Choose the ideal Laser in 3 Easy Steps
1
Technology
Determined by materials and process; options are CO2 (Cutting/Engraving), UV (Marking/Engraving), Fiber Markers, and Fiber Cutters.
2
Power
Primarily determined by the thickness of materials being cut or engraving depth required. Higher powered machines generally have faster processing.
3
Work Area
Primarily determined by processing area required; larger work areas can process more smaller projects simultaneously. Work area height may also be a factor.
STEP 1 – Determine Required Technology
Technologies Summarized
CO2 LASER: can process the widest variety of non-metal applications
- Cut & Engrave: wood, acrylic, leather, fabric, stone, glass, etc.
- Engrave: powder-coated tumblers, anodized aluminum, laser-able blanks, glass, stone, and more.
- General Use: most common technology for general use, non-metal applications
- Sheet Metal Cutting: Boss HP Series can cut stainless and carbon steel sheets
UV LASER: can permanently mark most metals, non-metals, and organics
- Highest Resolution: spot size is 30x smaller than a CO2 (3x smaller than a fiber)
- Lowest Thermal Impact: perfect for heat-sensitive applications
- Transparent Materials: unlike a fiber laser, it can process transparent materials
FIBER MARKER: The Boss FM-Series can permanently mark or deeply engrave metals and non-organics
- Deep Designs: fiber markers can be used for deep metal engravings
- High Resolution: spot size is 10x smaller than CO2
- Firearms: meets FFL requirements for engraving identification numbers
FIBER CUTTER: The Boss FC-Series is designed for cutting metals
- Metal Cutting: steel, aluminum, brass, titanium, and more, sheet, plate and pipe
- Flexibility: available in many formats and can be customized for your needs
Processing Capabilities Compared
| Material/Process | CO2 Lasers | HP-Series CO2 | UV Lasers | Fiber Markers | Fiber Cutters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NON-METAL CUTTING | |||||
| Wood Cutting |  | |  | | |
| Acrylic Cutting | | | | | |
| Leather Cutting | | | | | |
| Paper/Cardboard Cutting | | | | | |
| Fabric Cutting | | | | | |
| NON-METAL ENGRAVING | |||||
| Wood Engraving | | | | | |
| Acrylic Engraving (1) | | | |  | |
| Leather Engraving | | | | | |
| Paper/Cardboard Engraving | | | | | |
| Glass Etching/Engraving (2) | | | | | |
| METAL CUTTING | |||||
| Steel Sheet Cutting (3) | | | | | |
| Steel Plate Cutting | | | | | |
| Aluminum Cutting | | | | | |
| Brass/Copper Cutting | | | | | |
| Gold/Silver Cutting | | | | | |
| METAL ENGRAVING | |||||
| Powder-Coated Metals (3) | | | | | |
| Anodized Metals (3) | | | | | |
| Direct Metal Engraving | | | | | |
| METAL MARKING | |||||
| Permanently Mark Metals | | | | | |
| Metal Marking w/ Spray (4) | | | | | |
| APPLICATIONS | |||||
| Powder-Coated Tumblers (3) | | | | | |
| Natural Metal Tumblers | | | | | |
| Firearms (5) | | | | | |
| Medical Implants | | | | | |
| Shop All Lasers | LS-Series EVO-Series | HP Series | UV-Series | FM Series | FC Series |
- fiber markers do not efficiently process clear acrylic
- fiber markers do not process glass
- UV and fiber lasers have higher resolution
- yields a durable mark but is not considered permanent, not necessary for marking with a fiber
- only fiber markers meet FFL requirements for ID numbers; UVs can permanently mark metal parts, CO2s can be used for non-metal parts
Technology Highlights
CO2 Lasers
Benefits:
Versatility: Cuts and engraves the broadest range of materials
- Cut & Engrave: wood, acrylic, leather, rubber, fabric, cardboard, foam, and more
- Engrave: powder-coated tumblers, anodized aluminum, and other laser-able items
- PiBurn Compatible: use the industry-standard PiBurn rotary on all Boss CO2 lasers
Economy: CO2 lasers are less expensive than fiber or UV lasers for engraving non-metals.
Limitations:
Metals: CO2 lasers do not efficiently process metals
- No Engraving: cannot directly engrave or permanently mark metals
- Marking spray can be used for a durable mark
- Metal Cutting: cannot cut most metals; steel sheet is limited to HP Series
- HP Series can cut up to 16ga stainless steel
- with Iradion upgrade, the 5598 can cut 14ga stainless
Spot Size: when correctly aligned, CO2 lasers have excellent resolution
- vs. Other Lasers: for ultra-high resolution applications, consider a UV or fiber
- UV Laser spot size is 30x smaller
- Fiber marker spot size is 10x smaller
- Heat Affected Zone (HAZ): larger than a UV or Fiber laser, increasing thermal impact.
Fiber Laser Markers
Benefits:
Permanent Marking—on stainless & carbon steels, aluminum, brass, copper, gold, silver, nylon, acrylic (non-transparent), and more. Great for manufacturer identifiers like serial numbers, MPNs, UPCs, logos, detailed designs, and photoengraving.
Metal Engraving—Only fiber machines can engrave metals deeply, making them ideal for serial numbers that cannot be scraped or sanded off. While UV lasers also “mark” metals, they cannot engrave to the depth of a fiber.
Firearms: Fiber laser markers can engrave FFL-compliant identifiers into metal gun parts. They can also deeply engrave stippling, logos, or designs into metal & composite gun parts.
Limitations:
Cutting: Fiber laser markers do not cut.
Organics: Fiber laser markers do not process organics.
Transparent Materials—The wavelength of a fiber laser prevents its beam’s energy from being absorbed by glass or transparent acrylics, so these cannot be processed.
UV LASERS
Benefits:
Versatility: Permanently mark the broadest range of metals, non-metals, and organics
Spot Size: A Boss UV laser’s spot size is 30x smaller than a CO2 (3x smaller than a fiber)
- Highest Resolution: serial numbers, UPCs, and more on most metals, non-metals, and organics
- Lowest Thermal Impact: perfect for heat-sensitive applications, like electronics and medical implants
Transparent Materials: unlike a fiber laser, a UV’s wavelength is efficiently absorbed by transparent materials
Limitations:
Cutting: UV laser markers do not cut
Engraving: UV lasers can permanently mark almost anything; for deep metal engraving or firearm, consider a fiber marker
Fiber Laser CUTTERS
Benefits:
Metal Cutting: fiber cutters are designed to cut metal,s up to 2″ steel with 30kW
Versatility: available with exchange platform and auto material handler
- Exchange Platform: set up the next job on the exchange for efficient metal-cutting
- Auto-Loader: process a stack of materials for continuous production
- Pipe Cutting: cut round or square pipes with a laser pipe cutter
- Open-Platform or Enclosed: choose the one best for you
Limitations:
Non-Metals: Fiber laser cutters do not cut acrylic, wood, organics, or any non-metals
Engraving: Fiber cutters do not engrave