VersaLaser™ Product Review
6Pages

A few months back, Universal Laser Systems (ULS) and EJ agreed that a product review of their VersaLASER VL-300 with emphasis placed on its breakthrough lens technology High Power Density Focusing OpticsӔ (HPDFO) would be beneficial to EJ readers. This lens allows a 30 watt CO > 2 laser to actually mark metal! This is something CO > 2 lasers just cant normally do and certainly not the 30 watt variety. This is really exciting technology and I was anxious to try it out for myself. But IҒm getting ahead of myself. Lets start at the beginningҗa fancy lens is nothing without a good laser to hang it on. VersaLASERs come in two sizes; the VL-200 which is a 12" x 16" laser and the VL-300 which is the 12" x 24" version. The VL-200 comes in either a 10, 25 or 30 watt version while the VL-300 also offers a wider variety of wattages ranging from 10 to 50 watts, with the most common being 30, 40 or 50 watts. The more powerful the laser, the more effective and versatile it will be both in normal CO > 2 operation and with the HPDFO lens. The HPDFO lens can be used on the VL-300 and all the other ULS models currently in production. Although it can be used on the VL-200, most users will want to have more power than the VL-200 can offer. This is not a negative since typical engraving shops should be looking at the VL-300 anyway since it allows a full sheet of engraving metal or a quarter sheet of engrav-ing plastic to be placed on the table. The smaller version has many applications in gift shops and the like and it, of course, costs less money, but for the sign shop/engraving shop/industrial user, the VL-300 is the laser of choice and will quickly recover any difference in initial cost. ULSs VersaLASER was unique in its original con-cept. It was designed with the non-professional in mind. In fact, it was (and is) marketed for a much wider variety of applications than a traditional laser and was designed from the ground up to fit nicely in an office setting as well as on an industrial floor. Its USB connectivity and all com-puter-controlled operation testifies to the fact that it was intended to be used by secretaries in offices, in schools, by photographers, by salespeople in gift shops and a host of others. And that has proven to offer many new markets for ULS. Perhaps youҒve seen their ads in some of the non-industry magazines such as > VL-200/10 Watt: $7,695 VL-200/25 Watt: $9,995VL-200/30 Watt: $10,995 VL-300/10 Watt: $9,695 VL-300/25 Watt: $11,995 VL-300/30 Watt: $12,995 VL-300/40 Watt: $14,995 VL-300/50 Watt: $16,995 HPDFO Lens: $2,650 PC Magazine and PC World . One of the latest industries to begin installing lasers is the scrapbook industry. > Copyright 2006 by Davis Multimedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. As printed in May 2006, Volume 31, No. 11 of The Engravers Journal. THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL/MAY 2006 1 www.engraversjournal.com size="-2">

This piece of 400 grade stainless steel was marked with the same text at different speeds, using 100% power and 500 ppi. Basic tasks such as engraving and cutting out plastic products was a snap with the VersaLASERs cutting board table set-up. cal user to bypass this safety feature. I tested the laser using this system and found it more than adequate for everything I did. Although it didnҒt remove all odors when cutting wood or acrylic, it certainly handled all the smoke and particulate, making the room where it was located quite acceptable to work in no matter what was being cut or...

then focused down to a tiny spot (usually about .003" diameter). If the light beam could be focused into an even smaller dot, say down to about .00125", it would produce consider-ably more heat (power) within that small area. The problem is that physics severely limits the manufacturers ability to do that. What HPDFO does is solve this problem by directing the laser beam through a series of special mirrors (optics) in such a way as to condense the spot size down to about .00125". Sounds easy doesnҒt it? It isnt. The nature (physics) of a CO > This example was done using the HPDFO lens (no...

2 laser into a $100,000 YAG laser. It does however, crossoverӔ to give users the capabil-ity to engrave jobs they could not do before. Most anything on uncoated stainless steelwithout chemicalsחis suddenly a great new capability. Everything from industrial engraving to simple dog tags are now simple and economical to mark. This makes the laser more suitable for on the spotӔ cutting such as in a scrapbook shop or highly specialized cutting such as in wood shops that do inlay work. Second, I have to wonder how many people who invest in HPDFO will really take advantage of its capabilities....

occur when working with flammable products as well as help keep the lens cool and clean by blowing any residue away from the lens assembly. The plumbingӔ needed for air assist comes standard, but the compressor is an option. Many people opt to use a compressor from a local hobby shop for this application. ($140) Back Sweep: This is something new to me and I regret it was not sent for testing. This optional feature allows air to be focused down on the engraving or across the engraving area to knock down flame-ups or better direct smoke into the exhaust portal. Even without testing it myself,...

When using the standard Versa- LASER software, a click on the PrepressӔ tab will give options such as mirroring or inverting the image. > J. Stephen Spence is president and founder of Recognition Concepts in Huntington, WV. He has been in the R & I industry for over 15 years. Steve is a recognition authority and a certified recognition specialist, as well as a well known lecturer and author of a number of books about engraving and sublimation. His areas of expertise include sublimation, laser and rotary engraving and sales and marketing. Steve is also a recognized authority on Data Matrix...