Endurance Lasers: Easy to install on your 3D printer
The Russian-American startup, Endurance Lasers, specialises in creating easy to install and use lasers and cutters. A tool to add something extra to your 3D printing by combining a 3D printer, cutter and laser engraver all into one machine. We have previously covered the Endurance lasers and how it can bring your machine to a new level. But how easy is it actually to set it all up if you haven’t worked with it before. To learn more about the lasers and cutters and how easy to install it actually is to get one for home. We reached out to the company. We had a talk with George Fomitchev, the CEO and founder of Endurance Lasers to learn more about the technology and how to get your own hybrid machine.
3DN: Please introduce yourself and your link to 3D printing?
I am the CEO and founder of Endurance. We make lasers and help enthusiasts to jump into the maker space by providing an ultimate laser attachments.
George Fomitchev, the CEO and founder of Endurance Lasers
Our mission is to build and offer the best laser attachments for 3D printer and CNC machine enthusiasts and makers by providing ultimate customer support and the most advanced technical solution. All with the goal to make the laser technology affordable, easy to use and practical by developing more solutions which will meet the market expectation.
We believe that lasers may be used not only in the industrial sector but also in every home by anyone. The combination of a laser and a 3D printer or CNC machine allows for people to make absolutely incredible things which can personalise any item. Our powerful lasers will allow making things with one’s own hands as easy as ever. Making new things for the home and business will save a lot of time and money in the future. The laser technologies are very much undervalued and underestimated due to the low public awareness. We help explain and expand the abilities of lasers by making different experiments and video footages to inspire more people to think, create and explore.
3DN: Can you explain how the Endurance lasers and cutting machines work and what advantages it brings?
It is quite easy – an Endurance lasers can be easily installed on almost any CNC machine or 3D printer and convert them into a powerful laser cutting machine that enables laser cutting of soft materials like wood, plastics or leather and also allows for engraving on steel and anodized aluminum etc.
We have very detailed guidance and tutorials as well as a full list of compatible CNCs and 3D printers. Getting started is an easy process that will take no more than 15-30 minutes.
You just hook the laser up near the extruder or mill and wire to PWM or Fan pin output and you are all set. You can keep using the same slicers you always use, such as Cura, Repetier, Slic3r, Simplify3D or the CNC software like Mach3, etc. To further prepare a g-code you can use Endurance plugins or the T2Laser software.
3DN: Which 3D printers does it work with and what material can you engrave or cut?
Endurance laser attachment is a useful gadget that turns your 3D printer or CNC machine into a powerful laser cutting/engraving/etching/
They are compatible with Arduino, RAMPS and many other boards. Power adjustment with TTL wire (PWM) 8 watt / 8,5 watt/ 10 watt/ 10 watt+ / 20 watt laser modules enable engraving (just as quick as you can do it on a CO2 machine) and cutting a variety of materials. You can use the various technologies for materials such as:
- plywood / wood
- MDF / balsa / hardboard
- Acrylic
- PLA / ABS
- Felt / fabric / leather / fiber cloth
- Paper / cardboard
- Foam
- Stone
- Glass
- Painted, anodized aluminium
and many more
3DN: Do you have any advice for first-time users of these easy to install upgrades?
Do not be afraid. Our laser are compatible and will not break your mainboard or your 3D printer bed. It is fully safe but you need to wear goggles all the time while you operate the laser.
We ship everything you need to get started. It will take 15-30 minutes to mount and wire the laser to your 3D printer or CNC machine. All Endurance lasers are plug and play. Just mount the laser to the spindle or extruder without removing them. Connect wires to the fan/spindle/laser pin on your board.
3DN: What plans does Endurance lasers have in the near future?
We are working on many interesting research programs at the moment, and have donation programs for academic institutes as well as help children in Russia through our Endurance Charity program.
Then we are working on developing more powerful laser units, thinking about plasma lasers, and we are building a half-bridge key to control the laser. Last but not least we hope that in the 1st quarter of the year we will finalize an Endurance FAP infrared laser module.
So there are a lot of ideas and thoughts floating around, and we are happy to keep sharing all of our progress with our very kind and supportive community on facebook.
3DN: Any last words for our audience?
We have special prices in our online store and we currently are doing a giveaway of 4 diode lasers so all of you have a chance to try out our lasers.
What do you think of Endurance lasers and their easy to install lasers? Let us know what you think in a comment below or on our Facebook and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter, with all the latest news in 3D printing delivered straight to your inbox!
