Atomstack A70 Pro Review and Test
Atomstack A70 Pro is one of the strongest diode laser engravers on the market today. It boasts a whopping 70W laser module which can rival some CO2 lasers. It also features greatly improved mechanical gantry and cable management compared to previous models.
In this article we will put it to a series of practical tests to see what it can really do!
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Unboxing The Atomstack A70 Pro
Atomstack A70 Pro features automatic air assist pump and removable touchscreen display for offline engraving using an USB thumb drive. This laser engraver is powered by a large power supply which supplies 24 volts for the machine and 36 volts for the laser module.
The laser module is very large. I don’t know how many diodes it includes, but it either uses 12 or 16 standard diodes or fewer more powerful ones. It has a power selector switch which enables it to work with half the laser sources, cutting down power by half and reducing the laser spot size and increasing power delivery resolution for engraving more delicate materials. It has an integrated air assist tube and large heatsink inside for dissipating all the heat.
The Z-axis can be driven by a stepper motor, or it can be adjusted manually. On the bottom of the laser module there is an autofocus touch probe which is used in conjunction with the focusing block which has three steps, depending on the material thickness you are working with.
Compared to its predecessors, the Atomstack A70 Pro has an improved mechanical gantry which consists of steel rollers on all axis and a stronger and more stable frame overall. A very welcoming feature are cable chains, as on previous models, cables were often in a way when engraving larger stuff.
One small letdown are the included cheap green safety glasses, which are not the best for such a powerful machine. This is why I use these affordable safety glasses that I bought online which offer much better protection.
Using the Atomstack A70 Pro
I made a quick test to see how to operate the machine. The focus block has three settings, depending on what you want to do. Since I will be working with thin plywood, I will focus the machine on the tallest part.
Autofocusing procedure is started by pressing the button on the control panel. The machine uses a probe to touch the surface of the focus pad and measure the distance. The Atomstack’s laser module also projects a red crosshair which helps to preview the location of the engraving quickly and safely. Thanks to its huge power, it engraves and cuts thin plywood like butter!
The machine can also be used in an offline mode, engraving directly from the USB drive. Its touch interface enables you to perform all basic functions needed for engraving.
Measuring Atomstack A70 Pro's True Optical Output Power
Before making any serious tests, I wanted to measure its optical output power. Since my power meter only goes to 50-watts,
I first measured the power of the 35-watt mode, and it showed a bit more than 32W of true optical power.
Then I proceeded to measure the 70W range, but I have set the output to 50%. The power meter has measured a bit more than 32W which translates to a bit more than 64 watts in total. This is a bit less than advertised, but still good and measuring the power like this is not the most accurate way.
Plywood Engraving Test
Then I proceeded to engrave my plywood engraving test pattern (download it here), which tests the engraving performance at different scenarios.
Power scale test tests the engraving performance at different speeds and power levels. The interval test is there to check if the engraving performance differs in vertical and horizontal direction which is often the case with rectangular laser spots of some machines.
I engraved this pattern in 35W mode and it 70W mode. The 70W mode has double the engraving speed and double the power, so the engraving effect should be somewhat the same, so we can compare the results.
Looking at the results we can see that the Atomstack has a good smoke management since it doesn’t produce so many smoke stains thanks to the air assist.
If we compare the results of the 35W mode we can see that it just slightly falls behind the 40W machines, but it is much better than the 33W machines that have more comparable power to this one.
If we look at the pattern that was engraved with the 70W mode and double the speed, we can see that the pattern is a bit lighter which was expected. But the engraving speeds here are very high and you can see that even the 70W machine is struggling with power at such speeds, while some 20W machines are advertised to reach those speeds where they will not be able to engrave anything.
Measuring Laser Spot Size and Shape
Next on the line was my standard anodized aluminum engraving test pattern which produces very crisp engraved lines.
It tests the machine’s precision by engraving very small text, and testing its mechanical stability by engraving a set of squares at speeds, ranging from 100 to 10000mm/min. And the interval test is used to measure the laser spot size and shape.
I have engraved the same pattern with both power modes to see if there is a significant difference in the laser spot size.
The Atomstack A70 Pro performs well at small text engraving in both power modes. Machine also has a good mechanical stability at higher speeds, but at corners the machine is slowing down and reducing power for compensation since the heavy head takes more time to accelerate.
At the interval test I noticed some artifacts in both cases. I am not sure why this happened as it hasn’t happened with any machine so far. The laser spot size is just a little bit smaller on the lower power mode, measuring 0.1*0.15mm.
Focus Distance Test
The next test on the list was the focus distance test which allows us to see how fast the laser spot size diverges with greater distance. This is important information needed for cutting thicker materials.
This test was easy to do as the Atomstack A70 pro can adjust the engraving height in real-time by setting the Z-axis offset in Lightburn. I engraved four squares at different distances from optimal focus which is represented by 0mm. It is cool to see that the machine can adjust Z-axis in real time as this saves me a lot of time for this test. But mainly, this feature is used for laser cutting.
The Atomstack has performed very well in this test compared to other machines. This means that it should be a good laser cutter which is what I will test next.
Black Acrylic Cutting Test
Next, I tried to cut 3mm black acrylic at 600mm/min. Atomstack A70 Pro was able to cut through in a single clean pass. The edge looks nice and clean.
Then I went for 10mm black acrylic at the same speed and it could cut through in 4 passes which is of course the best result so far. The cutting performance stayed strong throughout the entire thickness of the material.
Plywood Cutting Test Pattern
Then I went to run my standard test pattern for cutting 3(1/8″) and 6mm(1/4″) Poplar plywood. It tests the machine’s cutting performance at different speeds and number of passes.
The Atomstack A70 Pro is of course the best performing diode laser so far, and below is a photo showing how it compares to 40W machines.
In comparison to the 55W xTool P2 CO2 laser cutter which we have tested a while ago, it is still slower at cutting, despite having more power than the xTool.
I also made a quick test, cutting a 10mm Poplart plywood, and the Atomstack has cut through in a single pass at 300mm/min. And it took just a bit over two passes at 600mm/min.
Cutting VERY Thick Solid Wood
Then I went to cut an 18mm thick Pine board at 600mm/min, and the Atomstack A70 Pro was able to cut it in only 3 passes. This is a very good result and the cut is nice and clean.
The next test on the list was the 36mm(1.4″) thick spruce plank. I focused the machine at the lowest setting, and the Atomstack was able to cut through in 13 passes at 600mm/min. The surface is incredibly clean and the cut is nice and straight.
Then I wanted to cut it on the taller side, measuring 44mm (1 3/4″).
I used 3mm thick shim instead of the focusing block for bringing down focus on the lowest possible setting. It was able to also cut this plank in only 13 passes. This time, the cut was made across the grain, but it is still clean and straight.
Automatic Z-axis Adjustment For Laser Cutting
The Atomstack A70 pro has a motorized Z-axis and one cool thing you can do is set the Z-axis offset which adjusts the cutting height in real time for each cutting pass. This way, the cutting performance can be greatly improved.
Engraving Stainless steel with the Atomstack A70 Pro
Then I went to test how well it can engrave stainless steel. Since I am keeping the same slow speed for all machines, this test is getting a bit ridiculous as at 200mm/min at full power it burns through this 1mm thick stainless-steel plate. The plate also starts to bend, due to all the heat.
Then I tried more reasonable approach at ten times the speed (2000mm/min) and it was much better. I also engraved the same pattern on 35W mode to see how much thinner the engraved lines will be.
Rivaling CO2 laser cutters in a much more compact form
Is Atomstack A70 Pro The Right Laser For You?
The Atomstack A70 Pro is one of the strongest diode lasers on the market today. It is as powerful as an average desktop CO2 laser, but it is packed in a much more compact and movable form and has larger working area.
Compared to CO2 lasers, it lacks an enclosure which is needed in case you are using the machine inside. Since it is not an enclosed machine, you need to follow some safety precautions as at these power levels, anyone who is in the same room should wear safety glasses. We recommend buying better safety glasses like these.
Get the Atomstack A70 Pro here!Be sure to also check out my reviews of newer laser engravers HERE!
This post was written by JT Makes It.
JT Makes It is an engineer, hobbyist, and DIY-er armed with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and over a decade of professional experience in the industry. From an early age, JT Makes It was pushed by an insatiable curiosity, spending countless hours disassembling, understanding, improving, and creating various gadgets and products. This lifelong passion led to a broad spectrum of technical expertise ranging from electronics, woodworking, metalworking, and CNC machinery, with a particular focus on laser engravers.
For the past 9 years, he has shared his expertise through engaging videos on his YouTube channel. With the last three years dedicated to scrutinizing and testing laser engravers, he also created this website and emerged as a recognized authority in the field. His expertise extends across the spectrum of laser technologies, ranging from diode lasers, CO2 lasers, and fiber lasers, paying attention to details and providing practical insights.
With JT Makes It, expect a blend of technical expertise, backed with hands-on experience, and a genuine passion for innovation and creation, making him a trusted source in the realm of DIY and laser engraving enthusiasts alike.
