Jerry Wang
Introduction
ACMER P3 is a high-performance desktop laser cutter and engraver. Its fully enclosed exterior styling makes it a good laser engraver for home use. The ACMER P3 48W can freely switch between 24W and 48W laser power for different engraving or cutting tasks. Perhaps the most satisfying feature of the ACMER P3 is the HD camera, which allows for precise positioning and real-time previewing of the engraving process. The ACMER P3 also features the innovative CoreXY motion structure, which offers more precision and stability than other diode laser engravers.
Beyond this, many other desirable design details make the ACMER P3 even more user-friendly. In this article, I will test the ACMER P3 laser engraver and cutter in detail for you! It pleased me a lot and is worth recommending to you.
Out of The Box
The ACMER P3’s unboxing process was very convenient for me; it was almost ready to go out of the box! There was no annoying assembly process! If laser engravers in 2024 require the user to go through an assembly process that takes more than 10 minutes, they aren’t competitive at all. Below is a picture of all the ACMER P3 stuff. Simply connect the power supply, install the laser module, and connect the exhaust pipe, and you are ready to start using this brilliant laser engraving machine.
ACMER P3 Design Overview
I love the exterior styling of the ACMER P3 laser cutter, with its dark tones of mystery! There is an illuminated brand logo light on the front of the machine, and the inside of the machine comes with two LED light bars, which benefit from the ease of looking inside when the lid is closed. Also, the ACMER P3 comes with a safety lock function, which can only be used with the insertion of a key, so that can prevent children from messing with the machine.
There is a powerful exhaust fan at the end of the machine, which effectively sucks out the smoke but works with very little noise. It is also worth mentioning that the ACMER P3’s motion system is based on the innovative CoreXY structure, which provides more precise movements for better laser engraving.
On the right side of the ACMER P3 are various ports, such as the power port, USB port, air-assist power port, and air tube port. On the rear of the device is the on/off switch for the exhaust fan and the LED light bar inside the machine. I understand the benefit of this design; it makes it easy for me to freely choose whether or not to turn on these two functions.
I found a user-friendly design of the ACMER P3. The power supply for both the air-assist and smoke exhaust fan is integrated into the ACMER P3 machine, which has the advantage of minimizing the user’s power socket management. The TOOCAA L2 could follow the example of the ACMER P3 in this regard.
The innovation of the ACMER P3 48W is its ability to freely switch between 24W and 48W laser power at the push of a button. 24W mode has a laser spot size of only 0.07 x 0.09mm, while the 48W laser spot size is 0.09 x 0.1mm, which is a bit larger than the former. Therefore, when I want to engrave finer patterns, I can use the 24W mode. When I need to cut the material quickly, then 48W mode is the best choice. As you can see in the picture below, you also notice that the laser module of the ACMER P3 uses manual focusing.
As you can see in the picture below, the ACMER P3 is equipped with a 5 MP HD camera. The camera is fixed on top of the lid, and when the lid is closed, the visible area of the camera is 400 x 400 mm (ACMER P3 48W working area is 400 x 390 mm). Therefore, I can do the engraving positioning very easily and precisely, and I no longer need to estimate the engraving position manually.
Inside the ACMER P3 laser cutter, there are also some necessary ports on the front side, such as a camera port, a TF card port, and a rotary module attachment port. In the center, there is an on/off button for the low flow function and a flame detector.
ACMER P3 48W Performance Test
Laser Engraving Speed Test: Up to 800 mm/s
The ACMER P3 has the fastest engraving speed of any diode laser engraver and cutter I’ve seen. As you can see in the picture below, I used the 48W laser power mode to test the engraving speed on 3mm plywood. At only 20% of the laser power, the 48,000 mm/min (800 mm/s) engraving speed was sufficient to laser engrave a clear pattern on the plywood.
800 mm/s is an amazing speed for a diode laser engraver with an XY motion structure! To be honest, it has helped me to become more efficient in my engraving projects. This fast engraving speed is due to its high power of 48W and the innovative CoreXY structure, which is ultra-precise and high-speed.
ACMER P3 48W Laser Cutting Speed Test
To test the cutting speed of the 48W laser, I still chose to use 3mm plywood as an example. As you can see in the picture below, at 70% of the laser power, a cutting speed of 1300 mm/min is perfect for cutting 3mm plywood. This cutting speed is fast enough to save a lot of waiting time on large cutting projects.
Engraving Image Test: 48W vs 24W
The 48W laser module allows for faster engraving and cutting speeds. The 48W laser mode has a spot size of 0.09 x 0.1 mm. However, the 24W laser mode has a smaller spot size of 0.07 x 0.09 mm. Therefore, theoretically, the 24W can be used to achieve more detailed engraving. So I would also recommend using the 24W laser power mode if you want to engrave more finely detailed projects. The switching is very simple; just manually push the button on the laser module.
In order to understand the difference between the 24W and 48W laser modes for engraving pictures, I did a test on 3mm plywood with different laser powers and speeds. As you can see in the picture below, the left side shows the results of the 24W laser mode, with a power range of 50% to 100%, an engraving speed of 32,000 mm/min to 48,000 mm/min, and a line interval of 0.14 mm. Similarly, the right side shows the results of the 48W laser mode.
At 0.14 mm Line Interval (181 DPI), the engraving results of the 48W laser are generally too deep. In the 24W laser mode, the engraving results are just right due to the lower laser power. This means that if you want to engrave high-definition patterns with clear details, 48W is not the right choice. Therefore, this is one of the reasons why 24W mode is suitable for engraving finely detailed images.
Fine Details Laser Engraving
So, knowing the difference in engraving between the 48W and 24W modes, I decided to use the 24W laser mode for engraving my fine detail projects. As you can see below, I used the Lightburn software for the engraving setup. With the camera on, you can drag and drop the image to finish the engraving positioning. The image engraving parameters are 32,000 mm/min, 60% maximum laser power, and 24W laser mode. And a line interval of 0.05 mm (508 DPI) for HD engraving.
It took almost 40 minutes to realize the large size of 206 x 214 mm for HD engraving. The engraving result was worth the wait! As you can see in the picture below, the engraving is perfectly reproduced with all the details, and I am excited about the performance of the ACMER P3!
In the close-up shot below, the smooth lines of the feathers and the details of the text on the book are perfectly rendered!
The same parameters were used to complete the portrait engraving. The engraving result is still perfect!
HD Camera for Precise Positioning and Real-Time Preview
The ACMER P3 HD camera works really well! It allows for quick engraving or cutting positioning, as well as a real-time preview of the interior. For example, for my cutting project, all I had to do was put in the plywood and click on the camera on the LightBurn software to take a picture. Then the software interface will show the panoramic picture; at this point, I just need to drag and drop the pattern to the right position.
Below is a picture of the completed cut; compared to the preset cutting position in the picture above, the actual cutting position matches perfectly.
By the way, you need to complete the camera calibration before using the camera positioning function. Since the manual provides detailed instructions for the calibration and the operation is effortless, there is no need for me to show it in this article.
Camera Positioning Accuracy Test: Amazing!
To further understand the accuracy of the ACMER P3 laser cutter and engraver camera positioning, I have done the positioning accuracy test for you guys at the same time.
As you can see in the picture below, I have prepared a rectangle and a circle on 3mm plywood. The purpose of this is to have a reference marker for positioning.
Close the protective cover after placing the plywood with the positioning reference marker in the machine. Then click the camera on the LightBurn to take a picture. I then drew 4 small rectangles on the LightBurn, dragged them to the four corners of the large rectangle in the picture, and aligned them with the edges of the large rectangle.
Similarly, I drew a rectangle with sides the same length as the circle’s diameter and tangent it to the circle. In this way, I completed the engraving positioning. If, after engraving, the drawn figure perfectly overlaps the reference marker on the plywood, then it means that the positioning accuracy of the camera will be perfect!
The results did not disappoint me! The drawn pattern was very accurately engraved in the preset position, perfectly aligned with the reference marker! I was pleasantly surprised by the unrivaled positioning accuracy of the ACMER P3!
ACMER P3 CoreXY Structure Move Stability Test: Better than Normal Diode Laser Engraver
For CoreXY structured laser engraving machines, XY axis movement synergy has a determining effect on engraving quality and accuracy. Especially when engraving circular shapes, to obtain smoother and more rounded lines, perfect motion synergy between the X and Y axes is required to realize the movement stability of the CoreXY structure. To my surprise, ACMER P3 did not disappoint me in terms of XY-axis movement stability!
As you can see in the picture below, I am going to engrave a series of rectangles and circles of different scales on a 300 x 300 mm plywood. In this way, I was able to see the stability of the ACMER P3’s CoreXY structure and the accuracy of the engraving. The engraving was carried out at 30,000 mm/min(500mm/s), 80% laser power.
The test results show that the ACMER P3 has excellent stability and accuracy even at 30,000 mm/min. Rectangles of different scales were achieved with very smooth lines, and the edges and top corners perfectly coincided with circular curves. Similarly, large circle shapes achieve a smooth arc effect. However, when I looked closely at the small-sized circle in the center, the circle was not perfectly formed.
Therefore, this leads to another topic: is the movement stability of the CoreXY structure related to the XY movement speed? To find out where is the critical value of the ACMER P3 in terms of movement speed and perfect engraving when engraving small-sized (less than 10mm diameter) circles. I then test the results of engraving small-sized circles with a diameter of less than 10mm at different engraving speeds.
As you can see below, I divided the speeds from 1,200 mm/min to 48,000 mm/min into 10 groups of different speeds. Because of the different speeds, the laser power needs to be set differently to ensure the quality of the engraving.
The engraving results show that when the engraving speed reaches 6,000 mm/min, the circles are not perfect. The engraving quality of the circle at low and high motion speeds can be seen in the following two pictures.
In conclusion, if you want to get a very perfect circular pattern, I recommend setting the engraving speed below 6,000 mm/min. If you are engraving a straight line pattern, then you will not be constrained by the speed.
By the way, I didn’t do these CoreXY motion stability tests to criticize the ACMER P3. On the contrary, I did them to give you a fuller picture of the machine’s excellent performance. It can’t be denied that as a CoreXY structure machine, the movement of the laser module is mechanically controlled and is necessarily constrained by speed. So far, the ACMER P3 is still one of the best CoreXY diode laser engravers I’ve seen in terms of XY movement stability. This test data is just for your reference when creating complex engraving projects.
Open the Lid to Pause and Close the Lid to Resume
Next, let’s talk about the ease of use of the ACMER P3. The regular safety features of a laser engraver are standard in laser engravers nowadays, which is not worth telling here. But the ACMER P3 has a nice design that I find very useful. The laser engraving will stop automatically when the protective lid is open. But when the lid is closed, the laser engraving task will resume automatically.
However, most laser engravers and cutters only have the former function, which stops the laser work when the lid is opened but cannot resume the work by closing the lid. This small change in ACMER P3 allows me to open the lid during the engraving process to observe the engraving results closely. Then, close the lid to resume laser engraving.
Well Enclosed and No Need to Worry About Fumes
It is important to be aware of the dangers of fumes when using a laser engraver. Since the ACMER P3 has an enclosed design, even without an air cleaner, the smoke can be exhausted outside by simply connecting an exhaust pipe.
Below is a test of the indoor air quality when I use the ACMER P3 48W at home. The test result shows that the air quality is good. So I can use ACMER P3 at home with complete confidence!
Comfortable Working Noise Laser Cutter
The ACMER P3 48W laser cutter works with a low noise level. When I tested the noise level using a decibel meter at a distance of 30 centimeters from the machine, it showed only about 63 decibels. In terms of actual sensation, I did not feel disturbed by the noise. I am therefore very satisfied with the ACMER P3!
Specifications
| Product | ACMER P3 48W&24W |
| Laser Output Power | 48W or 24W |
| Laser Type | Diode Laser |
| Laser Wavelength | 455±5nm |
| Spot Size | 48W: 0.09 x 0.1mm 24W: 0.07 x 0.09mm |
| Assembly Method | Pre-assembled |
| Working Area Size | 400 x390mm |
| Machine Size | 585 x 660 x 270mm |
| Machine Weight | 19 KG |
| Movement Accuracy | 0.01mm |
| Maximum Engraving Speed | 48000mm/min |
| Camera Resolution | 5 MP |
| Safety Protection | Tilt Protection, Emergency Stop Switch, Power Lock, Flame Detector, Alarm Buzzer, Lid-Open Stop. |
| Engraving Material | Wood, bamboo, paper, plastic, leather, PCB board, aluminium oxide, non-reflective coating and lacquered metal, ceramic, stainless steel, some dark opaque acrylic, etc. |
| Communication Method | USB / APP /TF |
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 48W & 24W laser power freely switch
- HD camera precision positioning
- 800 mm/s fast engraving
- 400 x 390 mm large engraving size
- Fully enclosed, no need to worry about fumes
- Better stable CoreXY structure movement and accurate engraving
- Fine detail engraving results
- Out of the box
- Easy to use
- Low working noise
- Compatible with many accessories
- Nice looking design
- Lightweight
Cons
- Manual laser focus
- Can’t connect the computer via wifi
Conclusion
After this period of various performance tests and practical experience, I can confidently recommend the ACMER P3 to you. I think it is already in the top rank of desktop diode laser engravers. Ease of use does not fully define the ACMER P3, it also has super stable XY axis motion, high-definition engraving capability, and precise camera positioning. All in all, the ACMER P3 is an excellent all-around laser engraver and cutter that is worth buying.
