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Week 3. Group / Computer Controlled cutting

This is group assignment page for West harima student :

Student

group assignment

  • do your lab’s safety training
  • characterize your lasercutter’s focus, power, speed, rate, kerf, joint clearance and types

machine

1.FABOOL Laser CO2

FABOOL Laser CO2

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1.0 specuration

focus : Use jig (fablab West-harima is made) and adjust focus.
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  • power : 0 – 100 % (as maker setting)
  • speed : 50 – 8000 mm/min (as maker setting)
  • rate(Hz) - not adjustable

2.How to use(SmartDIY Creators)

2.0 install from here

2.1 Open SmartDIY Creators, and Connect to FABOOL Laser CO2. alt text

2.2 Import the your file. alt text

2.3 Set position and size. alt text

2.4 Set parameters. (Power/Speed/Times) alt text

2.5 Comfirm the work size, and start. alt text

Note)The above photo is taken from the installation of SmartDIY Creators.

3.Note

3.0 Things to note

  • Never touch the lenses with your hands, and be very careful when handling them.
  • The lenses contain toxic ZnSe, so if you do touch them, take measures such as washing your hands with detergent.
  • Power 100 seems to cause a lot of laser pain, so I refrain from using it.
  • Enable” in the upper left corner of the “Parameter Setting Dialog” allows you to set whether or not the target item will be processed.
  • If “Enable” is unchecked, the target item will not be processed.
  • Always stay close to the FABOOL Laser CO2 during processing. Be careful of fire.
  • Wear protective goggles.
  • If processing is started with the door open, the laser head will move, but the laser will not be emitted.
  • If the PC screen saver starts to move, the FABOOL Laser CO2 will stop processing.
  • Remove scrap wood that may burn if it falls off before use.

3.1 Marerials (Do’t use!!)

  • If the material is chloride, DON’T use it.
    　[Example]: Vinyl chloride board, Vinyl chloride pipe, Vinyl chloride sheet, etc.
    　[Reason]: Toxic gases are produced. It also causes rust on the metal parts, which shortens the life of the laser machining machine.

  • DON’T use mirrors or mirrored surfaces.
    　[Reason]: The laser will reflect and cause a malfunction. Examples of holes in the machine, blindness, and possible injury.

  • DON’T use highly flammable materials.
    　[Example]: Explosives and highly pyrophoric materials, for example, spray cans, batteries, paint, etc.

  • DON’T use materials that contain fluorine.
    　[Example]: Be careful not to include it in the ingredients of tapes and rubber sheets.
    　[Reason]: Toxic gases are produced.

4.Calibration

4.0 Cut the square (100×100mm)

4.1 Measure the cut part.
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4.2 Calculate “the correction value”

  • “the correction value” = 100 / the measure size x 100
  • (In case of photo “X” : 100/99.45x100 = 100.5530417)

4.3 In SmartDIY Creators > Setting > correction input “the correction value” to X and Y. alt text

4.4 Test cut.

4.5 Mesure the cut part if the size become near 100x100mm, the calibration is finish. If not, repeat calibration.

5.kerf test

Measured the t3.0mm cardboard.(Measured value=2.95mm)

5.0 Using Kerf Check Parts Generator,enter the values you want to test (start-width,pitch,gap,number-of-kerfs,blade-diameter) and click and download the SVG file. alt text
“Kerf Check Parts Generator” created and customized by the following two people.
Customize : by Atsufumi Suzuki /  FabAcademy 2022(Kamakura)
Original : by Doyo Daisuke / FabAcademy 2018(Kamakura)

5.1 Cut the SVG file with FABOOL Laser CO2. alt text

Result 3.4mm is the best fit for 3mm cardboard.

6.Parameter mix

This test is for finding appropriate mix of parameters; power, speed and cutting repetition.

  • It turned out the laser is not working with power 10% or less.
  • Cardboard is made of paper so recommended power is 20% or less. The higher the power, the easier getting fire.
  • But with lower power, difficult to cut it at one time.

I learned the above from my instructor

6.0 Cut one time
alt text We can cut this cardboard with over 20% power.

6.1 Cut 2 times

In fact, during this test, a fire broke out due to my lack of attention…
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The following steps were digested.

1.Turn off the power to the machine
2.Fire extinguishing
3.Fire Fighting Confirmation
4.Check for injuries

Causes of fire
I was looking at my phone. →Because I was talking on line with a friend and got excited.

Future measures
- Do not touch the phone while working.
- If it catches fire, watch it so that you can put it out immediately.

We are glad that no one was injured this time and that we were able to confirm that the opportunity was working properly, but next time we will keep a close eye on it and be careful. Please be careful next time.

After this we resumed testing with my instructor.

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During the test, the instructor detected signs of ignition at Power: 30%, Speed: 500 mm/min and stopped the test .
Looking at these results, I thought that the cleanest, safest, and fastest cut would be Power : 20%, Speed : 1250 mm/min, time : 2.