Gunsmithing Fiber Laser Engraving?

[CrabsandFootball]

Any of you guys do this for firearms?

What type of Laser?

Has it paid for itself yet?

Got the FFL/SOT angle squared away and already have shops ready to throw work my way. Thinking of a 30W to start out with.

 

[Terry Cross]

Any of you guys do this for firearms?

What type of Laser?

Has it paid for itself yet?

Got the FFL/SOT angle squared away and already have shops ready to throw work my way. Thinking of a 30W to start out with.

20W Ytterbium Fiber laser by TYKMA.

Yes.

It is a 20W but can do anything the Chinese 50W do.
As far as I know, TYKMA ELECTROX is possibly the only Made In USA laser system.
I could have purchased 2 of the Chinese 50W systems for what I paid for the US model but I am happy with my choice.

./

 

[Terry Cross]

Get something bigger. You want an 80 to blast steel and a 50/60 to handle aluminum.

I am not sure whether it is the frequency and cycle settings or what but my 20W has no issues getting as deep as I want in stainless and 4140.
And it gets it done PDQ.



./

 

[JBoomhauer]

I use a Tykma zetalase fiber at work, good laser but not cheap. You may need a rotary depending on what and where you plan on marking.

 

[JBoomhauer]

To answer your question, you would need to have some pretty good volume to pay for a good one.

 

[Terry Cross]

Interesting - we for sure had some issues at 40W with the Chinesium units. Probably overrated with regards to power. I'll have to look at the TYMKA as we are looking for a new one.

I am zero help with the why. I'm am just too ignorant of the technical nuances in regards to material removal with laser energy.
I just researched the fuck out of it, looked at some Chinese lasers up to 60W in use around my area, looked at a couple of Tykma users and tried to just consider results without trying to figure out the "why".

In the end, I just couldn't stomach paying for anything tech wise from China if I could find another option. I'm convinced they are now our biggest threat and am trying to be proactive with what few dollars I have control of.

Per Danup8520, the US lasers are not cheap. You could literally buy 2 of the Chinese units and just keep one in the closet as a spare. I just waited, saved up, sold some old shop equipment and went with the Tykma.


./

 

[CrabsandFootball]

Well I have a chinesium 30w with rotary axis on order. Ended up being about $3400 shipped so we will see.

There are a number of guys doing both NFA engraving and stippling/profiling with a 30W so we will see I guess.

Most of my research says the 30w has about the same capability as the 50w, it will just require more passes. This is not a production shop so no huge issue.

What CAD program are you guys using?

 

[pmclaine]

I got a bunch of parts at Longrifles Inc and one item Im asking to have some engraving done to, the estimate indicates they can do it.

Im assuming its in house based on the much harder shit thy do.

@LongRifles Inc. may have some info for you.

 

[JBoomhauer]

Tykma zetalase has its own software on the machine, not sure what others do. We have pulled In files from mastercam to do certain things.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

I hear some people use Fusion360.

 

[LRI]

Any of you guys do this for firearms?

What type of Laser?

Has it paid for itself yet?

Got the FFL/SOT angle squared away and already have shops ready to throw work my way. Thinking of a 30W to start out with.

A Fiber laser in the 50 watt range does a nice job. One that has an adjustable focal plane on the fly is most desirable as it will "auto correct" for contours.

One thing to note: Fiber optic lasers will cut into metals. CO2 lasers will not. At best they burn through the paint/coating/chemical treatment on the outer most skin of the part.

From a BATFE perspective, you MUST use a fiber optic for serialized parts because of the cut depth requirement.

They don't come cheap though.... Figure at least $1,000 per watt when buying fiber lasers. Worth every penny provided you have the work statement to keep it running.

I don't so we cnc engrave everything using multi axis machines. The force multiplier offered by them just makes more sense for me.

Good luck.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

A Fiber laser in the 50 watt range does a nice job. One that has an adjustable focal plane on the fly is most desirable as it will "auto correct" for contours.

One thing to note: Fiber optic lasers will cut into metals. CO2 lasers will not. At best they burn through the paint/coating/chemical treatment on the outer most skin of the part.

From a BATFE perspective, you MUST use a fiber optic for serialized parts because of the cut depth requirement.

They don't come cheap though.... Figure at least $1,000 per watt when buying fiber lasers. Worth every penny provided you have the work statement to keep it running.

I don't so we cnc engrave everything using multi axis machines. The force multiplier offered by them just makes more sense for me.

Good luck.

Yea the real benefit is fixturing. The laser doesnt really move the material so your setup is much faster without the need to clamp. Odd shaped and uneven materials might require a fixture just to hold it square, but even that doesn't need to be clamped. Pretty amazing actually.

I couldn't even buy a clapped out bridgeport with no tooling around here for the cost of one of these machines, so Ill let you guys know how the progress is going.

 

[pmclaine]

Hello,
A Fiber laser in the 50 watt range does a nice job. One that has an adjustable focal plane on the fly is most desirable as it will "auto correct" for contours.

One thing to note: Fiber optic lasers will cut into metals. CO2 lasers will not. At best they burn through the paint/coating/chemical treatment on the outer most skin of the part. Try using Monport laser and have a try. Please visit this page https://bit.ly/3vcmtlS

Why hello laser engraving enthusiast! Will you be my friend?

 

[E. Bryant]

Yea the real benefit is fixturing. The laser doesnt really move the material so your setup is much faster without the need to clamp. Odd shaped and uneven materials might require a fixture just to hold it square, but even that doesn't need to be clamped. Pretty amazing actually.

I couldn't even buy a clapped out bridgeport with no tooling around here for the cost of one of these machines, so Ill let you guys know how the progress is going.

@DeathBeforeDismount , how did this project work out for you?

 

[pmclaine]

When it comes to laser engraving for firearms, the Monport Laser machines are highly recommended for their precision and reliability. Many users have found success with models like the Monport Laser, especially when starting out with a 30W machine. As for profitability, it largely depends on the volume of work and the pricing strategy. Ensuring compliance with FFL/SOT regulations is crucial, but once that's sorted, many users have found that their investment in Monport Laser machines pays off over time. For more information, you can check out the details at (https://monportlaser.com/collection...-with-fda-approval?sca_ref=5031521.ka374VZjm3).

Will this be able to work on a hardened piece of mydic?