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Digital Fabrication

The Cubiio: A Portable Laser Engraver!

Bring the tool to the work

By Rain Noe - August 16, 2017

This is so cool.

Shop tools come in two varieties: Bring the work to the tool (i.e. table saw, bandsaw) or bring the tool to the work (circular saw, jigsaw). A laser engraver has always been in the first category, but now a Taiwan-based startup called Muherz has created one that falls into the second category.

Behold the Cubiio, a portable laser engraver:

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Due to power limitations the Cubiio can only engrave on wood, paperboard, cardboard, fabric, felt, leather (and pancakes, I guess), but not metal, glass, concrete, stone or ceramics. Plastics are iffy, with transparent materials "not recommended."

As for how you calibrate it, the developers say it first fires a weak laser beam that visually outlines the engraving area, allowing you to confirm it's correct before you do any actual burning. It appears you must have your material 150mm to 160mm away from the lens. And the operation is driven by smartphone app.

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The Cubiio Kickstarter campaign has been wildly successful, with $212,980 pledged on a $25,000 goal at press time, with 34 days left to pledge. Early-birds are going for $299, with the device expected to retail for $449.

Rain Noe

Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.

7 Comments

Andrew Tschesnok

a year ago

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This is NUTS. No, Don't bring this to work. Don't bring this anyplace close to me. One bump, one shiny screw and people will go blind. Kickstarter should even be liable - they should know that this is nonsense. No way this gets approval in any 1st world country.. that makes this a scam or everyone has to upgrade to the enclosed case for more $$$. Don't care what the laser is rated for - if it burns wood it burns eyes. Instant eye damage.

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Robert Wilkey

a year ago

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I want one, but this is definitely a tool that shouldn't be in the hands of anyone who simply wants one...

CO2 lasers aren't a joke. They will literally melt your skin off and/or blind you in half an instant. With the highly-specific engraving distance of 150-160mm, it seems like a total miss (and hazard) to me to offer this without a simple housing/shield that would position it at the correct distance from the material being etched, while keeping out foreign objects and keeping IN reflecting laser beams. I've seen what happens when some joker tries to etch a reflective metal with a laser. Its not fun. Nor easy to clean up.

This is like lawn darts, if lawn darts could melt your skin off and blind you.

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signvec pteltd

a year ago

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Thanks for sharing the blog. It's a useful information about Laser Engraver.

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Benjamin Green

a year ago

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God I am sick of seeing this bullshit on an INDUSTRIAL DESIGN Site. Hire better content gatherers. I cannot comprehend how you can consciously post this stuff on here and BE a designer in NEW YORK

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James Henson

a year ago

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AvE just released a video on this kickstarter

nsfw language in video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7WmUXtizEA

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Luke Fabis

a year ago

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Whoa. These people are going to get sued as soon as these laser engraver start shipping.

Open, exposed beam. No safeties or nor interlocks. Tripod screw mount.

Someone is going to end up with third degree burns and/or permanent eye damage, and this company is going to quickly go belly-up in the wake of the subsequent lawsuit.

I can't even expect you'll get particularly good, repeatable results with this. There's a pretty awful lack of precision here.

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Srikanth Kokkonda

a year ago

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i like this product

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