Put my K40 away for awhile, using Genmitsu LE-1620 5.5 watt (basically an Ortur). Burning images with K40/Lightburn worked well on MDF wood and heavy paper, basically art drawing paper 117lb. Definitely more detail on MDF.
With this Diode laser I tried several different Image Modes, even Grayscale on MDF with success. Switch to the 117lb art paper and the same speed/power settings for MDF are ineffective (have to increase power until it starts burning and definition is bad). This is not the case with my K40.
Is it anyone here’s experience that CO2 beams and Diode beams can act very differently on the same materials?
What color is the paper you’re trying to engrave? Very white materials or otherwise reflective materials can be surprisingly difficult or finnicky with a diode laser. I find materials that can take a broad range of engraving without scorching seem to work the best.
You may have some luck setting a min/max range in grayscale for the art paper to expand the usable range of values. Have you tried a test pattern on the material?
Bright White paper. Power Min? I use this when I’m running my K40. For some reason I didn’t think it would apply to a diode. The image I’m struggling with is a test pattern. I’ll try my next round with bringing up the Power Min.
Keep in mind that the laser beam is an electromagnetic field (emf.) It passes through some materials, reflects off some, whilst others absorb that frequency of emf, exciting molecules, which we call heat. Enough heat in the material, melts, vaporizes or damages the material some way.
Yes each will ‘damage’ the material differently…
If you get hit in the eye, a co2 laser will damage the cornea, an led will damage the retina. The ‘visible’ light of the LED passes through the cornea to the retina which absorbs the energy…
