Cutting acrylic requires a CO2 laser. CO2 lasers have traditionally been not only large, but also expensive. The xTool P2, for example, (which I have and love) is $4,000 just to start.
The price and size of CO2 lasers has led many more hobby crafters to try to find work arounds to cut acrylic with less expensive diode lasers. The results are often not professional, excessively long cut times, or limited in color options (or all three).
But the Flux Beamo CO2 Laser Engraver and Cutter is changing that. The 30W CO2 laser, which has a camera, is desktop size and has an entry level price under $1700.
The footprint is small (and so is the laser bed) meaning it can both fit on any desktop and limit the size of material that you fit inside.
With a smaller laser bed you need smaller pieces of material but wood or acrylic (tips for how to cut down acrylic at home here) or other materials, but there's still plenty of room for laser cutting earrings, keychains, bookmarks, cake toppers, jewelry, small signs, ornaments and frames.
The Flux Beam runs on Beam Studio which is included free and supported on both Mac and PC.
What Other Laser Accessories are Needed?
At the entry level price for the Flux Beamo you get the laser engraving machine and the software - but what else is really necessary?
The good news is you can get started with just that - meaning if your budget is extremely tight then $1700 will get you started laser cutting and engraving as long as you have a way to properly vent. If you can vent directly out a window or set up in a garage, you don't need an air filter.
However, if you're laser cutting and engraving inside with no or poor ventilation an air filter / fume extractor is absolutely needed (regardless of the laser you're using). Laser cutters and engravers create some smoke, dust, and fumes when cutting and engraving and you need to properly filter for safety. You can use the same air filter for multiple laser engravers by swapping out the hoses based on which is being used.
In order to laser engrave on tumblers or other conical items you will need the Flux Beamo rotary attachment, but that's not necessary to get started immediately.
Then of course you'll need some materials - wood sheets, acrylic, leather or other engrave-able materials. So Fontsy has a lot of laser materials compatible with the Flux Beamo.
Does the Price Point Sacrifice Useful Features?
Overhead Camera for Alignment
One of the things that I think makes a laser easy or more challenging to use is the availability of a camera and the mounting position of that camera.
Not having a camera makes alignment challenging while having a fisheye camera (mounted on the front or back frame) makes alignment inaccurate a lot of times.
The Flux Beamo has a built in overhead HD camera making alignment accurate. The camera isn't as high of quality as some of the more expensive CO2 lasers, but it gets the job done. Here's an example of what the camera shows in Beam Studio.
Measuring Materials and Auto Focus
The ability for a laser engraving machine to accurately measure the thickness of the material is also crucial as that determines how well the laser focuses. Issues with focus leads to bad cuts or engraving. The Flux Beamo has tools in place for measuring the thickness of material, which work well - but true autofocus does not come standard on the Beamo.
An add-on autofocus laser module is available for purchase for about $300.
Laser Power and Speed
The Flux Beamo is a 30w CO2 laser - that means it's a lower powered laser than some of the other CO2 lasers on the market like the xTool P2/P2s which are 55w. A lower powered laser means it's not as fast and will take longer to both cut and engrave - but it's also a lot less expensive.
It's worth pointing out the Flux Beamo comes standard with built in air assist and a honeycomb panel which help avoid charring and burning when laser engraving.
First Acrylic Cut with Flux Beamo
It's really easy to use. For my first acrylic cut on the Flux Beamo, I cut two acrylic cupcake toppers. They cut beautifully.
While they took longer to cut with the lower laser-powered Beamo than they would have in my xTool P2, the budget friendly laser cutter and compact size is the tradeoff.
You can check out my complete first cut video here on Youtube.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!
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