Beamo laser cutter review: Cut and etch almost anything without emptying your bank account

Beamo close up Source: FLUX

When you get the creator bug, you desire as many ways to create equally you can. Whether you are a hobbyist 3D printing maker or a instructor creating a maker-infinite, the Beamo laser cutter from FLUX is pretty much the perfect tool for you. It lets you create on simply most whatever surface you can think of for a fraction of the price of other carbon dioxide lasers.

Laser cut for a swell price

Beamo product shot

FLUX Beamo

Bottom line: The Beamo from FLUX is the perfect price indicate to allow schools, hobbyists, and maker-spaces to diversify their making options. While it doesn't have equally many options as other light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation cutters, it is half the cost, and what information technology does, information technology does exceptionally well.

Pros

Meaty size
Wireless connection
Tin cut a huge variety of materials
Built-in extraction
Removable base for larger etchings

Cons

Software is currently defective options

What you'll love about the FLUX Beamo

Collection of laser etched things Source: Windows Key

If variety is the spice of life, so the beamo is peppered with life. I have made a serious endeavor to utilize as many different materials equally possible with Beamo, even some materials that FLUX doesn't mention in its list. I have etched onto iPads, phones, hard phone cases, acrylic, leather, made forest, real forest, and even glass. The Beamo has etched into all of them with ease and precision. I likewise etched the top of a pumpkin pie, and information technology worked amazingly well.

Another thing to note; almost all of the things I have etched and cut have been with the laser at less than 50%, some of them have been as depression as 10%. There is a lot of room for the Beamo to abound and for makers to experiment with other materials and power levels.

The laser is equipped with water cooling, a direct air nozzle at the light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, and a powerful extraction system to control the burning effectually your cut. All of these things piece of work in concert to reduce the chance of fires to a minimum, which helps focus the burning where it needs to be and non spread effectually your maker space.

None of the things I accept washed have felt beyond the Beamo's capabilities; it ever feels similar information technology has more to give.

Speaking of focus, making sure the laser is at the right superlative is incredibly simple; one nut to unscrew and a trivial slice of plastic to set up the meridian, and you're washed. To continue the entry toll low, FLUX hasn't supplied an autofocus module for the Beamo as standard, only it will be available equally an add-on, forth with a rotary tool for etching on to circular objects. I'm especially looking forward to the rotary tool so I can add together Star Trek things on my drinkable spectacles.

I found that in that location is a fair corporeality of leeway on the focus before it becomes blurry in the actual cut. I put two different phone cases in there that had different heights. I focused the laser on the tallest instance, and the lower case still cut beautifully. In fact, nothing I have tried to cut has failed, even soft, TPU phone cases etched, albeit with a piffling discoloration

Technical specs for Beamo Source: FLUX

The unit itself is surprisingly small, taking upwardly little more space than a big DeskJet printer so it tin can hands fit into your garage, school workshop, or other maker-space. Just make certain to utilize the extraction hose that is supplied to vent to the outside. I forgot, and my unabridged workshop filled with smoke in minutes.

Ane of my favorite lilliputian features is the ability to remove the cut bed and even the lesser of the Beamo if you lot need to so you can print much larger pieces than the dimensions would typically allow. Information technology also has an interesting tracing ability, called Smart Trace, which allows you to put a picture in the Beamo and then convert that to an epitome that you tin cut. This Smart Trace is coming to the machines interface as well, so you won't have to use your PC to do it.

I managed to fit a 15" Macbook Pro into the machine with no upshot, and my next project is to fire a design onto my desk-bound with the bottom removed. None of the things I take done have felt beyond the Beamo'southward capabilities; it e'er feels like it has more to give. I've used other carbon dioxide laser cutters that cost twice as much every bit this machine, but Beamo doesn't feel overmatched at all.

Isolinear chips cut on the Beamo Source: Windows Key

I've spoken a lot about the etching side but Beamo can also cut extremely well. In that location are a lot of unlike materials that it can cut through — it uses the laser at a higher percent of power, at a lower speed — merely a good rule of thumb is: if it'due south not metal or glass, it can exercise it. Mainly you will be looking at woods, acrylic plastic, and leather up to 5mm thick.

I made some Isolinear chips from Star Trek by etching the pattern then cutting the shape out of a larger piece of acrylic. As a #ProTip, I would recommend leaving the paper coating on the acrylic as y'all cut. Non only does it protect the plastic from discoloration but it's a born mask for painting. Some people even suggest masking your wood with painters tape for the same reason.

What you might dislike about the FLUX Beamo

Beamo software Source: Windows Fundamental

There isn't a huge amount I disliked nigh the Beamo. The hardware itself is terrific for the cost, with a decent-sized LCD touch panel to command it. Not that you lot will use information technology all that much as the Beamo has both ethernet and wireless — with an included dongle — and then y'all tin exercise almost everything you need to on the Axle Studio software.

While the Beam Studio software is ok, it isn't anything that blows me away. The interface is simple enough, and while the camera is relatively depression resolution, it works to show your material on the screen so y'all can align everything correctly.

I would like the power to create voids in the artwork, though. I wanted to put a map of centre earth across my Macbook Pro but didn't want to cut through the Apple logo. The program needs to allow me to create a circular "pigsty" in the image that will make the laser skip that section.

I feel similar there could be more to the Studio to help you make the virtually of Beamo, only the software is early, and the team at FLUX are working difficult on a mobile app called Beamcam that volition allow you to take pictures of your artwork and print them directly from the Beamo. This is going to add together a tremendous amount of multifariousness to the things you can create.

This is all merely splitting hairs, though, as the Studio does what yous need it to do, and it has yet to make any of my cuts fail. The Studio likewise tells me how long the cut will take and has a lilliputian pop-up that keeps yous abreast of what'southward happening in the machine.

Should you buy the FLUX Beamo?

As of the writing of this article, the Kickstarter entrada is at $314,487, which blows past its funding goal of only $25,000 and now I have spent the last three weeks with the Beamo I can say those backers aren't going to exist disappointed. With the Kickstarter offering the Beamo at a significant reduction, now is the perfect time to become on lath.

Even at the recommended retail toll of $ane,499, the Beamo is less than one-half the price of its competitors and while it doesn't offer all of the features that they have, it offers more than enough to brand that toll point a deal.

I have enjoyed my time with the Beamo and will continue to push the boundaries of what the machine can do. If you are a maker who loves the creation procedure, a teacher who wants to bring something new to their class, or a budding entrepreneur looking to make a business, the Beamo is the right selection for you.

Budget light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation etching

Beamo product shot

FLUX Beamo

Ideal for homes and pocket-size businesses

The Beamo carbon dioxide laser cutter is an excellent entry betoken into laser cutting. The multifariousness of materials yous can cut is astonishing, you can even etch into a pie!

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