Computer-Controlled Cutting

For our first group assignment we are going to have a closer look onto two of our lasercutters. In the following we will measure its kerf as well as characterize their details in terms of type, power, speed and focus.

Lasercutter

xTool F1 Ultra

The xTool is a 20W fiber & 20W diode laser engraver. It can engrave up to 10,000 mm/s and can work with materials like wood, acrylic, leather, and metal. It has a working area of 220x220mm. The F1 Ultra features a convenient autofocus function but can also be manually adjusted. Depending on the material, the manual setting seemed to be more precise. The positioning of the objects to be cut/engraved within the laser cutter is done via a camera. For the kerf test, we prepared a file with a size of 130x90mm (Kerf-Test Area), where we arranged 12 cuts horizontally next to each other. After the laser job, which took about 30 minutes, we moved all the pieces to the left and measured the distance. Contrary to our expectation that the laser, due to its mirrors, would be highly precise, we were able to measure a distance of 4.476mm after 12 cuts. This results in a kerf of 0.373mm.

Cut Settings:

• Power: 80
• Speed: 4
• Passes: 3

Material:

• 4mm black acrylic

In addition to the kerf, we also wanted to capture the differences in engraving. We created a test to gradually increase the power in 10% steps from left to right.

Engraving Settings:

• Power: 10% increments from 10 to 100
• Speed: 4000
• Passes: 10

Material:

• 4mm black acrylic

The engraving works surprisingly well with the laser, producing very fine and detailed results. However, it should be noted that cutting materials with the F1 Ultra may not be the best option. One should expect that the results will not be precise, and cutting is more of a secondary or emergency function rather than a primary feature.

Epilog Laser Zing

The Epilog Zing is a 50W CO₂ laser and can work with materials such as wood, acrylic, and leather. It has a working area of 600 × 300 mm. The focus point has to be set manually. The positioning of the objects to be cut or engraved within the laser cutter is done by placing them inside the machine and setting the correct values based on its origin point.

For the kerf test, we prepared a file with 20 horizontal cuts next to each other. After the laser job, which took about 24 minutes, we moved all the pieces to the left and measured the total distance created by the cuts. For those 20 cuts, we measured a distance of 1.59 mm. This results in a kerf of 0.0795 mm, which—compared to the xTool F1 Ultra’s kerf of 0.373 mm—is significantly smaller.

Cut Settings:

• Power: 100
• Speed: 35
• Frequency: 5000

Material:

• 4mm transparent acrylic

Similar to above we also created a test engraving for the Zing. We also increased the power used by 10% steps. Here is how it looks:

Engraving Settings:

• Power: 10% increments from 10 to 100
• Speed: 40
• Frequency: 5000

Material:

• 4mm transparent acrylic