The 50W Fiber Laser Leap: A Guide to 3D Relief and Deep Metal Engraving

The Pro-Creator Leap: What 50W Unlocks in Fiber Laser Engraving

For years, the world of desktop laser engraving was defined by surface-level work: marking a logo on steel, etching a name on a Yeti tumbler, or annealing a serial number. This is the domain of 20W and 30W fiber lasers. But a significant shift is happening. The barrier to entry for 50W fiber lasers has fallen, and with it, the door has opened to an entirely new dimension of creation: true deep engraving and 3D metal sculpting.

This isn’t just a simple power increase; it’s a fundamental change in capability. Moving to 50W is the difference between drawing on metal and carving it.

But this power is not a simple “plug-and-play” upgrade. It demands a deeper understanding of the physics at play. The most common questions we see are no longer “What can it do?” but “How do I make it do…” * …create a 3D relief for a coin? * …engrave deep enough to hold enamel? * …achieve those vibrant colors on titanium? * …what are the parameters?

This guide explores the science and technique of high-power desktop fiber engraving. To ground these concepts, we will use a prime example of this new 50W category, the GWEIKE G2 Max 50W, as our case study.

The Core Concepts: Ablation, Annealing, and Oxidation

Before you touch a single setting, it’s crucial to understand the three distinct ways a 1064nm fiber laser interacts with metal. Everything you create—from a simple black mark to a 3D sculpture—is a variation or combination of these processes.

1. Material Ablation (Deep Engraving): This is the “brute force” method. The laser’s energy is so intense (high power, focused pulses) that it instantly vaporizes the metal, ejecting it from the surface. This is ablation. To create deep engraving, you don’t just “dig” in one go; you run multiple passes, removing microscopic layers each time. This is how you create deep channels for inlay, texture for grips, or engrave a coin mold. A 50W laser simply ablates faster and deeper per pass than a 30W laser, making deep engraving practical.

2. Annealing (Marking): This is a low-power, slower-speed process. Instead of vaporizing the metal, the laser gently heats the surface, causing a chemical change below the surface. This creates a permanent, durable black mark (a form of oxidation) without damaging the surface texture. This is ideal for medical devices, barcodes, and serial numbers.

3. Controlled Oxidation (Color Engraving): This is the most delicate art. By precisely controlling the heat input on specific metals (like stainless steel and titanium), you can grow a thin oxide layer on the surface. The thickness of this layer determines how it interferes with light, which our eyes perceive as different colors. This is a thin-film interference phenomenon. A 50W laser provides a wide range of power and frequency, which, when meticulously tuned, can “paint” a spectrum of over 90 claimed colors, as seen with the G2 Max.

The Blueprint for Deep Engraving: Mastering the Parameters

Your search for "g2 max laser parameter" is the right one. Your laser’s software (like the supported LightBurn or GLaser) is your control panel for this, and these four settings are the pillars of your creation.

• Power (%): This is the intensity of the laser pulse. For deep engraving, you’ll be at high power (e.g., 80-100%). For delicate color work, you might be as low as 20%.
• Speed (mm/s): How fast the galvanometer mirrors move the beam. Fast speeds (e.g., 5,000-15,000 mm/s) spread the energy out, ideal for light marking. Slow speeds (e.g., 500-1,500 mm/s) concentrate the energy, allowing it to dig deeper.
• Frequency (kHz): This is the number of pulses per second. A low frequency (e.g., 20-40 kHz) means each pulse is “hotter” and more aggressive, ideal for ablation. A high frequency (e.g., 80-100 kHz) creates a gentler, overlapping pulse stream, which is better for smooth finishes and color annealing.
• Passes: The number of times the laser repeats the design. This is the key to depth. You cannot engrave 1mm deep in a single pass. You engrave 0.01mm deep, 100 times.

Case Study: Engraving a 1mm Deep Brass Coin (Ablation)

Let’s use the reviewer’s example from the product data. * Goal: Deep engrave a 1mm brass blank. * Process:
1. Main Engraving (Ablation): 15,000 mm/s | 20-90% Power | 80 kHz | 100 passes.
* Analysis: The 15,000 mm/s speed is very high (the G2 Max’s top speed), but this is balanced by 100 passes. This is a “fast and light” approach, shaving off tiny layers repeatedly. The 80 kHz frequency is a good middle ground for controlled ablation.
2. Cleanup Pass: 3,000 mm/s | 20% Power | 78 kHz | 1 pass.
* Analysis: After 100 passes of ablation, the bottom of the engraving will be rough and full of slag. The cleanup pass is a low-power, slow-speed pass designed to melt and smooth the floor of the engraving, not to remove more material. It’s like “polishing” the cut.

From Deep to 3D: The Art of Grayscale Sculpting

Now, what is “3D Engraving”? It is not a separate function. 3D engraving is deep engraving with variable, controlled depth.

Imagine a black-and-white photo of a face. The white areas are high (the tip of the nose), and the black areas are low (the pupils). This is a grayscale heightmap.

When you load this grayscale image into your laser software and activate 3D mode, the laser translates those shades of gray into power settings. * White pixels: 0% power (material is untouched). * Black pixels: 100% power (engraved to the maximum depth, set by your number of passes). * 50% Gray pixels: 50% power (engraved to half the maximum depth).

The laser meticulously “carves” this 3D model into the metal, layer by layer. This is how you create the sculpted relief on a coin or a custom-molded design. A 50W laser with a high-speed galvanometer and 0.001mm accuracy, like the G2 Max, is essential for this, as it can execute the thousands of tiny, precise power changes needed to render the 3D shape smoothly.

What About Cutting? A Reality Check

The gweike g2 max 50w cutting query is common. Let’s be clear: a 50W fiber laser is an engraving machine, not a metal-cutting machine in the industrial sense.

However, 50W can cut very thin metal. * It CAN cut: 0.1mm - 0.3mm sheets of stainless steel, brass, or aluminum. This is perfect for cutting out custom jewelry charms, dog tags, or metal business cards. * It CANNOT cut: 1mm, 2mm, or 3mm+ metal plate. For that, you need a 1000W+ industrial fiber cutter.

Cutting thin stock with a 50W laser is a process of extreme ablation. It requires very slow speeds and dozens, if not hundreds, of passes. It’s a useful capability to have for specific, delicate projects, but it is not its primary function.

Workflow and Practical Considerations

Beyond power, modern machines have features that make these complex jobs feasible. * Electric Focus: Manually focusing a laser is tedious. An electric lift column, like on the G2 Max, allows for button-press focusing, which is critical for quick setup. * Red Light Preview: Dual red light pointers project a frame of your design onto the material. This allows you to position your engraving perfectly before a single photon is fired. * Portability: A detachable, handheld design means you’re not limited to the 150x150mm work area. You can un-dock the head and engrave on larger items, a car part, or an industrial panel. * Safety: This is a Class 4 laser. It is not a toy. The 1064nm wavelength is invisible and can cause instant, permanent eye damage. A full enclosure or the included protective shield is mandatory. High-quality, certified laser safety glasses (OD6+) are non-negotiable. Proper ventilation is also essential to remove the metal fumes created during ablation.

Conclusion: From User to Master

A 50W fiber laser like the GWEIKE G2 Max represents a shift in creative potential. It moves the bottleneck from the machine’s capability to the user’s knowledge.

Anyone can use it to make a keychain. But the real value is in mastering the process. By understanding the intricate dance between power, speed, and frequency, you can unlock the ability to sculpt 3D reliefs, “paint” with oxidation, and cut intricate metal charms. The machine provides the power; this guide provides the blueprint. The rest is practice.