Starter or Professional? Your Guide to the 3rd SkyFire DIY Competition

Introduction: One Competition, Two Divisions

The 3rd SkyFire DIY Fiber Laser Competition is open for registration — and we keep hearing the same question: "Should I enter Starter or Professional?"

This year we have two divisions: one for first-time builders and lower-power systems (≤1500W), and one for experienced makers and high-power machines (3000W+). This guide gives you the full breakdown so you can choose the right division and prepare the right kind of submission.

Starter Division (≤1500W): Show Your Journey

In one sentence: Build your first fiber laser cutter (or one at 1500W or below) and show us how you did it.

Who should enter: First-time builders, or systems at 1500W or below.

What judges care about: Build process documentation, photos at each stage, basic cutting tests, honest description of problems and solutions.

What judges don't expect: Factory-grade finish or speed. Think of it as: "Show us how you learned."Professional Division (3000W+): Prove Your Craft

In one sentence: You've built fiber laser systems before and you're running 3000W or higher — show us your best work.

Who should enter: Experienced builders, small fab shops, or machines at 3000W+.

What judges care about: Technical documentation, precision cutting/welding tests with measurements, video of the machine in action, technical innovation.

The Biggest Difference: What You Submit

Power isn't the only difference — and honestly, it's not even the biggest one. The submission requirements are fundamentally different, and that's what really separates the two divisions:

Entry Division (Starter):

Contest Demonstration Video
Photo of Contestant with DIY Machine

That's it. Two items. The bar is intentionally low — we want to see your journey, not your documentation skills.

Professional Division:

Contest Demonstration Video
Detailed BOM (Bill of Materials)
Electrical Layout & Wiring Diagram
Multi-material Cutting Parameters
Photo of Contestant with DIY Machine (wearing SkyFire T-shirt)

Five items, including technical documentation that proves you understand what you built. This is the real dividing line: Can you document your build at an engineering level?

Quick Comparison Table

	Starter (Entry)	Professional
Power	≤1500W	2000W+
Experience	First build or lower power	Experienced / high power
Judging Focus	Journey, documentation	Precision, innovation
Submission Items	2 items (video + photo)	5 items (video + BOM + wiring + cutting params + photo)
Key Requirement	Show you built it	Prove you engineered it

How to Register

Pick your division using this guide.
Register at the official competition page (Click here).
Build and document according to the division you chose.
Submit before the deadline.

Conclusion

Choose Starter if you're learning and documenting the journey; choose Professional if you're showing off precision and innovation. Then register, build, and show the world what you made.