This week, Dr. Shantanu Kadam Sir and I focused on understanding the laser cutting and vinyl cutting machines. Our learning involved exploring machine settings, material behavior, and software workflows. The assignment required us to characterize the laser cutter by testing different parameters and working with parametric modeling to create customizable designs for precise fabrication..

Create and cut a logo design using the vinyl cutter.

Objectives of this Group Assignment

This week’s group assignment covers the features of the laser cutter in our lab, such as kerf values, power, speed, and frequency through various tests.

• Understand the laser cutting machine and its specifications
• Understand how to operate the machine
• Learn safety precautions while operating the laser cutting machine
• Find out the optimum speed and power values along with calculating the kerf value for various materials

CO2 Laser Cutting

The Sanjivani Fab Lab owns a 100-watt CO2 Laser Cutting and Engraving Machine by India's first laser machine manufacturing company, SIL-Suresh Indu Lasers Pvt. Ltd.

Kerf - What is it?

Kerf is the width of the material removed during cutting, determined by the laser beam’s diameter and the material being cut. Measuring kerf when laser cutting is important for achieving accurate cuts.

For testing, we chose 4mm cardboard and 6mm MDF. We first measured the kerf by creating name letters with a box in Inkscape. The experiment involved printing initials with varying speeds and power settings to analyze the results.

Testing Process

To understand how the machine works with different speed and power settings, the team designed a sketch in LASERCAD, saved it as a .dxf file, and imported it into the machine through LaserCAD.

After testing various values, we concluded that for a 4mm cardboard sheet, a clean cut at a speed of 30mm/s requires 70% power. We also calculated the kerf by measuring the dimensions before and after cutting.

Learned Key points

This week's group assignment focused on understanding and testing the CO2 laser cutting machine at Sanjivani Fab Lab. The objectives included learning machine specifications, operation, and safety precautions while optimizing cutting parameters like speed, power, and kerf values for different materials. The team used 4mm cardboard and 6mm MDF to measure kerf by designing test patterns in Inkscape and LaserCAD. After conducting experiments, they determined that for a clean cut on 4mm cardboard, a speed of 30mm/s at 70% power was optimal. The findings emphasized the importance of precise parameter selection for achieving accurate cuts.

😀 Happy Learning 😀

😀 Suith Mayakrishnan & Dr.Shantanu kadam😀