3. Computer-Controlled Cutting¶

This week, I learned about “Laser Cutter, Vinyl Cutter.”

Vinyl Cutter..¶

Initially, I started to do my operation from Vinyl Cutter....... It is also known to be sticker cutter.

Before designing the sticker, I got to know about the vinyl cutter..

The Key Factors, which plays an important role in controlling vinyl cutter are :-

Speed
Pressure (The Force given to the blade, to cut the vinyl)

This is the Vinyl Cutter in Bangalore “Fab-Lab”¶

The Vinyl Cutter that we use in the FabLab bangalore is a “GCC AR24”. The software used for running this machine is Easy Cut.

After, learning the basic operation of vinyl cutter. I started to design my design… The operation, where similar to the printer.

This are the Settings, Which I feed to vinyl cutter to cut the stickers…¶

Like this, the sticker is feed and placed in the vinyl cutter.... & now it is ready to cut..

My 2D Design, which I going to Cutted by Vinyl cutter..¶

The Challenges, faced during cutting my design…¶

As the Software “Easy Cut” had some license issue, I was not able get the sticker, properly for 2 times....

The software, I used to cut this sticker was “Easy cut Studio” and it is licensed software, gives 30 days free trail verison..

the use of this trail version, has a in-build setting of making a cross.... after every sticker cut. which you will see in video.

But, this issue was secondary one.. the primary issue was, I didn’t design my design properly…

The problem caused in design was actually, while i was designing my stickers, I stacked my design one, above the other and didn’t group the pictue as a single group… Hence machine was not able to verify that, it is an outter border or an join.. and it took a more time to cut…

This is the video, of my failure....¶

Then to rectify this issue, I took a screenshot.. and placed in the software to print.

This Picture will make you understand better..¶

The 1st picture, has lines in side the logo, due to that, it was failed during cutting… and the below picture has the clear outter line, hence this sticker, gave me a perfect one......

This was the result ( Video of the success )....¶

then… i used a tape method, to stick the sticker into laptop...... This method will be updated in the future.....

This is End-result¶

Then, In the following days, I learned about laser cutter, operations… and it’s principles.....

In Bangalore’s fablab.... We have 2 kinds of Laser cutting machines.. That are:-

American Make (GCC Spirit)“THE BIG BROTHER”

       *  Bed size 29 * 18 inchs 
       *  the **Power** to operate the laser 25 Watts
       *  It has Metal Laser tube inside it.

Chinese Make (Thunder Laser)“The SMALL BROTHER”

       * bed Size  1280 * 900 mm 
       * The **Power** to operate the laser 80 Watts 
       * It was Glass Laser Tube Inside it.

THE BIG BROTHER¶

The SMALL BROTHER¶

both the brothers’ can do both cutting and rastering....

Fun Videos.... During Learning about the laser cutter....

The Gain-Medium.....¶

The Rastering means…¶

While working, I was confussed with focus/focal-length. After this experiment, I understood what is the diiference between focus and focal-length by watching this video..

After This I tried this experiment. It took a long time for me to understand focus is similar to focal-length

With this, I started to recollect some basic knownlegde in optics… from my high school and I totally spend my whole time with laser cutter. I did many experiment, then I understood the key concepts and terms of laser cutting.

Focus or Focus length
Power
Speed
Joint Clearances
Rate
kerf

Then, I was told to check the focus of the laser cutter.

This was the Result.

This should be placed before a source(Light) for observation.

In 0mm focus, the hole was too large. In 30mm focus, the laser didn’t cut the material. In range 5mm to 10mm focus, was fine for cutting the material. By comparing the kerf size between the 5mm to 10mm in the 10mm the kerf was minimum. So 10mm is the focus of the laser.

After measuring the focus, I made my standered focus adjuster of my own. With That focus.

Here is the Picture of that.

After, This I made my matrix of Speed and power. In this test, I kept power constant and varying speed.

Here is the Picture of that.