A 20" × 28" Production CO2 Laser With Autofocus — At the 60W Entry Price.
The OMTech Maker AF2028-60 is a 60W CO2 laser engraver and cutter with a 20" × 28" working area, autofocus, 4-way pass-through (front/back and side-to-side), and a KT332 digital control panel — giving makers, small businesses, workshops, and customization studios large-format production capability at the most accessible price point in the 20" × 28" Maker series.
For anyone who needs more bed, more pass-through flexibility, and autofocus in one machine without stepping up to 90W, the AF2028-60 is the configuration to start with.
Compatible Materials:
Wood
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MDF / Plywood
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Leather
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Plastics
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Fabric
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Stone
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Coated Metals
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Glass
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The 60W Starting Point for the 20" × 28" Platform — Who It's Right For
The OMTech Maker series offers the 20" × 28" autofocus platform in two power levels: the 60W AF2028-60 and the 90W AF2028-80. The bed size, autofocus, 4-way pass-through, and dual workbeds are identical between them. Power is the only production variable.
The 60W is the right configuration when:
Your primary work is engraving rather than thick-material cutting — detailed wood engravings, acrylic etching, leather personalization, fabric marking, and sign work on stock that's 6mm and under. The 60W handles these with clean results and reasonable throughput.
When you're growing into production volume but haven't yet maxed out 60W capacity on your daily job mix. The 20" × 28" bed step-up is the more immediate bottleneck for most shops coming from a 16" × 24" or smaller machine.
When budget is a real consideration. The 60W AF2028 provides the same large bed, autofocus, and 4-way pass-through as the 90W model at a lower initial investment.
Consider stepping to the 90W AF2028 when:
Your daily work includes regular cutting of 8–10mm wood, thick acrylic, or dense MDF where 60W requires multiple passes and slows production. Contact our team and describe your typical job types — we'll tell you honestly which configuration fits.
Autofocus — The Setup Step That No Longer Slows You Down
Manual focus on a CO2 laser means measuring the distance from the laser head to the workpiece surface for every material height change — using a focusing ruler, adjusting the head, and often running a test burn to confirm. For a shop that works with one consistent material thickness all day, manual focus is a fast, repeatable one-time setup.
For a production shop cycling between 3mm acrylic, 6mm wood, 1.5mm leather, and other thicknesses throughout the day — manual focus becomes a recurring interruption that adds time to every job change.
Autofocus on the AF2028-60 eliminates this entirely. Place the material, trigger autofocus from the KT332 control panel or from LightBurn/RDWorks, and the machine measures the surface distance and sets the correct focal height automatically. No ruler. No test burn. No guesswork.
For a production studio where material variety is a daily reality — the autofocus upgrade over the manual-focus MF2028 is the one workflow change that pays back its cost in accumulated time savings across the life of the machine.
20" × 28" — The Bed Size That Opens Up Larger Projects
The 20" × 28" (500 × 700mm) working area is a meaningful step up from the 16" × 24" (MF1624-60) bed that many shops outgrow first:
Wider projects that previously didn't fit. A 20" × 26" decorative panel that requires a repositioning setup on a 16" bed fits within the 20" × 28" field in a single pass. No alignment, no repositioning errors, no time cost of multi-pass setup.
More pieces per batch layout. The 20" × 28" field accommodates approximately 36% more working area than 16" × 24". For a business producing ornaments, coasters, or personalized items in batches, this translates directly into more pieces per job file and fewer load cycles per shift.
4-way pass-through for even longer and wider material. The AF2028-60's 32.8" × 3.7" front/back pass-through accommodates boards longer than 28". The 20.4" × 0.7" side-to-side pass-through accommodates material wider than 20". Both directions handled — not just the length dimension that most machines support.
KT332 Digital Control Panel — Operate, Frame, and Run Offline
The KT332 digital control panel gives the AF2028-60 on-machine production control without requiring a computer to be connected during operation:
Direct power and speed control from the panel — adjust parameters for a different material type without navigating software.
Frame preview before firing — trace the job outline on the workpiece using the laser head position before the laser fires. Confirms layout and placement without wasting material.
Pause, halt, and resume — interrupt or stop a job from the panel immediately. For production environments where quick intervention is sometimes necessary, this is a practical safety and workflow feature.
Offline operation via USB flash drive — load job files to a USB drive, navigate the KT332 file browser, and run jobs without a connected computer. For a shop where the laser runs independently of the design station, this is standard daily operation.
Dual Workbeds, Water Cooling, and Full Software Support
Dual workbeds: The AF2028-60 ships with both a honeycomb workbed (standard for engraving and thinner material cutting) and an aluminum blade workbed (for thick material cutting where clean drop-through and reduced bottom-face contact is important). Both included — no additional purchase required.
Water cooling: A water pump and water tank are included. For shops running light to moderate daily production in a controlled environment, the included pump-and-tank cooling circuit is operational from day one. For sustained high-power production runs, adding a compatible water chiller (CW-5000 or CW-5200 series) is recommended to protect the laser tube and maintain output consistency. Contact our team for compatible chiller guidance before ordering.
Software: RDWorks is bundled on USB flash drive. LightBurn is included free with this machine, courtesy of The Maker's Chest, and is the preferred production software — better interface, stronger material library community, and native macOS/Linux support in addition to Windows. CorelDRAW and AutoCAD are also compatible.
Connections: USB cable, Ethernet cable, USB flash drive, and offline mode.
CE and FDA certified. 2-year machine warranty (6 months for parts).
The Maker's Chest Difference
The OMTech Maker AF2028-60 is available from OMTech directly and from other resellers. Here's what changes when you order through The Maker's Chest:
- 🛡️ 75-day returns — significantly longer than OMTech's direct return window. Enough time to set up the machine, run your actual production jobs through the 20" × 28" bed, confirm autofocus works for your material variety, and make an informed decision before you're committed
- 🇺🇸 Expert USA-based technical support — our team can help with KT332 and Ruida controller setup, LightBurn configuration, autofocus calibration, water cooling assembly and chiller recommendations, exhaust setup, and any production issues
- 📞 Dual lines of support — phone and email, so when production is running and something needs attention, you have a direct path to a real person
- 🔧 Straight configuration guidance — 60W or 90W version? Autofocus (AF) or manual focus (MF)? Do you need a chiller alongside? Talk to us before ordering and we'll give you honest answers based on your actual job types and daily volume
Frequently Asked Questions About OMTech Maker AF2028-60 60W CO2 Laser Cutter and Engraver
Q: What's the difference between the AF2028-60 and the AF2028-80?
A: The bed size (20" × 28"), autofocus, 4-way pass-through, dual workbeds, and control panel are identical. The difference is 60W versus 90W laser power. The 60W is the right choice for engraving-focused shops and production on thinner materials (≤6mm). The 90W provides faster cutting on thicker stock, fewer passes on dense materials, and more sustained production headroom. Contact our team with your primary job types and we'll give you a direct recommendation.
Q: What's the difference between the AF2028-60 (autofocus) and the MF1624-60 (manual focus, 16"×24")?
A: Two meaningful differences. The AF2028-60 has a 20" × 28" bed (versus 16" × 24" — approximately 36% more working area) and 4-way pass-through (both front/back and side-to-side, versus front/back-only on the MF1624). It also has autofocus. If you've outgrown the 16" × 24" bed or regularly work with material that exceeds its dimensions, the AF2028-60 is the correct step up.
Q: How does autofocus work?
A: The autofocus probe on the laser head measures the distance to the workpiece surface and automatically adjusts the head height to the correct focal distance. Trigger autofocus from the KT332 panel or from LightBurn/RDWorks, and the machine is ready to engrave — no ruler, no test burn, no manual adjustment. Every material height change during a production day becomes a single button press.
Q: What materials can it cut and engrave?
A: Engraving: Acrylic, wood, leather, rubber, paper, plastic, fabric, MDF, cardboard, marble, foam, and fiberglass. Cutting: Acrylic, wood, leather, rubber, paper, plastic, fabric, MDF, cardboard, and foam — up to 0.4" (10mm) maximum depth. The CO2 wavelength cannot cut or deeply etch bare metal, glass, ceramic, or stone.
Q: Does it need a water chiller?
A: A water pump and tank are included. The included setup works for lighter to moderate daily production in climate-controlled environments. For sustained production (6+ hours daily) or warm conditions, a dedicated water chiller (CW-5000 or CW-5200) is recommended. Contact our team for compatible chiller guidance before ordering if you plan to run this machine intensively.
Q: What is the laser tube service life?
A: The 60W DC glass tube carries an estimated 2,000-hour service life, with lifespan extended when consistently operated at lower power settings. At 4 hours daily, 250 working days per year, that's approximately 2 years — a planned maintenance cost to factor into total cost of ownership.
Q: What is the 4-way pass-through and why does it matter?
A: The front/back pass-through (32.8" × 3.7") allows flat material longer than 28" to extend through both sides for sequential processing without removing the material. The side-to-side pass-through (20.4" × 0.7") allows material wider than 20" to extend laterally. For sign shops, furniture makers, and production operations regularly working with material exceeding standard bed dimensions, both pass-throughs together significantly expand material size capacity.
Q: Is LightBurn compatible?
A: Yes — LightBurn is compatible with the KT332 controller and is the preferred production software for most users. A free license is included with this machine, courtesy of The Maker's Chest, and it runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. RDWorks is bundled and included on USB drive.
Q: Why buy from The Maker's Chest instead of directly from OMTech?
A: Our 75-day return window gives you significantly more evaluation time than OMTech's direct return policy — enough to set up the machine, run your actual production job types, and confirm the 60W autofocus 20" × 28" configuration is the right investment before you're locked in. Our USA-based expert support team is reachable by phone and email for LightBurn and KT332 setup, autofocus calibration, water chiller guidance, and production troubleshooting throughout your ownership. If you're choosing between 60W and 90W or between autofocus and manual focus, we'll give you a straight recommendation.
