Laser Cutting

 Laser Cutting

In this lesson, I've learnt many things about laser cutting from using the software to create the product, to operating the laser cutting machine. A laser cutting is able to cut or engrave a material to the user's desired design and shape. 

How does a CO2 laser cutter work?

 There will be a tubing filled with CO2 and N2 gas where high voltage electricity is being passed through. The electricity will excite the gas particles in the tube which will produce a high power beam of laser which is strong enough to engrave and even cut through a material! 





What is raster and vector?
 

Raster is an image that will appear blurry if being zoomed in as it is made up of pixels while vector images will remain clear when zoomed in as it is made of lines and points. Vector images are made of geometrical shapes and made from mathematical equations. This will also differ as a result of laser cutting using either these two modes.

Examples of file types for Raster images : PNG, GIF, JPG

Example of file types for Vector Images: SVG, AI, EPS

CorelDraw

There will mainly be two functions which is to cut and to engrave. In order to cut, the HAIRLINE has to be in the colour RGB red whereas in order to engrave, the hairline has to be in RGB green.

Practical

Before the practical, my group created a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in order to know how to operate the laser cutter safely and how to use the CorelDraw Software.

One of the main points is to always turn on the vent and air compressor so that the user will not inhale any fumes or debris from the laser cutting procedure. We had a competency test on operating the laser cutting machine and using the CorelDraw Software. 

Here's what I managed to laser cut during the competency test!


One learning point I'd like to mention is the use of CorelDraw. I had difficulty memorising the functions of the software. I manually changed the colours according to which had to be engraved or cut. As for the text, I engraved the whole word instead of just the outline. Although it was not perfect, I was really happy with the result.


Parametric construction kit

My group managed to create two shapes however due to technical difficulties and time constraint, we've only managed to laser cut one shape.


Kerf

Cutting kerf refers to a slight extra width due to the laser's circumference. When making the parametric construction kit, we had to take note that the slots had to be about 0.1mm smaller in order to fit into the pieces snug and tightly. If not, there will be a kerf where the pieces won't stay together and will fall apart as it is loose.

Summary

All in all, this was a very informative session and I have received a lot of in-depth knowledge about laser cutting. It is not about knowing how to laser cut but there are a myriad of factors to take note of for a smooth process of laser cutting.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CAD Part 1

Image
  FUSION 360 Fusion 360 is an application where you can create 3D sketches and designs which can be made to a real product through 3D printing. It consists of a myriad of features to create very specific shapes and designs. In the making of my name keyring using Fusion 360 Step 1 : In a new sketch, I selected 2-point rectangle and placed it onto the 'canvas' with measurements of 65mm by 25mm. Next, I selected offset of 2mm to the rectangle to create a spacing from the outline. Step 2 : I clicked fillet and applied it on the four corners with a 5mm radius to make them more rounded rather than being sharp. Step 3: I right clicked the line and selected the "Normal/Construction" option. Next, I defined a measurement of mm between the line and the outline. Step 4: I selected 'Point' and placed it in the middle of the line to pinpoint the preferred position of where I would like the whole of the keyring to be. After I have placed my point, I added a 5mm circle on th...
Read more

Hypothesis Testing

Image
  Hypothesis Testing Group members:  Nander (Iron Man) Tzer (Thor) Ashwati (Captain America) Daryl (Hulk) Nikkisha (me, Black Widow) Full factorial data Fractional factorial data Iron Man to use Run 2 from FRACTIONAL factorial and Run 2 from FULL factorial. Thor will use Run 4 from FRACTIONAL factorial and Run 4 from FULL factorial. Captain America will use Run 5 from FRACTIONAL factorial and Run 5 from FULL factorial. Hulk will use Run 4 from FRACTIONAL factorial and Run 4 from FULL factorial. Black Widow (me) will use Run 7 from FRACTIONAL factorial and Run 7 from FULL factorial. The QUESTION The catapult (the ones that were used in the DOE practical) manufacturer needs to determine the consistency of the products they have manufactured. Therefore they want to determine whether CATAPULT A produces the same flying distance of projectile as that of CATAPULT B.   Scope of the test The human factor is assumed to be negligi...
Read more

Home

HOME Ground Rules for Group 1 Everyone to contribute equally Everyone to be present for meetings and discussions Ask for help when in need Must be punctual for all meetings and discussions Everyone has to contribute own ideas when brainstorming Must acknowledge messages in group chats to improve communication Talk it out and solve when there is a problem Roles of Group Members Leader: Nikkisha Facilitator: Daryl Target setter: Benjamin   Self goals To be able to work with other teammates well I've faced difficulty to work well with my teammates especially when it comes to contributing equally. There has been cases where they chose not to contribute at all and it was extremely difficult for me to reach out and communicate especially when we were not physically together. For this semester, I would like to be more bonded with them in order to make them feel more comfortable which will make communication much more easier. I truly believe that good camaraderie plays a huge rol...
Read more