Group Assignment

Laser Cutter Safety

Potential Hazards

Fires
Dangerous fumes / vapors
Eye damage
Skin burns
Puncture wounds

Why Can Lasers Be Dangerous?

Laser cutters use a focused beam of light to cut through various materials such as wood, plastic, and metal. The high-energy beam is so concentrated that it can vaporize the material, which also makes the laser dangerous.

Laser Cutter Hazards

1. Fires

Laser cutters can cause fires if the material being cut is flammable or combustible. If the laser’s energy is not properly controlled, the laser beam can ignite the material and any other combustible in close proximity. It is essential to use only laser cutter-safe materials on a laser bed to avoid a fire hazard.

2. Dangerous Fumes/Vapors

When laser cut, some materials can emit laser-generated air contaminants (LGACs), which are harmful gases that can pose serious health risks when inhaled. For example, PVC releases toxic gases (including chlorine) when lasered, which is highly corrosive and dangerous.

3. Eye Damage

Eye damage can occur when a laser beam enters the eye and damages the retina. The more powerful the laser, the more dangerous it is. In Class 3B and Class 4 lasers, even reflections can cause serious eye damage. Always wear laser safety glasses and ensure the laser is properly contained.

4. Skin Burns

Laser cutters can cause severe skin burns when the laser’s high-energy light comes into contact with the skin, heating it to the point of damage or combustion.

5. Cuts and Wounds

Laser cutting can create sharp or pointed edges on the material. These can potentially cause cuts or puncture wounds. Wearing cut-resistant gloves provides extra protection.

How to Safely Use Laser Cutters

Never leave an operating laser cutter unattended.
Keep the laser away from debris.
Avoid direct eye contact with the laser.
Use only compatible materials.
Never disable safety features.
Ensure proper cooling to prevent overheating.
Use the correct laser settings.
Utilize air assist to prevent combustion.
Stay alert while operating the machine.

Parametric Lamp Design Kit

For the Paramaetic Lamp design I have refered this video

2D laser-cuttable design with customizable dimensions

I planned to design the lamp in three strucutres one is that, The Connectors Which I done Initial design in 2D drafting and then designing the base plate which connecting all the hands and then conecting the hands to the base plate

Parametric Design in Fusion 360

Parametric design in Fusion 360 involves creating models where key dimensions and parameters drive the geometry. This approach allows for easy modifications and fine-tuning, as changes to the parameters automatically update the entire model.

Defining Parameters: Parameters are defined at the start, such as the length, width, or diameter. These parameters can be used throughout the design to maintain consistency and allow for quick adjustments.
Using Constraints: Constraints are used to maintain relationships between different parts of the model. For example, ensuring that two lines remain parallel or that a circle stays concentric with another shape.
Advantages: Parametric design allows for efficient iteration, as changes can be made quickly by altering parameter values. This is particularly useful for prototyping and testing different design configurations.
Example: When designing a lamp in Fusion 360, you can set parameters for the lamp's height, base diameter, and connector thickness. Adjusting these parameters will automatically resize and redefine the lamp's components, providing flexibility in design exploration.

By leveraging parametric design, designers can create adaptable and scalable models that meet specific requirements and constraints.

For the Parametric Design

I Initially fixed a Dimension of d5 to the common for all dimensions

Next I have taken the same value for the Hands Design to and then changed its value too

Similarly I have used this for all of my areas where I am Connecting one with Each other

Hand Design

Initially I considered all the aspects and then having the edges of the connectors as 4mm and as there two connectors will be have and I assigned the 4mm as both ends as a parametric.

Base Plate Design

And then considering the common 4mm connectors as parametric constraint for the base plate cuts

As we have to connect the hands to the base plate, so I used the same parametric as the connector, which is 4mm.

Intial parameters

I have done the initial parametric design in Fusion 360 and the below listed are the initial parameters that came along with the design

Now what I am going to do is chaning the inital design that I have done in Fusion 360, Initially I have taken a d5 as my Initially measuring thing

Initally you can see here the design is much more what we initially had, Now I going to change that value from 40mm to 20 mm, Let's see how its affecting the design

After changing the parameters

After doing some Iterations in Design I finally arrived in this design

LaserCAD

Laser Cutting Guide

Recommended Settings:

Material	Speed	Power
3mm Plywood	8mm/s	85%
6mm Plywood	5mm/s	90%

Cut interior features first, then outer contours

Assembly Steps

Connect base components
Insert vertical supports
Attach shade panels

Hero Shot

Sign Master

Sign Master is a software used to create and customize vinyl cutting designs. It is a free software that can be downloaded online. This software allows the user to create their own designs or modify existing ones. It also provides a variety of tools and features to help the user to create their design.

Create and customize vinyl cutting designs
Modify existing designs
Provides a variety of tools and features

Vinyl Cutting

Vinyl cutting is a process of cutting vinyl sheets into desired shapes and designs. This process is done using a vinyl cutting machine. The machine is connected to a computer and the design is sent to the machine from the computer. The machine then cuts the design out of the vinyl sheet.

Process of cutting vinyl sheets into desired shapes and designs
Uses a vinyl cutting machine
Connected to a computer

Download the files

You can download the encoded model by clicking on the following links.