What does an air assist do for a laser cutter?
An air assist refers to a flow of compressed air directed towards the material being cut during the laser cutting process. The compressed air from the compressor serves several purposes such as cooling the material to prevent damage from heat, as well as clearing out any smoke and debris produced during the cutting process.
The use of air assist leads to a cleaner and more precise cut, and it also plays a vital role in prolonging the lifespan of the laser cutter by preventing smoke buildup on the lens. Moreover, it enhances workplace safety by minimizing the risk of material catching fire during laser cutting operations.
The purpose of using air assist in laser cutting is to eliminate debris, smoke, and heat during the process. This not only helps in avoiding the burning of the material being cut but also results in a more precise and polished cut.
The performance of air assist can be impacted by various factors such as the size and shape of nozzles and compressors, as well as the optical power of the laser engraver. We conducted tests on three renowned laser engraving machines, with and without air assist, to determine which option is the most suitable for different materials and cutting requirements.
What Did We Test?
This article will feature an examination and experimentation of the air assist system on three distinct laser engraving machines – the 20W XTool D1 Pro, the 10W Sculpfun S10, and the 5W Sculpfun S9, which recently received an air assist upgrade kit. Both Sculpfun and XTool utilize an air pump with a 30L/min output, with only differences in the hose connector and speed controller. The Sculpfun pump is available in both EU and US compatible versions, as is the XTool pump.
xTool and Sculpfun are manufacturers of engraving machines that seamlessly integrate with popular engraving control software such as Lightburn and LaserGRBL, ensuring easy usage. We opted to evaluate these three machines since they represent three different price and power categories.
This will enable us to gain a broad understanding of the performance of air assist with laser heads that vary in optical power output. We will compare the benefits of utilizing air assist with a lower powered laser beam versus a higher power laser beam generated by a higher power laser head.
How Did We Test?
We conducted a test to compare the performance of these three laser engravers while cutting thick materials, with and without air assist, to evaluate its effectiveness. We assessed the increase in cutting performance as well as the visual quality of the results.
Our test involved cutting four materials: 10mm (3/5″) thick Poplar plywood, 15mm (5/8″) thick Paulownia wood, 17mm (11/16″) thick generic construction wood, and 10mm (3/5″) thick black acrylic. Additionally, we endeavored to push the limits of the xTool D1 Pro 20W by attempting to cut 18mm (3/4″) thick poplar plywood with the aid of air assist.
Test Results of the xTool D1 Pro 20W Air Assist System
The xTool D1 Pro is a popular laser cutter and engraver that is widely used by small businesses producing small batches for their customers. It is also popular among hobbyists due to the availability of various accessories like a rotary tool for cylindrical objects, a ventilation enclosure, and an extension kit, among others. With its powerful quad-diode compressed spot laser head, it can be considered a top-performing laser cutting machine that offers high-quality results. The xTool D1 Pro comes with the nozzle pre-installed, but you need to purchase the compressor separately. On the other hand, the xTool D1 does not come with the nozzle, but it is included in the assist upgrade kit. If you want to learn more about these machines, you can check out our reviews for the XTOOL D1 PRO and XTOOL D1.
Take a look at the photo below that shows a comparison of the pieces cut using the xTool D1 Pro 20W laser engraver with and without air assist. Upon observation, it can be noted that using air assist while cutting wood results in a much cleaner edge with fewer smoke stains on the surface surrounding the cut edge.
Further down the page, you can find an explanation of the analytical data, which includes the number of passes required to cut through a particular piece at a given speed.
10mm (3/5″) thick Poplar plywood cutting test
Despite little difference in the number of passes needed to cut through the material, using the air assist on the xTool D1 Pro resulted in a much cleaner cut surface compared to cutting without it. However, the cutting performance of the machine was similar with or without the air assist when cutting this particular material. Below are the detailed results:
- 1800mm/min: 17 passes without assist/ 16 with assist
- 600mm/min: 5 passes without assist/ 4 with assist
- 300mm/min: 3 passes without assist/ 2 with assist
15mm (5/8″) thick Paulownia wood cutting test
The Paulownia wood is a lightweight material that is commonly used for model making. In contrast to the previous test, the xTool D1 Pro 20W showed significantly improved cutting performance when the air assist was used. Without the air assist, there was a significant amount of charring on this type of wood.
Results:
- 1800mm/min: 25 passes without assist/ 10 with assist
- 600mm/min: >15 passes without assist/ 4 with assist
- 300mm/min: 5 passes without assist/ 2 with assist
By reducing the speed further, the xTool D1 Pro could cut through this thick wood in just one pass, showcasing its impressive capabilities as a laser cutting machine.
17mm(11/16″) thick Pine wood cutting test
Moving on to the next material, we proceeded to cut Pine or Spruce wood, commonly used for construction purposes. This type of wood tends to produce a lot of smoke during cutting, and the air assist was successful in blowing away dust and improving cutting performance significantly.
The results are as follows:
- 1800mm/min: 48 passes without assist/ 20 with assist
- 600mm/min: 9 passes without assist/ 5 with assist
- 300mm/min: 5 passes without assist/ 3 with assist
10mm (3/5″) thick black acrylic. cutting test
Air assist is highly effective in cutting acrylic, as it helps to prevent the material from melting during the cutting process by cooling it down. This leads to a much cleaner cut, especially when working with small parts where there isn’t enough time for the material to cool down between multiple passes.
Here are the results:
- 1800mm/min: >50 passes without assist/ 37 with assist
- 600mm/min: 12 passes without assist/ 10 with assist
- 300mm/min: 6 passes without assist/ 5 with assist
18mm (3/4″) thick Poplar plywood cutting test
As a fun experiment, we also attempted to cut an 18mm thick poplar plywood board using the 20W xTool D1 Pro with the air assist, but unfortunately it was unable to cut through the entire thickness, although it did come very close.
Test Results of the Sculpfun S10 (10W) Air Assist System
The Sculpfun S10 laser head features a dual-diode compressed spot module that offers impressive performance for its price range. It also boasts several useful features such as an expansion kit and rotary attachment for cylindrical objects. Additionally, an affordable ventilation enclosure is in the works. What’s more, the Sculpfun S10 already comes with a pre-installed air assist set, requiring only the purchase of a compressor. To learn more about this laser engraver, you can read our review of the Sculpfun S10.
Below is a photo that shows a comparison of the pieces cut using the Sculpfun S10 laser engraving machine. Further down, you will find an explanation with analytical data, including the number of passes required to cut through each piece at a given speed.
10mm (3/5″) thick Poplar plywood cutting test
When cutting this particular material, the use of air assist did not result in a significant difference in cutting performance with the Sculpfun S10 laser engraver, however, the cut surface appeared brighter and had less charring compared to when air assist was not used. Moreover, the overall cutting performance was noticeably better with the air assist.
The results are as follows:
- 1800mm/min: >50 passes without assist/ 38 with assist
- 600mm/min: 9 passes without assist/ 7 with assist
- 300mm/min: 5 passes without assist/ 4 with assist
15mm (5/8″) thick Paulownia wood cutting test
This type of wood is commonly used for model making and the Sculpfun S10 laser engraving machine demonstrated a slight improvement in cutting speed with the use of air assist. Additionally, the cut was noticeably cleaner, particularly when using slower cutting speeds.
Results:
- 1800mm/min: >50 passes without assist/ >50 with assist
- 600mm/min: 8 passes without assist/ 7 with assist
- 300mm/min: 6 passes without assist/ 4 with assist
17mm(11/16″) thick Pine wood cutting test
We proceeded to cut Pine (or Spruce) wood, a common cheap wood used in construction. This wood produces a lot of smoke during laser cutting, but the air assist made a significant difference in the performance of the Sculpfun S10, resulting in remarkably clean cuts. These were some of the cleanest cuts we have ever seen!
- 1800mm/min: >50 passes without assist/ >50 with assist
- 600mm/min: >25 passes without assist/ 11 with assist
- 300mm/min: >15 passes without assist/ 6 with assist
10mm (3/5″) thick black acrylic cutting test
Enabling air assist proved to be highly beneficial while cutting acrylic with the Sculpfun S10. It helps in cooling down the material and prevents it from melting, resulting in a cleaner cut. The laser engraver also showed a significant improvement in performance when the air assist was used.
- 1800mm/min: >50 passes without assist/ <50 with assist
- 600mm/min: 25 passes without assist/ 18 with assist
- 300mm/min: 11 passes without assist/ 9 with assist
Test Results of the Sculpfun S9 (5W) Air Assist System
Here is a photo displaying the results of our testing with the Sculpfun S9 laser engraving machine. Despite its 5W laser output, some may consider the S9 to be primarily an engraving machine rather than a laser cutter, but that assumption would be incorrect. In reality, this machine is quite capable of laser cutting. For more information about the S9 and its capabilities, please refer to our Sculpfun S9 review. Please note that the S9 does not come with a nozzle or air assist by default; these must be purchased separately as an upgrade kit with a compatible air pump available in both EU and US versions.
Following the photo, you will find a detailed explanation with analytical data specifying the number of passes required to cut through the material at a certain speed. The Sculpfun S9 laser engraver, being the least powerful among the three, was only tested with the slower speeds (600mm/min and 300mm/min) and could not cut as fast as the others. However, we also conducted a test on 6mm thick plywood to evaluate its performance.
6mm (1/4″) and 10mm (3/5″) thick Poplar plywood cutting test
When cutting 6mm Poplar plywood with the Sculpfun S9 laser engraver, we found that the air assist did not significantly affect the cutting speed. However, similar to the other machines, we observed that the edge of the cut was much cleaner when using the air assist.
results:
6mm Poplar plywood:
- 600mm/min: 6 passes without assist/ 5 with assist
- 300mm/min: 3 passes without assist/ 2.5 with assist
10mm Poplar plywood:
- 600mm/min: 12 passes without assist/ 11 with assist
- 300mm/min: 5 passes without assist/ 5 with assist
The Sculpfun S9 laser machine already had some air management under the laser module, even without the air assist mounted. This is because the fan that cools the laser module also directs some air to the working surface using a cone structure under the module. Therefore, the difference in the number of passes was not as significant as with other machines.
15mm (5/8″) thick Paulownia wood cutting test
This type of wood is commonly used in model making due to its lightweight nature. The Sculpfun S9 engraver machine was able to cut it well at a speed of 300mm/min, but its cutting performance was significantly impacted at higher speeds.
Results:
- 600mm/min: >25 passes without assist/ >25 with assist
- 300mm/min: 6 passes without assist/ 5 with assist
The use of air assist once again produced the cleanest cut, which is particularly noticeable when viewed from the side.
10mm (3/5″) thick black acrylic
The Sculpfun S9 laser engraver faced difficulty in cutting the thick acrylic board due to its low output power. However, it demonstrated a noticeable improvement in performance when cutting black acrylic at low speed, thanks to the air assist that helped in cooling down the material and preventing it from melting while cutting.
- 600mm/min: >25 passes without assist/ >25 with assist
- 300mm/min: >20 passes without assist/ 17 with assist
More Photos of the Results
The trend is evident from the results: the cuts made with air assist have less charring and appear cleaner both from the top and from the side.
What About Using Air Assist Just for Laser Engraving?
Air assist has the potential to enhance the quality of laser engraving by preventing the accumulation of soot on the material’s surface. Moreover, it can also assist in cooling the material, which reduces the likelihood of warping or melting. While it is not mandatory for laser engraving, it can prove to be a beneficial tool, especially for materials that are vulnerable to heat or tend to accumulate soot.
What About the Honeycomb?
Using a honeycomb mesh is essential when laser cutting with an air assist. The air stream pushes the smoke through the material just before it is cut, preventing it from staining the bottom of the wood. Without the honeycomb, the bottom side of the cut pieces will not look clean.
To demonstrate the difference, we conducted a test where we cut out a circle using a honeycomb work bed and a standard solid steel plate as the working bed. In the photo, you can clearly see that the honeycomb mesh produces much cleaner parts on both sides.
In addition, using the honeycomb also has the benefit of preventing the compressed air from blowing away the material if it is not secured by magnets or other means. We have even developed a set of holding pins that are compatible with the Sculpfun honeycomb work bed.
The addition of air assist can greatly enhance the performance of your laser engraving or cutting machine.
Conclusion
Air assist is an essential component of the laser cutting process, providing cleaner cuts with reduced smoke staining and charring, and generally improving cutting performance. In addition, it enhances safety by reducing the risk of material catching fire. If you want to enhance your laser cutting results, incorporating air assist into your process is an excellent starting point. To save money on purchasing an air assist upgrade kit for your preferred laser cutter or engraver, use the links provided below and enter our discount coupon code “JTxTool” at checkout for a 10% discount on the D1 Pro and associated accessories. This coupon code is only valid for a limited time and a limited number of orders.
Thank you for reading!
You can find the Sculpfun air assist kit with an EU plug HERE. Don’t forget to check our COUPON PAGE for available discounts on various products. We update the table regularly to ensure accuracy.
If you’re interested in learning more about the laser engravers we’ve tested, check out our other articles.
