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3. Computer controlled cutting

Group assignment

characterize your lasercutter’s focus, power, speed, rate, kerf, joint clearance and types.

Documentation at: Fablab Taipei

Indivisual assignment

  • cut something on the vinylcutter
  • design, lasercut, and document a parametric construction kit, accounting for the lasercutter kerf, which can be assembled in multiple ways, and for extra credit include elements that aren’t flat

This week I worked on trying vinylcutter and laser cutter, and do parametric design is useful but reallly take some time…

Vinylcutter

This is vinyl cutter in Fablab Taipei. It’s easy to use, but need to install cutting master to sent files to cut. Still some technique problem with it.

How it works:

  1. cut a sheet (sticker paper)
  2. align the edge of machine, and make sure two components used to make sheet fixed are under the blue mark (in picture)
  3. let it tight and press “3. scan the sheet” on screen
  4. connect computer and cutter, and then use Ai plugin cutting master to cut

I downloaded cutting master from here, it’s able to print but cannot receive scanning result from the cutter…

Anyway, I draw a kangaroo and print it out, now it’s on my port!

credit to

Laser cutter

This is laser cutter in Fablab Taipei (even had a logo on it!). There are many things to know about it.

How it works:

  1. Turn on the power and air extraction switches
  2. Turn on computer and find the application on right bottom, oprn it and turn on power
  3. find your material, use caliper to estimate the thickness and set up following parametric design adjust (if applicable)
  4. put ypur material in the cutter, use the little tool at left hand to estimate the range between laser head and work table. adjust the table with buttom on machine.
  5. plug in USB, open your SVG file in Ai and press print > setting > choose laser cutter and press reference.
  6. set up Rsat/Vect with different color here, together with power, speed and PPI (intensity). Press set after each color (or you can set multiple color together) Hint: only RGB between 0 or 255 color accepted
  7. press apply and OK > press “user-defined prrinting scope (vertical)” > print. And you can find the image in the application at bottom right.
  8. Set up laser head posision freely, and use “point to printer” to let image align to laser head. Can also duplicate image and calculate the estimated time. Hint: you can still adjust power, speed and PPI (intensity) of each color here, just not Rast/Vect
  9. Turn on air flow switch, you are good to press the big green “GO” button!
  10. Wait until finish and don’t leave the cutter out of your sight, a little bit more time after finishing (extract harm material and air) and take your work out. Clean out everything inside and turn off machine while it cool down (you can hear the voice down), computer and the switches should be turned off as well.

To cut through 2.9 mm MDF, you need to set: Mode:Vect / Power:100% / Speed:7% / PPI:1000 (note: accordng to evaluator, the power should never beyond 95% to increase cutter’s life expextency)

To cut through 9 mm cardboard, you need to set: nothing guarantee, only tapes may help you from buring (don’t supply Oxygen for fire)

First I try to build a finger joint. Using fusion 360 should be a good choice, but still need many time to get use of it.

Many constraints & parameter!!!

Lego tree come true?

I love legos, and the lego tree is quite beautiful (to some degree), so I brought it to lab and refer to it.

I draw some triangle and cut them.

They can become a ball for sure.

And then this is my tree!

Think there is something missing, color!

Finally! (sorry that green has sold out, so it’s blue tree)

Parametric design tips

First, use these tool to set parameters. Second, find all your parameters here. Third, edit parameter or set your own user parameter by clicking “+”. Finally, click “export DXF” and you can get your vector file (able to open in Ai).

Design files

3D model

Finger joints by Hanson Chang on Sketchfab

Side project: wooden medal

Obstacle on the way: although line doesn’t show on illustrator (cover by another object), laser cutter still cut through. Solve: you need to press the line ,and then use whate arrow just show up (under black arrow we usually use) to “trim” the line.

Last update: June 27, 2022