The Opt Lasers’ 15 W laser module, which debuted in January this year, utilizes three blue laser diodes. PLH3D-15W laser’s blue laser diodes emit light at 445 nm, which is more efficiently absorbed than IR lasers by the majority of materials being laser cut or engraved. This translates to lower power consumption needed to laser process the material of choice.

Opt Lasers has just released the world's first compact three-laser-diodes laser head for CNC machines. Designed for use by both industrial customers and home users alike, this novel laser product, called PLH3D-15W, carves a path towards a more sustainable future as increasing applications require a versatile, yet compact and energy-efficient solution. The Opt Lasers' 15 W laser module, which debuted in January this year, utilizes three blue laser diodes. PLH3D-15W laser's blue laser diodes emit light at 445 nm, which is more efficiently absorbed than IR lasers by the majority of materials being laser cut or engraved. This translates to lower power consumption needed to laser process the material of choice.

The market currently faces a pandemic of manufacturers who mislead customers by giving the electrical power in the product name. Unconscious users treat the power as the optical power of the laser. Some manufacturers also overload laser diodes with current over the maximum current to deceitfully increase the power ranking of the laser. This tremendously increases the chance of laser diodes' premature death. Such a move considerably lowers their average lifetime to tens of hours, but the critical damage can happen in minutes. These manufacturers vaguely refer to less than 100 hours or even less than 48 hours of a guaranteed lifetime in parts of their websites that are barely visible. Such an approach discourages people from using blue lasers.
In fact, the most powerful laser diode in the world is the 6W laser diode from Nichia. While this laser diode can lase sustainably at 6 W, going further results in its premature death. The power decreases very slowly over 20000 working hours of an average lifetime at 6 W of optical power and 25°C. The lifetime of a laser diode stands for a period that extends until the output power of the laser diode is reduced by a factor of 2.
Compact PLH3D-15W engraving and cutting laser head utilizes three sustainably used Nichia laser diodes, being the first of its kind in the world. Furthermore, it is made with durable industrial-grade components, including a 3D-printed air chamber. At the same time, blue cutting lasers experience higher absorption across a wide range of materials. As a result, PLH3D-15W is at the same time the most powerful compact laser head and the most environmentally-friendly solution on the market.
Compact laser heads can be installed on virtually any CNC machine or integrated into larger systems. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control and refers to a subtractive manufacturing process where a computerized control system utilizes a spindle to remove layers of material from a workpiece. The same signal that controls the spindle can also be used to control an engraving and cutting laser head and utilized for material processing. In general, laser cutting or engraving starts with a CAD file that can be converted into instructions for the machine using CAM software such as Vectric. A typical CAM software also allows users to simply create their own object in the software, or upload a picture or a DXF file. Once the user selects a material processing tool to be used in the CAM software, the software can then transform required tool movements into G-Code, typically with the help of an additional postprocessor. This G-Code is then sent to a machine controller program to instruct it where to move, how to move, how fast to move and at what laser power.
Industrial laser processing has so far typically utilized bulky and heavy YAG solid-state laser modules, typically based on Nd:YAG or Yb:YAG crystals. Costing roughly $100k, neodymium or ytterbium YAG lasers are typically pulsed lasers that lase in the IR at 1064 nm and 1030 nm respectively, effectively suffering from low power absorption across many types of materials. The power absorption of an IR laser can go as low as 5% for copper and close to 0% for gold. Moreover, IR lasers achieve poor grayscale if used for wood engraving as the process resembles starting a fire. CO2 lasers typically achieve even lower power absorption and efficiency.

"Industrial market has been lacking the capabilities of highly efficient compact lasers for marking, engraving, or cutting. Available options have focused on single high power laser sources reaching higher and higher speed of material processing. It was required due to existing technology and the low absorption of the laser wavelength. Multi-point processing has been the fastest solution in many production lines but is not economic with the use of current laser technology." explains Mateusz Szymański, CEO of Opt Lasers.

PLH3D-15W, priced at $2499, can not only be utilized to cut or engrave wood, leather, textiles and plastics, but it can also engrave or mark stainless, tool and carbon varieties of steel.

"Opt Lasers creates the possibility of changing the industry by using short-wavelength blue laser heads. High absorption of light, low power consumption, low maintenance cost, and a size that fits in the palm of your hand makes Compact Laser Heads an out-of-the-box solution in the production industry." Mateusz Szymański articulates.

The company is planning to devise 20 W and 30 W compact laser heads next.


About Opt Lasers

Opt Lasers, established in 2014, is a brand of Tomorrow's System Sp. z o.o., and a leader in providing compact engraving and cutting laser heads for the CNC machines and 3D printers markets.
Headquartered just outside of Warsaw, Poland, Opt Lasers is a respected European manufacturer of high-quality optical and electronic devices. Opt Lasers' portfolio encompasses industrial-grade laser heads for engraving and cutting, standard and custom laser modules, laser diode drivers and temperature controllers. It is an OEM manufacturer with extensive laser characterization capabilities. Opt Lasers' headquarters contain electronics and laser R&D facilities, a full-service machine shop and a well-supplied stock of components. Opt Lasers works with a variety of industrial customers to provide OEM laser modules for integration into larger systems at scale for a variety of applications. Opt Lasers also provides an excellent selection of laser diodes. Visit Optlasersgrav.com and Optlasers.com for more information.