[Laser Engraving] Snapmaker 1064nm Infrared Laser Module Review: How is the Laser Effect? ​​— User Test Results

[Laser Engraving] Snapmaker 1064nm Infrared Laser Module Review: How is the Laser Effect ? ​​— User Test Results

Hey makers!
That's right! Snapmaker has launched its first infrared laser module—a 1064nm infrared laser module. This article aims to give you a preview of its performance before you receive or consider purchasing the module. Special thanks to five users who participated in this test and shared their valuable insights between April 23, 2024 and May 22, 2024. Before delving into the module's details, let's briefly introduce these testers.

Testers and the machines used

user	model	Module	Time spent using laser modules	Commonly used carving materials	Frequency of use
Steven	A350	1.6W, 40W	1 year	304 stainless steel, anodized aluminum, wood, black acrylic	Use almost every day
Linh	A350	40W	3 years	Wood, metal, glass, plastic, leather	Frequently used
Dave	A350	1.6W, 10W, 40W, Rotary Module	3 years	Various types of wood, glass, steel, and plastic	Use almost every day
Florian	Artisan	10W, 40W, Rotary Module	2 years	Wood, granite, slate, stone, leather, stainless steel	Use almost every day
October	A350, F350	1.6W, 10W, Rotary Module	3 years	Wood, stainless steel, slate, ceramics, anodized aluminum	Weekly use

First impressions of the 1064nm infrared laser module?
Dave : The laser arrived quickly, and the packaging was in good condition. The courier packaging, the Snapmaker box, and the contents were all intact.


Steven : As always, Snapmaker packaged the 2W IR module very well, with secure foam padding inside. It's hard to imagine anything damaging it during shipping. This module is about two-thirds the size of a 40W laser.

Special note:

* For Snapmaker 2.0, when using the 1064nm infrared laser module, there is no need to purchase a quick-change tool headplate, regardless of whether a quick-change kit is available.
* For Artisan, the 1064nm infrared laser module will include an adjustable quick-change tool headplate, which will not be sold separately.

Testing the 1064nm Infrared Laser Module Now, let's sculpt something! We believe everyone is eager to know how the 1064nm infrared laser performs on metal and plastic.

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Comparison of Snapmaker 2W infrared laser vs. 10W/40W blue laser processing results
We will share the comparative test results of stainless steel, PLA, and blackboard rock.

Metal engraving

Test plan: Engraving the official metal label and comparing the results of 2W IR and 10W/40W blue light laser processing.
Test material: Stainless steel

Steven :

2W IR Spacing: 0.02 mm Working speed: 300 mm/min Power: 100%	40W Spacing: 0.04 mm Working speed: 2500 mm/min Power: 65%

2W IR engraving produces a cleaner, more uniform black color without distortion. 40W engraving requires more energy to be injected into the stainless steel and results in noticeable deformation.

2W IR	40W

Dave :

2W IR Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 200 mm/min Power: 100%	40W Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 3600 mm/min Power: 85%

Florian :

2W IR Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 300 mm/min Power: 100%	40W Spacing: 0.04 mm Working speed: 3600 mm/min Power: 85%

October :

2W IR Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 3000 mm/min Power: 100%	40W Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 500 mm/min Power: 100%

Linh :

2W IR Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 3000 mm/min Power: 100%	40W Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 10,000 mm/min Power: 50%

Plastic Sculpture

Florian :

Test plan: Compare the vector engraving intensity of 2W IR and 40W (half-diode).
Test material: Black and red PLA printouts

2W IR Working speed: 1000 mm/min	40W Working speed: 7200 mm/min

October :

Test plan: Using the same engraving settings, demonstrate the difference between 2W IR and 10W blue light laser.
Test material: 50mm x 75mm PLA card.

2W IR Spacing: 0.08 mm Working speed: 6000 mm/min Power: 50%	40W Spacing: 0.08 mm Working speed: 6000 mm/min Power: 50%

Blackboard rock carving

Steven :

Test plan: Carve using the same blackboard rock to demonstrate the difference between 2W IR and 40W.
Test material: Blackboard rock.

2W IR Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 2000 mm/min Power: 20% – 80%	40W Spacing: 0.05 mm Working speed: 2000 mm/min Power: 20% – 80%

Grayscale images on slate. The left image is from a 2W IR laser engraving, and the right image is from a 40W laser engraving. A 2W IR laser can achieve a wider grayscale range on slate, while a 40W laser produces a very binary effect—either no effect or a uniform white, regardless of laser power. The fine gradations of IR lasers make it possible to generate high-quality images on slate.

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More test materials
The 1064nm infrared laser module was also tested on many other materials, such as black acrylic, stone, metal, and leather, and it also showed excellent engraving results on these materials. Below are some images demonstrating its effectiveness.

1064nm infrared laser module installed on the Snapmaker 2.0 machine

aluminum

Steven :
Only a 2W infrared laser can produce grayscale images on aluminum, as a 40W laser has almost no effect on aluminum. Similar to the case with black slate, beautiful grayscale gradations can be obtained on aluminum, resulting in high-quality images.


The image was generated by dot-fill engraving on black anodized aluminum using a reversed image (negative), with the brightest areas in the image corresponding to the highest laser power.


Linh :

Anodized aluminum, with a very thick coating, can be engraved in one go.	The colorful aluminum dog tag looks very nice.
The black aluminum business card is engraved with great precision.	The black aluminum business card has a decent color-filling effect.

October :

brass

Steven :
The brass engravings described above exhibit excellent contrast and very sharp edges. Attempting to engrave brass with a 40W laser will result in significant distortion and unacceptable contrast.

Additionally, a 2W infrared laser can be used to drill a 1mm hole in a 0.5mm thick brass sheet, taking approximately 40 minutes, with no deformation of the surrounding brass. A 40W laser primarily injects heat into the brass and cannot actually engrave it, but it still noticeably deforms the brass.


ceramics

October :



Florian :
Furthermore, materials that can be engraved using a 1064nm infrared laser module can also find applications in everyday life, for example:



Phone case

October & Florian :

plastic Spacing: 0.1 mm Working speed: 5000 mm/min Power: 100%	silicone Spacing: 0.8 mm Working speed: 6,000 mm/min Power: 100%

leather

Florian & Dave :

Cups ( stainless steel & glass )

Florian & Dave :

Dave 's tip:
Zinc can be used to engrave on glass, and it works with both 40W and 2W infrared lasers. It's very easy to clean, and the engraving results are excellent. Removing it is as simple as scratching a lottery ticket.

Snapmaker 1064nm Infrared Laser Module Review: How is the laser performance?

advantage
Comparative testing and material engraving results show that the 1064nm infrared laser module has the following advantages:

1. Enhance details
The 2W infrared laser module produces higher detail on a variety of metal and plastic materials, resulting in clearer and more pronounced engraving effects. Compared to blue lasers, the 2W infrared laser achieves better engraving results on materials such as 5052 aluminum, PCB, PLA, white and black acrylic, anodized aluminum, and silicone.
For specific results, please refer to the tests by the YouTubers below:

2. Reduce the thermal impact
Unlike blue lasers, 2W infrared lasers have minimal thermal impact on materials. This characteristic helps reduce material deformation and combustion, protecting the integrity of the project.

Black slate, stainless steel

Depth of field test

Color engraving ability