PLH3D-15W - World's First Real 15 W Laser Head for Laser Engraving & Laser Cutting Applications

PLH3D-15W Specialized Engraving Laser Head

First Three-Laser-Diode Engraving Laser Head

The newest addition to our family of industrial cutting and engraving laser heads is arguably the most versatile engraving laser on the CNC market. Boasting a real 15 W of optical power as well as a novel design, this compact laser head can process a wide range of wood-based materials, leather, textiles and plastics, summarized in the Blue CNC Laser Applications section below. It is also the first compact CNC laser head that not only marks metal, but deep-engraves it. For the reason it utilizes blue laser light, it can efficiently process materials that infrared lasers struggle with.Furthermore, it can be adapted to nearly any CNC machine. This lightweight, high power, cost-efficient, and easy to use laser is an ideal choice for high-volume industrial applications and demanding individual users alike.

Full Laser Upgrade Kit with 15W Laser Head for All CNC Machines

You can go directly to shop with the Kit for your CNC Machine using the list below (A - Z)

High-Performance Avid CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance cnc4newbie CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance i2R CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance LEAD CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Hea

High-Performance LongMill CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance Onefinity CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance Ooznest WorkBee CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance RatRig CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance Shapeoko Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance Stepcraft CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance X-Carve CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance X-Carve Pro CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

High-Performance Universal CNC Laser Upgrade Kit with PLH3D-15W Engraving Laser Head

If you want to learn more on the PLH3D-15W you can read more about it below.

Blue CNC Laser Applications


Woodworking

Blue laser engraving can produce a detailed pattern with round edges as well as darken the color of the wood. Laser engraving can be used to engrave a logo or a photo, which can’t be done with milling bits. With PLH3D-15W, you can laser engrave wood and wood-based materials, including cork, chipboard, particleboard, alder, cherry, maple, MDF, basswood, balsa, veneers, medium-density-fiberboard and high-density-fiberboard. For these applications, speed is vital. PLH3D-15W can ensure your business or home workshop stays ahead of the curve. High levels of absorbed optical power allow it to engrave plywood at 100 mm/s.

PLH3D-15W Plywood Cutting
PLH3D-15W Plywood Cutting

Leathercrafting

Another exciting application of PLH3D-15W is in leathercrafting. You can laser engrave and cut top-grain leather, full-grain leather, corrected grain leather and bonded leather. This 15 W laser head can cut 1.3 mm thick leather with a single pass at 21 mm/s (equivalent to 75 m an hour, or 1.8 km (1.1 mi) per laser machine’s 24 h workday). It does so without charring the edges. It can engrave leather at >100 mm/s at 40% power.

PLH3D-15W-Leather-Cutting-Engraving
PLH3D-15W-Leather-Cutting-Engraving

Wide Range of Textiles

The high absorption of blue laser light for numerous materials enables fast cutting without damaging protection layers used in textile cutting. Blue laser cutting and engraving are suitable for diverse types of textiles including Cordura™, Alcantara, felt, 1080 denier nylon, jeans, short-staple fiber cotton, wool, tartan, fleece, white polyester, softshell, silk, lace and linen. High power density enables laser cutting textiles with carbon-reinforced yarn and nylon-reinforced yarn as well as white textiles. Many robust materials used in the production of tents, kites, and bags can be cut at 60 mm/s.

PLH3D-15W-Fabric-Cutting-Engraving
PLH3D-15W-Fabric-Cutting-Engraving

Stainless Steel Engraving

PLH3D-15W also measures up if you want to engrave stainless steel alloys. In the example of the photo with the knife, we engraved it at 6 mm/s. The 15 W blue laser head can mark stainless steel at 33 mm/s.

PLH3D-15W Knife Engraving
PLH3D-15W-Metal-Engraving

Carbon Steel Engraving

You cannot engrave tool steel and high-carbon content steel species with a 6 W blue laser. However, our tests have shown that a 15 W blue laser head can engrave high-speed steel as well as mild steel. In fact, the contrast and precision enable an engravement of a working QR code.

PLH3D-15W-Metal-Engraving
PLH3D-15W-Steel-Engraving

Cutting and Engraving Plastics

Another application of PLH3D-15W is cutting and engraving synthetic polymers. You can laser cut and engrave plastics such as polycarbonate, ABS plastic, acetals, nylon, acrylic, PLA, polycarbonate, polyesters, microsurface plastic polymers, polyurethane, polyethylenes, fluoropolymers, PEI, polypropylene, vulcanized fiber, PEEK, polyimides, Rowmark® plastics,  PPO, polystyrene and VCF films. For example, our testing has shown that a 15 W blue laser can cut colored PMMA with a single pass at 2.5 mm/s.

 

PLH3D-15W-Synthetic-Material-Cutting
PLH3D-15W-Synthetic-Material-Cutting

Product Features

Features of PLH3D-15W

 

Unrivaled Optical Power in its Class

Utilizes multiple high-power blue laser diodes to scale optical power.

High-Pressure Air Nozzle Prevents High Upkeep

With the high-pressure air nozzle, you can clean the lens 10x less often. The pressurized air also speeds up the cutting and engraving process by removing smoke and preventing excessive dirt build-up on the lens. In addition, the directed airflow cools down the working site, resulting in a lack of defects and a uniform engraving contrast.

PLH3D-15W Short Nozzle
PLH3D-15W Long Nozzle

 

Available with two different length nozzles for cutting thin and thick materials

PLH3D-15W Air Nozzle
PLH3D-15W Short Nozzle Cutting Tests

Powered by Blue Laser Diodes

Unlike infrared light, blue light is more easily absorbed by numerous industrial materials. This directly translates to several advantages including reduced power consumption and more compact heat sinking.

Integrated Control Electronics

In many laser heads that have the diode connected to the diode’s driver via a long cable and the coupling is done with connectors. Long wires are characterized by substantial inductive effects. This results in delays of the diode’s response in relation to the diode’s driver and as extension it also results in blurred lines. Connectors are more prone to disconnections than coupling done via direct soldering. Disconnecting during laser processing can damage the laser head.

Features of PLH3 Compact Design

Long Lifetime

Opt Lasers laser heads are industry-level grade CNC machine tools. Mechanical parts are made from machined aluminium. Our products are designed with cooling optimization in mind. Investing in the highest quality equipment ensures the best performance and price.

Life time compared to price

Precision-Grade Aspheric Lenses

Each laser module contains four precision-molded lenses, each of which is virtually free of imperfections. Coupled with a vacuum-sputtered multi-layer anti-reflection coating, this design yields superior optical performance and a spectacular power density of 1.5 MW/cm².

Synergy of Power and a Tight Beam Spot

The optical system combines the beams from multiple high-power laser diodes and focuses them to a tight spot. It results in a high power density giving the versatility to engrave diversified materials including stainless steel, tool steel and Titanium.

Lightweight Design Mounts to Nearly any CNC Machine

Featuring a lightweight, Aluminum body that makes the laser weight less than 800 g. As a typical CNC spindle weighs approximately 1.8 kg, CNC machines can operate it effortlessly.

Simple Integration

Can be set-up on nearly any CNC machine since it accepts both analog and PWM CNC signals.

Instant-On Power

No warm-up time

 

 

Product Specifications


ItemTypical ValueComments
Optical Power 15 W T-ambient = 25°C
Center Wavelength 445 nm
Working Distance 4 mm (0.157") Distance from the tip of air nozzle
Beam Spot Width <180 µm (0.007")
Dimensions 167 x 70 x 87 mm L x H x W, with nozzle attached
Mounting Hole Pattern 77 x 68 mm M3 (#4-40) or M4 (#8-32) recommended
Weight 790 g (27.8 oz)
PSU Voltage 22 - 24 VDC
Power Consumption <85 W
Modulation Input 1 0-5 V Analog / PWM / TTL
Modulation Input 2 0-3 V, 0-5 V, 0-10 V, 0-24 V PWM / TTL
Max. Mod. Bandwidth 30 kHz Recommended 5-10 kHz
Operating Temperature 10 - 45°C (50 - 113°F)
Air Nozzle Hose Size Standard 4 mm (5/32")
Max. Air Pressure bar (72 PSI)

Product Video - Rapid Engraving and Cutting


Product Video - Single Pass Engraving and Cutting


Typical Engraving and Cutting Speeds with PLH3D-15W

Note:
In case you can't find a material of interest in the table below, feel free to reach out to us through the Material Test Questionnaire.
 

MaterialOperation TypeThicknessSpeedPasses
Plywood Cutting 3 mm (0.118") 6 mm/s 1
Cutting 3 mm (0.118") 16 mm/s 4
Cutting 6 mm (0.236") 7 mm/s 4
MDF Cutting 3 mm (0.118") 17 mm/s 4
Cutting 6 mm (0.236") 7 mm/s 4
White Cordura Cutting 0.2 mm (0.008") 5 mm/s 1
Cutting 0.2 mm (0.008") 20 mm/s 3
Natural Leather Cutting 1.5 mm (0.059") 9 mm/s 1
Cutting 1.5 mm (0.059") 30 mm/s 4
Black PMMA (Plexi) Cutting 3.6 mm (0.142") 2.5 mm/s 1
Cutting 3.6 mm (0.142") 12 mm/s 4
Stainless Steel Marking N/A 33 mm/s 1
Engraving N/A 6 mm/s 1
Carbon Steel Marking N/A 33 mm/s 1
Engraving N/A 6 mm/s 1


First Unit Presentation