It’s in the small print, but they claim 40W equivalent intensity, not total power. The whole point is that the optics in these modules are very good, they claim a beam intensity at the focus that matches a 40W CO2 module. I believe them.
I have the 40W pro (FAC optics) blue light module from the same folks (laserTree), it cost 95 Euros total, and arrived in 6 days to the Netherlands… It is mounted in a 5040 elksmaker clone rig and It cut the following in less than an hour, it also cut the 3mm ply backplate (another hour…)
TL:DR:
My comparison is that I have used a 5W blue light module for several years but I upgraded a few months ago. The 40W module is considerably more effective. This is obvious to me when working with the same materials on the new module, the improvement is stark.
So; While I hanker for a proper 100W CO2 IR laser (it’s in my bucket list) I’m still able to do excellent work with a system that, frankly, cost less than many people pay just for shipping their CO2 units.
As to effectiveness:
With decent air assist it will cut plywood, I’ve done 5mm ply in extremis, I regularly do 2mm model ply cuts in 2 passes with minimal scoring. By ‘decent air assist’ I mean a high-pressure/flow pond airpump and a small nozzle right above the focus. I don’t have a good photo of this so here is the render of the part I designed and printed:
Finally, and crucially:
Having, and using z axis adjustment is a must, the module it cuts very well at the focus but is hopeless if it is off by even a few mm., so you need to get it keyed perfectly, and lower it between passes when cutting. Conversely; moving out of the focus a bit makes for better engraving (the focus is too tight, it’s impossible to avoid scan lines if you engrave at it).