What's The Difference Between A Laser Cutting Machine And A Laser Engraving Machine? | CTR Lasers

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These are some of the questions we are most frequently asked about the different types of laser equipment, as well as about our own great laser machines.

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Latest FAQs

What's the difference between a laser cutting machine and a laser engraving machine?

The lens focal length is shorter in the laser engraving machine to give a finer spot size when working on materials. This gives a higher quality when engraving items such as photographic images.

The longer focal length lens on the laser cutting machines is more tolerant of focus height variations, and produces less taper in the cut edge. This is more relevant for cutting thicker materials, where a cutting lens would reduce the angle of laser cut sloped edges. This would only usually be apparent on materials with a relatively large depth to them, such as 20mm acrylic or thicker.