Week3 Computer-controlled cutting

Assignment: cut something on the vinyl cutter design, lasercut, and document a parametric construction kit, accounting for the lasercutter kerf, which can be assembled in multiple ways

This week I was practicing with two machines. One was a vinyl cutter and the other a laser CNC.First of all I learned that is very important to know what are the parameters of your machines. This is going to varies from lab to lab depending on meny aspects. In the next photo I show the parameters of the machines I was practicing with:

The laser CNC

To do the practice of the laser CNC I made use of a very basic design program called CorelDraw. With this program I manage to understand the concepts of vector and node. I also learned that CNC machines work with colors: blue, red and black are the more common. If you color your vectors with these colors the machine will understand a specific action. For example, with the machine that I was practicing the meaning of the colors is as follow: black is to engrave, blue to cot outside and red to cut inside. I also understood the meaning of code G or GNC which have an X and Y axe, as well a Z which means high. With those colors we manage to control the pantographer.

In this practice I also understood to very important concepts to manipulate a CNC laser machine: Potency and velocity. If you use more potency and less velocity then you are going to make a cut, but if you us less potency and more velocity you are going to engrave. I also learned that in order to make any work at the CNC you have to understand and specify your material, in bot ways; measures and quality. The first one is to tell the program were to work. The second one is to understand if you have to make any adjustment in order to work well with the material you are dealing with. When you operate the CNC is also important to make the measurement of the pantographer to be sure that the high is the correct one. There is an especial device to make this measurement.

The vinyl cutter

Practicing with the machine to cut vinyl I learned thar is very important to put attention in the force you apply, otherwise is not going to cut. This also depends on the quality of the materials. Therefore you have to make always little cuts to be sure that is the right one. First I tried the vinyl cutter machine at the speed 100 mm/s and force of 110 g but it did not work to cut the vinyl. Then I had to increase the force many times. It worked well at 160 g with the same speed.