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Stainless steel: diode, CO2 and fiber laser compatibility
xTool, Monport, OMTech and Epilog list bare stainless steel for fiber laser engraving. xTool, Monport and OMTech list CO2 lasers as unable to engrave bare metal. Manufacturers disagree on diode lasers. xTool and Monport list diode engraving, and OMTech lists it as not possible.
- Also called
- tumblers, tags
- Diode laser
- Engrave or mark: Disagree, cut: Disagree
- CO2 laser
- Engrave or mark: No (3), cut: No (2)
- Fiber laser
- Engrave or mark: Yes (4), cut: Yes (2)
- Thickest one-pass cut listed
- 0.15 mm, Creality Falcon2 Pro 40W
- Listed as No by
- OMTech, xTool, Monport, Boss Laser
Compatibility by laser type
Yes (2) 2 manufacturers or stores list it as workableNo (2) 2 list it as not workableDisagree manufacturers list bothWith conditions workable only under a stated conditionNot listed no manufacturer statement
| Laser type | Engrave or mark | Cut |
|---|---|---|
| Diode laser (blue, about 450 to 455 nm) | Disagree Yes: xTool, Monport. No: OMTech. | Disagree Yes: Jaspertronics, Creality Falcon. No: OMTech. |
| CO2 laser (10,600 nm) | No (3) No: xTool, Monport, OMTech. | No (2) No: Boss Laser, OMTech. |
| Fiber laser (1064 nm) | Yes (4) Yes: xTool, Monport, OMTech, Epilog. | Yes (2) Yes: xTool, Boss Laser. With conditions: Epilog. |
The material lookup adds a cut thickness for stainless steel.
Manufacturer statements
| Laser and job | Manufacturer | Lists it as | Wording or table entry on the page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diode, engrave or mark | xTool | Yes | Engraving: Wood Plywood MDF Bamboo Leather Paper Some dark and opaque acrylic Rubber Silicone Glass (with coating) Stone Ceramics (with coating) Plated/coated metal Stainless steel Fabric Cork | xTool: Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog) |
| Diode, engrave or mark | Monport | Yes | Stainless Steel (Uncoated): YES (diode). | Monport: CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog) |
| Diode, engrave or mark | OMTech | No | Bare Metal (diode): Cannot cut; can only slightly oxidize coated/marked metals | OMTech: Diode vs CO2 vs fiber lasers guide (blog) |
| Diode, cut | OMTech | No | Bare Metal (diode): Cannot cut | OMTech: Diode vs CO2 vs fiber lasers guide (blog) |
| Diode, cut | Jaspertronics | Yes | Falcon2 Pro 40W cutting capacity (one pass): 0.15mm stainless steel. | Jaspertronics (store): Creality Falcon2 Pro 40W listing |
| Diode, cut | Creality Falcon | Yes | Falcon2 Pro 40W: 0.15mm metal sheet in one pass | Creality Falcon: Falcon2 Pro 40W/22W product page |
| CO2, engrave or mark | xTool | No | CO2 lasers can not engrave on uncoated metal. | xTool: Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog) |
| CO2, engrave or mark | Monport | No | Stainless Steel (Uncoated): NO (CO2). | Monport: CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog) |
| CO2, engrave or mark | OMTech | No | Bare Metal (CO2): Cannot cut/engrave bare metal directly (requires marking spray) | OMTech: Diode vs CO2 vs fiber lasers guide (blog) |
| CO2, cut | Boss Laser | No | Cutting metal ... needs a fiber laser; a CO2 laser only marks coated or anodized metal, not bare metal. | Boss Laser: Materials and safety FAQ |
| CO2, cut | OMTech | No | Cannot cut/engrave bare metal directly | OMTech: Diode vs CO2 vs fiber lasers guide (blog) |
| Fiber, engrave or mark | xTool | Yes | Engraving: Metals: Stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, brass, copper, gold, silver, and platinum Plastics: Engineering plastics like ABS and PVC Some opaque acrylic Stone Ceramic Leather Rubber Silicone | xTool: Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog) |
| Fiber, engrave or mark | Monport | Yes | Stainless Steel (Uncoated): YES (fiber). | Monport: CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog) |
| Fiber, engrave or mark | OMTech | Yes | Bare Metal (fiber): The gold standard for deep engraving and etching bare metal | OMTech: Diode vs CO2 vs fiber lasers guide (blog) |
| Fiber, engrave or mark | Epilog | Yes | Our fiber laser systems are capable of permanently marking nearly all types of bare metal. | Epilog Laser: What materials are unsafe to engrave and/or cut |
| Fiber, cut | xTool | Yes | Cutting: Metals: Stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, brass, copper, gold, silver, and platinum | xTool: Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog) |
| Fiber, cut | Boss Laser | Yes | Cutting metal ... needs a fiber laser | Boss Laser: Materials and safety FAQ |
| Fiber, cut | Epilog | With conditions | our systems are not ideally suited for metal-cutting applications. | Epilog Laser: What materials are unsafe to engrave and/or cut |
One-pass cut depth
These are the manufacturers' one-pass cut depths for this material. No multi-pass cut depth is listed.
| Machine | Laser type | One-pass cut depth | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creality Falcon2 Pro 40W | Diode | 0.15 mm | Creality Falcon: Falcon2 Pro 40W/22W product page. Jaspertronics (store): Creality Falcon2 Pro 40W listing. |
Notes
- Monport, OMTech and xTool all state that a coated or sprayed metal surface changes the answer for CO2 and diode lasers.
Fumes
Laser cutting and engraving give off fumes. The machine's manual has the venting rules for that machine. The fume and room lookup compares a machine's exhaust airflow with fume extractor airflow.