Enclosed diode lasers: module ratings, positioning and safety class

Read the supplied module, not the headline

The optical rating describes the diode module in the selected package. The catalogue records 6 W for the Glowforge Aura, 10 W for the WeCreat Vista 10W and the AlgoLaser Pixi 10W, 12 W for the AtomStack Atelier, 20 W for the xTool S1 20W, Creality Falcon A1 Pro 20W and WeCreat Vision 20W, 40 W for the xTool S1 40W and Creality Falcon2 Pro 40W, and 45 W for the WeCreat Vision Pro 45W.

Several listings carry a second number that is not added to the rating. The Atelier combines two 7 W diodes into one 12 W output; AtomStack does not sum them, and neither do we. The Falcon2 Pro Basic Kit supplies a separate 1.6 W module beside its 40 W module, not a 41.6 W machine. The Falcon A1 Pro page uses dual-laser wording, but its 2 W infrared module is a separate purchase. The Vista listing also offers a standalone 2 W infrared configuration, so select the 10 W version deliberately. The two xTool S1 entries are different configurations of one machine: the 20 W user guide reports a 498 × 330 mm working area, while the 40 W specification reports 498 × 319 mm.

Optical output is not the machine's electrical input, and more watts do not establish engraving detail or cut quality for a particular material. CompareFoundry has not tested cutting or engraving performance.

Check how the machine positions your work

Seven of the ten machines document a built-in positioning camera: the Falcon A1 Pro with autofocus, the Vision 20W with a top-mounted HD camera, the Aura with a lid camera, the Vista 10W with TopView positioning, the Vision Pro 45W, the Falcon2 Pro 40W and the Atelier. AtomStack claims alignment accuracy of up to 1 mm for the Atelier's camera; that is a manufacturer claim we have not measured, and the box includes a calibration card for its documented calibration procedure.

The S1 20W and S1 40W do not contain a camera. xTool's positioning comparison lists absolute-coordinate multi-point positioning plus a smartphone photo workflow that uses the camera of a separate compatible phone. For the Pixi 10W, a built-in camera was not verified: the documented workflow uses grid coordinates, and AlgoLaser's separate LightBurn camera set excludes the Pixi, which is evidence about the accessory rather than about the machine.

Positioning also depends on the working area you can read reliably. Only the Falcon A1 Pro (358 mm wide by 268 mm deep) and the Vision 20W (420 × 290 mm) have labelled axes in their sources. The square areas need no labels: 100 × 100 mm for the Pixi and 120 × 120 mm for the Atelier, whose galvo field has weaker intensity toward its edges according to AtomStack. The Aura's 304.8 × 304.8 mm is converted from a 12 inch maximum cutting area. The S1, Vista, Vision Pro and Falcon2 Pro pairs are published without axis labels, so their width and depth stay unknown in the comparison.

Read the safety class with its conditions

AtomStack lists the Atelier as Laser Safety Class 1 with door-open detection, tilt detection and a USB safety key. Its manual explains the condition: the laser module is fully enclosed within a protective casing during operation, and disabling the door opening detection, opening the bottom plate or removing any cover reclassifies the laser to Class 4. The US overview describes operation without additional goggles, yet the box list still includes laser safety goggles. Follow the manual, not the shorter marketing sentence.

Glowforge's Craft Series safety instructions describe the Aura as a Class 1 product containing a Class 4 laser, protected by its enclosure and interlock, and require the operator to remain within view while the machine is ready or printing. The xTool S1 user guide describes a warning when the lid is not fully closed, and the 40 W product page lists a lid-open safety stop. The Vision Pro manual requires the lid closed during operation and routes exhaust outdoors or to a separately purchased extractor.

None of these classifications makes a material suitable, removes fume extraction or replaces fire precautions. Our materials and workspace guide covers those checks.

Weigh the machine and the kit before choosing a bench

Reported machine weights run from 3.5 kg for the Atelier and 3.75 kg for the Pixi, through about 8.6 kg for the Aura (converted from 19 lb), 14.5 kg net for the Vista 10W and 16.8 kg net for the Falcon A1 Pro, to 20 kg for both S1 configurations, 21 kg for the Vision Pro 45W and 25 kg for the Vision 20W from its product-page FAQ. The Falcon2 Pro 40W has no selected weight: the web specification says 18.56 kg and the linked manual says 19 kg. The Atelier and S1 sources do not say whether the power adapter, exhaust hose, honeycomb panel or Smart Air Assist is counted.

Air assist is listed as included for the S1 20W and S1 40W Basic Bundles, the Falcon A1 Pro, the Vision 20W, the Vista 10W (a pump and tubing), the Vision Pro 45W and the Falcon2 Pro 40W. The Aura's air assist is its laser-head fan rather than a separate pump. For the Pixi, a supplied air-assist mechanism was not verified, and AlgoLaser's separate air pump excludes it. The Atelier documents no air assist at all; its built-in exhaust fan and supplied hose are fume extraction, which is a different function.

Only the Pixi 10W Basic Kit includes a rotary, the ARR2.0 roller. The Falcon A1 Pro box lists a rotary connection cable without the rotary, the S1 Basic Bundles exclude the RA2 Pro and its riser base, and the WeCreat, Glowforge, Creality Falcon2 Pro and AtomStack packages sell rotaries separately.

Use the enclosed diode laser comparison to place up to five exact packages side by side. Camera, air-assist and rotary rows describe documented equipment, not accuracy or cut-quality scores.