Testbericht zum FLUX Beamo Laserschneider und -gravierer

• Fully enclosed design with built-in lid safety features is perfect for schools and families with children.
• In case of emergency, the engraver can be immediately turned off with a single switch.
• With Beamo, the creative process is streamlined and hassle-free, consisting of just a few simple steps.

• To monitor working status, transfer files or update settings, you can use the Beam Go mobile app for instant remote control.
• In addition to USB and Ethernet, the laser cutter supports Wi-Fi connectivity for seamless workflow regardless of location.
• With compact dimensions of 615 x 445 x 177 mm and a weight of less than 25 kg, the Beamo fits perfectly into any project.

• The device is equipped with a powerful air pump and exhaust fans that help extract smoke and fumes and prevent the material from catching fire during cutting and engraving.

On top of that, the handy add-ons that make up the entire FLUX ecosystem can make your work easier and open up new design possibilities.

Unpacking

The FLUX Beamo comes in a single box that can be easily handled. Inside you will find the device itself, fully wrapped in protective foil and containing everything you need to set it up.

First of all, you will find a vent pipe to remove process fumes from the machine.

The package includes a user manual. In addition to a stylish cover, it provides all the necessary information about the installation process, software, materials, maintenance and troubleshooting.

In addition to the items already mentioned, the Beamo comes with laser engraving and laser cutting heads, power cord, toolbox and some spare parts for convenient long-term use.

Structure and preparation

The engraver comes with pre-aligned laser mirrors and is ready for use almost immediately out of the box.

As for the laser itself, the laser tube is equipped with a water cooling system and an air pump that ensures its quality of operation. Compressed air comes out of the laser nozzle and cleans the cut from smoke and debris, which ensures better results.

Make sure the device has enough distilled water in the tank. If not, you may want to add a little to improve cooling.

As we have already mentioned in the previous section, the machine is designed with a special switch that will not let the laser turn on when the cover is open. Thanks to this feature, safety glasses are not needed to work with the laser cutter.

The available work surface for the Beamo is 300 x 210 x 45 mm, which is approximately A4 format. It is not too large, but in general it is sufficient for small and medium-scale design projects.

At the bottom of the work chamber, you will find a honeycomb mesh to place a workpiece. It can be easily removed for cleaning. The bottom can also be removed if you decide to install the rotating add-on, which we will describe later.

The machine's motion control system consists of a linear guide for the X-axis and sturdy smooth rods for the Y-axis.

As for the belt system, it has some minor flaws and is overall inferior to the achievements of modern 3D printers.

The laser needs to be focused on the workpiece. The procedure is quite simple and straightforward. You swing the focus arm (shown in the photo), loosen the focus ring, slide the mechanism up and down until you find the right position and retighten the focus ring.

At the rear, you will find several connectivity ports and a large 120mm exhaust fan for removing smoke during the laser cutting and engraving process.

Software and configuration

Before you start using the FLUX Beamo laser engraver, you need to set it up. This is a very simple procedure that can be done through the built-in color touchscreen with a simple and clean-looking user interface.

The machine supports USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, the Beam Go mobile app for iOS and Android allows you to control the Beamo remotely.

The device is powered by Beam Studio software developed by FLUX. It is used to create laser designs with various design options.

The program is very clear and easy to master. Among other user-friendly features, it offers a large number of presets for different materials.

The toolset includes basic shapes for designing simple parts. Apart from that, you can import vector formats, such as SVG or DXF.

Your projects can be organized into different levels, with individual parameters assigned. Additionally, the order in which your design is processed can also be adjusted. For example, sometimes you might want to start with engraving and then move on to cutting your part.

In this mode, the laser head moves in a tight meander pattern and the laser itself rapidly switches on and off to mark only the specified areas. To improve the quality of the grayscale images produced by the Beamo (for example, JPGs), the laser power can be modulated.

Another great feature offered by the machine is the built-in HD camera for scanning the work area. It allows you to precisely align and position the pieces for more precise results.

As soon as the project is loaded onto the Beamo, it is saved to the internal memory of the device. You can always select one of the previous jobs and also adjust the power and speed of the laser.

But let's see how Beamo manages to achieve results, especially in laser cutting.

Cutting and engraving
If you have experience only with diode laser engravers, you will certainly be satisfied with the performance of the Beamo. To discover the strengths and weaknesses of the machine, we examine several laser cutting tests on materials with different properties.

A prefabricated template for the demonstration tests can be found in the Beam Studio menu. To find it, select 'File' - 'Examples' - 'Material Cutting Test'. Each rectangle in the diagram corresponds to a certain percentage of laser power of maximum 30W and cutting speed in mm/s.

The softer 4mm poplar plywood, commonly used for various design projects, cuts perfectly even at high speeds and in a single pass.

With 8mm thick plywood, the machine needs two passes to cut smoothly through the template.

Balsa wood generally preferred by model aircraft builders cuts without problems to 4 mm

Even at 10 mm the result with this material is quite clean and uniform. However, it is strongly recommended to find the appropriate parameters in advance, as the maximum laser power can sometimes cause burning instead of cutting.

According to some real experience, the highest speed is usually the best choice for quality results as well as two passes instead of one.

Also, if you want to cut thicker material, set the laser focus slightly below the surface, closer to the middle of the thickness. This will result in a more uniform energy density across the cut.

Despite its previous successes, the 30W laser starts to struggle a bit when it comes to cutting harder wood. With 2.5 and 4mm birch plywood there are no problems at low speeds.

However, the 6.5 mm piece seems too much for the device, even with multiple passes. The wood is rather burned than cut.

As for the cardboard, there are no problems whatsoever.

The same goes for 4mm felt.

Additionally, the machine can handle 6mm Depron foam board well at higher speeds and with reduced laser power.

One great thing about CO laser cutters is that they can work with transparent materials, like this clear acrylic. Because of the high wavelength of 10600 nm, transparent things in the visible spectrum are not transparent to CO lasers. They are able to fully interact with such materials and therefore can be used for laser cutting and engraving, but mostly at the slowest speed or multiple passes. The thinner the workpiece, the better.

As for the engraving, no problems found here.

Finally, let’s talk about glass. Regular blue diode lasers simply can’t work with it. As for the Beamo, it can’t cut glass like some more powerful lasers, but engraving your own pattern should be easy for the device. The laser creates micro-slits at the designated spot and can then texturize them. This could be useful for displays and custom glass objects, especially if you have the rotary mount.

Overall, the FLUX Beamo shows good results in laser cutting, although the machine has some minor issues when dealing with very thick and dense materials. Other than that, the device has proven its powerful capabilities sufficient for multiple decorative applications.

Add-ons
In addition to the dedicated software, FLUX offers additional modules for the Beamo to enhance your laser cutting and engraving experience in a more thoughtful and convenient way.

Rotating module

With the rotating extension, you can easily engrave on cylindrical objects, such as radiators, mugs, pens, wine bottles, glasses and more.

Autofocus module

This add-on not only automatically sets the laser focus based on the project, but also allows you to adjust the focus position during cutting passes for deeper penetration. This significantly improves cutting efficiency when dealing with thicker materials.

Additional laser diode

The following hybrid laser attachment allows for faster cutting speeds and deeper penetration, especially important when working with materials such as steel.

Beam air filtration system

Special attention should be paid to the FLUX Beam air purifier, which can certainly come in handy if you decide to keep your workspace cleaner and more “friendly”.

The device features a 4-layer filtration system with powerful air intake designed to block any harmful particles and odors generated in the working chamber during Beamo operation.

The air bundle consists of a pre-filter, medium efficiency filter, activated carbon filter and HEPA H13 filter. With brushless motor and low noise level, it ensures thorough air cleaning and a quiet environment.

The machine boasts a small footprint, practical wheels for easy transportation and advanced compatibility with other similar devices. The fumes are guided through a flexible tube that connects the laser engraver to the extractor.

Additionally, connecting the Beam Air to the Beamo with a USB-B cable ensures that the device automatically turns on when laser cutting begins and turns off when it finishes.

Applications
The FLUX Beamo is a perfect tool for a wide range of creative applications, including customization, prototyping, design, model making, crafts, education, etc.

From hobby to activity

Many people share their success stories on the official FLUX website. Many of them have managed to turn creative hobbies into their main source of income. As practice shows, with a little skill and Beamo you can express your creativity in every possible way.

Handmade accessories and more
As a travelling artist from Manchester, Natasha Stoppel has been exploring the world for years. She conveys her impressions and tells stories of her adventures in the form of unique accessories made with the Beamo laser engraver.

Natasha combines features of different cultures with her personal style and creates unique, vivid and emotional works of art.

In addition to accessories and small toys, the artist produces complex images, where every detail is carefully cut by 30W laser.

For her breathtaking works, Natasha especially prefers wood that appears perfectly smooth after being worked with FLUX Beamo.

Elegant paper cutting

Half-Goatee is a Taiwanese team specializing in the design of pop-up books, cards, and other paper products. For prototyping, customers use Beamo to reduce the development time of new products and praise the machine for its endless possibilities for precise paper cutting.

Fashion Innovation
Designer and engineer Anouk Wipprecht is currently working on the Pangolin Scales project. She combines laser engraving, 3D printing, and brain-computer interface to create a shirt that can reflect emotions by reading them in a person's brain.

For example, it emits a warm purple when the wearer is thinking, and spreads its wings of glowing blue when it detects intense feelings.

It is a real challenge to integrate elements other than fashion and technology, but laser engraving is a powerful tool to create innovative and at the same time surprising designs.

Decorating a wine bottle
With the Beamo, it's easy to surprise your friends with a special gift. For example, the rotary addition allows you to engrave on cylindrical shapes. Declan Chang showed how to add a festive look to a regular wine bottle with the help of the laser engraver.

Beam Studio was used to modify the initial image.

Then, the built-in camera helped the user to center the future engraving.

It took only ten minutes to complete the job.

To make the look even more beautiful, Declan Cheng decided to add a small crystal. Ordinary glue was enough.

Of course, you can go further and personalize your gift with a special logo. Paper is not a problem for Beamo.

This is how you can show your affection and your creative streak at the same time.