Week 3 Computer Controlled Cutting

Laser Cutter Week 3

This is where the actual laser beam is born. The long glass tube generates the laser light. From there, the beam doesn’t directly go to the material. Instead, it hits these small mirrors mounted at 45°. These mirrors keep bouncing the beam around corners until it reaches the cutting head. I realized the tube is fixed, while the head moves. So the mirrors basically “guide” the light wherever the head travels. It’s almost like playing pool with light.

This small lens looks harmless, but it’s actually super important. The laser beam coming from mirrors is kind of wide. This lens concentrates it into a tiny point. When the energy gets focused into such a small spot, the temperature becomes high enough to burn or cut material. It reminded me of using a magnifying glass to burn paper in sunlight — same idea, just way more powerful. Without this lens, the machine would probably just heat the material instead of cutting it cleanly.

This part made everything click for me. It’s basically the mechanical movement system. There are rails, belts, and stepper motors that move the head left-right and front-back. Exactly like how an inkjet printer moves. So the laser itself doesn’t “draw” — the motors move the head, and the laser just fires while moving. Which means: 👉 It’s literally a CNC machine that uses light instead of a tool bit

This section looks messy but it’s the brain of everything.

Inside here: motor drivers power supply controller boards lots of wiring

When we press “Start” on the computer, signals come here first. Then these boards decide: how fast motors move when the laser turns on/off how strong the laser fires

So basically: 👉 Computer gives instructions 👉 Electronics execute them 👉 Motors + laser do the job Without this panel, the machine wouldn’t even move.

Individual

Exploring Foldable Laser-Cut Structures → Finding a Modular Kit

I started this week by looking at foldable laser-cut structures.

I was really curious about how flat sheets can bend and transform into 3D forms just by changing the cutting pattern. I explored living hinges, perforations, and flexible cuts that allow wood or cardboard to curve smoothly.

The idea was simple: Can I make a small foldable storage compartment that opens like a fan and holds tiny objects like nuts, bolts, or bits?

Something compact, satisfying to open, and easy to fabricate

First experiments – folding tests

I began by making quick exploratory sketches to test different fold patterns and understand how the material behaves under bending. I experimented with straight scan lines, continuous cuts, and long hinge slots, observing how each pattern influenced flexibility. Initially, these patterns allowed smooth bending, but after repeated folding, the material started to weaken, showing signs of tearing and reduced structural integrity. This helped me realize the importance of balancing flexibility with strength in the design. Once I finalized the geometry and optimized the parameters in CAD, I exported the design file and imported it into RDWorks, the software used to control and communicate with the laser cutter, preparing it for fabrication.

This stage is less about designing and more about preparing the file for fabrication.

Here, I arranged all the parts inside the machine’s working area and checked how efficiently they fit on the sheet. Since laser cutting time and material both matter, nesting and spacing became important.

I then separated the drawing into different layers:

Cut lines → full through cuts

Dot/score lines → fold or guide lines

Each layer gets different speed and power settings. This allows the laser to treat every line differently — some cuts go all the way through, while others only mark or weaken the surface for bending.

I continued experimenting by refining the hinge design, replacing long continuous cuts with dotted or perforated patterns. This approach helped distribute stress more evenly, reducing stress concentration points and significantly improving flexibility. The material responded much better, with smoother folds and increased durability over repeated use. Technically, the solution was effective and performed well, but something still felt misaligned. During this process, I realized that I had drifted away from my original objective. I had become deeply focused on material behavior and hinge optimization, while the initial brief was centered on a different design intent