So Atomstack has finally released there 40 watt quad diode laser as part of the X20 Pro kit. This has a 400x400 mm working volume, built in air assist that can hit 15 psi, an offline controller with LCD screen, and of course full support for LightBurn, all for $1,100 shipped.  Combining the 20 watt output with the much smaller spot size over a CO2 laser, I think it is safe to say this is more powerful than a K40 laser.  In fact the K40 is a poor comparison.  For starters most K40 machines are really 30 watt machines, next they have only a 300x200 mm working area, finally they lack support for LightBurn, any safety, and basically any support.

A better target for comparison is the $2,100 Omtech MF1220-50R - 50W laser.  This has a similar working volume, built in air assist, and proper light burn support.  The Atomstack lacks an enclosure, and work bed, but you can add both of those for $500, bringing the price up to $1,600.  Ignoring shipping, that brings the Atomstack to within $500 of the Omtech, but at around 1/2 the optical power.

The big benefit for the Atomstack is ease of use, no more need for water cooling, simpler optical path.  The down side of course is lower optical power, and no support for cutting clear plastics.  

Anyway the point is not that they are equivalent, but that they are getting close.  The Atomstack is the premium laser from the company and very new, we can hope that in a few years this laser power will find its  way in lower cost machines.  It is conceivable that we could see a fully enclosed 20 watt diode laser for under $800 in a few years, making it a much lower cost way to get into lasers.

Atomstack also has a new $180 air filter coming out.  This is basically a large room filter with a special cartridge that has better support for smoke than an off the shelf unit.  This is a good idea, hopefully we see more systems coming with air filters, hopefully that can lower the cost.

Neje has released a new heatsink for there A40640 module that helps cool the laser module more.  This sounds like a good idea to me, the face of the diode gets quite warm. At $20 it is a bit pricy, but it includes a soldering iron, proof that this is a bit of an afterthought.