Snapmaker 40 W Artisan & Ray laser module

The 40 W laser module from Snapmaker is a high power diode laser add-on using cutting-edge laser beam splitting technology. The 40 W module serves to replace the laser cutting and engraving module included with Snapmaker Artisan 3-in-1 3D printer or the high-power Snapmaker Ray laser cutter.

The key features of this laser module are that it is equipped with Air Assist (controllable via Luban), a built-in quick swap mechanism, a focus lever or autofocus, orientation detection and overheat protection, as well as many other advanced productivity and safety features.

Image 1: The Snapmaker 40 W laser module. Source: Snapmaker

The 40 W laser module enables laser engraving and cutting of a wide range of materials such as lime wood, pine wood, plywood, beech, walnut, bamboo, MDF, leather, fabric, canvas, corrugated paper, cardboard, plastic, dark acrylic or stainless steel. Furthermore, the 40 W laser module is capable of cutting 15 mm basswood plywood planks and 20 mm pinewood planks in one pass with a speed of 2-3 mm/s. This is about 4 times faster and 3 times deeper than the Snapmaker 10 W laser module.

Video 1: Cutting a 20 mm pinewood plank in one pass with the 40 W laser module. Source: Snapmaker.

The focus can be set automatically or manually. With automatic focus, the user just needs to input the material thickness on the touchscreen and the machine will run autofocus accordingly.

Video 2: Manual focusing of the 40 W laser module. Source: Snapmaker.

With manual focus, it is the user who sets the laser's focus with the help of the focus lever. Here the toolhead is moved up and down until the focus lever touches the material by adjusting the Z-offset on the touchscreen.

Smart Air Assist and Luban

The Smart Air Assist feature ensures ultimate quality of all jobs carried out with the Artisan 3-in-1 printer or the Ray laser engraving and cutting machines. Smart Air Assist helps prevent charring and keeps the laser lens clean by blowing away any fumes or dust produced during the cuting/engraving away from the design.

Image 2: The Smart Air Assist feature. Source: Snapmaker

The Smart Air Assist feature can be controlled via the Luban software to save the user the fuss of manually turning the feature on and off for different layers in jobs involving both engraving and cutting.

Video 3: The 40 W laser module working with and without the Air Assist feature. Source: Snapmaker

Furthermore, thanks to the Luban software the user can reach high customization and efficiency levels with the 40 W laser module. Luban offers a rich library of preset templates with common patterns, shapes and icons to include in designs. This saves the user the step of creating designs from scratch. All the elements available in the Luban library can be customized.

Video 4: Luban library offers numerous design resources. Source: Snapmaker

What's more, the Luban software also provides the user with laser material profiles with a full set of recommended parameters for materials such as basswood, leather, brick, slate, stainless steel, anodized aluminium, dark glass or acrylic.

Safety features

Thanks to the Safety Shield feature, working with the 40 W laser module is safer with less radiation. Including the dedicated Snapmaker enclosures further reduces the laser hazards from Class 4 to Class 1. Another safety feature included in the 40 W laser module is a gyro sensor responsible for making sure that no laser beam is emitted if the module is incorrectly installed or diverges from its designated position.

Image 3: The overheat warning for the 40 W laser module. Source: Snapmaker

To make the 40 W laser module even safer, Snapmaker included an overheat protection system. With this feature the laser module will automatically stop working when the temperature exceeds 55 ºC. The job can be resumed on the Artisan's or Ray's touchscreen once the temperature levels come back to the safe levels.

Compatibility

The 40 W laser module is compatible with Snapmaker Artisan 3-in-1 and the Ray laser cutting and engraving machine, as well as the Snapmaker modules such as the rotary module, emergency button, air purifier, or CAN hub.