INTRODUCTION

   Roughly 2 months before the Christmas holidays i had an idea, just how nice would it be if people could make their very own holiday ornaments/trinkets at home? I didn't have something specific in mind to be honest but since I’m a DIY person the idea alone was enough for me to start looking for simple to use, consumer oriented devices which could be used for just that. Needless to say, the market is filled with such devices ranging from laser engravers to 3D printers and even though these two types are far from the same it's still not exactly easy to decide which is best for you. So i decided to start looking by checking out one of the most popular laser engravers and cutters in the market today, the Aufero Laser 1 by Ortur.

   Ortur is a high-tech manufacturer focus on developing diode laser engravers founded by a group of passionate engineers. We love to discover the unknown and try to develop our products to the next level with vitality and creativity. Ortur is committed to expanding the use boundary of diode laser engravers and exploring more application scenarios of diode laser. In the next two years, Ortur's mission is to create safer, more efficient, and more user-friendly multipurpose diode laser engravers, to provide more chances for small businesses, workshops, artists, engineers, and self-employed workers to improve their efficiency.

   Unlike other laser engravers and cutters, the Aufero Laser 1 by Ortur comes pre-assembled so you basically just need to attach the purchased laser model and you're good to go. Three laser models with different outputs are available for the Aufero Laser 1, the entry level 1.6W LU2-2 (50mm focal length), the more powerful 5.5W LU2-4 SF (30mm focal length) which is ideal for engraving most materials and the equally powerful 5.5W LU2-4 LF (50mm focal length) which because of its air assist nozzle it's more ideal for cutting (maximum engraving/cutting area is 180x180mm). A 4th more powerful 10W model is also available (LU2-10A with a speed of up to 15000mm/min) but unfortunately that's available only after talking with Ortur directly. All three available lasers can be used to engrave and cut various surface types (including acrylic, wood, leather, metal and glass) but depending on the model both speed and surface thickness come into play. Thanks to its 32-bit MCU motherboard (OLM-PRO-V1.2) the Aufero Laser 1 can pre-process up to 32 instructions, supports a baud rate of up to 921600 (bits/s) and can engrave with a speed of up to 5000mm/min with a pixel accuracy of 0.81um. As for compatible software you can use it with both open source (free) ones like LaserGRBL or paid ones like LightBurn (PC).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Ortur uses a plain cardboard bot to ship the Aufero Laser 1 the front of which is taken by a product drawing next to the main product features.

The laser selection is placed on the right side of the box.

Seven 2D barcodes are placed at the rear of the box right next contact information for Ortur.

A large sticker on the left side includes what Ortur has placed inside the package.

Every part of the bundle is wrapped inside static-free bags and placed inside a thick piece of foam.

Aside the main body of the Aufero Laser 1 (pre-assembled) its power adapter and the three laser modules inside the box you'll also find a USB host cable, protection glasses, cleaning brush, 4 wooden plates, acrylic plate, anodized aluminum plate, focal gauge board (LU2-4-SF part), two focal gauges (LU2-2 & LU2-4-LF parts), two laser mounts (3 in total, part of each laser), 4 angle fasteners, 2.0mm & 1.5mm Allen keys (laser parts), airflow regulator (LU2-4-LF part), air assist piece (LU2-4-LF part), 2 cable ties, air pipe (LU2-4-LF part), thank you for your purchase paper, user manual and 4 connection cables (2 for each laser, 2 are already pre-mounted).

THE AUFERO LASER 1

The Aufero Laser 1 is Ortur's portable model measuring just 422mm in length, 315mm in width and 125mm in height.

Laser modules are mounted at the front and move front, back, left and right thanks to NEMA 17 stepper motors.

The power source for the lasers is located at the rear of the device as seen above.

Pretty much everything else is located on the left side including the 24V power port, USB host port, offline controller port (since Ortur didn't send this part over i don't know exactly how it works) and the reset and power buttons.

Installing the laser modules is very easy, just slide them into the black mount and use the long screw to secure them at one of the three available heights.

After that you just need to connect the laser module to the power source and also use the ground piece as seen above.

TEST RESULTS

Since a good friend of mine is into laser engravers i decided to use his laptop and LightBurn for my first attempt (for some strange reason LightBurn engraved my logo inverted).

After that and since I couldn’t figure out the why i used the much simpler LaserGRBL which as you can see engraved my logo well.

This was just the beginning since i then started engraving pictures on plywood (even people).

My final goal is something like this and although it will take a bit of time it's clear that you can do many things with the Aufero Laser 1 (this is a marketing picture by Ortur).

CONCLUSION

   Being able to engrave everything from plywood to leather, acrylic, metal and even glass means that a device like the Aufero Laser 1 has a huge potential and yes, even after over 1 full month of using it I’ve barely scratched the surface (i'll have more results next time, this time most engravings were of family portraits so i couldn't share them). Having 4 different laser models from which you can choose is a good thing since you can only get the one you need for your projects. Yes, it may not be quite ideal cause in the end you may need to get all 4 (and so a one for all model would be preferable – if possible, of course, not an expert) but it’s better than not having the option at all. Engraving speed is also nice, most of the things I engraved on plywood were done with a speed of 3000mm/min and well you can all see the results (still, burning wood is not really good for you so make sure you use your laser engraver in a well vented area). Firmware updating was very easy to perform as well, just download the file, copy it onto the built-in memory of the Aufero Laser 1 and that’s it. Unfortunately, with a total engraving surface of just 180x180mm the Aufero Laser 1 is not for large projects, not even close and this is my sole issue about it. Yes, it’s a portable model so that was to be expected but still some of the things I wanted to engrave just wouldn’t turn out good because of that (so I will try to get one of the larger models here to see how they do).

   Currently you can get your very own Aufero Laser 1 engraving & cutting machine by Ortur starting from just USD129.99 directly from their online store (price depends on the laser module selected). At the end of the day the Aufero Laser 1 may seem as a niche product but it’s actually not, it’s a consumer-oriented product which can be used for a plethora of projects even at home and so unless you need a larger engraving/cutting surface this is clearly the way to go.

PROS

- Portable Size
- Speed (Up To 5000mm/min)
- 4 Different Laser Modules Available
- Materials Supported (MDF/Plywood/Wood/Metal/Acrylic/Leather/Glass)
- Easy To Use (Pre Assembled)
- LaserGRBL Open Source Software (Free)
- Bundle

CONS

- Total Surface (180x180mm)
- Total Price (All 4 Laser Modules)
- Current EU Availability