ATOMSTACK offers two desktop laser engravers, the A5 M40 and the A5 Pro. Both engravers are innovative, offering high precision engravings. We are going to break down the differences between the two models based on precision, safety, and speed. Our recommendation will be based on project needs as well as user skill level.
ATOMSTACK A5 M40
The A5 M40 comes partially preassembled. The frame is rectangular allowing for the Y-axis to run on two rails at once. In combination with the newly designed motherboard, this allows for engraving speeds up to 10,000 mm per minute.
The laser engraver comes with a flame detector and an emergency stop switch on the front. Its 24 V power supply allows the device to etch continuously for up to 25 hours without causing any damage to the unit.
It offers a gigantic drawing area of 410 x 400 mm. The engraver has laser power of 40 W and laser output power of 4.5 – 5.5 W. Engraving accuracy is finetuned down to 0.01 mm. During engraving, the laser focuses on an area of 0.16 x 0.19 mm.
The A5 M40 can engrave on wood, cardboard, bamboo, aluminum oxide, stainless steel, ceramic, and acrylic among other materials. It can cut light wood, acrylics, non-woven fabric, and thin plastic board.
The A5 M40 also offers protection for users’ eyes. It comes with a laser protective cover that shields eyes from harmful damages of the laser as well as protects anyone, like pets, from reaching in and grabbing the laser spot. The laser is a fixed focus laser, which means it does not need to be focused.
This laser engraver operates with either LaserGRBL or LightBurn engraving software. Drawings can be input into the engraver in several formats, including NC, BMP, JPG, PNG, and DXF. Images are uploaded via a USB connection. It can engrave on or cut materials like wood, acrylic, and cardboard, among others.
ATOMSTACK A5 Pro
The A5 Pro is a very fast and detailed laser engraver. It offers a high level of accuracy in addition to a wide variety of materials it can work with.
Like the A5 M40, the A5 Pro offers a drawing area of 410 x 400 mm. Its laser output power is also like that of the A5 M40 as it is 5.0 – 5.5 W. The A5 Pro also offers the protection of a laser head shield. However, it is still recommended that users wear safety eyewear when using the engraver.
Unlike the A5 M40’s manual knob, the A5 Pro handles height adjustment with a hex wrench. The A5 M40 also offers a switch cable line, which the A5 Pro does not.
This laser comes with a laser diode, which means it has a fixed focus laser output. This means there are no moving parts in the beam’s way and focusing is much quicker than with adjustable focusing.
The A5 Pro can engrave such materials as cardboard, wood, foam, leather, fruit, cotton, rubber, paper, acrylic, and many others. It can cut wood, tape, cloth, cardboard, and other materials.
It offers an engraving speed of up to 10,000 mm per minute. The unit offers an engraving accuracy of 0.01 mm. The focal point of the laser is 0.23 x 0.23 mm. This allows the engraver to cut 12 mm thick wood and black acrylic and engrave stainless steel metal and ceramics. Up to 1,000 grayscale gradations can be achieved using the 12-bit precision PWM control signal.
The A5 Pro is compatible with various mature engraving software like LaserGRBL and Lightburn. It supports Windows and Mac. Engraving file formats supported are NC, JPG, DXF, BMP, DXF, etc. However, the laser engraver works better with vector files. These files contain the edges around which the laser head tracks. Engraving on these files is also faster because the laser will engrave directly on the lines instead of making dots like with a BMP file.
Our Recommendation
While both engravers offer fantastic features, we need to specify the differences before users commit to buying one of them. The A5 M4 offers a multitude of safety features. It offers users the ability to work with a multitude of materials and engraves them quickly. This engraver is perfect for hobbyists who want to take their engraving toward a more professional level.
On the other hand, the A5 Pro offers fast engraving speeds with high precision. It is a higher-end engraver and is recommended for more professional users.