Computer-Controlled Cutting

Group Assignment

A. Laser Cutter Safety Measures

1.Ventilation:

Ensure proper airflow or use an exhaust system to remove fumes generated during cutting, preventing the inhalation of toxic gases.

2.PPE (Personal Protective Equipment):

Safety glasses with UV protection to shield eyes from the laser.
Covered, fitted, simple clothes to avoid burns when handling hot materials.

3.Material Handling:

Always review the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the material you're cutting to understand any hazards.
Avoid cutting materials like PVC that release harmful fumes when burned.

4.Laser Cutter Settings:

Power and Speed: Adjust settings based on material type to ensure clean cuts and avoid excess heat.
Focus: Set the laser to the correct focus distance for optimal cut precision.

5.Fire Safety:

Keep a fire extinguisher or fire blanket nearby.
Never leave the laser cutter operating unattended.

6.Workspace Organization:

Keep the workspace free of clutter and flammable materials.
Always ensure the laser cutter’s protective enclosure is closed while operating.
Regularly clean waste collecting tray.

B. Important Technical Characteristics of Laser Cutter Machinery

1.Focus:

The focus is how sharp the laser beam is. If it's set correctly, it makes clean, precise cuts. If it's off, the cuts might be rough.

2.Power:

The power controls how strong the laser is. Higher power is used for cutting thicker materials, while lower power works for thinner materials.

3.Speed:

Speed is how fast the laser moves while cutting. Thicker materials need a slower speed, while thinner materials can be cut faster.

4.Kerf:

Kerf is the width of the cut made by the laser. It’s important to account for it in your design, especially when pieces need to fit together, like in a puzzle.

5.Joint Clearance:

Joint clearance is the small gap between pieces to ensure they fit together without being too tight or loose when assembled.

6.Material Compatibility:

Laser cutters can cut materials like wood, acrylic, cardboard, fabric, and even some metals. The settings must match the material for the best cut.

7.Cooling System:

A cooling system keeps the laser cutter from getting too hot during use, ensuring it works smoothly and safely.

8.Beam Type:

Most laser cutters use CO2 lasers because they’re good for cutting and engraving a variety of materials.

9.Precision:

Precision is how accurately the laser moves. Good precision means cleaner cuts and better accuracy for designs.

C. Comb Mechanism for Kerf Testing

For our kerf measurement, we used the comb-mechanism method, starting with slits set at a distance of 2.7 mm expanded to 3 mm. This indicated an overall increase of 0.2 mm across the distance. Since this added distance is the result of kerf, we divided it by 2, revealing that the kerf was 0.1 mm.

This process effectively accounted for both the kerf loss and the material thickness, providing a clear understanding of how the laser cutter interacts with the material. By using this method, we could adjust our designs with precision, knowing the exact kerf value rather than relying on post-cut adjustments.

In practice, this means we can design joints with an accurate understanding of how much material will be removed, ensuring a snug fit for press-fit assemblies. The results confirmed the importance of factoring in kerf early in the design phase for better outcomes. When I first set up the teeth-mechanism parametric design, it took some time to adjust the dimensions and refine the approach. However, over time, it became a valuable method for quickly testing slits with different thicknesses and step sizes, tailored to various materials. The process is especially useful when we don’t have access to Vernier Calipers. In such cases, I start with an initial guess for thickness and larger step sizes, then fine-tune the result in a second round, using the first test as a reference.

The comb test essentially accounts for kerf loss and material thickness. Instead of guessing or adjusting after the cut, it provides an accurate and immediate measurement for joint fitting. This method directly informs me of the correct dimensions, which saves time and ensures the joints will fit perfectly. While some may consider this an unconventional approach, it’s a practical solution given the variability in material thicknesses and inconsistencies in the laser cutter’s calibration.

From my experience, kerf loss and joint tolerance tend to go hand in hand. If you overcompensate for the kerf by adjusting the design too much, the joints will fit too tightly and may not assemble properly. On the other hand, if you allow for the kerf loss, the parts slot together with a snug, reliable fit. This approach works well for the materials and machines I typically use, but it’s important to note that results may vary based on the material properties and the laser cutter’s specific settings.

While it's essential to understand and account for kerf in your design, I also made sure to double-check the final results with Vernier Calipers. After completing the test, I verified the thickness of the cut material to ensure the dimensions were correct, confirming the accuracy of the teeth-mechanism method. This additional step helped solidify the precision of the final design.

Individual Assignment

A. My First Experience with Vinyl Cutting – A Step-by-Step Guide

Trying out vinyl cutting for the first time was exciting and surprisingly fun! The process was straightforward, but there were key steps I had to follow carefully. Here’s a breakdown of everything I learned—from setting up the machine to getting the final cut.

Step 1: Understanding the Vinyl Cutter

Before jumping in, we got a quick introduction to how the vinyl cutter works. It’s basically like a super-precise blade on a plotter, moving along the design to cut without applying too much pressure.

Unlike a laser cutter, it doesn’t burn through; instead, it makes fine cuts on the surface of a thin vinyl sheet.

Step 2: Choosing and Placing the Vinyl Sheet

We had different vinyl sheets to choose from—glossy, matte, colored, and even transparent ones.

The sheet had to be loaded properly onto the cutting bed, making sure it was aligned with the roller guides so it wouldn’t shift during cutting.

The machine uses rollers to grip the sheet, so adjusting them correctly was important for a smooth feed.

Step 3: Setting Up the Design in the Software

We used insert software (name, e.g., Silhouette Studio / Roland CutStudio / Cricut Design Space) to import or create our design. Since I was new to this, I started with a simple sticker design and a layered pattern to experiment with different cuts. Illustrator made my job easier as I knew how to layer perfectly within software. Made abstract pattern one with 'negative spacing' another with 'layers of different pattern with color'.

a. negative spacing pattern

b. layering pattern with color

The most important part was tracing the design to define the exact paths where the blade would cut. The software allowed me to adjust settings like:

Cut depth (how deep the blade goes)
Speed (slower for detailed designs, faster for simple shapes)
Blade force (adjusted based on the vinyl thickness)

Step 4: Sending the Design to the Cutter

Once everything looked good, I clicked "Send to Cutter", and the machine started cutting.

I tried with a test cut first to make sure power setteing were correct.

Watching the cutter in action was satisfying—it moved smoothly over the vinyl, following the design like a tiny robot drawing with a blade.

I had to make sure the blade wasn’t pressing too hard; otherwise, it could cut through the backing paper, which I wanted to avoid.

Step 5: Weeding (Removing Extra Vinyl)

After cutting, the next step was weeding—removing the unwanted vinyl pieces around the design.

Using a weeding tool (or a simple tweezer!), I carefully peeled off the excess vinyl while keeping the actual design intact.

For intricate designs, this step required patience, especially when dealing with small letters or fine details.

Step 6: Transferring the Vinyl Design

To transfer the design onto another surface (like a notebook, wall, or laptop), we used transfer tape.

The process was simple:

Stick the transfer tape onto the vinyl design.
Press it down smoothly to make sure it picked up all parts of the cut design.
Peel off the backing paper carefully, leaving only the vinyl stuck to the transfer tape.
Place it onto the final surface and press firmly.
Peel off the transfer tape, leaving the vinyl in place.
Make sure you don't create a mess while removing parts otherwise they may stick everywhere.

Final Thoughts

My first vinyl cutting experience was super fun and rewarding. It was exciting to see how a digital design turned into a physical cutout, and I loved how precise and clean the final stickers looked. This process opens up so many possibilities, from custom decals to layered artwork, and I can’t wait to experiment more with different designs and materials!

B. Laser-Cut Parametric Construction Kit

Having used a laser cutter before, I was already comfortable with its functions, settings, and power calculations, so this assignment was an exciting opportunity to push my creativity further. For this project, I wanted to explore something inspired by nature, and I found my muse in the stingray—its smooth, organic curves and flexible movement felt like a perfect concept for a modular structure.

I chose the stingray as inspiration for my parametric press-fit construction kit because of its fluid form and natural flexibility. Its smooth, curved shape makes for visually interesting yet functional modular pieces that can interlock in multiple ways. The stingray’s flat, adaptable body also relates well to press-fit joints, where pieces need to fit snugly but still allow movement and reconfiguration. Another reason is its efficient, streamlined movement, which inspired me to create lightweight and scalable structures. Using biomimicry, I wanted to capture the elegance of the stingray while designing a precise, adaptable, and visually dynamic construction kit.

Step 1: Understanding Parametric Design

Before jumping into the design, I had to make sure I truly understood parametric modeling. In simple terms, parametric design means creating a model where the dimensions and relationships are controlled by parameters (variables). This makes the design adaptable—if I change one value (like material thickness), the entire model updates accordingly.
This was especially important for a press-fit kit because materials can vary in thickness, and kerf (material lost due to laser cutting) affects how pieces fit together. A good parametric model ensures that even with slight changes, everything still fits perfectly without needing to redraw the design manually.

Step 2: Sketching and Concept Development

I started by sketching out different ideas, keeping the stingray’s form and movement in mind. Instead of a rigid structure, I wanted pieces that could interlock and create fluid, organic forms—almost like a stingray’s wings in motion.

To make this work, I focused on:

Curved, flowing shapes instead of rigid geometric pieces.
Multiple connection points for flexible assembly.
Scalable modules that could be combined in different ways.

Step 3: Creating the Parametric Model

Using Fusion 360 I set up my parametric model by defining key variables:

It is better to first, set parametric values and then start designing; especially if you are going for curves/forms.

Material thickness – Adjustable so the joints would always fit snugly.
Kerf compensation – Factored into the joint design to account for laser-cutting loss.
Slot sizes – Made modular so they could connect in multiple ways.
Tried adjustments – Defined using constraints, so curves remained smooth even when resized.

Explored various forms, curves, sizes , keeping in mind functionality.

The advantage of this was that I could quickly generate variations—bigger, smaller, or slightly modified versions—without manually redrawing anything.

Step 4: Laser Cutting & Testing the Fit

Once my design was ready, I exported it as a DXF file and set up the laser cutter with the right settings:

Also, make sure to arrange your designs as per quantity so, while cutting not too much material is wasted.

Ensure the scale (mm) in which model was made remains same throughout different set up in software.

Power & Speed – Adjusted for clean cuts without burning.
Focus & Air Assist – Ensured precise cutting and reduced charring.
Material Setup – Used cradboard with a thickness of 3mm , aligning it properly in the machine.

Step 5: Assembling the Kit

Now came the fun part—building with my pieces! Since the design was modular, I experimented with different ways of assembling them. Some combinations looked like futuristic sea creatures, while others resembled undulating wave patterns.

a. crab b. dragon c. fighter plane

I loved how every time we could assemble it differently, making own interpretations of the form. The organic flow of the pieces, inspired by the stingray, really came through.

Final Thoughts & Learnings

This project reinforced the importance of parametric design—once set up, it saves so much time and allows quick adjustments without starting over. Testing and refining was also key; even though I had prior laser-cutting experience, the first version didn’t fit perfectly, proving that real-world testing is always necessary.

Overall, this was a super engaging process that combined nature, digital design, and hands-on fabrication—a perfect mix of creativity and technical skill!