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3. Computer Controlled Cutting

Task for the Week 03:

Group assignment:

  • Characterize your lasercutter’s focus, power, speed, rate, kerf, joint clearance and types

Individual assignment

  • 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

  • Cut something on the vinylcutter

Note: Some takeaway from the group assignment For the group assignment, we did the characterize of laser cutter for that I played with different power,velocity and PPI. For laser engraving the finding the right power and speed setting play an important role.Generally we would recommend choosing the lowest possible power value and choose the fastest possible speed for cutting, because the higher power at slower speed leads to burn out of the materials.Secondly to know the kerf value, used lerf generation tool and cut two combs from the cardboard of the 5.1mm thickness and calculated the kerf value(0.125). Lastly I also knew about the laser safety to maintain the safe working environment.

Link to the group assignment is here

Vinyl Cutting

Roland CAMM-1 GS-24

Vinyl cutter is a computer cntrolled machine that involves cutting shapes, letters, or designs from thin adhesive vinyl sheets.This machine will cut the vinyl as per the design created in software (Inkscape).For Vinyl Cutting I am going to use Roland Camm-1 Gs-24 and inkscape.

roland

Roland CAMM-1 GS-24 Overview:

Front view front

Back view back

Operation Panel panel

Photo courtesy:Roland DG

How Vinylcutter works?

Before I start cutting the Vinyl I did the following things:

  • I adjusted the blade tip just enough to feel its tip by finger blade

  • Lowered the loading lever> place the vinyl piece/ lift the loading lever

  • Move the rollers at either end of the material to clamp and hold the material. placement

  • Turn on the machine. I made sure that my machine connection is on and rightly

  • Hit Enter (Operarional panel)> the material will start loading(it will start caliberating the length and width)

  • Go to menu> adjust the force> speed menu

    Important parameters to play around with: Force,Speed

After setting up the machine, I open the Inkscape

  • Import the image you want to vinyl cut

Photo courtesy: I used image from google for my stickers

  • Now, do the bitmap trace roland1

  • Adjust the size of the image by file> document properties> A4 size> resize to content roland2

  • Go to the extension drop down list> select roland cut studio> open cut studio roland 3

  • Your file will be open to cut studio

Follow the step below and do your cutting

roland4

  • Turn off the machine> take out your sticker > take out the unwanted stickers(weeding)> use tweezer. weeding

  • Transfer the sticker to transparent transfer tape and press using yellow squeezer as shown in the image below.

  • Transper your sticker to the transfer tape

  • Paste the transfer tape with the sticker on the laptop, and then remove the transfer tape slowly and gently.

  • Here is my beautiful ✨ stickers stickers

  • Lastly clean up my leftover materials.

Laser cutting

Our Lab has three different laser machine:

  1. Trotec speedy 400 flex

  2. Trotec Speedy 100

  3. Mr.Curve

For this fab academy I am going to use trotec speedy 100, becuase I find trotec speedy 100 more comfortable.

Trotec Speedy 100 Flex workflow:

  • Turn On the machine. Turn the Key Right side (Ensure the lid of the laser is closed)

  • Open the lid once you heared the beep sound.

    Machine will beep once when done with auto homing and starting up

machine on and off

  • Place the work piece to the left corner of the bed. Move the nozzle to the middle of the work piece to set Z axis.

  • or Use the autofocus button to set the Z axis

  • Z axis can also be lowered or raised using the key below zaixs tool

  • once the z axis tool touch the material, then you can remove the z axis tool zaixs tool

  • Open the Inkscape

  • Import your design file

    By default the black will engrave and redline will cut

  • Ensure to set the proper stroke width and style

    I used 0.01 1mm or hairline(stroke thickness)

    stroke

  • Ensure to resize the page to fit the content. The image below shows how to resize the page to fit the content. resize page

  • Once you are done with the design, go to file > Print > in the dropdown menu select Trotec Engraver > hit print.

  • You can set the sizing, material type and can change settings of the process in less detail.

  • In our case, paper> cardboard was selected. Hit JC to send the design to the job center which will open. trotec

  • In Job center, Click on icon as shown in the image to connect it to engraver

  • You can also set the materials parameters like material thickness engraving and cutting power, velocity and frequency pic

  • After making all the setting, placed the top left of your design in the center of the laser’s pointer. Hit the play button to begin your job. pic 5

trotec * Once the job is done, ensure to keep the lid closed for few minutes to make sure that the fumes and smoke is vanished.

NOTE: Ensure that you are always by the machine when the job is running, with a fire blanket and fire extinguisher nearby for safety and always clean your working area after your workdone.

Parametric Construction kit

Our individual assignment for the week is to make a parametric press fir kit. I will be using Fusion 360 for the design and trotec speedy 100 for the laser cutting.

  • Open the fusion 360

  • Select the plane where you want to perform your sketch

  • To make the design parametrically I firstly made a rectangle sketch and then I went to Change parameter under Modify drop down list and defined the parameters. modify > change parameters and + user parameters. Also in the parameters you can add the parameters name, numerical value or expression and Unit modify parameters

  • I went back to sketch and the gave the dimension my rectangle. As the dimensions are already defined I can directly type the parameters set. We can always go back to change parameter and change the dimensions.The image shown below is my set parameters my parameters

  • Next I created slot in my rectangle

  • I added all the dimensions for the following parameters.

  • After creating all the dimenion then I exported my 2d file into dxf by right clicking on the sketch and save in my desired location with the name as parametric week03. dxf file

  • I open my inkscape file to set the lines color to red (to cut) and the stroke thickness to about 0.01mm

  • Then sent the job to the Trotec JobCenter. The entire workflow of the laser has been documented above when I characterized the Laser.

  • The press fit I assembled is displayed below. 3 2 1

Design file for the week attached below: 1. Parametric File

  1. Vinyl File