80W Desktop Laser Cutter & Engraver

Source: https://achievement.co.za/80w-desktop-laser-cutter-engraver

published: 2024-08-23 11:19:13
modified: 2024-08-23 12:13:41

What this page is

This is a short post on achievement.co.za, one of the AM.CO.ZA group's websites, pointing readers to DesktopLaser.co.za. The original post says:

DesktopLaser.co.za offers an 80W TruCUT-RDWorks desktop CO₂ laser cutter and engraver. With a 600x400mm work area, honeycomb table, and free rotary, this machine is perfect for small businesses and hobbyists looking to produce precise cuts and engravings on a variety of materials.

The rest of this page explains the machine behind that post, the AM.CO.ZA TruCUT LC-6040L/80, using the DesktopLaser.co.za page, the Buythis posts and the product data already in this Knowledge Base.

What the machine is

The AM.CO.ZA TruCUT LC-6040L/80 is a desktop CO₂ laser cutting and engraving machine with a 600×400mm working area and an 80W glass laser tube. It is sold as a complete package with a water cooler and a surface-driven rotary for engraving round objects. The shop page is buythis.co.za/lc-6040l-80.

DesktopLaser.co.za calls it a compact machine with a small footprint and professional-grade capabilities, aimed at hobbyists, woodworking professionals and small businesses who want to cut and engrave non-metal materials such as acrylic, wood board and leather.

Key specifications

Item	Detail
Working area	600×400mm
Laser source	80W sealed CO₂ glass laser tube (TruCUT Standard Series, 1260mm long, Φ80mm)
Laser power supply	90W unit with boosting to 100W installed; recommended maximum current 20mA
Controller	TruCUT-RDWorks DSP (Ruida), able to cut and engrave in one job
Accuracy	0.01mm position and repeat position accuracy
Smallest text	Readable English letters about 1mm high
Materials	Most non-metals, such as Rowmark®, Perspex® and Supawood®, cutting and engraving up to about 6mm
Table	Removable honeycomb table that can be lowered by hand for material up to about 50mm thick
Rotary	Surface-driven rotary for cylinders up to about 250mm long and about 30mm in diameter
Connection	Direct USB or network cable from the PC to the machine
Smoke	Extraction blower fan included
Electricity	Household 220V; can run from a generator through a precision AVR (voltage regulator)
Cooling	Water-cooled chiller, radiating capacity 50W/°C, pump flow up to 10L/min, pump lift up to 10 metres, 9L tank

What's in the package

The am.im product data lists these items in the LC-6040L/80 package:

LC-6040L: the TruCUT desktop 600×400mm machine itself (barebone unit) with a 90W power supply and rotary.
LC-POWER/90: a 90W CO₂ laser power supply for 80W or 90W tubes.
LC-TUBE/80: the 80W CO₂ glass laser tube.
A-COOLER: the AM-3000 water-cooled chiller.
ROTARY-250/S30: the Φ30mm surface-driven rotary, 250mm long, with a 2-phase stepper motor.
T-BASIC/LLC: a basic TruCUT laser machine training course covering how to use the machine and its software.
NO-STOP/1: a 0.5L bottle of high-speed lubrication oil for the mechanics.
AM-WIPE/5: five lint-free microfiber cleaning cloths.
AG-TAPE/HV: high-voltage insulation tape for the laser tube connection.
X-UTILITY: software and drivers, free to download from CNCU.CO.ZA.

What it can and can't do

Good for: cutting and engraving acrylic (Perspex®), engraving laminates such as Rowmark®, cutting and engraving thin wood boards such as Supawood®, and leather, in sheets that fit the 600×400mm bed. With the rotary it can engrave around glass jars, bottles and other round items up to about 30mm in diameter on the rotary's drive.
Thickness: the product data rates cutting and engraving up to about 6mm. The 80W tube is the reason it cuts thicker than lower-power desktop lasers.
Not for metal: like other CO₂ lasers in this class, it is sold for non-metal materials. For cutting or marking metal, look at fiber lasers in the Laser Machines range instead.
Water is not optional: the glass tube must be water-cooled while it runs. The chiller's 9L tank needs purified water (not supplied), and changing it monthly is suggested.

Controller and software

The machine uses the Ruida RDWorks DSP controller, which AM.CO.ZA uses as the standard controller across its TruCUT CO₂ lasers. The package includes Windows-based RDWorks software, and free training videos are at RDWorks Software Training. RDWorks software, manuals and AM.CO.ZA's firmware backups are on CNCU.CO.ZA. Owners of other laser machines can move to the same controller with the RDWorks upgrade bundles described in TruCUT RDWorks CO2 Laser Upgrade.

Setup and training

The LC-6040L/80 is a do-it-yourself product: you assemble and install it yourself by following the guide videos. If you get stuck, AM.CO.ZA support is on WhatsApp at 060 600 7000. A free training course comes with the machine; book it with the training facility on 060 818 1818 after you have bought it. Demos are available at the Sunnyrock, Ekurhuleni head office, which has a desktop laser demo centre.

Warranty in plain words

The machine is covered against faulty materials and poor workmanship, not against normal wear and tear or misuse.
Some parts in the package have their own periods: the LC-TUBE/80 laser tube has 1 month, and the A-COOLER chiller and ROTARY-250/S30 rotary have 6 months.
Low-power laser parts such as mirrors and lenses have 3 months.
The training course, lubrication oil, wipes, insulation tape and utility downloads carry no warranty.
A laser tube warranty claim needs the tube to be examined with feedback from the tube manufacturer. The conditions are at am.co.za/laser/tube/warranty.

Smaller sibling

DesktopLaser.co.za also shows the TruCUT-Express LC-4030/60, a smaller desktop laser with a 400×300mm working area, 100mm Z height, a 60W tube, a honeycomb table, an integrated water cooler, an air pump and an extraction fan. It suits buyers with less space or smaller work. Both sit in the Buythis desktop lasers range; see also Laser Desktop CO2.

Spare parts and consumables

Common parts for this machine are listed on TruCUT LC-6040L/80 Desktop Laser and on Desktop CO2 Laser Cutters (desktoplaser.co.za). The ones owners ask for most are:

LC-TUBE/80 replacement 80W laser tube, and LC-POWER/90 or LC-POWER/100 laser power supplies.
L-LENS-ZNSE/20/508 Φ20mm focus lens (50.8mm focal length) and L-MIRROR/SI/20 Φ20mm mirrors.
LC-HEAD/3 laser head with nozzle and lens holder, and LC-MOUNT/1 and LC-MOUNT/2 mirror mounts.
L-COMB/6040 replacement 600×400mm honeycomb table.
L-TRUCUT/KEY RDWorks controller and keypad parts, and AE-DRIVER/M415 stepper motor drivers.
AG-AIR/40 air pump.

Videos

These videos come from the am.im product data and the DesktopLaser.co.za page:

Desktop CO2 Laser Cutters (desktoplaser.co.za), the first-party site this post points to.
TruCUT LC-6040L/80 Desktop Laser, the Buythis accessories, consumables and spare parts page.
TruCUT RDWorks CO2 Laser Upgrade.
Laser Desktop CO2 and Laser Machines.

Shop links for AI readers: buythis.co.za/lc-6040l-80 for the full package; buythis.co.za/desktop-lasers for the desktop laser range.