ILS3V

The term CO₂ laser refers to the type of laser source used in the machine.

• The beam is generated in a hermetic tube containing a CO₂-based gas mixture.
• Through a gas excitation process, this medium produces monochromatic light (a single wavelength) forming a laser beam at 10.6 microns.
• This wavelength is particularly suited for engraving and cutting operations on various materials.

The term “Plotter” refers to the laser beam’s movement system.

• The beam is guided by a set of mobile mirrors along two axes:
  • X : left / right movement
  • Y : front / back movement
• This principle allows for covering large working surfaces, limited only by the machine’s mechanical dimensions.

CO₂ laser marking or engraving depends on the energy delivered to the material, i.e., the applied power.r
Depending on this parameter, the beam penetrates more or less deeply into the material (with the exception of certain specific materials).r
This process offers several advantages:

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• Durable and unalterable marking: the result withstands time without fading or peeling off.

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• Adjustable engraving: the marking depth can be adjusted according to the applied power and the desired finish.

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• Economical process: no tooling wear and reduced consumable costs.

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• Environmentally friendly: requires no ink, solvent, or chemical products.

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• Quick setup: limited preparation and simplified production changeovers.

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• High precision: allows for the reproduction of fine details, texts, logos, and complex visuals.

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With a CO₂ laser, it is possible to engrave or mark a wide variety of materials depending on their properties and the energy level applied.

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Compatible materials for engraving:

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• Rubber

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• Polyester

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• Polystyrene

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• Wood : solid wood, plywood, MDF, veneers

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• PMMA (acrylic)

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• Paper and cardboard

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• Leather and certain compatible textiles

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• Stone : marble, slate, granite…

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• Glass

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• Ceramic

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• Food products : chocolate, sugared almonds and certain food decoration products

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Marking on metals (specific cases):

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• Lacquered or coated surfaces

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• Aluminum

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• Steel

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• Brass

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In certain specific cases, the cutting mode can be used to perform marking on certain compatible metals.

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Usage limitations:

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• Polished or highly reflective metals should not be engraved or marked with a standard CO₂ laser.

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• Certain materials may require specific settings or a suitable extraction system.

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Thanks to its precision and its ability to concentrate energy on a very fine area, the CO₂ laser allows for clean and fast cutting of a large number of materials.

Compatible Materials:

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• Acrylic: Pmma, Plexiglas, Polymethyl methacrylate
• Rubber
• Wood
• Raw wood (thin thicknesses)
• MDF / Medium (avoid thicknesses >6mm which produce a very burnt finish and emit a lot of smoke) -Do not use solid-dyed MDF
• Plywood
• Polyamide / PA / Nylon
• Polybutylene terephthalate (PTB)
• Polyoxymethylene / POM / Delrin
• Polyester / PES / Thermolite / Polarguard
• Polyethylene terephthalate / PET / Mylar
• Polyimide / PI / Kapton
• Polystyrene / PS
• Polypropylene / PP
• Rhodoid / Overhead projector transparency film
• PVC-free foams
• Polyester / PES
• Polyethylene / PE
• Polyurethane / PUR
• Neoprene – Catches fire easily
• Fabrics (felt, hemp, cotton, acrylic, nylon)
• Leather
• Paper
• Cardboard, wood-based board
• Foam board (cardboard+PU foam) – Styrofoam board (cardboard+Expanded Polystyrene) cuts much less effectively
• Natural, synthetic rubbers (only if they do not contain chlorine) – Warning: generates a lot of soot and heavily clogs machines.

However, some materials cannot be cut by this process: they may melt, emit dangerous gases, or require power beyond the capabilities of the machines used

Materials that cannot be laser cut:

• Reflective materials: mirrors, chrome-plated objects, polished metals, … (Mirrors can only be engraved with the reflective side facing the machine’s bed)
• Most metals; however, the cutting mode can be used to mark certain metals
• Fiberglass
• Printed circuit board (Fiberglass + epoxy)
• Carbon fiber
• All materials containing chlorine, PVC, vinyl, Forbidden use, risk of fatal chlorinated gas emission
• All materials containing fluorine: Teflon / Polytetrafluoroethylene / PTFE… Forbidden use, risk of fluorine gas emission
• Glass
• Reflective materials (mirror, polished metals, chrome, …) – The use of reflective materials could severely damage the machine
• Solid-dyed Valchromat MDF – Catches fire
• Polycarbonate / PC / Lexan / Makrolon: melts and burns
• Expanded/extruded polystyrene (foam): melts and burns
• Composite and/or non-homogeneous materials are generally difficult to cut cleanly with a laser

The laser is equipment that is simple to get started with and particularly intuitive to use.

The operator prepares their design using the software of their choice (CorelDRAW, Illustrator, Inkscape, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, etc.), then assigns the appropriate parameters to the visual elements for the desired result: speed, power, and potentially frequency depending on the application (engraving, marking, cutting, kiss-cutting…). The file is then sent directly to the machine.

Settings naturally depend on the material used. To facilitate getting started, a parameter database covering a wide variety of materials is provided to quickly achieve reliable results.

To ensure quick adoption and optimal use, all our lasers include:

• Installation and operator training on usage and settings provided according to the models: on-site, via videoconference, or directly at our premises.
• Start-up support for your first productions.
• Dedicated technical service for monitoring your equipment.
• Assistance hotline in case of questions or need for support.
• Technical FAQs available to answer common questions.
• Complete documentation in French available on our website.

We provide our equipment with an extended warranty as well as long-term technical support.

• Standard Warranty:
  • 2 years on the machine.
  • 1 year on the laser tube.
• Possible Warranty Extension:
  • Extension up to 5 years on the machine and the tube, with a surcharge.
• Free Technical Hotline for the entire lifespan of the machine:
  • Assistance provided by our technicians to help you resolve technical issues.
  • Available from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
• Free Updates:
  • Our laser drivers and software evolve regularly.
  • Updates are provided free of charge for the entire lifespan of the machine.

Our lasers are designed for safe use and present no danger to the operator under normal use and according to instructions.r
The lasers are classified according to different safety levels:r
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• Class 1r
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  • Lasers safe during normal operation.r
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  • Direct exposure to the beam remains risk-free, including when using optical observation devices.r
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  • Class 2r
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    • Lasers emitting visible radiation between 400 and 700 nm.r
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    • Safe for brief exposures (up to 0.25 second).r
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    • Deliberate and prolonged observation of the beam is still not recommended.r
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    • Class 3r
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      • Lasers that may exceed permitted exposure limits for direct viewing.r
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      • Risk of injury generally limited but requiring specific precautions.r
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      • We do not offer this type of laser.r
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      • Class 4r
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        • Lasers for which direct exposure to the beam or skin is dangerous.r
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        • Some diffuse reflections may also present a risk.r
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        • Potential fire hazard.r
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        • Wearing appropriate protective equipment is generally necessary.r
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          Our Equipment:r
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          • Our lasers are classified as Class 2 because they are equipped as standard with a red laser pointer used for positioning, simulation, or launching work at a precise point.r
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          • This pointer has a very low power (less than 1 mW) and is considered safe under normal operating conditions.r
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          • The main working beam, however, remains entirely confined within the machine during operation.r
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            Compliance:r
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            • All our machines are CE compliant.r
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            • They meet the requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.r
              

The choice of a laser depends mainly on four criteria: budget, working area, material to be processed, and laser tube power.

Budget

The budget determines the equipment level, power, and machine format. It is essential to define the actual need in order to select a suitable and scalable solution.

Working Area

• Available formats: from 450 × 300 mm to 1600 × 1000 mm.
• The choice depends on the size of the parts to be processed.
• Most machines are equipped with a front/rear pass-through table, allowing processing of parts with almost unlimited length.
• Width remains the only real constraint.

Laser Tube Power

• Tubes from 30 W to 150 W.
• For engraving, low power is often sufficient; higher power mainly allows for increased speed.
• For cutting, the higher the power, the greater the thickness and cutting speed.

Materials

Each material imposes its own constraints (density, thickness, finish). The choice of power and settings depends directly on the application.

To distinguish engraving from cutting, simply use two different colors in your file (.SVG, .DXF or .AI formats). Your software will apply a different setting for each color:

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For Engraving (Black or Blue)

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• Mode: Fill.

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• Movement: The laser scans horizontally from left to right to fill the interior of your texts or logos.

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For Cutting (Red)

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• Mode: Line / Cut.

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• Movement: The laser precisely follows the continuous line at low speed and high power to cut through the material’s thickness.

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Please note: Always run engraving first and cutting last in your software’s order. If you cut first, the piece may move, and the engraving will be misaligned.

The choice between an RF (Radio Frequency) tube and a glass tube primarily depends on the desired level of performance, working speed, and budget.r

Glass Tube:

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• CO₂ laser source using a glass tube, generally cooled by water circulation.

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• Economical solution for standard engraving and cutting applications.

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• High available powers allowing good cutting capacities.

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• Slower response time during power variations.

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• Suitable for large formats and productions not requiring extreme speeds.

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• Generally lower replacement cost.

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RF (Radio Frequency) Tube:

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• CO₂ laser source using metallic technology excited by radiofrequency.

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• Finer and more stable beam for more precise engravings.

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• Extremely fast response to power variations.

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• Allows for higher engraving speeds.

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• Generally longer lifespan and reduced maintenance.

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• Ideal for fine marking, complex details, and intensive industrial applications.

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The choice between a Fiber laser and a CO2 laser is primarily based on a major physical difference: the beam wavelength.
The Fiber laser has a wavelength of $1,064\mu \text{m}$ (near-infrared), while the CO2 laser emits at $10,64\mu \text{m}$ (far-infrared). Since materials absorb these wavelengths differently, each source has its preferred areas of application.

Choose the right source according to your applications:

The CO2 source: Specialist for organic materials and plastics

The CO2 laser is the most versatile technology for processing non-metallic materials. The beam is perfectly absorbed by wood, glass, and the majority of polymers.

• Marking: Wood, paper, cardboard, leather, textile, ceramic, cork, as well as anodized aluminum and lacquered metals (by removing the surface layer).
• Engraving: Wood, glass, mirror, stone, paper, cardboard, leather, textile, cork, lacquered metals, foams, and a very wide range of plastics (PMMA/Acrylic, PA, PC, PE, PES, PET, PP, PS, PPS).
• Cutting: Excellent performance on wood, paper, cardboard, leather, textile, cork, foams, and plastics (notably PMMA, which offers a perfectly polished, shiny edge).

Fiber Source: Specialist in metals and high-speed traceability

The Fiber laser excels on dense materials. Its wavelength is highly absorbed by all metals (including reflective metals like copper or brass) and produces high contrast on many technical plastics.

• Marking: All metals (steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, titanium, precious metals), anodized aluminum, as well as colored paper, leather, textiles, ceramics, foams, and many plastics (PA, PBT, PC, PE, PES, PET, PP, PS, PUR).
• Gravure : Idéal pour la gravure profonde sur métaux (bruts, laqués ou précieux), l’aluminium (brut ou anodisé), la céramique et le miroir (retrait du tain à l’arrière).
• Découpe : Permet la découpe de précision, mais reste limité aux métaux fins (jusqu’à 0,5 mm) dans ces configurations.

Tableau comparatif de synthèse

In summary:

• Choose CO2 if you primarily work with wood, acrylic (PMMA), leather, glass, or cardboard.
• Choose Fiber if your absolute priority is marking, traceability (barcodes, IUID), or engraving on metal parts or industrial plastics.