LONGER Nano Pro: Introduction
Laser engravers are equally interesting for hobbyists and professionals, as they can add individual designs to wood, acrylic, metal or even stone. The LONGER Nano Pro 12W is particularly notable for its compact design. Instead of a classic rail system, it uses a galvo laser that directs the beam using mirrors. This means it can engrave at up to 5000 mm/s - significantly faster than many conventional desktop lasers.
The device is also compatible with Lightburn and LaserGRBL and can be controlled via USB or WiFi. Optionally, the engraving area can be extended to 100 x 300 mm with a slide extension and a rotation attachment for round objects is also available. If you opt for the Pro or Pro Max set, these extensions are included in the delivery.
LONGER Nano Pro: Setup, Commissioning & Operation
Unpacking & First Impression
As soon as you unpack it, it becomes clear that LONGER relies on secure packaging. The Nano Pro 12W is embedded in precisely fitting foam and all components are neatly sorted in separate compartments.
In addition to the laser unit, the scope of delivery also includes an electric height adjustment, a base plate, a red protective cover, safety glasses, a tool set, a USB-C cable, a power supply and a USB stick with software. There are also some test materials included - a nice touch so you can get started right away. We had the Pro Set here and were therefore able to test the slide extension and the rotation attachment straight away.
Construction & assembly
The housing of the laser is made of metal, as is the base plate. Everything appears stable and precisely manufactured, with no loose or rickety parts. The design is reminiscent of the LaserPecker 4, but remains independent and appears well thought out overall.
While classic rail lasers often require a complex setup, the Nano Pro is surprisingly easy to install. The device is ready for use in just four steps:
- Screw the base plate to the electric height adjustment.
- Attach the laser module to the height adjustment with a knurled screw.
- Connect USB-C cables – all ports are color-coded, making installation easier.
- Attach the protective cover with magnets.
The well thought-out cable management is particularly praiseworthy. Instead of a confusing number of plug connections, all USB-C cables are clearly labeled and color-coded, so that confusion is practically impossible. This makes the Nano Pro easy to handle even for beginners. The entire assembly takes barely ten minutes.
Software & Initial Installation
The Nano Pro is compatible with Lightburn and LaserGRBL, two of the most common programs for laser engraving. Both are on the included USB stick or you can download them directly from the official websites. A Lightburn profile ("LaserNano.lbdev") is also on the stick, so that when you import the profile, all relevant settings are automatically adopted.
LONGER also offers the LaserBurn app for Android and iOS. This app is a less comprehensive alternative to the first two programs and is particularly suitable for quick engraving tasks on the go, for example at Christmas markets, trade fairs or mobile operations. The basic functions of the app allow you to create designs and send them directly to the laser, but with limitations.
While the USB connection is stable right away, the WiFi connection is a bit fragile. During testing, the connection was occasionally interrupted, which is why sending orders to the laser via the LaserBurn app often failed. In addition, the app is generally rather rudimentary and not very visually appealing.
There were also minor translation errors, which gave the impression that the software is not yet fully developed. It is therefore better to go straight for Lightburn or LaserGRB!
Service
There are several controls on the top of the device:
- Silver power button for switching on and off
- Capacitive focus button for adjusting the focus distance
- Triangular start button that starts an engraving
The electric height adjustment is practical, allowing easy focus adjustment at the touch of a button. Anyone who often works with materials of different thicknesses will quickly appreciate this function.
However, the design does have a small weakness. Firstly, the capacitive keys are perhaps not the best choice because you don't get any feedback when you press them. Especially with a device that works with precision and fine adjustments, a noticeable pressure point would be helpful to ensure that the input has actually been registered. This means that you sometimes have to tap several times because the touch is not immediately recognized.
Secondly, the red protective cover is almost always in the way and makes it difficult to see the workpiece. This is no fun, especially when framing the workpiece, as the framing laser is practically invisible through the cover.
But even if you remove the cover for each alignment, the light output of the framing laser is so low that you have to look very closely to even see the marking. Alternatively, you could simply leave the protective cover off altogether, but then good safety glasses are a must!
LONGER Nano Pro: Practical test
How does the engraving laser perform in practical use? The question of how well it copes with different materials and whether the promised speed of up to 5000 mm/s can actually be used was particularly exciting.
engraving performance
The Galvo technology, which is used instead of a classic XY carriage mechanism, makes the Nano Pro faster than many other laser engravers. Instead of moving across the workpiece line by line, mirrors direct the laser beam.
The laser works particularly well on wood. A test engraving on balsa wood shows clear lines and rich contrasts, even with delicate motifs. The laser burns effortlessly into the material without leaving unsightly edges or fraying. Only with thicker types of wood does a slight smoke develop, which is increased by the lack of Air Assist.
Things are a little different with acrylic. This is where the typical weakness of diode lasers becomes apparent. While dark or painted acrylic can be engraved without any problems, transparent acrylic remains almost untouched. This is due to the wavelength of the blue laser, which is simply passed through by clear acrylic. If you work a lot with this material, you should look for a CO₂ laser.
Metals are also a borderline case. Untreated aluminum or stainless steel cannot be engraved directly with a 12W diode laser because the necessary power is simply lacking. Anodized aluminum, on the other hand, delivers good results. Logos and text are burned cleanly into the surface, which makes the Nano Pro particularly interesting for marking tools or personalized metal cards.
Slate coasters can also be neatly labelled. If you want to create individual gifts or decorative elements, this is an ideal application.
cutting capacity
The LONGER Nano Pro 12W is primarily an engraving laser due to its power and 100 x 100 mm working area. Although it is possible to cut through thin wood, you should allow time. While 3 mm plywood can be cut cleanly in three to four passes, 6 mm requires ten passes. Light traces of smoke can appear on the edges, which are made worse by the lack of Air Assist.
Acrylic is almost invincible. Even black acrylic, which responds better to the wavelength of the diode laser, can only be cut with unsatisfactory results.
Extensions
To increase the flexibility of the Nano Pro, LONGER offers two extensions. The Slide Extension increases the working area to 100 x 300 mm. The Rotary Tool enables engraving on cylindrical objects.
The slide extension worked reliably in the test, but required precise calibration in Lightburn. After activating the corresponding macro, the software recognized the extended work area and larger engravings could be implemented without any problems.
However, manual adjustment is required to avoid misalignment problems. A small disadvantage that can be remedied with a little practice.
The Rotary Tool cuts a fine figure. It is powered via USB-C, so no complicated adapters are needed. If you regularly work on round objects, Rotary is a useful addition.
