High Performance PLH3D-6W-XF+ Kit with LaserDock and PLH3D-CNC Adapter

The best-selling 6 W laser from PLH3D Series. Choose your machine brand name and a mount and have a full kit with all other needed accessories. The specially prepared kit makes it way easier to choose the proper kit for your machine. Built properly with the laser diode also known as 7,8,10W laser diode. Choose the quality!

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$549.00 tax excl.

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Technical Data

Dimensions
40 x 54 x 78 mm
Focus Distance
20 - 120 mm
Input Voltage
12 - 24 V
Max. Power Consumption
30 W
Noise
58 dBA
Weight
210 g (7.4 oz.)
Mounting Hole Type
M3 x 0.5 x 4.5 mm
Operating Ambient Temperature
0 - 45°C (32 - 113°F)
Mounting Hole Pattern
4 Holes 24 x 15 mm (0.94 x 0.59 in.)
Modulation Input 1
0 - 5V Analog/TTL/PWM
Modulation Input 2
0 - 24V TTL/PWM
Max. Modulation Bandwidth
30 kHz
Laser Diode Wavelength
450 nm
Laser Diode Optical Power
6 W
Max. Power Density
225 [kW/cm^2]

Product Description


If you have a popular CNC machine and are looking for a ready-made kit, go to our ready-made standard laser upgrade kits directory.

If you are looking for an Eco kit, go to our Eco Saver laser upgrade kits directory.

You can also build your own kit based on the PLH3D-6W-XF+ using the Generic Kit Builder.


Parts included in the PLH3D-6W-XF+ Engraving Laser Head

  1. PLH3D-6W-XF Cutting and Engraving Laser Head
  2. High-Speed Driver with Analog and PWM/TTL inputs
  3. PLH3D Lens Adjusting Tool
  4. High-Resolution Engraving Lens (Factory-preset)
  5. Connector Strip in case lengthening the wire is required

 

New and Improved Version of PLH3D-6W Series Cutting and Engraving Laser Head. What has been upgraded?  

     Improved Lens Adjuster

Upgraded lens adjuster with a rubber seal, compatible with all commercially available M9x0.5 lenses. Wider female screw thread in the PLH3D-6W-XF+ body allows to easily exchange the standard lens with the uSpot lens.

This engraving laser head is compatible with all PLH3D-Series accessories and the adapter.

     Enhanced Mechanical Design

The new generation of PLH3D-6W Series engraving and cutting lasers has an even more compact design, which also looks even better than the previous one. The wiring of the engraving laser is no longer pigtailed, a cable can be simply and quickly connected or disconnected via a 6-pin terminal.

The engraving laser head is compatible with all PLH3D-Series accessories and adapters.

     Improved Safety Features

The cutting and engraving laser head is equipped with an “Armed” indication LED. If the engraving laser head is connected to the power supply, the indication LED will light up.  In addition, the LED will show overheating if it happens.

- In case the ambient temperature of the environment in which the engraving laser operates in the CW mode exceeds 40⁰C (104⁰F), the indication LED will start blinking. This warning indicates that the temperature is nearing the maximum operating temperature.

- If the ambient temperature equals 45⁰C (113⁰F) and above, the indication LED will no longer work and the engraving laser head will be powered off.

     Improved Electronics

The enhanced models of PLH3D-Series cutting and engraving lasers are equipped with a new generation of laser diode drivers. Compared to the previous generation, the engraving laser's diode driver shows enhanced efficiency, emits less noise, and is built with even-higher quality components, which ensures enhanced reliability and long lifetime of the engraving laser.

     Additional Switch for the 10 V Analog Input

The engraving laser head is now fitted with an extra switch for the 10 V analog input. Modulation Input 1 of the engraving laser head can be changed from 0–5 V analog input to 0-10 V analog input. The change makes this cutting and engraving laser even more versatile, and compatible with more CNC machines and 3D printers. Please consult the User Manual to learn how to change the voltage range on Modulation Input 1.

Features & Benefits of the PLH3D-6W-XF Engraving Laser Head

Cutting and Engraving - PLH3D-6W-XF blue laser allows to laser cut and engrave various materials such as wood, cardboard, rubber, paper, textiles, leather, plastic, balsa, plywood, among other choices, as well as mark stainless steel, titanium and low-heat conductance subtypes of steel. To find out more, please visit our Manuals and Articles section.

Factory Set Lens - the engraving laser head is shipped with the High-Resolution Triplet lens installed and adjusted to focus at 60.0 mm (measured from the front-face surface of the laser head to the engraving plane). This focal distance produces a well-optimized focal spot size that is suitable for many laser engraving and cutting applications. This is the best-optimized focus distance to start with! 

PLH3D-6W-XF laser engraver factory set focus

Symmetric Beam Offset - For some applications, such as laser engraving wood, it is recommended to slightly defocus the cutting and engraving laser in order to achieve a symmetrical beam. This can be achieved by translating the laser engraver backward or forward in the direction of beam propagation by the amount shown in the table below. Doing so will allow the engraving laser to engrave with the same line thickness in both the X and Y directions. Nevertheless, for certain applications, such as engraving metal and laser cutting, boosting the power density is more desirable than having a symmetrical beam. For these cases, defocus is not always recommended or necessary to achieve the best performance.


Recommended defocus for specific laser engraving applications:

Engraving Laser Head Model           Symmetric Beam Offset Value
PLH3D-6W-XF                                             ±4.4 mm (±0.173")
PLH3D-6W-Hobby                                        ±4.4 mm (±0.173")
PLH3D-6W-μSpot                                        ±1.8 mm (±0.070")


For instance, The PLH3D-6W-XF cutting and engraving laser has a factory preset focus at 60.0 mm from the front of the engraving laser head. Setting the laser to 64.4 mm or 55.6 mm (+/-4.4 mm from the focal spot) will allow the laser engraver to engrave with the same line thickness regardless of the direction.

Input Signal Versatility - the build-in driver accepts a variety of signals: 0 - 5 V analog signal and 0 - 5 V, 0 - 10 V or 0 - 24 V for PWM/TTL signal.

The Built-in Driver inside the Engraving Laser Head - Opt Lasers is the very first company that integrated the laser diode driver directly inside the cutting and engraving laser head. The shortened connection between the laser diode and the driver ensures enhanced protection of the diode, the possibility of high-frequency current modulation, as well as eliminates inductance effects during the switch-on.

Accepts a Wide Range of Power Supplies - 12 - 24 V, the integrated high-efficiency DC-DC converter is adjusting the input voltage to proper diode compliance voltage. This feature cuts down the amount of heat generated and provides over-voltage protection.

No Additional Cooling Required - the unique shape of our cutting and engraving lasers provides the best achievable cooling method for a 6 W laser diode. A number of prototypes have been tested to achieve the best solution for cooling the laser diode. Current design allows the engraving laser to heat up by only 2-3 degrees Celsius after an hour of continuous work at full power.

Two Types of Lenses Included - The High-Resolution Triplet Lens with lens adjuster has a relatively long effective focal length (EFL) of 8 mm, which enables it to focus laser light to a small spot. All 6 lens surfaces are coated with an anti-reflection (AR) coating centered at 450 nm. This is usually desirable for engraving a thinner line, cutting a thicker material due to the decreased divergence and convergence, or when a long distance between the cutting and engraving laser head and the working plane is required.

High-Efficiency Mounted Aspheric Lens is designed to let out as much power as possible from the laser diode. Its short EFL (Effective Focal Length) of 4 mm makes a variety of working distances possible, but causes the focal spot to become almost twice as big compared to the Triplet Lens. This lens should be utilized for engraving thicker lines on plastic or wood. This type of lens is used without the lens adjuster as they need to be mounted closer to the laser diode.

Strongest Fan Available on the Market in its Size - cooling is not the only thing that the fan does - 43 m3 of air per hour (25 CFM) makes an excellent smoke removal system. Moreover, the fan has 70000 hours of life expectancy.

Compatible with Accessories for the Ease of Use - ease of work as well as safety is crucial to us. Milled on CNC machines, the accessories we produce are of highest quality, which makes the work easy and safe. Please check out the accessories we prepared for the PLH3D series.

OEM Customization is Available for Manufacturers of 3D Printers and CNC Machines.

Control Inputs and Electrical Connection

The PLH3D-6W-XF blue laser head has two separate controls.

Modulation Input #1 accepts 0 - 5 V or 0-10 V (with additional 4,2 k ohm resistor in series) for analog power modulation

Modulation Input #2 accepts 0 - 5 V, 0 - 10 V or 0 - 24 V for TTL/PWM and turns on the engraving laser when the voltage exceeds 2.5 V. 

Important: Do not connect both Modulation Input 1 and Modulation Input 2 at the same time. Doing so may result in malfunction of the laser head.

Important: PLH3D-6W-XF engraving laser should be powered with a high quality PSU (Power Supply Unit) without anything else connected. Please note: connecting the engraving laser to the same PSU as a stepper motor or any other high-impedance equipment is not recommended. Doing so may cause damage to the laser diode.

Cutting and Engraving Laser Driver Specification

High-power and high frequency current laser diode driver:

  • Maximum output current capacity: 5 A
  • Typical output current: 3-3.5 A
  • Input voltage 12-24 V
  • Input current max 2 A
  • Integrated microcontroller for temp. measurement and soft start
  • Thermal protection system: 45 °C 1
  • Soft start for diode protection
  • Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection
  • Reverse voltage protection
  • Overcurrent protection
  • Compact size and 90% efficiency
  • CW Mode and Input Control Mode
  • PWM/TTL and analog inputs
  • Modulation bandwidth 0-30 kHz

 

1. Thermal protection system that cuts off the engraving laser's power whenever the ambient temperature is higher than 45°C.

 

Opt Lasers is also a laser diode drivers manufacturer. With our experience building over a few years, we created a very high-efficiency driver with low power consumption and low heat production. Moreover, it is the fastest dedicated engraving laser driver on the market, accepting signals as high as 30 kHz. Using a 6 W cutting and engraving laser at high speeds is no longer an issue while engraving small details or making small radius turns, since the engraving laser controller is able to read all necessary signals.

CNC controllers are able to send modulation signals at great speeds, thus 50 kHz is not a problem for them. This is why a high-speed driver is a must for such a device. The driver is capable of reading 30 000 instructions a second, which creates enhanced precision and resolution in terms of power control. In addition to that, the maximum driver current is 6 A, so using it with 3-4 A current ensures an offset and a long life of the driver.

Protection System

The PLH3D-6W-XF cutting and engraving laser head incorporates a thermal protection system which protects the laser diode from overheating to maintain its high lifetime. The unit is designed to automatically power off when the housing temperature is over 47°C. The analog input is protected by a 5 V Zener diode in case the voltage occasionally spikes over 5 V. Nevertheless, this input should never be connected to higher voltages due to a risk of damage. The laser diode is protected with a Schottky diode, which protects it from the reverse voltage and ESD. What is more, the integrated driver is fully covered to protect it from metal chips in a CNC machine environment.

More info about PLH3D-6W-XF Cutting and Engraving Laser

Focus

The focal distance can be swiftly set or changed with the included lens adjuster (no additional tools are required). The driver of the unit is integrated directly inside the engraving laser head. This trait increases the maximum modulation frequency remarkably, and allows longer cables to be used.

Besides the standard functionality, the small beam spot enables the usage of this product for rapid PCB prototyping. This can be perfomed by illuminating the copper layer of plates with the engraving laser after a photosensitive paste has been applied.

Improved Heat Sinking

This lightweight 220 g (7.8 oz) engraving laser requires no additional cooling. The body of the engraving laser itself acts as a heatsink, and the fan design allows it to function as an air nozzle, which shields the lens from the smoke while cooling the engraving laser head. Rigorous testing on several prototypes allowed us to optimize the heatsink’s shape, and enable efficient cooling while maintaining the module’s notably compact design.

Accessory for Smoke (see accessories)

Our 6 W engraving laser head allows engraving or cutting of materials such as wood, stainless steel, paper, leather, cardboard, and many others. For materials that generate smoke when laser engraved or cut, we have designed an optional nozzle which is attachable to the face of the unit via magnets that are built into the engraving laser head (See Accessories).

Customization

For bulk orders, the PLH3D series can be customized to all customers' needs. We can add customers' logos and all possible additional features. Customization is offered for all 3D printer and CNC manufacturers and distributors. 

Compatibility

Our PLH3D series can work with virtually any CNC and 3D printing machines. This includes the folloeing models:

  •    Azteeg X3 
  •    CNC Shark 
  •    GeckoDrive 540
  •    Lulzbot 
  •    MakerBot Replicator1 and Clones
  •    MakerBot Thing-O-Matic
  •    MakerGear M2
  •    MakiBOX 
  •    MYDIYCNC
  •    Openbuilds – C Beam/OX
  •    PrintRBot Upgrade
  •    Replicator 2 and 2X 
  •    RepRap – Melzi Board
  •    RepRap – RAMPS1.4 
  •    RepRap – RUMBA
  •    Rigidbot
  •    Shapeoko 2
  •    Shapeoko 3
  •    Solidoodle
  •    Stepcraft
  •    Ultimaker 1 & 2
  •    Velleman K8200
  •    X Controller
  •    X-Carve Upgrade
  •    Zen Toolworks

Note that this list is being continuously updated. Please contact us if you have any questions or feedback regarding compatibility.

 

Caution:

  • Remember that it is not a toy.
  • Laser radiation is dangerous even when scattered or reflected from any surface.
  • Always use proper protection laser filter on your CNC machine dedicated to 430 - 480 nm in order to avoid reflected radiation.
  • Never point laser head at people or animals.
  • Do not touch the beam, it may cause burns or other injuries. 
  • Do not stare at the beam or the beam spot while the material is being cut.
  • Laser radiation - Avoid eye or skin exposure to direct or scattered radiation.
  • Class 4 laser product.

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