What to Know About Snapmaker Laser Engraving

The laser beam's energy level is managed by laser power. The range for the percentage is 0% to 100%. The darker the engraving color in laser engraving, the higher the laser power. Higher-power lasers in laser cutting can produce significantly burned edges and deeper cuts.

We can only cut through materials or engrave a distinct design with enough laser power. Yet, using less laser power could also be problematic. Maintaining the 3D printer and Laser engraver Power parameter within a suitable range is essential.

Work Speed is a term used to describe how quickly the laser tool head moves while cutting and engraving with it. The more quickly the tool head moves when Laser Power is fixed, the less time the laser beam spends on the workpiece and the less laser energy it absorbs. Hence, the higher the Work Speed, the lighter the engraving color in laser engraving when the other parameters are held constant. The deeper the laser cuts are in laser cutting, the less burnt the cut edges are, and the greater the Work Speed.

Dwell Time is the length of time that a laser spot that the tool head emits during laser engraving and cutting remains on the workpiece. You can specify Dwell Time using the Dot-filled Engraving option in laser engraving. The duration for which the laser with a fixed power remains on the workpiece is controlled by Work Speed and Dwell Time, which controls the amount of laser energy absorbed by the workpiece. The engraving color is lighter the shorter the Dwell Time.

The effectiveness of Snapmaker laser engraving or cutting depends on the laser power and the work speed (dwell time), as these factors determine how the workpiece is engraved and cut. As the two parameters might constrain and affect one another, we typically alter Laser Power and Work Speed (Dwell Time) to find an ideal combination while testing work parameters.