The XTool S1 40 watt laser is an amazing machine that has a Class-1 enclosure that gives protection to the user and ensures excellent fume extraction. Along with the powerful 40w laser module and being fully enclosed, it has a heaps of addition features like the dynamic auto focus, air assist, interchangeable laser modules, the easy pin point positioning system for materials, curved surface engraving and easy to use software.
Key Specs
- Powerful 40W Diode Laser Module (interchangeable)
- Class 1 Enclosure
- Auto Focus
- Pin Point Positioning System
- Curved Surface Engraving
- xTool Creative Space Software
Unboxing and Assembly
the Xtool S1 and accessories come well packaged in the box. It comes pre-assembled with only a bit of unpacking to do and plenty of clear protective plastic to remove. Neatly packed inside the enclosure we can find 2 boxes, the first box has the user manual with information on the setup and getting started. There’s also a material guide with materials that are available from Xtool.
The second box has a selection of sample materials, including a slate coaster, stainless tags, paper, leather, plywood, and a sheet of acrylic. These materials are great for exploring the capabilities of the laser. Under the boxes we can find an exhaust tube and duct this is connected to the back of the machine and is used for removing the smoke and fumes.
There’s a handy tool box that includes spare laser lenses, USB key locks, screws and an Allen key screw driver. At the bottom of the packaging we find a box with the triangle risers, and these are used at the bottom of the S1 to raise the work piece. There’s the USB C cable for connecting to a computer, the power cable, the 40W laser module and a Power supply all neatly packed inside.
Ok so once the machine is unpacked we need to set it up. There’s 2 of transport blocks to remove and these hold the axis in place and prevent any damage during shipping. Next up we’re installing the 40W laser module, this slots into the Z axis and is secured in place with 2 screws. With the laser module installed we just need to plug in the cable and the air assist hose.
Inside the included tool kit we can find the distance probe, and this simply attaches to the side of the Laser module with and held in place with magnets. Moving to the back, the exhaust fan cover is held on with 4 screws. These are unscrewed and then the cover is removed. The exhaust ducting tube slots into place and is secured with the same 4 screws.
So next we can plug in the hose and cables for the optional air assist module. The air assist has manual setting and an auto setting, I found leaving it on auto and letting the software make adjustments works well.The optional honey comb panel is nice quality and well built, this is good for keeping the work piece above the floor of the laser, it also provide excellent ventilation allowing the smoke and fumes to escape quickly. The panel is placed inside the machine and pushed towards the right hand side.
A Closer Look
The Xtool S1 is a fully enclosed desktop laser, the machine is well built and nicely designed. Located at the front we have a single button its used as a confirmation button mainly used for starting the jobs, repeating jobs and it’s also used for marking materials.
The front green plastic lid opens to allow access to the internals of the machine. The lid also has an interlock safety switch which will prevent the laser running when the lid is open making it a safe machine to use around the workshop.
Inside we can find the powerful 40W module installed, this is a 455 nanometer wavelength blue diode laser. There’s also a 20W or 10W module available that has a smaller laser dot size for high detailed work. And there’s an optional 2Watt 1064 nanometer infrared laser module which is used for high resolution engraving on all metals and crisp engravings on plastic.
The laser module is attached to the Z-axis which moves the laser up and down. This works together with the depth probe on the side. The probe is used to set the perfect focus and it also used for preparing a curved surface for engraving. Using the curved surface tool in the software the probe can automatically map out the surface of the object. And this will allow it to adjust the laser height when engraving to ensure a perfect focus distance for a clean result.
The x and Y axis are belt driven and move along steel rods, these provide a smooth accurate motion with speeds up to 600mm/s. The motors have encoders on them which allows for accurate positioning and tracking, and this works really well when moving the laser by hand to setup the material for the cutting or engraving
For the work surface the machine comes with triangle pieces which raise the work piece above the base. While these are ok to get started, the optional honey comb bed which fits inside the machine is a better choice for most users. The honeycomb bed comes with 4 magnetic hold downs and this allows a variety material to be positioned easily, it also provides a nice flat surface and excellent ventilation for cleaner cuts.
Finally the interior is well lit with two light bars one at the front and one at the back, these can have the brightness adjusted in the software. There are also sensors built in for fire detection that will cut off the power it there’s an open flame detected and it will trigger an optional fire suppression system if fitted. Hidden near the front light there’s a internal connection port for the optional rotary attachment.
Moving to the back of the machine we have the Power switch, the power input socket, USB type C to connect to a PC and a USB port for the key lock system. The USB key locks prevent unauthorized use and is great for locking the machine. At the back we also have Inputs for the AIR assist and fire suppression system.
There’s also a ventilation duct, this is removable and can have the included duct pipe installed to vent the air outdoors. And finally at the side there’s an Emergency stop button which is used to completely stop the machine if there’s an issue.
The S1 has a work size of 498 X 319 mm which is slightly larger than A3 size. This give plenty of room to work for most engraving projects. There’s also optional conveyor feed with pass through if you need a larger wok area.
Software
So taking a look at the software the Xtool S1 works with either Light Burn or the free Xtool Creative space, The creative space works seamlessly with the laser and its recommended to use this software. We can connect to the S1 laser with a computer via USB or Wireless via Wi-Fi network.
In the software we can find all the function required to operate the machine. We are able to insert images for processing, we can create basic shapes and text with the included tools, and quickly make custom QR codes or barcodes. There’s a range of included art to get started. There’s even a cool AI art feature for making quick custom designs.
For more inspiration the creative space software gives us access to a huge range of free community projects, these files and project are able to be downloaded directly to the software and processed.
Using the software is very easy and I found the setting up the Machine adjusting material settings, marking material size, framing and starting a job an easy and intuitive process.
First Test
Ok so we are going to start with a piece of plywood, this is about 150mm x 150mm and 3mm thick. The sheet of plywood is placed onto the S1s lasers honeycomb bed. Next we need to set the lasers focus height, for the Xtool S1 laser it’s a simple process. We manually move the laser head so the red cross hairs are over any part of the work piece. Then over in the software a click on the distance cross hairs and this will automatically measure and adjust the height for the work pieces and set the laser focus.
With the focus set, we mark out the material size with the lasers head so we can see the work size in the software. Move the red-cross hairs to the top left corner and press the front button to set, then move the cross hairs to the lower right hand corner and press the set button. This will give us the available work space mapped in the software.
A logo is imported into the software and set the power to 30% and the speed to 200mm/s and 200lines per cm. An outline is created in the software and set the power setting to 100%, with a speed set to 15mm/s
The laser is engraving the logo first onto the wood and then it will cut it out around the edges.The finished result look really good, its nicely engraved and cleanly cut out around the edges.
Positioning Accuracy
So now let’s take a look at how accurate the laser positioning system is. For this test were going to use a wooden tooth pick and engrave the xtool s1 logo on the side. The tooth pick is placed onto the honey comb bed and to keep it in place were using 2 of the magnetic hold downs.
Ok so now the laser is moved over the top of the tooth pick and a rectangle is marked out, so we can see the available work area displayed in the software. Alright Back over in the software the work area of the tooth pick is displayed, the created text will need to be resized to fit inside this area. The text is tiny at 4 point which measures about 1mm in height. With the text select we set the processing type to engrave and set the power to 30% at a speed of 200mm/s. and the lines per cm set to 200.
Alright let’s remove it from the bed and have a look at the result, while the text could be a bit darker, it’s engraved perfectly on the tooth pick and remember this text is only 1mm high so it’s quite impressive to see the accuracy. One of the best tooth pic test I’ve completed!
Setting up the material is a breeze with the cross hair markers and the pin point positioning always producing accurate and repeatable results.With precision and its outstanding performance you’ll find the xTool S1 is an excellent enclosed laser cutter and engrave for your workshop projects.
Paper Cut Out
So how does the 40W laser work on more delicate materials like paper? Let use a standard piece of printer paper and cut out a geometric leaf pattern, the paper is held down in the corners with the magnetic holders and then the work area is marked out. Alright back in the software we can see the work area marked out on screen for the sheet of paper, next the design is moved so it fit onto the marked out area and with the design selected under the processing type we click on cut. The power is set to 40% with a speed of 59mm/s
It’s turned out to be a really nice looking design that’s been cut out cleanly and accurately.
Slate Coaster
Let move onto a harder material, there a slate coaster included in the material samples and we will look to engrave a pattern onto this. The first thing we will do is reset the auto focus height and then mark out the position and dimensions of the slate coaster. Over in the software we grab a simple leaf pattern from the included shape icons. This is resized to fit onto the coaster, then under the processing type engrave is selected. For this piece of slate engraving the power is set to 30% power and 240mm/s. The lines per CM is adjusted to 200.
The result turned out really good with a nice grey contrast and clean detailed edges around the leaves.
12mm Thicker Wood
For the last test lets engrave and cutout a thicker piece of 12mm thick wood,. We have a logo being engraved on the top and when this is finished the laser will cutout around the edges. With the job finished the laser is moved out of the way and the outer piece of wood is removed. Were left with a nicely cutout and detailed engrave logo.
Final Thoughts
The Xtool S1 is a capable machine which is well suited to cutting and engraving a variety of thinner or thicker materials. Being Class 1 a fully enclosed laser, there’s a key focus on safety, including excellent fume extraction, USB key lockout, Emergency stop and fire detection systems.
Its just not about safety, The 40w is incredibly powerful and there’s the ability to change out to 20W diode and 2W infrared modules for more detailed work. The included user friendly creative space software makes using the machine enjoyable for all projects you’re working on. The auto focus always ensures the laser is in perfect focus and working most efficiently.
Setting up the material is a breeze with the cross hair markers and the pin point positioning always producing accurate and repeatable results.With precision and its outstanding performance you’ll find the xtool S1 is an excellent enclosed laser cutter and engrave for your workshop projects.
Product Links
Watch the full detailed video review here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao11BiTYm38
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