Laser Cutter
From MakeICT Wiki
Contents
About
The Laser cutter allows users to take designs created on a computer and cut and/or engrave using many diferent materials. Laser cutting is a great way to rapidly prototype projects. Interfacing with the laser cutter is performed with LaserCut v5.3.
The laser cutter does require regular cleaning and alignment. This is to be performed by trained volunteers only.
Machine access policy
Use of the Laser Cutter requires attendance in a certification workshop hosted by one of the approved instructors. Workshops are posted on the calendar.
Usage
Safety
Laser cutters pose a fire hazard. A high intensity beam of laser light can produce extremely high temperatures as it comes into contact with the materials it is engraving, marking, or cutting. When using the laser cutter, remember:
- You may only use the laser cutter if you have been officially certified according to the machine access policy
- Never leave the laser cutter unattended while it was powered on (even if it is not firing)
- Never cut materials that you don't know are safe
- Never override laser cutter safeties and switches
- Know what to do if a fire happens
- Hint: Hit the big, red, emergency stop button. This will shutdown the laser and the air supply.
- A Carbon Dioxide (CO2) fire extinguisher is located next to the laser cutter
Before starting the laser cutter:
- Check the coolant window in the back of the chiller before starting any project.
After starting the laser cutter:
- Before cutting make sure the air compressor and the fan motor are on
- Refer to the cutting manual for appropriate engraving and speed and power settings for varied materials
- Beware of flammable materials while using the machines.
Workflow
- Create design or import
If importing, unite lines (under Tools menu) - Separate layers if necessary (by changing their colors)
- Set layer modes
- Set layer powers/speeds
- Set origin (under Laser menu)
- Download
- Delete all
- Download current
- Load media into cutter
- Focus laser (in center of media)
- Move laser to origin
- Run box / test
- Close lid and start
Materials
Cutting a bad material in the laser cutter can be dangerous. Only approved materials should be cut, and banned materials should never be placed in or even around the laser cutter. Cutting an unknown material risks bodily harm and damage to equipment/facilities.
Approved materials
| Name | Notes | Warnings | |
|---|---|---|---|
Acrylic (aka Plexiglas, Lucite, PMMA) |
Cuts well, leaves a smooth polished edge. Higher powers can leave smoke/scorch marks along edges. Some people remove paper/plastic protection sheets before cutting. | ||
Cardboard |
Cuts well, can catch fire | FIRE hazard! | |
Ceramic |
Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam | ||
Cloth (cotton, felt, hemp) |
Cuts easily | NO plastic coated or impregnated cloth! | |
Corian |
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Cork |
Cuts nicely, the quality of the cut depends on the thickness and quality of the cork. Engineered cork has a lot of glue in it, may not cut nicely. | ||
Coroplast (corrugated plastic) |
Difficult to cut through cleanly, due to the ribs. Multiple passes are usually needed. | ||
Delrin |
Comes in a number of shore strengths (hardness), the harder tends to work better. Great for gears! | ||
Glass |
Has a sandblasted look, green glass works best | Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam | |
Leather, suede |
Leather is very hard to cut, can be if thinner than a belt thickness | ||
MDF, engineered woods |
May experience a higher amount of charring when cut | ||
Magnetic sheet |
Cuts easily | ||
Marble |
Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam | ||
Matte Board |
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Melamine |
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Mylar |
Works well if it's thin. Thick mylar has a tendency to warp, bubble, and curl | Gold coated mylar will not work | |
Paper, card stock |
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Plywood, composite woods |
Contain glue, and may not cut as well as solid wood | ||
Pressboard |
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NON-CHLORINE Rubber |
DO NOT CUT unless the rubber compound has been tested | Beware chlorine-containing rubber! If you're not sure, assume you've got chlorinated rubber, and don't cut it. | |
Tile |
Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam | ||
Wood |
Avoid oily/resinous woods | FIRE - Cutting oily woods, or very resinous woods can catch fire. | |
Wood Veneer |
Contain glue, and may not cut as well as solid wood | ||
Anodized Aluminum |
Vaporizes the anodized layer away | ||
Bare Metals |
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Brass |
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Coated Metals |
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Painted Metals |
Vaporizes the paint away | ||
Stainless Steel |
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Titanium |
Banned materials
These materials should never be processed in the laser cutter.
| Name | DANGER | WARNING |
|---|---|---|
ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) |
Emits cyanide gas and tends to melt | ABS does not cut well in a laser cutter. It tends to melt rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching on fire and leaving behind melted gooey deposits on the vector cutting grid. It also does not engrave well (again, tends to melt). |
Chlorinated plastics (PVC/Poly Vinyl Chloride, vinyl/pleather/artificial leather) |
Emits pure chlorine gas when cut! | Don't ever cut this material as it will ruin the optics, cause the metal of the machine to corrode, and ruin the motion control system. Bubbles yellow, smokes alot, STINKS!!!!! |
Coated Carbon Fiber |
Emits noxious fumes | A mix of two materials. Thin carbon fiber mat can be cut, with some fraying - but not when coated |
Fiberglass |
Emits fumes | It's a mix of two materials that cant' be cut. Glass (etch, no cut) and epoxy resin (fumes) |
Galvanized metal |
Emits dangerous fumes | Zinc fumes are poisonous. Galvanized metal should never be super heated (so don't weld on it either). |
Metal |
Power needed for LASER to cut metal | |
Milk bottles/HDPE |
Catches fire and melts | It melts, gets gooey. DON'T. Someone has to clean the hex worktable. |
Mirrored surfaces |
Will not cut, reflects laser beam | Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam, damaging the cutter's interior components. Some mirrored materials can be placed reflective-side down and cut. |
Polycarbonate/Lexan |
Cut very poorly, disbackground-color, catch fire | Polycarbonate is often found as flat, sheet material. The window of the laser cutter is made of Polycarbonate because polycarbonate strongly absorbs infrared radiation! This is the frequency of light the laser cutter uses to cut materials, so it is very ineffective at cutting polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a poor choice for laser cutting. |
PolyPropylene Foam |
Catches fire | Like PolyStyrene, it melts, catches fire, and the melted drops continue to burn and turn into rock-hard drips and pebbles. |
PolyStyrene Foam |
Catches fire | Like PolyPropylene. It catches fire, it melts, and only thin pieces cut. This is the #1 material that causes laser fires!!! |
Pressure treated wood |
Emits dangerous fumes | Should never be burned -- not in your fireplace, and definitely not in our LASER |
Printed circuit board (FR4 and other material types) |
Other resources
- Identifying Unknown Plastics by Make Magazine
- Beilstein test
- Polymer Identification (video) by Burnination
- Polymer Identification (PDF) by David A. Katz
- Density Column Using Recyclable Plastics
Laser Cutter Certified Users
| Name | Certification Date |
|---|---|
| Anna Lenhart-Murray | 2015-12-16 |
| Audrey Barba | 2015-12-14 |
| Brock Milford | 2015-12-16 |
| Brad Cooley | 2015-11-16 |
| Brian Hertz | 2015-12-18 |
| Bryan Barr (FabLab BD) | 2015-08-07 |
| Cat Barba-Abay | 2015-12-16 |
| Charlie Fair | 2015-11-11 |
| Charles Griesel | 2015-12-02 |
| Chris Batcheller | 2015-12-14 |
| Christian Kindel | 2015-12-12 |
| Cory Kertz | 2015-11-11 |
| Curt Gridley | 2015-12-12 |
| Dana Danaver | 2015-12-05 |
| Daniel Towle | 2015-12-20 |
| David Springs | |
| Dean Day | 2015-12-12 |
| Dominic Canare (instructor) | 2015-12-02 |
| Geoffrey Kisch | 2015-12-05 |
| Helen Haskin | 2015-12-16 |
| Ivan Quiroz | 2015-11-16 |
| James Classen | 2015-11-11 |
| James Lancaster | 2015-12-05 |
| James Seymour | 2015-12-12 |
| Jeremiah Loder | 2015-12-14 |
| Jerry Carpenter | 2015-08-07 |
| Jerry Shubert | 2015-11-11 |
| Jim Hammer | 2015-12-12 |
| Joel Ewy | 2015-12-05 |
| John Alexander (instructor) | 2015-12-02 |
| John Harrison | 2015-10-30 |
| Jonny Fosnight | 2015-11-16 |
| Judah Hansen | 2015-12-20 |
| Kenton Hansen | 2015-12-20 |
| Kevin Elledge | 2015-12-14 |
| Kim Lujan | 2015-12-18 |
| Kip Landwehr | 2015-12-18 |
| Logan Pajunen | 2015-11-11 |
| Marcus Mosley | 2015-12-20 |
| Mark Esau | 2015-12-20 |
| Melanie Jenney | 2015-12-14 |
| Melissa Soutiere | 2015-12-14 |
| Mike Barushok | 2015-12-18 |
| Mike Doolittle (instructor) | 2015-08-07 |
| Mike Hutton | 2015-11-11 |
| Mitzi Trout | 2015-12-18 |
| Paul Wilson | 2015-12-20 |
| Rick Boyd | 2015-12-20 |
| Stephen Reckers | 2015-11-16 |
| Samuel McConnell | 2015-12-02 |
| Samuel Schurter | 2015-12-05 |
| Skyler Lovelace | 2015-12-02 |
| Stuart Smith | 2015-12-14 |
| Thomas Bloom | 2015-12-12 |
| Tom McGuire | 2015-08-07 |
| Weston Vice | 2015-12-05 |
| William Davisson | 2015-12-18 |
