3. Computer-Controlled Cutting

This week I worked on parametric setting and cutting.

Assignment

• Group assignment:
• Do your lab's safety training
• Characterize your lasercutter's focus, power, speed, rate, kerf, joint clearance and types
• Document your work to the group work page and reflect on your individual page what you learned
• Individual assignments
• Design, lasercut, and document a parametric construction kit, accounting for the lasercutter kerf,
  which can be assembled in multiple ways
• Cut something on the vinyl cutter

 

Learning OutCome

• Demonstrate and describe parametric 2D modelling processes.
• Identify and explain processes involved in using the laser cutter.
• Develop, evaluate and construct a parametric construction kit.
• Identify and explain processes involved in using the vinyl cutter.

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Weekly Summary

Group Work

• Group Assignment

 

Individual Work

• Make parametric construction kit
• Vinyl cutting

 

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1. Make Parametric construction kit

 

(1) Check the Clearance size

I searched what kind of design is good for this week..
After I saw several alumni works, I got a rough idea.
I started drawing in Fusion.
First I made simple model in Fusion for checking the kerf, and cut it by laser cutter.

I exported the fusion file to Illustrator and all line color are changed to red(RGB:255:0:0) and line width 0.001mm.

laser cutter is on and put the material on it. Then adjust the cutter to the right place and material position.

Then select Print from File menu and choose Trotec from Printer menu.

When Trotec application is started, push the connect button for connecting laser cutter①.

After confirming the connect with a laser cutter, select the file and move to the screen.②

Click white space and set cut power and speed, Then click start.

I wanted to make one more object, choose "re-do" on the right click and select menu.

Now I need to be clear about the joint clearance and kerf. (As I don't understand it clearly yet...) My cardboard is 3mm thickness, and we found the best joint clearance is 2.5mm by checking handmade estimating comb. Then we measured the space of joint directly. That is 2.7mm.   That means this kerf is 0.2mm(2.7mm - 2.5mm) Thickness : 3.0mm Joint clearance : 2.5mm Kerf : 0.2mm

 

(2) Make construction kit

First, I set the parameters.

I draw a circle with a size of "circle_diameter" in diameter.

And make a joint, first I draw a half-size joint and copy other half by a "mirror".

 

Once joint hole is made, I made 8 holes by using "circular pattern".

Then I put a second circle for circle pillars.

And make joint holes at the big circle and cut lines.

Copy the same joint hole to other side

I made another circle(bigger one).

Then I made bars and joint holes in there.

The design was arranged so that it can be cut efficiently with a laser cutter.

(3)Laser cutting

The file is exported to Illustrator.
All the lines are changed to red(RGB 255:0:0) and line-width to 0.001mm. and did the same procedure to cut by laser cutter above.

 

I made another model(shelf) from the same parts.

2. Vinal Cutting

(1) Design

At first, I made the design by hand.

I tried to scan and modify it for vinyl cutting but didn't work well.
So I draw one directly by the Inkscape.

When the instructors checked my design, told me that line at the hands are too thin for cutting.
So I made hands again.