![]() ![]() Flat engraving is done by setting the laser to a lower power, and the results are quite crisp. Some flames can appear during cutting, but they generally extinguish themselves quickly.Įngraving is also possible. Eighth of an inch plywood cut in a single pass at 20% power and 15 mm/s, and a quarter of an inch cut at 25% power at the same 15 mm/s. Woods are easily cut, the laser has no problem cutting through birch plywood in a single pass. I found those were a good starting point. The instruction manual goes pretty indepth with what materials can be used, and even gives recommended speeds and feeds for many common thicknesses of materials. Mine did need to be adjusted, so after about 30 minutes, the mirrors were fully aligned and it’s time to cut! Materials The steps are all listed in the instructions, and each mirror has 3 spring-loaded screws used to adjust the position. You will have to remove some glue to adjust the mirrors. ![]() Globs of hotglue are used all over the machine, holding down the mirror alignment nuts, attaching the LED light strip in the interior, and holding connectors on the control board. The mirrors may shift during shipping, so you should check the alignment before you start cutting. I purchased a window insert and connected the exhaust ducting so that it vents outside. You will also need somewhere to vent the exhaust. I used a 5 gallon plastic bucket and cut some holes in the top for the tubing. You will need to purchase a container to hold water and the pump. It comes with the machine, a water pump, venting duct, usb cable, usb flashdrive, and a usb key for the LaserDRW program. The machine ships pre-assembled in a box weighing about 70 pounds. The workflow using Inkscape and K40 Whisperer took a little bit of time to get used to, but once past the initial learning curve it was simple to create a file and send it over to the laser. A usb dongle with the LaserDRW license is supplied with the laser, more on that in a bit, but I grew to prefer using K40 Whisperer. That makes it easy to see if the laser is getting too hot which will reduce it’s expected life.Īs for software, the Monport 40W supports LaserDRW and K40 Whisperer. It also has two temperature gauges showing the tube temperature and the power supply temperatures. The front panel of the laser contains the main power switch, a locking emergency stop switch, as well as a digital readout and controls for the laser power percentage. There is no way to store a cut file on the laser itself, it needs to always be connected to a computer. The board connects to a computer via the USB port, and the computer is what sends the laser the instructions to cut. The stepper motors are controlled by a Studio Labs m2 Nano 8-bit control board. The focus is set 2” between the lens and the top of the cutting board, and if you need to adjust focus you’ll have to raise or lower the material. The gantry moves in the x and y axis, but there is no z-axis adjustment for the focus. The machine has a built-in exhaust fan, which vents out the back of the machine through the included 4” ducting. The cutting board is easily cleaned, wiping it down with isopropyl alcohol cleans off any debris. The clamp can be helpful if you need to repeatedly position material, but most of the time I simply laid the material on the main cutting board. It comes with a flat ventilated cutting board, the center of which can be removed to reveal a built in clamping system. The Monport 40W laser cutter has a max cut area of 8 inches by 12 inches. The laser tube has a life expectancy of 1500 to 2000 hours of operation, when used under 40% max power and kept adequately cooled. The laser tube is watercooled, and tubing and a submersible pump is included. The laser has a wavelength of 10640 nanometers, which is far into the infrared spectrum and invisible to the naked eye. The laser is generated via a water-cooled tube in the back of the machine, reflected off of the 3 mirrors on the movable gantry, and focused using a fixed 12mm lens before cutting or engraving the material placed inside of the machine. Like the name suggests, the Monport 40W CO2 laser cutter is a K40 style CO2 laser cutter with a max laser power of 40 watts. As with all my reviews, they aren’t paying for this review, and everything I say is my own honest opinion after using the machine for the last month. This 500 dollar laser cutter has all the makings of a great entry-level laser cutter on paper, but how does it fair in practice? Lets find out!īefore we begin, this laser cutter was provided for review by Monport. Today we are taking a look at the Monport 40W CO2 laser cutter. Hey everyone and welcome back to Hoffman Engineering. Monport Coupon Code: Use coupon code Christopher6 at checkout to get 6% off the Monport 40W Laser Cutter. ![]()
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