How To: 20mm Scan Head Upgrade for CO2 Galvo Laser | SMALLER DOT SIZE

In this guide I'll be showing you how to completely perform an upgrade from a 10mm to 20mm galvo scan head for a galvo CO2 laser. We cover every option for getting a smaller dot size including the scan head, the beam expander (from 3x to 6x) and lens. If you have a CO2 galvo and you're frustrated with the quality or detail in your engravings and markings this is the video that you want to watch. This took a long time to make, so I hope you enjoy it! Good luck, and have fun!
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[@mw3designs]

Glad to see you got that thing up and running. Would have been cool to see it in person when I was there, but the video is good enough!

[@LaserEverything]

Now that I actually like using it there will be a lot more content revolving around it as well :P

[@harold3470]

What a machine. Cant wait for Mine to arrive. Keep up the good work.

[@LaserEverything]

Will do, thanks for watching!

[@MakrTheory]

First! Great info to make the most of a CO2 Galvo machine. I can’t wait to buy one myself.

[@LaserEverything]

Nice Geo! Can't wait to hear more about that! Thanks for watching bro!

[@tommathelamma]

I would suggest a capital Pi-shaped (Π) focal stick for aligning the galvo to the table. Kind of like your focal stick with two legs. I feel that would give you surefire way to ensure the galvo is parallel to your work surface. Great video and congrats on getting the CO2 back in good graces!

[@LaserEverything]

Interesting suggestion I might have to try that, thanks!

[@RodrigoGutierrez-bz9fe]

Nice Job in all of your videos. The galvohead of my jpt 50w fiber laser machine makes noise and does not scan properly. Do you have any video related to that error? Or any advice you can give me?

[@embraceletsupply]

Helo, just bought this machine and it works great! A question, though... How many working hours can this laser withstand? I use it in 80% power capacity for around 6 hours a day. Will it sustain years?

[@Oversoul225]

Have a newer up to date affiliate link for the 20mm head and PSU? The listed one in description is MIA.

[@mikechavez7844]

I’m thinking of getting one of these with those upgrades already done. Fits lma have a params library out there for the co2 galvo like the fiber?

[@imajeenyus42]

The enclosure looks to be exactly the same as the one on my BWMTech fiber, really good construction. I've often puzzled over just how manufacturers assemble these things - is there one company making enclosures, another lift columns, bases etc., and each "assembler" picks and chooses parts from each to build their finished system? BTW if you unscrew the top (with the handles) it's a lot easier for messing around inside since you don't have the back panel flapping around ;-) BTW I really like how the galvo head is attached using that "neck" part which lets you easily rotate it - can you get a similar thing for fiber heads as well?

[@LaserEverything]

_and each "assembler" picks and chooses parts from each to build their finished system? _ I believe this is exactly how it's done. I'm not sure if the new Mactron systems use the swivel head or not. A lot of guys in the Discord have purchased their newer systems and would be able to tell you. I mean anything is possible if you have a mill haha. I'm not aware of anywhere you can just order that part off the top of my head though. Thanks for the info on the top and handles, that's a good tip!

[@mrstimpy100]

Galvo head comparison for fiber lasers. Like sg7110 vs rc1001 heads

[@antoniocarlosxavier9535]

Quase tudo perfeito, só um "pequeno engano" no último uso do laser.

[@halimkanbur5559]

Hello, thanks for your videos, very informative. I have a question, how many x expanders are used with the glass tube for the 600mm x600mm co2 lens, it will get sharp results.

[@LaserEverything]

600x600 is really very very big. I would guess somewhere around a 20x expander for usable results but it will need an extremely large galvo head with massive mirrors and motors as well. Might want to start looking into gantry machines at that size.

[@darenweidner3408]

Awesome

[@LaserEverything]

Right?

[@DavidWestPhotographer]

I just upgraded mine , got the new head 9 20mm) and power supply along with the Beam expander ( x8)... problem I'm have is the flag pipe/neck that connects the head to the body, doesn't fit the new head, it needs to be larger, I don't suppose anyone ,ight know where to buy the pipe or what its even called would help, ( maybe neck / double flange im not sure of the terminology ) - obviously one side fits body fine as its the original bu t the head side needs to be larger.. arghh any help would be fantastic thanks!

[@mike9024]

Can this setup get me to font height of say 1mm ? Need to make some small s/n

[@ttms]

Did you make a video on finding the focus on the co2 galvo?

[@LaserEverything]

Not yet but it's on my list for sure.

[@ttms]

@@LaserEverything do you have a resource or cliff notes version on how it's done? I can't find anything online about it.

[@JoeTribbiani-fb9fv]

I have 30w 200mmx200mm co2 galvo. I am trying to engrave inside the man's wallet but the result is not good. It is marked very thick. I watched 60 hours of videos. If I get a smaller work-size optic, is it going to solve the problem? How can I be successful on 5mm height letters?

[@user-zb2fj2np7d]

I had watch all your video. And came to idea to upgrade my galvo CO2 laser instead of buying new fiber machine. I have a machine with 400*400mm engrave range. Basically, I engrave the plywood and wish ABS plastic and the first thing I noticed are details. It's lack of them. The dot seems to be about 0.5-1mm. Especially it feels on the ABS plastic engrave, it looks awful. So I can't sell my service with a clear heart. Can you tell your opinion on: 1. How can I know the expanders 'x'es? Should I open the head to know it? 2. I plan to buy a couple of theta lenses and use the least ones for better detail, but would it help if my expander isn't 6x or so? Thank you

[@LaserEverything]

In this episode we go into it a little toward the end. Your galvo head and beam expanders must be matched so that the expander isn't expanding more than the galvo head can handle. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5CwYmyvrpl6b8k Typically beam expanders have their magnification (ie 6x) printed on them so you could pull the head off and physically inspect it to get that answer as we do in this video. The 400mm lens is likely a huge part of the problem. The larger the lens the larger the dot size. Something like a 110mm would do (about 4 times) better so if you can I would definitely consider a smaller field size lens as well I think you would see a huge improvement even if you don't do anything else we talked about.

[@fabriceconq4262]

Hi, love the Channel , very useful ! I am a laser engraver (Co2 & Fiber), full of good tips ! I am currently designing a laser with a 120W Co2 tube, but I can't increase the beam diameter (from 2.5 mm I want 10 mm diameter, so I though a x4 beam expander from Cloudray could do the trick, but it does nothing ... the beam stays at 2.5 mm, I am stuck, any idea what I am doing wrong ? Thanks for your help !

[@LaserEverything]

Interesting. I haven't been in a situation where a beam expander hasn't produced results for me yet so I'm not sure where I'd start on troubleshooting. I suppose the first thing I would do is pick up another expander from a different source and see if you can replicate the issue that way. The expander could be junk or there could be something else at play here. If you want to go into it more either check out Discord Server or Facebook group - links in the description - or you can check out our new forum over at www.lasereverything.net/forum and I'm sure we can get you pointed in the right direction.

[@SteveN-bh3wv]

1. How are you measuring the beam diameter? 2. Does the expander have adjustment? You may have to slide the 2 lenses closer or further apart to get the desired expansion.

[@myszorek1212]

How do you feel with power? I have 30w on a metal tube myself and I am thinking of changing a 20mm galvo with a 300x300mm lens but I do not know if changing to a larger galvo has an impact on the power?

[@LaserEverything]

A larger head will make the laser feel MORE powerful because the same amount of energy will be focused to a finer point.

[@hamedmaleki66]

Hi.its a great video. i have a question Is there any differences between co2 galvo scan head and fiber galvo scan head?

[@LaserEverything]

Yes, there is a big difference! Mirrors are completely different, fiber laser mirrors reflect the fiber beam, while CO2 reflects the CO2 beam. It's very important you use the right Galvo head for the right machine.

[@hamedmaleki66]

@@LaserEverything thank you

[@toddysneddon2835]

if you unscrew the top instead of the back, then the side panels will slide up out of the tracks :)

[@LaserEverything]

Another person recommended the same thing, I have regrets lol!

[@alex71m67]

Can this laser be used for cutting plywood? Which thickness? You have got a 30W Coherent laser, right?

[@LaserEverything]

It's a 30w Coherent, you can kinda get away with it but galvo lasers are never really designed for cutting. Maybe 1/8" max.

[@gandikha]

Hi Alex another question here 🙏🏻 they are offering me a 40w co2 galvo 20mm spot scanner and 6xbeam expander do you think is a good option? Thank you so much again

[@LaserEverything]

Just make sure the expander math checks out. You have to know the output diameter of the beam from the source in order to do the math correctly. We cover the basics in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5CwYmyvrpl6b8ksi=ojiX_YZ6xeLYcqW0

[@EugenioVillaverde]

Can engrave glass with galvo co2? Good job

[@LaserEverything]

Thanks, I haven't had good results with it yet. You can technically do it but it's a mixed bag so far as far as useable results go.

[@jmbauer68]

I have to align my galvo head as some bolts stripped during shipping. Do you have a tutorial on beam alignment into the galvo head? My laser has a small plastic or ceramic stick that looks like a half stick of gum. Not sure how to use it. 60 watt 3d m7 mopa

[@LaserEverything]

I have not completed a beam alignment on Fiber yet so I might ask around our free discord or facebook groups, there's links in the description. Otherwise you can check out this episode I did for beam alignment on a CO2 galvo. It may or may not help you. Exercise caution, the beam is definitely dangerous. Instead of the blue tape we use in this episode try black masking tape - it should mark better. Do not stand in the path of the beam and MAKE SURE you are wearing eye protection. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGealYZ4eq5qeas

[@jmbauer68]

@LaserEverything a white plastic or ceramic stick about half the size of a piece of gum came in my laser goggles case. I have seen a video that doesn't describe the instruction where it appears to be used to align the beam exiting the galvo. Do you know what that stick is or how it works?

[@cenadistore]

hello, can you mark the acrylic well? my galvo co2 30w rf does not mark it well

[@LaserEverything]

No, the UV is much better suited for marking Acrylic.

[@cenadistore]

@@LaserEverything I know, in fact I hope to be able to build myself a UV laser in the future, but until recently I was able to engrave it well, the glass sources engrave the acrylic well, I forgot to mark the correct parameters. I'll have to waste time and find them again.

[@anandreddy6835]

hello Alex good morning we can upgrade 20mm Scan Head for fibra laser 50wats

[@LaserEverything]

You COULD but I don't really think it's necessary unless you plan on using 400mm+ lenses.

[@remigiuszk5735]

Would an expander with 8x magnification be better? or maybe 10x better? I think about a 300x300 working area and a 20mm galvo, maybe here it is better to use a 30mm galvo?

[@LaserEverything]

There IS such a thing as having too big of a beam expander, we go over it in this episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5CwYmyvrpl6b8k I'd give it a watch, should answer your question!

[@remigiuszk5735]

@@LaserEverything Ok, I looked at the movie and signed up for your academy :) I have a question about the 30mm galvo. What expander should I use for a 300x300 lens? Power source reci w1 I think 8x will not be too big? is it better to buy a 20mm galvo and a 6x expander? I want to mark plywood on a co2 laser, customers often send complicated patterns :(

[@SteveN-bh3wv]

Can you tell me what make/model/where you acquired the 20mm scan head? CRay has one in the $700-$800 range depending on where I buy from (Ali vs Amazon). Your screwdriver blocks the info when you were showing the current demands of the head!

[@LaserEverything]

The scan head is Mactron's own 20mm head built specifically for their systems. For a universal head I'd go with something built by Sino-Galvo, check out wavetop sign on AliExpress for a trusted seller.

[@procutlaser]

Hello! I'm also using 20mm head and x6 expander lenses But I can't find the f-theta lens that fits the specification I would like to know your f-theta lens laser beam input diameter specification Input diameter must be 20mm Could you tell me the name of your lens model?

[@LaserEverything]

Try these 48mm Caliber F-Theta scan lenses from Wavetop: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AWNPAB

[@pwalkin]

Are there any CO2 Galvo manufacturers that ship their machines with a 20mm head and a 6x expander from the factory?

[@vanderree]

Hi Alex, First of all: love your videos. This video in particular made me look for a beam expander on my first/next Co2 galvo laser. I figured an 8x20 beam expander would be even better, since a lot of videos on KZbin (just demo videos) show this combination. However, when reaching out to a Chinese supplier, they told me the following: Because 8x beam expansion will make the aperture of the laser become very large, on the contrary, RC2808 galvanometer cannot refract it all, so part of the laser cannot be presented, resulting in poor marking effect. This is why we recommend 6 x 20 beam expansion. My knowledge of lasers is really limited when it comes to statements like these, so perhaps you know if this is true, or just some Chinese selling tactic? Thanks in advance!

[@20vK]

There's little point in expanding the beam size so much if doing so means the light overspills the galvo mirrors and is never directed towards your workpiece. The 20mm RC2808 head with 20mm mirrors is around £400. The 30mm mirror version they are saying you would need to capture all of the 8x expander beam is over £1000. I assume it may need more power too, which would add to cost even more. So cost is exponentially more and by the sounds of it, a 6x expander is correctly matched to a 20mm galvo head for your machine.

[@20vK]

Just an update - I just had 2 galvo lasers built, one of which is a 40W CO2 galvo. I was able to use an 8x beam expander with a 20mm RC2808 galvo head. I'm combining it with a 50mm lens, which I'm hoping will allow me to smash out very fine work at speed. Every laser I've seen on AliExpress specified with an 8x expander and 20mm galvo head has used a DAVI CO2 beam module. This DAVI module generates a claimed nominal beam size of 1.8mm. This is slightly smaller than the more common CO2 laser source I specified in my build, which generates a claimed nominal beam of 2mm. With an 8x beam expander on both machines, that woupd result in expanded beam sizes with a minimum delta, (difference), of 1.6mm - so quite a bit extra for 2 machines that would typically be considered the same specification by most. Even more so when the expanded beam area is then factored via the chosen focusing lens. As well as evaluating the costs of expander, galvo head and power supply, you also need to consider lens price. CO2 lenses are typically about 2 to 3 times more expensive than their equivalent fiber lens sizes, with the smaller sizes often adding another $100 on top of that! Hope this is info is useful to the one or two of you also thinking about going this route!

[@vladstrulev]

Hi Alex. My name is Vlad and I'm a member of LMA, which is by the way a great resource. Not sure how to get hold of you so decided to ask here. Just bought Cloudray 30W RF CO2 Galvo laser with 30W and 210x210mm lens. As it is the beam is ~1mm thick no matter how we focus it and it looks totally terrible. Here are some specs for the laser source: beam 2mm+/-0.2mm. The head has 10mm lenses. Trying to get the beam thinner. The cloudray sells 2808 head with 20mm mirrors. What would be my best upgrade for this thing? 20mm head with power supply + 110x110mm lens + beam expander. So my question is about the beam expander. If my laser source puts out 2mm wide beam, should I get X10 beam expander to get it to 20mm beam? If you may, please let me know what you think. If possible let me know how to contact you via email or other channels. Thank you in advance.

[@LaserEverything]

Hey! Please message the "LE Support" account, we'd love to help and it's much easier to get into detail on that platform

[@vladstrulev]

@@LaserEverything will do. Thank you very much!!!

[@troncalnegrete479]

Great video Man!!,Can anybody please tell me how much this machine it might cost,I'm looking forward to get one of this,there so many brand out there that's scary and I don't want to mess it up or spend a fortune...well I'm poor so don't have a fortune.

[@LaserEverything]

We have a link to this machine by Mactron (we really like Mactron) in our buying guide and their CO2 galvo units start around $6k. Check out the buying guide at www.lasereverything.net/buyingguide

[@troncalnegrete479]

@@LaserEverything I just wanna thank you for the video, I was about to pull the trigger and get a mopa laser and with all the good observations I think I'll wait a little longer,any way how safe is to buy from China through alibaba or aliexpress according to your experience.

[@LaserEverything]

Pretty safe, its more about the company. Think of AliExpress as Amazon, you can get great stuff on Amazon and you can get trash. It all comes down to the seller you're buying from. All the lasers look the same but it makes a difference who you go with. Again we have some great recommendations on lasers in the buying guide so seriously don't skip it!

[@sdfsdfsdfsdffdhghghg]

I'm going to buy a galvo head 10mm laser beam input for co2 glass tube laser my doubt is the following: 1st Galvo Head RC1001 does a Yongli A4s 100W glass laser tube work? 2° is it necessary to use a laser beam expander? 3° what is the difference between Galvo Head RC1001 and SG7110 I will buy these items: Galvo Head RC1001 10.6um JCZ LMCV4-DIGIT CO2 f-theta lens 10.6um - 300x300 F430 Do you have these items to sell? if you have, give me the values because to bring the machine ready is very expensive

[@LaserEverything]

These are all great questions but I can't write enough here to cover it all. Please join our discord (link in description) of higher level support!

[@andrespinardi]

I know a method to get the same result with the 10mm head

[@LaserEverything]

Thanks for sharing!

[@FamousHec]

Does it have a rotary?

[@LaserEverything]

Works with all the standard rotaries other galvo lasers can use. I hot swap the one with my fiber laser all the time.

[@FamousHec]

@@LaserEverything nice! Is the 20mm lens the one with the smallest dot size or is there more?

[@LaserEverything]

@@FamousHec 20mm is the largest that you could possibly need unless you have a very specific use case in mind. 20mm with the 6x beam expander is perfect.

[@FamousHec]

@@LaserEverything I have very high detailed logos with very thin lines and stuff lol but I'll take your word for it. I'll use your links to purchase the co2 galvo. Or do you think a fiber laser does good on tumblers like polar camels?

[@LaserEverything]

@@FamousHec ​ A CO2 is going to be MUCH MUCH better, faster and easier to work with on powder coated items. Fiber will do a little better with raw steel tumblers. Just depends on what you're working on. Either way both are do-able with either machine.

[@ssdisplay]

hi my co2 galvo head making Veep sound to loudly

[@LaserEverything]

I would take a video so we can see/hear it and upload it to KZbin, then post the link in either our discord community or Facebook group so we can give it a look. Seeing and hearing it will help us determine what's wrong.

[@ssdisplay]

@@LaserEverything ok I will take video and upload it

[@ssdisplay]

@@LaserEverything kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4OQqKSroMaMa8k

[@ssdisplay]

@@LaserEverything look that video kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4OQqKSroMaMa8k

[@LaserEverything]

That sounds awful. You're having a major hardware issue. Might need a new head. Hardware is kinda put of my scope. If you haven't yet there are links to our free discord and Facebook communities in the description. Try posting this video there, let's get some more eyes on it.

[@FitFarrier]

*EDIT* I'ld like to warn everyone who is thinking about attempting this upgrade. My laser was a custom order from Alibaba, further upgrades were bought from aliexpress from a different seller. I purchased a 20mm head, but it would not mount on the neck of my laser. Contacted the seller and they sold me another laser path with neck assuring me that the new one would be compatible with the head the sold me. Well, imagine my surprise when I received the new path and the neck is exactly the same as my original one and is NOT compatible with the 20mm head... I am currently in the process of trying to return everything. I'll then attempt to sell the laser in a laser group on Facebook... :( I'm currently shopping for this upgrade and stumbled upon a 8x beam expander with 30mm galvo head and thinking maybe I'd go the extra mile. I cannot find info online regarding whether or not it's worth it. What would be your take?

[@LaserEverything]

Do the math and find out if you can get a bigger beam expander with that 30mm head. If you're gonna go all the way to 30mm you might as well max out your beam expander so you're getting as much out of that head as possible. If your CO2 source puts out a 2mm beam the 8x will get you to 16mm, that would fit in a 20mm head so the 30mm would be a waste of money. All comes down to that math and what beam diameter the source you're getting outputs.

[@FitFarrier]

@@LaserEverything Aaand you're right!!! :) 8x expander with a 20mm head it is!