The RF metal lasers are designed to operate without high voltage or water cooling. This makes RF metal lasers inherently safer to operate in almost any environment.
RF metal lasers are designed to be durable, provide the highest performance with high laser beam quality, offer indefinite service life, and help assure operator safety.
The price is more expensive than DC glass tube, but they have a longer lifespan of up to approximately 10,000hours.
The only drawback of RF tubes is their higher cost; in all other aspects, they outperform glass tubes. They offer better engraving results, longer lifespan, and more efficient heat dissipation. Of course, glass tubes also have their advantages. How to choose between a metal RF tube and a glass tube? I will explain it to you in 5 minutes.
What Makes RF Different from Glass
1.Laser tube Price
RF Metal Tube: High cost, ranging from $5,000 to $30,000.
Glass Laser Tube: Affordable, ranging from $400 to $1,500.
2.Laser tube Lifespan
CO2 RF tubes are stable and maintenance-free. They can be recharged and used repeatedly with a lifespan of over 10,000 hours. Thunder Laser offers a 2-year warranty.
CO2 glass tubes have a relatively shorter lifespan compared to RF Laser Tubes, generally lasting between 2,000 to 4,000 hours. Thunder Laser provides a 1-year warranty.
Lifespan also depends on your working environment and maintenance; some glass tubes can last over 5 years.
3.Laser Beam Quality
CO2 metal RF tubes produce high-quality beam spots with a circular and uniform pattern. Thunder Laser also equips them with beam expanders, resulting in a small divergence angle. After focusing, a smaller laser point can be achieved.
CO2 glass tubes produce beam spots with a less favorable pattern compared to RF tubes, resulting in larger laser points after focusing. Therefore, in terms of engraving, RF Laser Tubes have an advantage, delivering better engraving results.
How to Choose right laser tube
1.Cutting or Engraving
Both RF tubes and Glass tubes can be used
for laser cutting and engraving, but RF tubes provide better engraving results
and faster engraving speeds. If your work focuses on engraving, consider using
an RF tube. If cutting is your primary task, consider a Glass tube. At the same
power level, Glass Tubes are more cost-effective.
2.Industry Applications
Due to its stability and small beam size, RF tubes are commonly used for large-area marking, 3D printing, as well as high-speed cutting, engraving, and welding of flexible and non-metal solid materials. Glass Tubes are often used in industries like leather, clothing, advertising, and non-metal processing.
Famous Brands of Laser Tubes Worldwide
There are many brands of CO2 RF tubes, with Coherence, Synrad, Rofin, Radion, CRD, and SPT being some of the well-known ones.
The production of CO2 glass laser tubes is mainly centered in China, which holds a 90% market share. Key glass tube brands include Reci Laser, SPT Laser, EFR Laser, and YL Laser.
Thunder Laser utilizes RF laser tubes from Coherence & SPT, and Glass Laser tubes from Reci Laser & SPT for its machines.
Our Nova series employs Glass Laser tubes, which are ideal for cutting applications.
Our Odin series uses RF metal Laser tubes, offering high speed and precision, primarily for engraving.
If you’re curious about the effectiveness of RF Laser tubes, don’t miss our newly released desktop laser engraving machine, Thunder Bolt. It’s the most cost-effective RF laser machine on the market, boasting a super high engraving speed of 1000mm/s, all for just $4995.
If you have any further questions, please consult our laser experts for tailored advice.
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