Views: 31 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 05-13-2022 Origin: Site
A laser cutter is a computer controlled machine that uses a laser beam to precisely cut or engrave material. A laser is basically just highly focused, highly amplified light. The laser beam causes the material to locally burn, melt or vaporize. The kind of material that a laser can cut depends on the type of laser and the specific machine's power.
Laser Cutters are great tools offering the possibility to create many different things. From simple boxes to engraving detailed graphics into wood or building complex three-dimensional objects.
Once you have your design ready, it is time for the final step – the cutting on the laser. Laser cutters are very powerful machines. You can create great things with them but they are also potentially dangerous, so first a word of warning.
Before using a laser cutter always first make sure you read and understand all the safety instructions that come with it. In addition be aware that that wavelength of a CO2 laser is in the Infra-Red part of the light spectrum, so it is invisible to the human eye ye. The red dot you see with many machines on the material surface is only a positioning aid and not the laser beam that actually doing the cutting.
Preparation
First of all, check that your material fits inside the work area of the laser cutter and cut it to size if necessary. Also, be prepared to make some test cuts or engravings and bring some spare material with you.
You don't necessarily need any extra tools when working with a laser cutter but in my experience, the following tool might come in handy:
Utility Knife: For cutting material that wasn’t cut all the way through by the laser cutter or to cut paper and cardboard to size.
Painter's Tape/Masking Tape: Use it for masking the surface of your material to prevent burn stains and to tape down light materials.
Measurement Tape/Calipers: For measuring dimensions and making sure your final objects have the right size.
Settings
The four most important settings of a laser cutter are power, speed, frequency and for focus distance.
Power: Defines the output power of the laser. Typically can be set from 0 to 100% (maximum power). High power is used for cutting thick materials and lower power is used for engraving and cutting of thin materials such as paper.
Speed: Determines the movement speed of the laser head. For engraving and cutting of thin material, the speed is usually set (close) to the maximum.
Frequency (Hz, PPI): The frequency parameter specifies the number of laser pulses per second. Frequency depends completely on the material used. For example wood cuts best at around 500 to 1000 Hz and for acrylic 5000 to 20000Hz are recommended to achieve a smooth edge.
Focus: As previously explained, there is a focusing lens inside the laser head. The focus point (where the laser beam is thinnest) should be on the material surface or slightly below, for most applications. To ensure this the material needs to be a certain distance away from the lens. The exact distance depends on the type of focusing lens that is used.
Many laser machines have a motorized bed which can be moved up and down to set the focus distance. Alternatively the position of the material surface a has to be manually adjusted.
So now that you have a basic understanding of the available settings you might ask yourself how to find the right settings for your projects? A good starting point is the laser cutter manual. Often you will find suggested settings for many materials. If you are working on a shared laser in a makerspace there are usually lists with recommended settings available.
Time to Cut!
Finally, you should be prepared to make your first cuts. It can take a few tries to find the ideal settings for your material.
Always change only one parameter in a test process. For example, start with the power by testing different values in 5-10% increments. Once your are happy with your results, don't forget to write down your settings for future reference.
If you think laser cleaning machine might be a better solution for you, please contact one of our laser experts to discuss feasibility and get a free quote for your application.
