LaserDuo Is an Open Source Laser Cutter with Two Lasers for a Variety of Materials

Almost every hobbyist laser cutter on the market uses a CO2 laser, because they’re affordable and versatile. Even a relatively low power CO2 laser can cut most non-metallic materials. But, metals are usually out of the question for CO2 lasers unless they’re very high power, making it impractical for hobbyists to cut metal. That’s why the LaserDuo uses a second Nd:YAG laser for cutting and engraving metals.

LaserDuo has both a 130W CO2 laser and a 75W Nd:YAG laser. Between the two lasers, LaserDuo can cut or engrave materials such as wood, plastic, cloth, leather, steel, copper, aluminum, and even marble. It has a working area of 1500 x 1000 x 500mm, and a maximum speed of 800mm/s. With the custom microcontroller board, it can achieve a resolution of 1000DPI (0.0254mm). Add that all up, and you’ve got a laser cutter that’s capable of handling just about any task a hobbyist or small business could ask of it.

While there are plans to make LaserDuo commercially available soon, it’s not available for purchase just yet. Luckily, it is open source and the design files should be made available for download before then, so you can build your own at that time. Prices haven’t been announced yet, but neither of the lasers are cheap, so don’t expect to buy a LaserDuo with your pocket change. However, it will likely be the most affordable option for those of you who need to cut metal.