Fiber Laser Engraver: Galvo, MOPA and Wattage Guide

A fiber laser engraver is a 1,064 nm laser that steers its beam with galvanometer mirrors to mark and engrave bare metal. It is the tool to buy when metal is the job: steel, brass, aluminum and titanium absorb its near-infrared light, which blue diode and CO2 lasers cannot touch directly.

This page is about choosing the machine itself: how galvo and split units differ, when a MOPA source is worth it, what wattage matches your work, and what it costs. We did not run hands-on tests. Specs and prices come from the makers’ US stores (OMTech, xTool, Monport, Cloudray) in October 2026, and from their published material guidance.

What is a fiber laser engraver?

A fiber laser engraver generates its beam in a doped optical fiber at 1,064 nm, then a pair of galvo mirrors sweep that beam across a small fixed field through an F-theta lens. There is no moving gantry over the work, so marking is fast: the mirrors move, not the head.

The fixed field is the trade-off. A standard F-theta lens covers roughly 110 x 110 mm; a larger lens reaches 175 x 175 mm or 200 x 200 mm but spreads the dot, lowering fine resolution. For anything bigger than the lens field you tile the job or add a rotary. This is why fiber units suit tags, tools, jewelry and panels, not large signs.

Galvo vs split fiber laser: which should you buy?

Buy an enclosed cabinet unit if you want a Class 1 machine you can run on a bench without eyewear; buy a split unit to save money and keep the source upgradable. A split fiber laser puts the source in a box that feeds an open galvo head, so it is an open Class 4 laser.

Split units take tall and awkward parts that will not fit a cabinet, which is why production shops favor them. If children or untrained people are near the machine, pay for the enclosure.

What is a MOPA fiber laser and do you need one?

A MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier) fiber laser lets you adjust the pulse width and frequency, not just the power. That control produces color marks on stainless steel, deep black on anodized aluminum, and cleaner marks on some plastics. A standard Q-switched fiber has a fixed pulse and cannot do color.

You do not need MOPA for serial numbers, logos on tools, dog tags or brass plaques; a Q-switched 20 to 30 W source does those well and costs less. Choose MOPA if color on stainless, black on anodized aluminum, or marking sensitive plastics is part of what you sell. MOPA sources are usually JPT; standard sources are often Raycus or MAX.

What wattage fiber laser do you need?

Match wattage to the depth and speed you need, not to resolution. More watts remove more metal per pass and mark faster; they do not make a finer line.

A 20 W MOPA is the common starting point for jewelry and small-business marking. Step up to 50 W or more only when speed on batches, or depth, is slowing you down.

How deep can a fiber laser engrave metal?

Depth is a matter of passes and time, not a single setting. OMTech lists about 0.1 mm per pass for its 60 W MOPA fiber; 20 and 30 W sources remove less per pass. A recess 0.3 to 0.5 mm deep takes many passes, and the part gets hot, so let it cool before handling.

Three terms get confused. Marking is any visible change, including a bonded or annealed mark with no depth. Annealing heats stainless or titanium below melting so an oxide layer forms, leaving a smooth dark mark with almost no material removed. Engraving removes metal and leaves a recess you can feel. Our laser engraver for metal guide compares fiber against IR modules and marking compound for each of these jobs.

What can a fiber laser engrave and cut?

A fiber laser engraves most metals and can cut very thin sheet; it is weak on wood and clear plastics, which a CO2 laser handles instead.

For thin cutting, xTool rates the 20 W fiber in the F1 Ultra for 0.4 mm brass, 0.3 mm stainless and 0.2 mm aluminum, and the 60 W MOPA F2 Ultra for 2 mm. That is jewelry and inlay territory, not steel plate. If you are still choosing between laser types, start with our diode vs CO2 vs fiber comparison.

How much does a fiber laser engraver cost?

Hobby and small-shop fiber units run from about $1,999 to $5,299 in October 2026, with price tracking source type and wattage more than brand.

Fiber sources last: OMTech quotes up to 100,000 hours, so the source is rarely the recurring cost. Budget instead for OD5+ eyewear, a fume filter and, for cylinders, a rotary attachment.

The split-versus-enclosed choice moves the price as much as wattage does. A 30 W split unit can undercut a 20 W enclosed one, because the cabinet, interlocks and exhaust add cost. Decide the safety level you need first, then shop wattage within that, rather than buying raw power and discovering it is an open Class 4 machine you cannot run near people.

How do you focus and maintain a fiber laser?

Set focus by the lens working distance, then keep the F-theta lens and any protective window clean. Unlike a diode, a galvo fiber has a fixed lens with a set focal length, so you move the whole head or the bed until the work sits at that distance, often found with a red-dot pointer or a focus bar supplied with the machine.

Maintenance is light but specific. Wipe the F-theta lens with lens tissue and the right solvent when marks dull or fume film builds; a dirty lens absorbs the beam, loses power and can crack from heat. Keep the galvo mirrors sealed and dust-free, and check the fume path, because metal marking throws fine particulate even though it makes little smoke. There are no consumable tubes or gases as on a CO2 laser, which is part of why fiber running costs are low.

Software differs too. Most fiber galvo markers run EzCad2, EzCad3 or a maker app, and LightBurn needs its Pro edition plus a supported galvo controller. Our laser engraving software guide notes which controllers each program supports before you commit to a license.

How do you stay safe with a fiber laser?

The 1,064 nm beam is invisible, and metal reflects it, so any open or split unit needs eyewear rated for 1,064 nm at OD5 or higher. Glasses made for 450 nm diodes do not protect at 1,064 nm unless the label lists both wavelengths. Monport, for example, sells 1,064 nm OD7 glasses for about $45.

Metal fumes and coatings release particles when lasered, so vent or filter the work area. Our laser engraver safety guide covers eyewear labels, laser classes and fume handling in detail.

Who is a fiber laser engraver not for?

A fiber laser is not for anyone whose work is mostly wood, leather or clear acrylic: a diode or CO2 laser does those far better and costs less. It is not for cutting steel plate thicker than about 2 mm, which is a CNC plasma table job, and not for welding, which is a different machine covered in our handheld laser welder guide. Buy fiber when metal marking is the business, not a sideline.