Hi guys, possibly an odd one but I’ve dug out my old laser setup with the goal of either a cnc plasma or retrofitting it with a diode laser head for doing tile art ( I gather co2 lasers don’t handle these well). I have a cheap 50w co2 laser for the main lasering but the old one seems too good to just sit there gathering dust. Basically its a gantry and electrics as the tube met a sad end in an unprotected shed over winter last year.
I was thinking of building it into my workbench with a removable lid for the times I won’t use it, so I can make the enclosure as specific as need be, but can the light object awc608 control a diode laser? If so are there any parts I need to get for it to interface?
Would I be better sticking it on ebay as a project and put the money to something specifically designed?
Oh brilliant, that’s great news thanks. Now I just need to sift through all the options out there, does anyone know why some are rated at 15w output and some are 80w input? Is there a difference? I’m assuming it’s a case of you get what you pay for but anyone know of a reputable brand?
Most equipment power use is stated in ‘input watts’, current or whatever. It is difficult to deal with high voltage and associated currents, they are usually stated in output wattage.
As a rule of thumb I’ve always assumed about 20% efficiency, even though a lot of people give a 25% rating. Few have the equipment to actually measure it the output power of an LED laser.
Neje makes a 40 watt, which is about the most powerful I’ve seen before stepping into a fiber laser. They claim it’s got 15 watts ‘optical power’.
You can search this site for led lasers. I have seen that advertised as an 80 watt, so be careful where you buy.
I have a 30 watt model from Neje that is still operating.
