FAQ on xTool 1064nm Infrared Laser Module

 

Pre-sales Questions

1. What is the actual output power of the infrared laser module?

The average output power of the infrared laser is higher than 2W, and the peak power is about 15KW.

 

2. What is the operating temperature of the laser module?

: The infrared laser module can operate at a temperature of 10℃ to 35℃, that is, 50°F to 95°F. - At 10℃ to 20℃ (50°F to 68°F): the laser module needs to be preheated for about 5 to 10 seconds. It is recommended that you test the processing on a material for testing first. - At 20℃ to 30℃ (68°F to 86°F): the laser module works at its best. - At 30℃ to 35℃ (86°F to 95°F): the laser module can work properly, but you need to pay attention to the over-temperature indicator. Stop processing when the indicator lights up. - At a temperature higher than 35℃ (95°F): do not use the infrared laser module. Extremely high temperatures may damage the components of the laser module, which is not covered by warranty.

 

3. No light shield is provided on the laser module. Will it hurt my eyes when it is working?

The laser beams emitted by the 1064nm infrared laser module are infrared light, which is invisible and therefore will not hurt your eyes.

Note: You can wear goggles to protect your eyes from damage.

 

4. The infrared laser module is designed in a larger size. Why?

The infrared laser module uses laser pumping technology. Compared with blue-light laser modules, it generates more heat in operation. High temperature may damage components of the laser module and reduce the output power. Two measures are taken to protect the laser module: - Using more cooling fins to slow down the raising of temperature, which ensures a longer processing duration at a time - Adding an over-temperature indicator, which instructs users to stop processing when over-temperature protection is triggered

 

5. Can I use the xTool 1064nm infrared laser module to cut plastic materials?

: No, you can't. Theoretically, you are advised not to cut any material by using the infrared laser module.

 

6. What is the highest engraving speed?

: The engraving speed depends on which machine the infrared laser module is used with. For xTool D1 Pro, the engraving speed can reach 400 mm/s, and for xTool D1, it can reach 180 mm/s.

 

7. Which laser module engraves stainless steel better, the xTool 1064nm infrared laser module or the 20W diode laser module?

: For stainless steel, when Power is set to 100%, both the 1064nm infrared and 20W laser modules achieve the same engraving depth. The 20W laser module, however, can't be used to engrave gold, silver, copper, or raw (silver) aluminum. The 1064nm infrared laser module can be used to engrave any metal without any painting or laser engraver marking paper.

 

8. The power of the infrared laser module is only 2W but it can be used to engrave metal. Why?

: The average power of the infrared laser module is only 2W, but the peak power is 15KW. When Power is set to 100% to engrave stainless steel, its power can reach 20W.

 

9. Do I have to replace the original power adapter with the one delivered with the infrared laser module?

: No, you don't need to replace the power adapter if you use xTool D1 20W or xTool D1 Pro 20W. Alternatively, you can use any xTool power adapter of which the output power is 100W.

 

10. Which materials can be engraved by the infrared laser module?

: All kinds of metal, leather, opaque plastic, dark-colored non-transparent acrylic, stone, glass (with laser engraver marking paper), ceramic (with laser engraver marking paper), and circuit board

 

11. Can I use the infrared laser module to engrave or cut transparent acrylic?

: No, you can't. Do not use it to cut or engrave transparent acrylic. You can use it to engrave dark-colored non-transparent acrylic.

 

12. Can the infrared laser module cut metal?

It can cut 0.05mm aluminum, stainless steel, and copper.

 

13. What is the greatest engraving depth?

: Around 0.05mm.

 

14. Can it be used for colored engraving?

: No, it can't. Only blue-light laser modules can do so on stainless steel and titanium.

 

15. Atomstack/ORTUR has fiber laser. What is the difference between fiber laser and infrared laser?

We use the same technology, but we call this technology IR laser.

1. A 20W fiber laser module moves faster, but the cutting ability is about the same. The infrared laser could cut the metal 0.05mm thick.

And the price of a 20W fiber laser module is $2000 higher than our 20W infrared laser module.

2. If you want good cutting image on metal, you need to buy a 100W fiber laser module or higher.

The infrared laser can cut aluminum 0.05 thick, stainless steel, and copper.

 

16. What is the principle of fiber laser and infrared laser?

They all take the pumping laser technology,

The fiber laser wraps the pumping laser and medium. Normally, fiber lasers have higher power, but they are much more expensive ($2000 higher). IR laser is recommended for personal use.

17. Is the infrared laser module hot-swappable?

No, they don't. You need to turn off the machine (xTool D1 or D1 Pro) every time before you replace a laser module.

 

After-sales Questions

1. The engraving results are not as good as expected. Why?

Possible Causes:

1. Check if the laser is focused.
2. Try a higher lines-per-cm value in XCS or a higher lines-per-inch value in LightBurn.
3. Check LightBurn settings

When you engrave with a bitmap image, "Constant Power Mode" should be disabled.

For vector engraving, "Constant Power Mode" should be enabled.

4. Check if the processing parameters are set properly according to the material.

2. Why is the engraved image unclear?

The laser spot size for the infrared laser module is 0.03mm × 0.03mm, so its engraving traces are very slim.

If the engraved image has a lower resolution, try a higher lines-per-cm value in XCS or a higher lines-per-inch value in LightBurn.

3. Why won't the IR module focus the laser properly?

The focus depth of the infrared laser module is 3.6mm, which makes it harder to focus the laser module on the processing material.

Before focusing, make sure the processing material surface is flat and the auto-focus function of S1 is properly enabled.

Note: Before engraving on precious metals, it's recommended to measure the focal length on other metals.

4. How to confirm if the laser is focused properly?

If the laser is focused properly, you will see a white laser spot on the surface of the processing material and hear a sound during processing.

The effective focal depth for the infrared laser module is 1mm. Theoretically, you can see a white laser spot when the processing depth is limited to 1mm. The brighter the white laser spot is, the more properly the laser is focused.

5. The indicator on the bottom of the laser module lights up in yellow. Why?

It's an over-temperature indicator. When the indicator lights up in yellow, the upper-temperature limit of the laser module is reached, and the over-temperature protection is triggered, which limits the output light power of the laser module. When this happens, the processing is not performed properly. Therefore, when the indicator lights up in yellow, stop processing, wait for the laser module to cool down, and then start the processing again.

 

6. The machine stops mid-job, why?

1. If you connect the machine via the USB cable, try the Wi-Fi connection method.

Note: The USB connection method will proceed with the transmission of the processing files and processing at the same time, and if transmission of the processing file is paused, the processing will stop. The Wi-Fi connection method will finish transmitting the processing file first and then the processing will begin.

2. Try to lower the temperature of the laser module.

Note: The working temperature of the infrared laser module is 20°C~30°C（68°F~86°F).

3. Try to import the processing file again or process with other files.