Week 3: Computer-Controlled Cutting
Assignment Overview
This week focuses on exploring computer-controlled cutting technologies, including laser cutters and vinyl cutters. I learned parametric design, kerf compensation, and precision cutting techniques.
Date: February 5-11, 2026 Status: ✅ Completed
📋 Assignment Requirements
Group Assignment
✅ Characterize your laser cutter's focus, power, speed, rate, kerf, and joint clearance
- Completed laser cutter characterization
- Measured kerf width: 0.1mm
- Material thickness: 4mm MDF board
- Documented optimal settings
✅ Document your work to the group work page and reflect on your individual page what you learned
- Group work completed
- Individual reflections documented below
Individual Assignment
✅ Design, make, and document a parametric press-fit construction kit
- Created parametric design in Fusion 360
- Designed press-fit joints with kerf compensation
- Successfully assembled modular kit
✅ Account for the laser cutter kerf
- Measured kerf: 0.1mm
- Implemented parametric kerf compensation
- Verified joint fit through testing
✅ Cut something on the vinyl cutter
- Designed Gecko mascot sticker in Inkscape
- Cut and applied decorative vinyl
- Documented complete process
Learning Objectives
- ✅ Demonstrate workflows used in laser and vinyl cutting
- ✅ Identify and explain considerations for cutting materials
- ✅ Develop and realize different types of joints
- ✅ Document kerf for laser cutter used
🎯 What I Made This Week
Laser Cutting Project
Parametric Press-Fit Construction Kit - Modular components with calculated joint clearances - Press-fit assembly without glue - Kerf compensation: 0.1mm - Material: 4mm MDF board
Vinyl Cutting Project
Gecko Mascot Sticker - Custom design with text effects - Applied to vehicle surface - Demonstrates vinyl cutting workflow
🛠️ Tools and Materials
Laser Cutter
Machine Used: - Laser cutter (model documented in group work) - Material: 4mm MDF board - Software: Laser cutter control software
Key Settings: - Power and speed: Documented in group characterization - Kerf width: 0.1mm - Joint clearance: 0.1mm
Vinyl Cutter
Machine Used: - Brother cutting plotter - Adhesive vinyl sheet - Transfer tape for application
Software: - Inkscape for design - Brother cutting plotter software
📐 Parametric Design Process
1. Fusion 360 Design
I designed a parametric press-fit construction kit in Fusion 360 with the following features:
Key Parameters: - Material thickness: 4mm (variable) - Kerf width: 0.15mm (variable) - Joint clearance: Calculated from kerf measurement
Designed parts in Fusion 360 with joints for assembly
Parametric Variables:
The design uses variables to make it adaptable to different materials and laser cutters:
Parametric variables for dynamic kerf compensation (0.15mm)
2. Kerf Testing and Measurement
What is Kerf?
Kerf is the width of material removed by the laser during cutting. Understanding kerf is crucial for creating precise press-fit joints.
Group Work: Kerf Characterization
Checking laser cutter power and speed settings (Group work)
Cutting test chip to verify kerf width
Verifying laser cutter kerf width to determine optimal cutting width
Measurement Results:
Confirmed that the cutting width is 0.1mm
Cutting kerf verification test chip
Target material board thickness is 4mm
Confirmed that the optimal joint clearance should be set to 0.15mm
Key Findings: - Measured kerf width: 0.1mm (cutting width) - Optimal joint clearance: 0.15mm - Material thickness: 4mm MDF
3. Joint Design Strategy
Based on the kerf measurements, I designed press-fit joints with: - Calculated clearance of 0.1mm - Parametric dimensions for easy adjustment - Modular components for various configurations
🔥 Laser Cutting Process
Safety Preparations
Pre-Cutting Preparation:
Water filter system for exhaust gases using vacuum cleaner
Detail of the exhaust gas water filter cleaner
Before starting laser cutting, I created a water filter cleaner for exhaust gases using a vacuum cleaner and a petroleum can to improve air quality during the cutting process.
Cutting Execution
Step 1: Load Design File
Imported design file into laser cutter software
Step 2: Cutting Process
Laser cutting in progress
Me cutting MDF board with the laser cutter (photo by friend)
Step 3: Cutting Complete
Laser cutting work completed
Step 4: Remove Excess Material
Removing excess material after cutting is complete
Assembly Results
Final Assembly:
Completed assembly - gaps fit perfectly as calculated!
The press-fit joints worked perfectly! The calculated clearance of 0.1mm resulted in tight, precise fits without glue.
Collaborative Work:
Created a bike by combining parts cut by friends. Cool, right?
Working with other participants, we combined our laser-cut parts to create more complex assemblies, demonstrating the modularity of parametric design.
🎨 Vinyl Cutting Process
Design Creation in Inkscape
Step 1: Initial Design
Creating design for vinyl cutting in Inkscape
Step 2: Gecko Design
Basic Gecko design completed
I designed a Gecko mascot as the main element of the vinyl sticker.
Text Effects
Step 3: Add Text
Placed plain text on the design
Step 4-6: Text Transformation
Setting up effects to transform text to match the design - Step 1
Setting up effects - Step 2: Configuring envelope deformation
Setting up effects - Step 3: Deformation using lattice
I used Inkscape's envelope and lattice effects to transform the text to match the gecko design's curves.
Step 7: Final Design
Vinyl cutting design completed
Cutting Process
Step 8: Load Design to Plotter
Loading vinyl cutting data (SVG) into the cutting plotter
Step 9: Machine Setup
Brother cutting plotter used for this project
Step 10: Load Vinyl Sheet
Setting the vinyl sheet into the plotter
Step 11: Import Data
Importing data into the cutting plotter
Step 12: Software Settings
Blade depth adjusted through software (no physical mechanism on holder)
The Brother cutting plotter uses software-based blade depth adjustment rather than physical adjustment on the blade holder.
Step 13: Cutting
Cutting in progress
Troubleshooting Blade Depth
Problem: Initial Cut Too Deep
Initial settings cut too deep through backing sheet - adjusting settings
The initial blade depth setting was too deep, cutting through the backing sheet. I needed to adjust the settings.
Solution: Adjust Settings
Configuring cut settings to half-cut mode for sticker application
Adjusting cutting speed, pressure, and depth in the settings
I adjusted the cutting settings to half-cut mode for stickers, and fine-tuned the speed, pressure, and depth.
Post-Processing
Step 17: Weeding
Removing excess vinyl from the properly cut sheet
Weeding is the process of removing excess vinyl, leaving only the design.
Step 18: Apply Transfer Tape
Applying transfer sheet to prepare for application
Step 19: Final Application
Application complete. The car looks awesome now!
The Gecko mascot sticker was successfully applied to the vehicle surface. The result looks great!
📦 Design Files
All design files are included in the repository.
Laser Cutting Files
- 📥 Fusion 360 Source File - Parametric press-fit test design (294KB)
- 📥 DXF Export - For laser cutting (24KB)
- Parameters:
- Material thickness: 4mm
- Kerf compensation: 0.1mm
- Joint clearance: 0.15mm
- Parametric variables for easy adjustment
Vinyl Cutting Files
- 📥 Gecko Mascot Design (SVG) - Vector file for vinyl cutting (21KB)
- 📥 Brother Plotter Project - Complete cutting plotter project (2.0MB)
- Design features:
- Gecko mascot with custom text
- Text effects: Envelope and Lattice deformation
- Optimized for weeding
- Ready for Brother cutting plotter
🔗 Connection to Final Project
How This Week's Work Supports My Smart Reptile Habitat System
Laser Cutting Skills: - Parametric design for adaptable enclosure components - Press-fit joints for tool-free assembly - Kerf compensation for precise mechanical fits - Platform and mounting brackets for sensors
Vinyl Cutting Skills: - Custom labels for control panel - Warning and instruction labels - Gecko mascot branding - Professional finishing touches
Key Takeaways: 1. Parametric design allows easy adaptation to different materials 2. Kerf measurement is critical for tight-fitting joints 3. Testing and iteration are essential for successful results 4. Computer-controlled cutting enables precise, repeatable results
🔧 Problems and Solutions
Problem 1: Vinyl Cut Too Deep
What Happened: The initial vinyl cutting settings cut through the backing sheet, making it impossible to weed and transfer the design properly.
Why It Happened: - Default settings were too aggressive for thin vinyl material - Brother plotter uses software blade depth control - No physical adjustment available on blade holder
How I Solved It: 1. Switched to half-cut mode for sticker application 2. Adjusted cutting speed, pressure, and depth in software 3. Tested on scrap material before final cut
Settings adjusted to half-cut mode
What I Learned: - Always test cut on scrap material first - Software-controlled blade depth requires careful calibration - Half-cut mode is essential for sticker applications - Cutting parameters must match material thickness
Problem 2: Understanding Kerf Compensation
What Happened: Initially unclear how to properly account for kerf in parametric design.
Why It Happened: - Kerf affects both outer and inner dimensions differently - Need to understand which dimensions to adjust - Parametric variables needed for flexibility
How I Solved It: 1. Conducted group kerf characterization tests 2. Measured actual kerf width: 0.1mm 3. Created parametric variables in Fusion 360 4. Applied compensation dynamically based on material thickness
Parametric variables for dynamic kerf compensation
What I Learned: - Kerf compensation is not just adding/subtracting dimensions - Parametric design makes testing different materials easy - Group collaboration helps understand machine characteristics - Documentation of settings is crucial for repeatability
⏱️ Time Management
| Activity | Time Spent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Group characterization | 2 hours | Laser cutter testing and kerf measurement |
| Parametric design (Fusion 360) | 3 hours | Design with variables for kerf compensation |
| Kerf testing | 1 hour | Test cuts and measurements |
| Press-fit kit fabrication | 2 hours | Laser cutting and assembly |
| Vinyl design (Inkscape) | 2 hours | Gecko mascot with text effects |
| Vinyl cutting | 1.5 hours | Including troubleshooting blade depth |
| Documentation | 2.5 hours | Photography and writing |
| Total | 14 hours | Spread over the week |
💭 Reflection
What Went Well
- Parametric Design Success: Using variables for material thickness and kerf made the design highly adaptable
- Perfect Joint Fit: The calculated 0.1mm clearance resulted in tight, precise press-fit joints
- Group Collaboration: Working with others to characterize the laser cutter and combine parts
- Problem Solving: Successfully troubleshot vinyl cutting depth issue through systematic adjustment
- Creative Design: The Gecko mascot design with text effects turned out great
What I'd Do Differently
- More Test Cuts: Would do more test cuts before final pieces to verify settings
- Material Variety: Would test with different materials (acrylic, plywood) to compare kerf
- Joint Variations: Would design and test more joint types (box joints, snap fits)
- Documentation: Would take more process photos during design phase in Fusion 360
- File Organization: Would better organize SVG layers in Inkscape for easier editing
Lessons Learned
- Kerf is Critical: Precise kerf measurement makes the difference between loose and perfect fits
- Parametric Design Pays Off: Variables save time when testing or adapting designs
- Test First: Always test settings on scrap material before final cuts
- Software Control: Modern machines use software for fine adjustments (Brother plotter blade depth)
- Collaboration Value: Group characterization work benefits everyone and creates community knowledge
For Next Week - Electronics Production
The parametric design skills learned this week will be valuable for: - Designing precise PCB mounting brackets - Creating enclosures for electronics with exact tolerances - Understanding the importance of precision in manufacturing
📚 References
Laser Cutting
- Fab Academy: Computer-Controlled Cutting
- Group work page (shared documentation)
- Fusion 360 parametric design tutorials
Parametric Design
- Fusion 360: User Parameters
- Press-fit joint design principles
- Kerf compensation strategies
Vinyl Cutting
- Inkscape: Path Effects
- Envelope and Lattice deformation techniques
- Brother cutting plotter manual
- Weeding and transfer techniques
Status: ✅ Completed - Last updated: February 11, 2026
Assignment successfully completed with all requirements met.