Laser engraver machine

[Bazzatron]

I've bought a few engraved water bottles in the past from AliExpress, they tend to sell them anodised. Is that a means of making it easier to do as they're just burning off the anodised layer?

Diode lasers won't engrave aluminium, they're just not powerful enough. Burning off the anodisation is just about all they can manage.

The cheaper option would be to get a fibre laser

Are there available for good money now? Last time I looked I could get a fairly small (I want to say about 150x150 - but with very low confidence...!) fibre for about 2k!

 

[Devonshooter]

@Bazzatron If you can get away with 150x150 then the Gweike G2 range are worth a look.

The G2 Max being 50w is a little beast and the price has dropped quite a bit in the last year or so and can be had for just under £2k now.
The 20w and 30w are cheaper again.

Their footprint is also small compared to the generic fibre lasers.

If you need a larger work area then the Raycus and JPT fibres would be smaller power and slower for 2k. Prices do seem to be dropping due to the interest in UV lasers.

My 30w JPT (200x200) is a lot slower than my 50w (150x150)

 

[Bazzatron]

150x150 then the Gweike G2 range are worth a look.

Honestly at this point of my maker journey, the only thing I really want the laser for would be to make coins/medallions for either tabletop games, or as prizes for competitions at the club (like a challenge coin I guess!) so 150x150 would be plenty of space for me!

Though £2k is still quite a good way out of my budget, at least this year, I've got a few things to do around the house and honestly I'm still coming up with new uses for my little diode laser!

Maybe when I'm ready, UV lasers will have flooded the market with surplus fibres and I'll be able to get one for a song. Will need to look into a set of appropriate safety glasses for fibre laser, I presume my amber diode glasses will be next to useless protection against something that can ablate metal...!

 

[Devonshooter]

The G2 range will do what you want to do for sure.
The 20w is just over £1000 and the 30w is about £1500 at the minute.
The G3 is on the way so there could be a few G2s about anytime soon.
If you want depth then higher the power will Def help on the speed as several hundred passes on a coin could take a while.
My 50w deep engraves Brass and Stainless easily and at speed, it gets bloomin hot though.

They come with glasses anyway and generally they are dark green. My 30w JPT has a amber case and that protects so the amber glasses could still work.