Week 3: Computer-Controlled Cutting¶
*The individual pieces of the parametric kit.
Group Assignment¶
Before getting down to the group assignment we began with servicing, maintenance and chores. First we vacuumed the laser bed, and the chamber. Then vacuumed the airfilter, and cleaned it with pressurized air. After reinstalling the air filter, we proceeded to cleaning the laser beam directing mirrors. For this we used a special solvant, and cotton swabs.
Laser Cutter¶
Safety training¶
What is kerf?¶
In fact with lasers, the cut out shape is slightly wider at the top, making it V-shaped, rather than a straight cut.
It's known that a kerf in laser cutting is the width of the material that is vaporized or burned away by the laser beam as it makes a cut. I need visuals for it, please make it as simple as you can. So simple so that a 5 year old would understand.
Plywood¶
I first tried cutting a 3mm plywood for measuring the kerf. I used a method which I looked up in older documentations of students from my node. So, I proceeded with creating 10 small rectangles inserted in a larger frame.
To calculate the kerf we proceeded with the following equation:
kerf = 0,(09)
Cardboard¶
The same I attempted with 4mm cardboard, same 10 rectangles inside a frame.
Note: cardboard can deform if not stored properly. Parts under more pressure will be squished and become thinner. This can result in nonuniform pieces.
kerf = 0,23
One takeaway we can make is that with cardboard the laser burns more material than it had with plywood.
Vinyl Cutter¶
It's known that a kerf in laser cutting is the width of the material that is vaporized or burned away by the laser beam as it makes a cut. I need visuals for it, please make it as simple as you can. So simple so that a 5 year old would understand.
Individual Assignment¶
A long time ago, I came across a japanese wooden jointless architecture, called Kigumi (in japanese 木組み). The constructions use no nails, no screws, no glue – purely relying on interlocking joints!
Interesting Links¶
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s Design Process
- da Vinci’s Self-supporting Bridge
- Japanese jointless architecture
- Tessellation
Parametric Construction Kit¶
For the construction kit, I came up with a design of two mirrored circle segments, subtracted from a quarter circle. Then the polar curve was rotated around the origin.
I first created a non-parametric draft of the polar curve, and after took the measurements into the spreadsheet. Then I went back to sketch mode, and assigned their parametric values.
Vinyl Cutter¶
I could not come up with something extrordinary to test the applications of the vinyl cutter, so I stuck to making a branded sticker.
Yet again, I am continued with the series of projects based on my favicon. As I had previously created the .svg of it, I did not need to convert it from the 2D model made in FreeCAD. I simply removed the infill of the logo in Figma, and cut out the outline of it.
At first I was concerned that the thin tips would be damaged when transfering from the backing tape onto the computer. But again, I used masking tape and all was good when transfering these.
Conclusion¶
I found quite fascinating working with a laser cutter, especially cutting cardboard. I am sure I will never forget the burnt smell of when opening the chamber door of the cutter.
With the vinyl cutter I am still struggeling to see its full use-potential. Though we have been told that it’s probably one of the most underrated tools in the labs, I believe in it, and still look for ways to harness its best use cases. But so fat, for me it’s a complex sticker cutter [I know that we can cut copper sheets on it too].