100W CO2 Gantry Laser (HT-460)
The HT-460 is a 100W CO2 gantry laser cutter with a 400 x 600 mm working area, a RECI sealed glass CO2 tube rated 90W with 100W peak output, and an S&A CW5200 industrial water chiller. It cuts and engraves wood, acrylic, MDF, plywood, leather, paper, fabric, rubber, and the surface of glass. It cannot mark or engrave bare metals.
Why the RECI Tube Matters
The tube is the heart of any CO2 laser. The brand and quality directly determine how the machine performs, year after year.
Glass CO2 laser tubes are a commodity component, but the quality varies significantly by manufacturer. RECI is one of the most recognized CO2 tube brands in the industry, with their W-series tubes used by laser machine builders globally and their product specifications published openly on reci-laser.com.
RECI's W-series tubes use a catalyst plating in the inner wall of the tube, which RECI's documentation states extends the designed lifespan to 10,000 hours, with longer life achievable when the operating current is kept below the rated maximum. The HT-460 ships with a RECI tube in the 90W rated, 100W peak power class. RECI guarantees the rated power but does not guarantee peak power; this is consistent with how all glass CO2 tubes are specified.
This is the most important hardware decision Haotian made on this machine. The frame, optics, controller, and chiller can all be sourced at multiple quality levels, but the tube is what determines how the machine performs on the job, and how long that performance lasts.
Five Things That Define This Machine
Each one is a verified specification from the factory build sheet.
RECI Glass CO2 Laser Tube (90W rated, 100W peak)
Sealed glass CO2 tube using catalyst plating technology. RECI's published designed lifespan is 10,000 hours under normal operating conditions, with the working current kept below the rated maximum.
10,600 nm wavelength · 10,000 hr designed lifespanS&A CW5200 Industrial Water Chiller (Included)
S&A is the original manufacturer of the CW5200 platform. The CW5200 is rated to cool tubes up to 150W, providing significant cooling headroom for the 90-100W RECI tube. Active compressor cooling, not a recirculating pump.
Up to 150W rated · ±0.3°C precisionMotorized Z-Axis Worktable
Belt-driven up/down table adjusts focal height for materials of different thicknesses. No manual screw cranking, no measuring blocks. Important for thick stock and stacked acrylic jobs.
Belt-driven · Software-controllableRuida DSP Controller
Industrial-grade Ruida DSP runs RDWorks (free, included on USB) and is fully compatible with LightBurn (gantry edition, paid license). The Ruida is the controller most serious users want, not a basic Moshi or M2 Nano board.
RDWorks + LightBurn compatibleAluminum Blade Table + Honeycomb Table + Rotary
Three workholding configurations included. Aluminum blade for engraving flat sheet stock, honeycomb table for clean cut edges (smoke and debris fall through), and a rotary attachment for cylindrical work.
Three workholding modesWhat 100W CO2 Cuts and Engraves
CO2 lasers (10,600 nm wavelength) work on materials that absorb infrared light. Final cut depth varies with material density, settings, lens choice, and tube condition. Always test on scrap.
Acrylic (cast): Cast acrylic produces flame-polished cut edges with CO2 lasers. A 100W gantry handles cuts in this range comfortably; the upper limit depends on speed, air assist, and lens focal length. Cast acrylic is preferred over extruded for cut quality. Acrylic also engraves cleanly with a frosted-white surface effect.
Plywood and MDF: Both materials cut cleanly with CO2 in the typical small-business range. Edges will be dark from the burn, which is a characteristic of CO2 cutting on wood-based materials. Air assist reduces flaming and improves edge quality.
Solid wood (signs and engraving): Engraves softwoods and hardwoods well at high raster speeds. For thick solid hardwood at production speed, a higher-power machine (130W or 150W) cuts faster.
Leather: CO2 lasers cut and engrave leather effectively. High speed with low power prevents charring on premium hides. Real and synthetic leathers both work.
Paper, cardboard, fabric: Very low power settings cut paper and fabric cleanly. Used for laser-cut wedding invitations, packaging prototypes, fabric appliqué, and stencil work.
Rubber stamps: CO2 engraves laser-grade rubber for custom stamp production. The motorized Z makes multi-pass deep engraving practical.
Glass surface engraving: CO2 frosts glass surfaces (wine bottles, mirrors, awards). Wet paper towel or dish soap layer reduces chipping. This is surface marking only, not glass cutting or drilling.
Specific cut depths by material thickness depend heavily on speed, air assist pressure, lens focal length, and tube condition. Haotian provides starter settings with the machine and supports buyers via email at info@haotianlasers.com for material-specific calibration.
What This Machine Cannot Do
Every Haotian product page lists the limits, not just the capabilities. Knowing what a tool cannot do is what separates a working buyer from a frustrated one.
- Bare metals. The 10,600 nm CO2 wavelength reflects off bare stainless, aluminum, brass, copper, and titanium. CO2 cannot mark or engrave bare metal. For metal work, a fiber laser is the correct tool.
- Coated tumblers and drinkware at production speed. Possible but slow on a gantry. The right tool is a CO2 galvo (40W or 60W), which uses a scanning mirror system designed for fast small-format coating removal.
- PVC and vinyl. Never cut PVC with any laser. The chlorine gas released damages optics and harms the operator.
- Sheet metal cutting. 100W CO2 cannot cut metal sheet. For that, a CNC fiber laser cutter is required.
- Glass drilling and cutting. CO2 marks glass surfaces but cannot drill or cut through glass. Glass through-drilling requires a JPT M8 fiber laser.
- PCB and medical device marking. CO2 produces heat. Heat-sensitive components require cold marking, which is the territory of UV lasers.
- 24/7 industrial production. Glass tubes are designed for normal small-business and pro-shop use. For round-the-clock heavy industrial production, RF metal-tube CO2 machines are designed for that duty cycle.
Technical Specifications
Direct from the Haotian factory spec sheet. No estimates, no marketing inflation.
| Model | HT-460 |
|---|---|
| Effective working area | 400 x 600 mm |
| Laser power | 90-100W |
| Laser tube brand | RECI |
| Laser type | Glass sealed CO2 tube (10,600 nm) |
| Max engraving speed | 1000 mm/s |
| Max cutting speed | 25 mm/s (depends on material) |
| Minimum character size | 1 x 1 mm (0.04 x 0.04 in.) English text |
| Positioning accuracy | ≤ 0.01 mm |
| Worktable | Aluminum blade table + honeycomb table (interchangeable). Motorized up/down with belt drive. |
| Water cooling | S&A CW5200 industrial water chiller (included) |
| Controller | Ruida DSP |
| Software | RDWorks (included). Compatible with CorelDRAW, AutoCAD, Photoshop, LightBurn output. |
| Graphic formats supported | PLT, DXF, BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, TIF, etc. |
| Data transfer | USB 2.0 |
| Power supply | 220V ±10% 50Hz or 110V ±10% 60Hz |
| Package size | 155 x 91 x 80 cm |
| Package weight | 170 kg |
Common Buyer Concerns
The questions buyers email about before they purchase, with direct answers.
What Ships With Every HT-460
Configured at the factory, packed in one crate.
- HT-460 100W CO2 gantry machine
- RECI 90-100W glass CO2 laser tube (installed)
- S&A CW5200 industrial water chiller
- Air pump (assist gas)
- Exhaust fan
- Aluminum blade worktable
- Honeycomb worktable
- Motorized Z-axis tower (installed)
- Rotary attachment
- Ruida DSP controller (installed)
- RDWorks software (USB)
- Power cable, USB cable, tool box
- DVD with documentation
- Recommended spare parts list (laser tube, focal lens, reflection mirrors)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a true 100W laser?
How does this compare to a CO2 galvo laser?
Can I use LightBurn or am I stuck with RDWorks?
What is the realistic tube replacement cycle?
What are the recommended water and operating conditions?
What's the warranty actually cover?
What's the lead time and shipping situation?
Can the bed be expanded? Is there a pass-through?
Warranty and Delivery
18-Month Warranty
- Complete machine coverage including the RECI tube
- Non-tube parts: free replacement shipped to you, broken part stays with you
- Tube defects: returned for inspection, Haotian covers shipping both ways
- Lifetime email support after warranty at info@haotianlasers.com
- Pre-purchase technical questions answered before you order
Shipping
- Free DDP (duties paid) to US, Canada, EU: ~30 days door-to-door
- Free CIF shipping worldwide: ~12-14 days, customer pays own import duties
- Crated and palletized for ocean freight (170 kg package weight)
- Tracking provided once shipment leaves the factory
- Built to order: production lead time included in window above
Related Haotian Machines
If the HT-460 is not the right fit, one of these likely is.
40W CO2 Galvo
Tumbler and drinkware marking. Production-speed coating removal on coated cups. Air-cooled, no chiller needed.
View 40W Galvo60W CO2 Galvo
Production-volume tumbler work. Water-cooled chiller included. Higher throughput than the 40W galvo.
View 60W Galvo60W Fiber EM7 (Best Seller)
Bare metal marking and engraving. MOPA color marking on stainless and titanium. The metal complement to a CO2 cutter.
View 60W EM7Questions before you buy?
Email Haotian directly. Real answers, no auto-replies, no sales pitch. Pre-purchase technical questions are answered by the same team that builds and supports the machines.
info@haotianlasers.com




