Whats the difference between a CO2 galvanometer vs a CO2 CNC machine?

At the time of engraving non-metal materials like wood, acrylic, paperboard, leather, denim, and other materials, the CO2 laser technology is the most common option. However, this technology divided into two different types of machines, one is the CO2 laser galvanometer technology, and the other is the CO2 laser CNC technology. In this blog, we are going to explain what is the main difference between these two machine designs, their main applications, and the cost difference.

Both machines use a CO2 glass tube or a CO2 metal tube as the power source, and when we take a look at these machines, indeed their main structure is different. The Galvanometer CO2 laser has the laser tube right behind the head, while the CNC laser has the tube back of the main structure.

The structure plays an important role when we want to cut material.

When we want to cut materials with CO2 laser machines, we need to get the laser beam close as we can to the material. Moreover, this is one of the big difference between these two technology's; the laser CNC has a gantry system inside, that allows moves the laser head through stepper motors. Then the laser path across through 3 mirrors and 1 lens, and it's the lens in the laser head the one that can give the capacity of cut materials, all this is possible because this one is close to the material.

Because the laser head is far away to the material, this machine cannot cut must of the hard materials such as wood or acrylic. While a CNC laser has a head just 3 CM away to the material, the galvanometer head is 25 to a 50CM distance to the material. 

What can it cut a galvanometer CO2 laser?

Even if the CO2 galvanometer head has a significant distance with the material, this laser can cut very light materials, such as paper, paperboard, leather, denim, garments, and other light materials. Check in the following link the materials it can cut and engrave.

One of the most significant differences between these two technologies is the speed, while the CNC CO2 laser machines use stepper motors to move the whole structure and the laser head,

the laser galvanometer head uses two small servo motors that run the mirrors inside the head, giving high accuracy and high speed at the time to engrave or cut.

Both types of lasers can engrave the same materials, the main difference is the speed, the CO2 Galvanometer head has 4000 to 6000mm per second while the CNC CO2 lasers only can engrave with maximum speed 600mm per second.