GWEIKE NOX 50W CO2 Laser Guide: Setup, Ventilation, Focus, and Material Parameters

In this guide
  1. Material parameters
  2. What's in the box
  3. Ventilation setup
  4. Focus calibration
  5. First cut workflow
  6. Adjusting parameters
  7. Safety
  8. FAQ

This guide takes you from unboxing to your first clean cut on the GWEIKE NOX 50W. It covers ventilation setup, focus calibration, the first-cut workflow in GWEIKECloud, and tested reference parameters for common materials — acrylic, MDF, wood, leather, paper, canvas, rubber, silicone, and glass engraving. There is also an important PVC safety note.

Already running and just need parameters? Jump to the material parameters section below →

Quick reference: NOX 50W material parameters

All parameters use GWEIKECloud's speed% and power% format. Use the focus height shown in the table as a tested starting point. Set focus using the NOX focusing procedure in the user manual — do not estimate by eye. Test on scrap before cutting production pieces. All cutting parameters assume the standard 50.8mm focal lens unless noted otherwise.

Cutting and engraving parameters

Material Thickness Focus height Cut speed % Cut power % Engrave DPI Engrave speed % Engrave power %
Acrylic 3mm 14mm 5 90 400 100 50
MDF 3mm 14mm 4 90 300 100 40
Linden (basswood) board 3mm 14mm 11 90 400 100 50
Paulownia (桐木) 3mm 14mm 11 90 400 100 40
Walnut 3mm 14mm 5 90 400 100 50
Leather 1.5mm 15.5mm 8 90 400 100 40
Canvas 0.2mm 16.8mm 40 70 300 100 35
Corrugated paper 2mm 15mm 40 90 400 100 45
Paper 0.1mm 17mm 50 40 300 100 40

Maximum thickness cutting parameters

Material Max thickness Focus height Cut speed % Cut power %
Linden / basswood board 10mm 7mm 1 100
Acrylic 8mm 9mm 2 100

Engraving only — cutting not supported

Material Thickness Focus height Engrave DPI Engrave speed % Engrave power % Note
Rubber 3mm 14mm 400 100 60 Engrave only
Silica gel 4mm 13mm 400 100 50 Engrave only
Tempered glass 10mm 7mm 400 100 50 Engrave only
⚠️ PVC — do not cut: Reference cutting parameters may exist for PVC in some test sheets, but GWEIKE does not recommend cutting PVC with a CO₂ laser. Cutting PVC can release hydrogen chloride and other chlorine-containing corrosive fumes — hazardous to health and damaging to the machine. For safer alternatives, see why you should not laser cut PVC and safer alternatives.
Note on Engrave Min/Max Power: The engraving entries above use the same value for Min Power and Max Power. When both are equal, the laser runs at constant power through the whole engraving pass — no ramp-up or ramp-down at corners. This is the standard setting for most engraving work on the NOX.

What's in the box — and what you need to add

The NOX 50W ships with the machine, power cable, USB cable, Z-axis focus tool, honeycomb cutting bed, and sample materials for test cuts.

What you need to add:

🔴 Ventilation

A 100mm / 4-inch flexible exhaust duct and a way to route it outside — a window, wall port, or ceiling duct. The NOX has a built-in blower, but it only moves air out. You still need to direct that air outdoors. This is not optional.

🔵 Protective eyewear

The NOX uses a CO₂ laser source. Wear CO₂-rated laser safety eyewear (10,600nm wavelength) whenever the enclosure is open, during alignment, or when the beam path may be exposed. The enclosure protects your eyes during normal closed-lid operation.

🟢 Scrap material

Always run your first cuts on cheap scrap of the same material type. Verify focus and parameters on scrap before cutting anything you care about.

Ventilation setup

Ventilation is one of the most important setup steps, but many new users skip it. CO₂ laser cutting produces smoke, particles, and fumes. The NOX has a built-in blower, but the blower only moves air out of the machine — it does not filter or clean fumes. That air needs to go somewhere safe.

Standard setup: Connect the exhaust port on the back of the NOX to a 100mm flexible duct. Route the duct to an open window or a through-wall vent. Keep the duct run short and straight — long runs and sharp bends reduce airflow. Seal around the duct at the window to stop fumes from coming back into the room.

Why ventilation affects cut quality: When exhaust is poor, smoke builds up inside the machine and in the cut line (the kerf). The laser beam passes through that smoke and loses energy before reaching the material. This causes shallow cuts, more charring, and uneven results. Many users try to fix this by increasing power or slowing down — but the real problem is airflow. Before changing parameters, check that your ventilation is working.

Material-specific requirements: MDF can produce heavy smoke and irritating resin-related fumes, so strong external ventilation is required. Rubber and other synthetic materials can also produce toxic byproducts — always exhaust to outdoors when cutting these materials. For regular wood and acrylic cutting, adequate external ventilation is sufficient in most setups.

Testing your ventilation: Run the machine with the lid closed. You should not smell smoke or fumes in the room. If you can smell anything, airflow is not enough. Check your duct connections, reduce the number of bends, or use a larger duct. Do not run the machine with poor ventilation.

Focus height calibration

Focus height controls where the laser energy is concentrated relative to the material. If the focus is off, cut quality drops — even if every other parameter is correct.

How to use the focus height values in this guide: The values in the tables are tested starting points. They are not universal — different material thicknesses and types need different focus positions. Use the table value as your first input, then verify by cutting on scrap before moving to production material.

To set focus on the NOX, use the Z-axis focus tool that came with the machine. Follow the focusing procedure in the NOX user manual. The focus tool gives you a physical reference for the correct head-to-material distance. Do not estimate focus by eye.

Why focus height changes between materials: Thicker or denser materials change where the surface sits relative to the laser head. Different materials may also need the focal point placed at a different depth. For example, the 10mm linden board uses focus height 7mm instead of 14mm. The tested values in the table reflect these differences. Use the table as your starting point and adjust if the results are not right.

The practical rule: Every time you change material type or thickness, reset focus using the focus tool and the procedure in the user manual. Do not assume your previous focus setting will work on a different material. Wrong focus is one of the most common causes of poor cut quality — and it takes less than a minute to fix.

First cut workflow: GWEIKECloud software

GWEIKECloud runs the NOX through a browser or desktop app. Every cut follows the same steps.

1

Import your file

GWEIKECloud accepts SVG and DXF for cutting, and PNG/JPG for engraving. For cutting, use clean vector files with closed paths. For engraving, 300–600 DPI bitmaps or vector fills both work.

2

Assign operations

In the layer panel, set each layer to Cut or Engrave. If your file has both, assign each layer separately. Set the order: engrave first, then cut. Cutting the outline last keeps the piece in place during engraving.

3

Enter parameters

Set speed%, power%, and DPI from the table for your material. Set the focus height. If your setup includes air assist, confirm it is on before cutting.

4

Run the frame

Use the Frame function before cutting. The laser head traces the bounding box of your design without firing. This confirms the design fits on the material and is positioned correctly. If the frame goes outside the material, reposition the design before you cut.

5

Cut — and stay at the machine

Start the job and stay present. CO₂ laser cutting of wood and MDF carries fire risk — do not leave the machine unattended. Paper, cardboard, and thin wood can catch fire during slow cuts. A brief glow at the cut front is normal; an open flame is not. Be ready to open the lid and stop the job if needed.

6

Inspect and adjust

Open the lid and inspect the cut. Check that the laser cut all the way through, look at the edge quality (clean or charred), and check the start and end of the cut path. Use what you see to adjust parameters for the next run.

Material parameters: using and adjusting

The reference parameters are tested starting values. They are not guaranteed results — your material batch, humidity, and machine calibration will all affect what you get. Here is how to adjust when the first test cut is not right.

Cut not penetrating fully

First: Check focus height — this is the most common cause. If focus is correct, reduce cut speed% by 5 and test again. Adjust speed before power. Speed changes are more effective and cause less heat buildup.

Cut edge too dark or charred

Fix: Increase cut speed% by 5–10, or reduce power% by 5. Also check ventilation — smoke in the kerf makes charring worse. For wood, better air assist often helps more than changing laser parameters.

Engraving too light or shallow

Fix: Reduce engrave speed% to give the laser more time on each spot. Start by reducing by 10. If still too light, increase power% in steps of 5.

Engraving too dark or deep

Fix: Increase engrave speed% or reduce power%. For fine engraving on materials like leather, high power with high speed usually works better than high power with low speed.

Acrylic: clean edge vs. frosted edge

Cast acrylic produces a clear, flame-polished edge. Extruded acrylic tends to come out frosted. For display pieces or awards, use cast acrylic. At 3mm with focus height 14mm, the 5%/90% starting values give a clean cut on cast acrylic. Extruded acrylic may need speed reduced to 3–4% for full penetration.

Different wood species at 3mm

Linden/basswood and paulownia use 11% speed. Walnut uses 5% — it is much denser. For wood not in the table: softwoods → use paulownia values; medium hardwoods → use walnut values; dense exotic woods → start 20–30% slower than walnut and test.

Safety summary

🔴 Stay at the machine during cutting
CO₂ laser cutting of wood, MDF, and paper carries fire risk. Watch the cut while it runs. Know how to stop the job — press the emergency stop button or open the lid to trigger automatic shutoff.
Turn on ventilation before you start
Confirm exhaust is flowing before every job. If you can smell fumes in the room during operation, stop immediately. Fix your exhaust setup before continuing.
Know what you are cutting
Only cut materials you have identified. Do not cut unknown plastics — many produce toxic fumes. PVC releases hydrogen chloride and must never be cut. If you are not sure what a material is, do not cut it.
Wear the right eye protection
The enclosure protects your eyes during normal closed-lid operation. Wear CO₂-rated laser safety eyewear (10,600nm) whenever the lid is open, during alignment, or when the beam path may be exposed.

FAQ

What materials can the NOX 50W cut that a diode laser cannot?

The NOX's CO₂ laser (10,600nm) handles non-metallic materials that diode lasers struggle with — particularly clear or colored acrylic (diode lasers need a black paint coating on acrylic), glass etching (engraving directly without coating), and thick wood up to 10mm in a single pass. Diode lasers can cut acrylic with marking spray, but cannot engrave clear acrylic directly or produce the clean flame-polished edge that a CO₂ laser gives.

What is the maximum thickness the NOX 50W can cut?

The tested maximum thickness values are 10mm for linden/basswood (speed 1%, power 100%, focus height 7mm) and 8mm for acrylic (speed 2%, power 100%, focus height 9mm). These are very slow, single-pass cuts — allow for longer job times at maximum thickness. For regular work, 3–6mm is the practical range for good speed and quality.

Can I engrave on glass with the NOX 50W?

Yes, for surface etching. The NOX can frost-engrave standard glass. Use the tempered glass parameters (DPI 400, speed 100%, power 50%) as a starting point on standard glass. Do not try to cut glass — thermal shock from the laser causes shattering. Tempered glass should never be cut.

Can the NOX 50W engrave on metal?

Not directly. The CO₂ wavelength (10,600nm) is not absorbed by bare metal. To engrave metal with the NOX, apply a metal marking spray (such as Cermark or Enduramark) to the surface, engrave through the coating, then remove the excess. For direct metal engraving without coatings, a fiber laser such as the G2 PRO or G2 MAX is the right tool.

Why are Min Power and Max Power the same in GWEIKECloud?

When Min Power and Max Power are set to the same value, the laser runs at constant power through the whole engraving pass — no ramp-up or ramp-down at corners. This is the standard setting for simple raster engraving on uniform materials, and it is what all the reference parameters in this guide use. If your engraving is too light or too dark, adjust the power value and test on scrap.

Can I cut PVC with the GWEIKE NOX 50W?

No. GWEIKE does not recommend cutting PVC with the NOX or any CO₂ laser. Cutting PVC can release hydrogen chloride and other chlorine-containing corrosive fumes that are hazardous to your health and damaging to the machine. Use safer alternative materials. See why you should not laser cut PVC and safer alternatives.

The GWEIKE NOX 50W is designed for acrylic, wood, leather, paper, glass engraving, and compact CO₂ laser projects. If you need a desktop CO₂ laser with tested material settings and GWEIKECloud software support, view the NOX product page or contact GWEIKE Cloud for setup advice.

View GWEIKE NOX 50W →
The parameters in this guide are factory reference values tested using GWEIKECloud software on the NOX 50W. Actual results depend on material grade, thickness, surface condition, humidity, machine calibration, and software version. All values are starting points — test on scrap from your actual material batch before cutting production pieces. Follow all safety instructions in the GWEIKE NOX 50W user manual.
Related guides CO₂ laser wood cutting parameters: 40W to 130W — wood board and MDF parameters across all CO₂ power levels, with NOX 50W conversion guidance.

CO₂ acrylic laser cutting settings guide — detailed acrylic parameters with lens selection and airflow guidance.

Getting started with the GWEIKE Cloud NOX — the original 2023 setup overview.

 

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