First things first – compared to regular laser engravers, fiber laser engravers (also known as laser marking machines) are expensive. They will set you back at least a couple of thousand dollars and are not the best laser engravers for beginners.
However, in return for your investment, the best fiber laser engravers offer far greater precision, durability, and versatility than you can expect from a regular laser engraver.
The fiber laser engraver I’d recommend to most users is the Datouboss 20W Laser Marking Machine. This relatively affordable, super-powerful laser offers accurate marking across a wide range of materials, with different sizes available to suit your workspace.
On the other hand, the removable bench on the Raycus Fiber Laser Engraver will suit users who plan to work on larger projects, while the rotary chuck on the SFX 30W Fiber Laser Marking Machine lets you engrave on curved surfaces and cylindrical objects.
In this guide, I’ll help you decide if you really need a fiber laser engraver – and compare my hands-on experiences with some of the most popular to help you make the right choice!
CNCSourced Recommends
- Datouboss 20W Laser Marking Machine – Budget Pick
- Raycus Fiber Laser Engraver – An Affordable & Powerful Laser
- SFX 30W Fiber Laser Marking Machine – Intuitive and Adjustable
- Triumph 30W Fiber Laser Engraver – The Industrial Choice
The Best Fiber Laser Engravers Ranked
Datouboss 20W Laser Marking Machine – Best Cheap Fiber Laser Engraver
- Price: From $2,559.26 — Available on Amazon here
- Engraving Depth: 3mm
- Engraving Area: 110mm x 110mm – 200 x 200mm
- Weight: 55lbs
Pros
One of the most affordable machines on the market.
Uses a powerful MAX laser source with a thin light spot for really accurate marking.
Can be used on a wide range of different materials.
Available in four different sizes.
Cons
Some will find it to be too small.
The Datouboss 20W Fiber Laser Marking Machine is one of the more affordable machines on the market. However, it’s still of very high quality, so it’s a great option for beginners and fiber laser engravers working on a budget.
This machine uses a powerful MAX laser source with a thin light spot for really accurate marking. It can engrave up to 3mm and also has a photoelectric conversion efficiency of up to 60%, so it’s very efficient.
We really like that this laser marking machine has different marking settings. You can use the rotating operation to perform markings on areas outside the workbench, so you can still engrave pieces that are larger than the standard working area.
The Datouboss 20W engraver can be used on a wide range of different materials, including steel, stainless steel, silver, copper, and aluminum. It’s also compatible with non-metal materials like plastic and leather. Whether you’re working on serial numbers, pictures, barcodes, logos, QR codes, or anything else, the Datoubouss will do the job.
This cheap fiber laser engraver is available in four different sizes – 110mm x 110mm, 150mm x 150mm, 175mm x 175mm, and 200mm x 200mm – so you can choose the size that best suits you. The price increases by around $100 for every size you go up.
As it’s also a very compact and small fiber laser engraver, the Datuoboss 20W is ideal for those who have limited space to work with.
Raycus Fiber Laser Engraver – Best Affordable 50W Fiber Laser Engraver
- Price: Available on Amazon here
- Engraving Depth: <1.0mm
- Engraving Area: 110mm x 110mm – 210mm x 210mm
- Weight: 114lbs
Pros
Available in different sizes and power.
Offers excellent flux and a distortion rate of less than 1%.
Has a removable workbench, so you can work on workpieces that exceed the standard working area.
Cons
Customer support can be poor.
The Raycus Fiber Laser Engraver is a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable 50W fiber laser engraver as it’s available in 20W, 30W, and 50W. It also comes in four different sizes ranging from 110mm x 110mm to 210mm x 210mm.
Whatever power and size you go for, this machine can be used to mark a wide range of materials and is excellent for fiber laser engraving stainless steel, silver, copper, plastic, ceramic, and leather.
It boasts a compact Fθ field lens with air spacing design and a protective anti-reflective coating, This means the machine offers excellent flux and a distortion rate of less than 1%, resulting in highly precise, extremely clear marking.
We also have a buyer’s guide for the best laser engravers for metal.
It has a marking speed of up to 7m/s, a re-position precision of 0.002mm, and a high electrical-optical conversion rate of 70%, which means fast rapid, high-performance engraving. Like the Datouboss machine, this engraver offers up to 100,000 hours of work time.
The Raycus Fiber Laser Engraving Machine uses a configurable 80mm rotary chuck which boasts 360-degree rotational marking, no shaking, and high accuracy. It’s also super easy to load and unload for optimal efficiency.
This is also a really versatile laser marking machine thanks to the removable workbench. You can easily disassemble it by just removing four screws so that you can work on workpieces that exceed the standard working area.
Another nice aspect of this fiber optic laser engraving machine is that it’s compatible with a wide range of top CAD and CAM software, including AutoCAD, Coreldraw, and Photoshop. You’ll need to use a Windows operating system in order to control the Raycus fiber laser engraving machine with the EZCAD operating software.
This equipment works well for fiber laser engraving on a variety of materials, including ceramic, leather, stainless steel, silver, and copper.
SFX 30W Fiber Laser Marking Machine – Easy for Beginners to Use
- Price: Available on Amazon here
- Engraving Depth: ≤0.4mm
- Engraving Area: 110mm x110mm – 175mm x 175mm
- Weight: 150lbs
Pros
Ideal for professional markets and engravers.
Offers fantastic flexibility, a wide range of frequency adjustments, and higher precision control.
Easy for beginners to get started with this machine.
Good customer support.
Cons
No major drawbacks.
The SFX 30W Fiber Laser Marker is an exceptionally high-quality machine that’s ideal for professional markets and engravers.
This fiber engraver uses a JPT laser source which offers fantastic flexibility, a wide range of frequency adjustments, and higher precision control. It has MOPA configuration that adopts pulse compensation and enables minimum pulse deformation, rising the peak power of the fiber laser.
This a great laser engraver for slate, steel, and plastics, and it’s suitable for a wide variety of different projects. With a 7000mm/s marking speed, 0.002mm re-position precision, and 70% electrical-optical conversion, this machine offers quality marking whether you’re working on metal, jewelry, or even memory banks.
There are three different size options for this laser marking machine – 110mm x110mm, 150mm x 150mm, and 175mm x 175mm. There’s also the option to purchase an 80mm rotary axis with each size variant.
If you choose to add on the three-jaw rotary chuck, you can benefit from fast spring mounting, stable positioning, and improved accuracy and efficiency.
It’s also really easy to get started with this machine, even if you’re a beginner – the laser comes fully calibrated and it’s simple to install.
If you’re wondering what other users make of this laser engraving machine, it has a full 5-star rating on Amazon, which indicates lots of happy customers! Users have praised the machine’s easy installation, the versatility, and quality of the laser, as well as SFX’s customer service.
High-quality equipment that is perfect for engraving professionals and professional markets.
Triumph 30W Fiber Laser Engraver – Best Laser Marking Machine for Industrial Use
- Price: Available on Amazon here
- Engraving Depth: 0.3mm
- Engraving Area: 110mm x 110mm engraving area, but it also includes an additional 200mm x 200mm free of charge.
- Weight: 300lbs
Pros
Ideal for businesses and industrial settings.
Extremely powerful and precise.
Includes an 80mm rotary attachment for cylinder engraving.
Has a standard 110mm x 110mm engraving, but includes an additional 200mm x 200mm free of charge.
Cons
Expensive.
Triumph’s 30W Fiber Laser Engraver is the most expensive and powerful machine on our list, and it’s ideal for use in businesses and industrial settings.
This engraver uses a JPT laser and engraves at a depth of 0.3mm and a width of 0.02mm. It’s an extremely powerful and precise marking machine, and with an engraving speed of 9000mm/s, is the fastest on our list by some distance. The laser source has a lifetime of up to 100,000 hours, so it’s very durable.
One of our favorite things about this DIY fiber laser engraver is that it has a standard 110mm x 110mm engraving area, but it also includes an additional 200mm x 200mm free of charge. In contrast, moth other providers only offer one size option and charge more for larger areas.
It also includes an 80mm rotary attachment for cylinder engraving. The product’s Amazon page also states that you can request them to send you specialized ring engraving parts if you’re working on jewelry.
Like the other engravers on our list, this fiber laser marking machine can be used on a wide variety of metals and non-metals. There’s a really impressive showcase of projects that have been completed on this machine, including firearm engraving, hardware engraving, and intricate jewelry marking.
Like the SFX 30W engraver, this fiber laser marking machine has a flawless five-star rating on Amazon, so you can trust its quality. Reviewers on Amazon have said the machine is easy to set up and offers fantastic quality.
What is a Fiber Laser Engraver?
A laser engraving machine works by projecting highly concentrated beams of energy onto materials. The laser beam vaporizes the surface of the material and leaves a permanent crevice, or “mark”.
With a fiber engraver, instead of being projected straight from the laser diodes onto the material, the laser beam first passes through optical fibers. An optical fiber is a very thin, flexible, transparent rod of glass.
The glass rod absorbs very little of the laser beam, instead internally reflecting it. As the light passes through optical fibers, it becomes pumped with photons, resulting in an intense energy build-up. This energy is then pumped through a lens that focuses it to accurately engrave materials.
Why Use a Fiber Laser Engraver?
So, why you would use a fiber laser for engraving when you can buy a regular laser engraving machine for much cheaper? Well, there are several benefits that come with choosing a fiber laser marking machine.
One of the main benefits is that the increased power offered by fiber laser engravers means they can be used on more materials. Whereas other, cheaper laser types can only be used on soft materials, a fiber laser can easily engrave hard metals like steel.
Due to their light-guiding properties, optical fibers offer higher beam quality and greater focus. This makes fiber laser engravers incredibly precise – much more so than some other laser sources.
Fiber laser engraving is also an extremely durable technique, as a fiber laser source has a typical lifetime of 100,000 hours before failure. That’s over 10 years of full-time work! They’re also low maintenance and have low running costs, so they’re overall much more efficient than other options.
Fiber Laser Marking Machine Applications
Fiber laser engravers are incredibly versatile in terms of the materials they can work with. You can use them to engrave a whole range of metals, including steel, stainless steel, silver, copper, brass, aluminum, and alloys.
However, they can also be used with a variety of nonmetal materials, such as:
- Leather
- Nylon
- Plastic
- PVC
- ABS
And plenty more.
The main material they’re not suitable for is wood, for which you’re better of using a CNC router as lasers do not mark wood cleanly.
This versatility makes laser marking machines useful to hobbyists and professionals working across a wide range of different areas and industries. They’re commonly used to mark things like
- Jewelry and ornaments
- Hardware
- Parts (metal and plastic)
- Personalized products
- Artwork
- Home Decor
That being said, not every fiber laser marking machine may suit you. You need to consider the power output, working size, efficiency, and usability factors to ensure you’re choosing the best fiber laser engraver for your needs.
- The Best Cheap Laser Engravers (That Are Actually Worth It)
- My Top Mini Portable Laser Engravers
- Which is the Best Laser Engraver 3D Printer Combo?
- The Best CO2 Laser Cutter & Engravers
- DIY Laser Cutter & Engraver Kits You Can Build At Home
- The Best Laser Cutters & Engravers Overall
