Meteor Series & Meteor DUO Series

Know what it cuts.
Know what it doesn't.

Spindle motor material compatibility, 450nm and 1064nm laser compatibility, real cutting capacities by wattage — and the materials you should never load, no matter which module you run.

Spindle motor compatibility

Verified-safe materials for standard CNC operations on the spindle motor — no special preparation required.

Plastics
  • Plastics (all types)
  • Epoxy
  • Graphite
  • ABS
  • Polycarbonate
  • Acrylic
Composites
  • Aramid
  • Fibre glass
  • Carbon fiber
Other materials
  • Foam (all)
  • Wood
  • MDF
  • PCB
  • Delrin / POM

Laser compatibility

Laser Tree's lineup splits into two families by wavelength — 450nm blue diode modules (5W up to the high-power K60/X1 series) and 1064nm infrared modules (LT-R1, LT-R2). Because each wavelength interacts with materials differently, compatibility depends on the module and the operation — engraving or cutting.

Engraving — etching & marking

Two wavelengths, two very different strengths.

450nm Blue Diode — 5W to 90W

Excellent for organic materials and dark/opaque surfaces.

  • Woods — plywood, MDF, basswood, walnut, oak, bamboo, solid hardwoods
  • Dark/black acrylic, colored opaque plastics (ABS, PLA)
  • Leather & textiles — natural, PU/synthetic, denim, canvas, dark felt
  • Paper & cardboard — corrugated, kraft, cardstock
  • Coated/treated metals — mirror or brushed stainless, anodized aluminum, blackened oxide
  • Other organics — food (toast, coconut shell), rubber, cork

⚠️ Glass, ceramics and clear/white acrylic need pre-coating (dark tempera paint, laser marking spray, or black vinyl tape) to absorb the beam.

1064nm Infrared — LT-R1 / LT-R2

Excels precisely where blue diodes fail — bare metals and specific plastics.

  • Bare metals — copper, brass, aluminum (even without oxide layer), gold, silver, titanium, iron, bare stainless steel
  • Plastics — black and white, acrylics (opaque or dark shades), high-density polymers
  • Opaque stones — slate, marble, granite

❌ Not compatible: clear glass, transparent acrylic, light-coloured organic woods — these don't absorb 1064nm efficiently.

1064nm IR modules (1W/2W) are for precision engraving and marking only — they cannot cut.

Cutting capacity — by wattage

Cutting depends strictly on the optical wattage of the 450nm blue diode modules, with compressed spots and air assist on the high-power tier.

Material
Low-power (5W–10W)
High-power (20W–40W+ / K & X series)
Plywood / balsa / basswood
Up to 4–8mm (10W: 8mm in one pass, slow speed)
Hardwood 12–15mm in a single pass
Black / dark acrylic
3–5mm, one pass
8–10mm, one pass
MDF
Up to 3mm (2+ passes)
5–8mm
Leather, paper & fabrics
Thin tooling leather, cardstock, felt, corrugated cardboard
Heavy-duty leather, thick denim, multi-layered cardboard

Low-power modules suit hobbyist and multi-pass work on thin materials; high-power (K-Series/X-Series) modules are built for industrial, thick-material cutting.

Absolute material exclusions

Regardless of the Laser Tree module in use, never cut or engrave these — toxic gases, fire hazards, or optical damage to the module.

1
PVC / Vinyl / Pleather
Releases pure chlorine gas — ruins laser components and is highly toxic to breathe.
2
Polycarbonate (Lexan)
Tends to catch fire, melts poorly, and produces heavy, sticky smoke.
3
Highly reflective bare metals (450nm modules)
Bare, un-anodized aluminum, brass or copper bounces the blue beam back into the module, destroying the diode. Use the 1064nm IR module instead.
4
Clear / transparent acrylic
The beam passes straight through without marking it, unless properly masked for engraving. It cannot be laser-cut by standard diode configurations.

Not sure about your material?

Send us the material, thickness and finish — we'll tell you the right module, wattage and pass count before you cut a single sheet.