in multiple industries with a wide variety of materials that allow engravings and provide high validity and usage reliability.
- It has a trusty working handle to adjust the height for material marking, a cutting-edge feature.
Things We Don’t Like:
- It’s a bit more on the expensive side, so if you’re on a budget, this one might be unaffordable.
US Stock JPT LP-E 50W Fiber Laser Engraver Laser (Under $6500.00)
The JPT LP-E 50W Fiber Laser Engraver Laser is an excellent medium-budget option and is a high-quality Engraving Machine. Its electrical components are new to the market, like its Opex and Jollystar F-θ Lens, allowing accurate control and extremely high-quality imaging.
It’s a high-speed laser etching machine, at around 7000 millimeters per second, and uses high power of 50W.
Things We Like:
- It comes with many accessories, like goggles, an Allen wrench, a USB stick including a user manual, guide videos, and software, one USB cable, a power cord, and one D80 rotary axis, among other items.
- It’s at a reasonable price point with top-of-the-line technology.
Things We Don’t Like:
- It is not a portable machine, so extra help will be required to set it up and move it around.
JPT Fiber Laser Marking Machine Fiber Laser Engraver (Under $7000.00)
This JPT Fiber Laser Machine is highly effective and does its job well at a reasonable price. Its laser source is the JLT LP+, and the engraver comes with a 2-year warranty, making it another great option to invest in.
In terms of what this engraver can work with, capabilities include metals, such as platinum, silver, tungsten carbide, nickel, stainless steel, and chrome. It also handles non-metals like ABS, PBT, silicon, ABS, PS, and polymer.
Things We Like:
- It can engrave a huge variety of materials, including metals and non-metals.
- It comes with a very state-of-the-art rotary axis of 80 mm, allowing for a very high-quality view.
Things We Don’t Like:
- Its power consumption is very high at 1000W, so it will cost a decent amount on your electrical bill.
MR.CARVE M1 Fiber Laser Marking Machine (Under $1200.00)
Priced at a highly affordable price, the Mr. Carve M1 Fiber Laser Engraver is our first and only relatively cheap fiber laser engraver on this list and is also a portable laser engraver. Hence, it is small, easy to work with, and requires less power.
Even the frequency it discharges is less, of around 2-100KHz. It’s only 6Kgs which makes this the ideal portable fiber laser engraver.
Things We Like:
- It is the cheapest option on the market and equally efficient for its price point.
- The portability of the engraver is a huge plus!
- It works on all metals and some non-metal materials such as leather, industrial plastics, and more.
Things We Don’t Like:
- It might not be suitable for heavy-duty projects.
In the below YouTube Video you will see the Mr Carve M1 Fiber laser engraving on different types of materials:
Things You Should Know About a Fiber Laser Engraver
It wouldn’t make sense for us to tell you about the fiber laser engravers we like without giving more information about this equipment. Here’s what you need to know.
What Should I Look For in a Fiber Laser?
Some things you must consider before purchasing a fiber laser engraver include:
- The engraving speed (how fast you can engrave the materials).
- Its price point and if it suits your needs.
- Its durability or portability – whichever is more important for you.
- The features it comes with (a wide range of features is best).
Ask yourself: how do all these features apply to your potential usage of your Fiber Laser Engraving Machine?
It’s best to make an informed purchase decision, and if you have a clear understanding of your requirements, the process is more manageable.
What Can I Do With a Fiber Laser Engraver?
You can accomplish a wide variety of tasks and different types of engravings with laser engravers, such as printing barcodes, your company or brand’s logo, jewelry personalization, gun engraving and so much more.
From numbers, texts, or even simple clip art, if you can think of it, you can get it marked permanently on any item or material you have available or want, thanks to this new laser technology.
How Does a Fiber Laser Engraver Work?
Laser engraving machine technology works by concentrating a high-powered laser beam made of light into fiber optic cables. This beam is so strong that it can make a permanent mark on a wide variety of materials.
This process is similar to how a magnifying glass can focus sunlight onto a single point. After that, it produces such a strong and tightly-packed laser wavelength that can easily leave deep burn markings onto a surface, just like a permanent engraving.
What Materials Can You Engrave with a Fiber Laser?
Fiber laser engraver machines and laser cutters are technologically advanced, top-of-the-line machinery that can now engrave images and text onto almost any material.
For organic materials like metals, engraving onto stainless steel, copper, brass, aluminum, iron, and even on precious metals like gold and silver is possible.
Also Read: Can You Laser Engrave Copper? Everything You Need to Know
For non-organic material, engraving onto leather, PVC, and resin is possible, among other choices. Its wide application and practically endless material capabilities make this technology a virtually unstoppable force for profitable businesses.
Here is the list of materials that you can engrave with a Fiber Laser:
Metals:
- Aluminum
- Gold
- Platinum
- Silver
- Titanium
- Brass
- Tungsten
- Carbide
- Nickel
- Stainless steel
- Chrome
- Copper
Plastics:
- Polycarbonate
- ABS
- Polyethylene
- Polypropylene
- PLA
- PBT
- PVC (Please ensure you have a good fume extraction system as PVC fumes are toxic and corrosive)
Fiberglass, Synthetic Leathers, Carbon fiber
What’s the Difference Between Laser Marking and Laser Engraving?
Laser marking happens when the surface of the material is barely penetrated and removed by the force of the laser, it is only slightly discolored to give the effect that there has been a marking done. Marking has a superficial quality to it.
Meanwhile, in laser engraving, the surface area and depth that the laser burns through are actually destroyed. This process produces depth and a high contrast engraving that is permanent and authentic.
What’s the Difference Between a CO2 Laser and a Fiber Laser?
A CO2 laser and a fiber laser have several differences, including the range of materials they can engrave on best. Specifically, for more organic materials such as wood, plastic, and textiles, CO2 lasers are the better choice. Meanwhile, fiber lasers are the right fit for non-organic materials like metals.
The laser wavelength produced by each option is quite different, with a fiber laser machine having wavelengths of around 1,060 nanometers. In comparison, CO2 Lasers have wavelengths of about 10,600 nanometers, which is at least ten times higher.
This difference has a significant impact on the way each technology works.
CO2 lasers are larger than fiber lasers and are less expensive, so the engraving quality is a bit less. However, markings with fiber laser engravers are very high-contrast and deeper.
Fiber laser marking machines also have much lower maintenance costs and are generally a more cost-effective technology due to their high electrical efficiency compared to CO2 lasers. This means that fiber laser engraver technology is less expensive overall.
However, CO2 lasers are the best option by far if you are looking to mark thicker objects like wood or plastic and can engrave smoothly as deep as 5 millimeters. They have a lower equipment price than fiber lasers but are ultimately an old technology with diminishing usefulness, in addition to their high maintenance cost.
FAQs
Can a Fiber Laser Engrave Wood?
Fiber lasers create poor marks on wood and is a potential fire hazard. We recommend a CO2 Laser.
Can a Fiber Laser Engrave Glass?
Not recommended for clear glass, however it is possible with a laser marking spray like Cermark.
For the best results we would recommend a CO2 Laser for glass engraving.
Can You Engrave Plastic With a Fiber Laser?
Yes, fiber lasers can engrave many types of industrial plastics and PVC.
Can Fiber Laser Cut Steel?
Yes, they are powerful enough to cut steel but you will need at least 1000W. These are fiber laser cutters and not fiber laser markers. Fiber laser engravers are for marking applications only.
How Deep Can a Fiber Laser Engrave?
It depends on the brand and model of the fiber laser engraving machine but here are some average results. With a 20-30 watt laser power level the engraving depth is typically between 0.3 and 0.5mm. With a 50-100 watt fiber laser engraving machine, the engraving depth can be between 0.6 and 1.5mm.
The Bottom Line
Laser engraving cutting machine technology has come a long way and has seen significant improvements in quality. These include the types of laser marking (CO2 versus fiber) to the wide variety of uses these engravers can have in various industries.
If you need perfect engraving done individually or in bulk, this is the machinery most worth investing in. Each option, however, has its pros and cons in engraving speed, price point, size, and design, so it is important to decide what would make the best fiber laser engraver for you.
The right engraver should meet all your needs, so make an informed buying decision based on that. Our reviews above should make it easier for you to understand the various features each Laser Engraver offers. So, what are you waiting for? Go and make that laser engraver purchase today!
Also Read: Can a laser engraver engrave silver?
