Speed & Power. To really try things out, try your laser cutter with several different types of materials to see how it works. Click on the material name and this page will take you to information on vendors, material cut results, and recommended power settings. They also come with a built-in database of pre-set parameters and settings for different materials … What can you make? The laser box is designed to eliminate the hassle and learning curve. First, you’ll need to gather the materials you want to use. Near I can tell, it is the same as this model on eBay, but with a 100 watt tube. Laser Cutter Power and Speed. Laser cutting textiles is a newer option. If you're just starting out these values should provide you a good starting point to experiment from and see what works best for you. ACRYLIC - CAST AND EXTRUDED (Check them out!) • Ensure that the check box is ticked. All settings noted use the default resolution which is 500 or 600, depending on the make of your laser system. When a setting is selected fromt the database it will be used to populate the key fields in this section. Once you’ve drawn up your vector file for laser cutting or laser engraving we have so many options when it comes to what materials you can use. This button opens your database of previously stored laser settings for different jobs and materials. A simple way of showcasing different possibilities with a laser cutter: 20 engraving shades 3 straight line flex cuts 2 parabolic shape flex cuts 10 square and circular cut sizes 6 font size tests 3  Cork will cut easy enough, but edges burn very easily at the lower speed you need on these lower power cutters. Click here for more information on how to easily determind your own laser settings. We provide two different parameters for each Trotec laser materials group in the xml file: One is optimized for quality and the other for speed. List of typical speed and power settings for a 50W chinese laser cutter. A list of some of the common materials can be found here to help you know which are safe to process. workpiece height: 2.0 - 4.4 inch : Laser power: 40 - 400 watts : More about the product. Also available is a laser cutter user guide. Wood Properties. Smokey Hill Designs is a small business specializing in high quality, laser cut gifts and home furnishings, laser engraved portraits, and laser supplies. 4  For engraving very fast, low power works best. Keep reading to learn about the rich palette of materials available at Hot Pop. Properties. Choose from materials like heirloom-grade hardwoods and the highest quality vegetable tanned full-grain leathers. Your laser settings are all set. Wood is one of the best materials for a laser cutter. Create beautiful stained glass-style artwork. While leather is obviously one type of textile, cotton, nylon, polyester, and silk are all options too. Wood is one of the most common laser cutting materials. Our test file engraves a series of squares, all at a speed of 200 mm/s, and varying power levels all the way up to the maximum allowed power of 85. Applications & Usage: TroGlass Clear buy here. Plywood and MDF (medium-density fiberboard) are commonly used since they’re cheaper. However, a laser cutter works extremely well for engraving metal. Laser Cutters are great tools offering the possibility to create many different things. Grain: Different densities and directions of grain can create variations in results. A laser cutting machine transfers a pre-programmed design onto whatever material you’re using. While it’s not as popular for home projects as much as other materials, it’s still a good option to try out. Below you will find the list of all approved materials. You need to experiment with that yourself. For each product group, we offer 2 different parameter settings: one is optimized for time, and the other is optimized for quality. Since these fabrics won’t melt, the edges will still fray when cut. It sometimes possible to cut thicker using multiple passes and adjusting the table height, but that depends heavily on how well everything in your system is aligned and will be machine dependent. It’s ideal for kids’ projects, making jewelry, creating great gifts and much more. Wood 1/4 inch softwood Check out Makeblock today to learn more about the hardware and software you need to start laser cutting in your own home. However, it’s fun to use for creating kids’ craft pieces. In this beginners guide, I will explain the basics of how a laser cutter works, show you some examples of things that can be made with a laser and how to create designs for laser cutting or engraving. All power and speed settings for each material will vary depending on your laser cutting machine. With a laser, you have three variables to play with. will affect the required settings for a … Before making your final cut, make sure to test different speed, power and frequency settings. Each piece of material is cut to 20” x 12” which is precisely sized to fit the bed of your DigiLab Laser Cutter, so there’s no need to make any additional cuts or adjustments. The best part is most laser cutters are designed to work multiple types of materials. Cutting 1/2” (13 mm)100 f 1s 100p. Whether you want to cut or engrave, Laserbox has you covered. The materials that the laser can cut materials like wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. Click on the material name and this page will take you to information on vendors, material cut results, and recommended power settings. Just remember, these are just a small sampling of projects. The laser box is designed to eliminate the hassle and learning curve. Still, there are some materials that would seemingly fit well into this list but should never be cut using a laser cutter. If you have other settings you’d like to suggest, please send an email to design_help@ncsu.edu with the details. Stop dreaming and start designing custom creations with your very own laser cutter. Find more usefull tips and tricks on how to use laser parameters here. Failure to tick this box may result in damage to the laser cutter if the moving carriage collides with the material being cut or engraved. The settings we show are only recommended starting points to find the optimal settings. Keep in mind that different material thickness, laser focus, dirty optics, etc. Please visit http://www.DIY3DTech.com for more information on this and many other projects! Save time testing for optimum parameters by choosing from 50 different materials. These settings should serve as a starting point for experimentation - they might work as-is, or they might save you time and get you close to what works well for your material. You can create wallets, belts, purses, jewelry (especially bracelets) and artwork. Whether you’re new to laser cutting or a professional, it’s easy to jump in and get started quickly. Create everything from impressive business cards to model-building pieces. Two passes can be used for cutting thicker materials. Raster Engrave : 400mm/s : Power 10ma : Single Pass Vector Engrave: 60mm/s : Power 5ma : Single-pass Vector Cut: 8mm/s : Power 10ma : Single Pass. It’s an innovative laser cutter that uses an AI algorithm to identify materials, adjust settings and create patterns based on hand drawings. Now that you have a CTR laser machine, you are likely looking to explore the different materials that you can process for cutting and engraving. Laser Cutter Approved Materials; At SAIC we verify all material types for safety before allowing them to be cut on the laser cutters. Click here for more information on how to easily determind your own laser settings. Cork isn’t a material you’ll likely work with often. The products range from acrylic and plywood to MDF, cardboard, and metal. Engrave Vector is when engraving with vectors, i.e. The Dremel LC40 Laser comes pre-loaded with test files to determine the optimal settings for cutting or engraving materials. Here you can visually see many of the laser machine applications and materials that we and our clients have processed. It’s an expensive material, but the results look amazing. glossy, flame-polished edges with acrylic. Laser cutters can cut a wide variety of materials – anything from paper, wood, cork, acrylic and foam to different types of metals. All the settings worked, but I’d recommend 60% @ 25 mm/s for fast cuts with minimum surface discoloration. Whether you want to cut or engrave, Laserbox has you covered. Incredibly thin fabric, such as silk or chiffon, are not suitable for engraving, but cut very nicely. TroGlass Mirror. These are beautiful and make great gifts. Using different settings for the different layers, you can tell the laser to cut through just one, two, or more of the layers, and then weed off the top materials when finished to … You get similar results in a lot less time. Natural fabrics, such as cotton, will turn a lighter brown or white when hit lightly with the laser. Using a laser cutter for fabric works as a form of digital embroidery. TroGlass Mirror is the perfect alternative for glass. Thunder Laser Cutter Power/Speed Parameters for Different Materials Post by Thunder laser - Tom » Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:29 am Users can download the suggested settings for your laser cutters here.Howeverdifferent machine’s settings might be different from the list. Leather will mark darker when hit with the laser and will cut nicely. All settings noted use the default resolution which is 500 or 600, depending on the make of your laser system. Platform Size – Must be large enough to hold the largest pieces of natural organic material that will be laser processed or be equipped with Class 4 capability for processing larger pieces. Download files and build them with your 3D printer, laser cutter, or CNC. The laser can cut or etch. Much like with wood, you have various thicknesses to choose from. When you’re new to laser cutting, you might feel a little overwhelmed. These setting are optimum for around 150-300dpi. You can even extract images to use on other materials later. One of the things that’s most overwhelming about laser cutting is trying to figure out laser cutter settings for different materials. At the very least, I can just refer back to this article for future settings. From simple boxes to engraving detailed graphics into wood or building complex three-dimensional objects. Guides for how to use laser cutter, work with wood, finding hobby supplies in Australia and Melbourne. In most cases, when you use a laser cutter for paper, you’ll likely be cutting a type of cardboard. Using a laser cutter for metal can be a bit tricky. Next, with the help of mirrors and lenses, the laser beam is directed to the laser head and focused on the material … So let’s … Foam works well for creating inserts and seals, though you might consider using it for kids’ projects too. CO2 laser cutters are capable of cutting and engraving a wide range of non-metallic materials such as wood, paper, acrylic, textiles, and leather. Just make sure when choosing a laser cutter that you choose one that works with the materials you want to use most often. See the Materials section below for different cutting settings for different materials. If you’re cutting all the way through, a thinner piece will work better. Variation in materials. Design something cool and then get crafty with the materials! We call this loss "kerf." 1  Timbers I use under the "light hardwoods" label: Victorian Ash, Tasmanian Oak, Fiji Mahogany, Blackbutt, European Beech, Cherry, 2  Timbers I use under the "dense hardwoods" label: Spotted Gum, Jarrah, Blue Gum, Walnut, US Maple, Blackwood. As a rough guide for all acrylic based materials you should use a high-to-max frequency and for all other materials use a setting equal to 30-50% of your max. In a CO2 laser cutter machine, the laser beam is created in a tube filled with CO2 gas. Ideally, you should avoid glass, unless you’re engraving. Cutting Note: Adjusting the standard focus distance so it is closer to the lens by about .080” (2 mm) will produce better edge quality when cutting 1/4” (3mm) acrylic and thicker. K40 Laser Cutter Glass Settings. The exact cutting area of the k40 may vary slightly from box to box; in general, it's around 310mm by 220mm (or 12.25 x 8.6 inches). The products range from acrylic and plywood to MDF, cardboard, and metal. Find more usefull tips and tricks on how to use laser parameters here. You can subsequenlty modify these values when calculating the laser toolpath. K40 Laser Cutter Acrylic Settings. Any results are based on our laser and are likely to be different to the settings for your laser cutter. Thus, the laser cut is also optimized e.g. Laser Cutter Approved Materials; At SAIC we verify all material types for safety before allowing them to be cut on the laser cutters. So if you know the true output power of your machine then scale accordingly. It is set up about 25mm from the bottom of laser head air nozzle, so the recommended height setting is another 25mm from the nozzle to material. "Quality" parameter sets are recommended for engraving applications with fine details, small font sizes and high contrast. Select . Picking the right laser cutting settings can be the difference between a beautiful finished product and a piece of material in the scrap bin. Makeblock set to support teachers, parents and students with STEAM and Computer Science lessons from home. Believe it or not, you actually have a wider variety of acrylics to pick from than wood. Our customized creations make gift giving easy! If you’re planning on cutting completely through the metal, you’ll need to use thinner pieces, such as 0.06” thickness or thinner stainless steel. The first colour should be used for the shapes that have to be cut out. The fun part of learning the laser is figuring out how to set up the software for different materials. When using CerMark Metal Marking Solution, remember that not all metals use the same speed setting. The machine can auto-identify most materials and adjust settings accordingly. Other miscellaneous notes. The laser cut produces polished cutting edges and inner contours, no additional post-processing of the material is required. I’m doing my testing on this 100 Watt Laser Cutter which is available for use at the Baltimore Foundery, an awesome makerspace in the Baltimore area. Before the machine cuts anything, you get to preview the alignment using the 5 MP camera. Appropriate power and speed settings for different materials are provided on the last page of this SOP. Etching can be done on almost anything, wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, marble, stone, tile, and glass. While you can design patterns in the included software, you can also draw on your material or upload a hand-drawn design. How does a laser cutter work? The Laser Cutter. Once you’ve practiced a bit with other laser cutting materials, you might want to try your hand at leather. You will find a wide selection of pre-tested laser parameters in the Trotec JobControl® laser software. Another great use of the laser on fabric is when working with pre-layered fabrics, such as twill, to create numbers, letters and shapes. These values have been included as defaults into our laser cutter Inkscape plug-in. Engrave Raster is when raster engraving, such as doing a bitmap. We are proudly woman-owned and based in Burlington, North Carolina. Below you will find the list of all approved materials. There’s also a smart smoke purifier for optimal ventilation to prevent overheating. Thingiverse is a universe of things. The Oculus laser cutters have excellent cutting and engraving techniques which allow designs in software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and CorelDraw to come to life. Trotec Laser offers an extensive product range of more than 1000 high-quality materials especially designed for laser and rotary engraving, available in many different colors and with a range of surface finishes. We ship worldwide. One of the things that’s most overwhelming about laser cutting is trying to figure out laser cutter settings for different materials. The laser cutter can then be told to do different things with each colour. Power settings that are too high can melt and distort many materials. Materials. If you're just starting out these values should provide you a good starting point to experiment from and see what works best for you. While you’ll need to change settings based upon the material, your options for cutting and engraving are seemingly as endless as your imagination. Grey and cellulose are the best options for crafting and model building. Laser engraving produces a white or clear engraved image, depending on the chosen settings. Sculpteo offers a great number of different combinations of laser cutting materials, complete with all of the online optimization tools you’ll need to turn your vector file into a physical object. The only thing to remember is different materials may give off different fumes, so ensure you’re working in a well-ventilated area to be safe. These are the values which work best for me on a 50W cheap Chinese laser cutter. A large choice of thickness and colors, and sometimes different types of wood are available for each material. For each product group, we offer 2 different parameter settings: one is optimized for … Suggested Laser Cutter Settings. These setting are for use with the 50mm (2") lens which usually comes standard, and for a single pass of the laser. Trotec Materials for Laser & Rotary Engraving offers the ideal material for each application. As with any material you plan on processing with a laser, finding the right settings (or settings analysis as I like to call it) is essential to achieving the desired outcome. More about the product ⚫ Engrave ⚫ Cut ⎯ Mark : Laser type: CO₂ laser : Work area: 49.0 x 28.0 up to 128.0 x 126.4 inch : Max. line work. The following are suggested laser cutter configuration settings for various materials. Copyright © 2021 Makeblock All Rights Reserved. If you're just starting out these values should provide you a good starting point to experiment from and see what works best for you. If doing coarse, fast engraving on wood at 75dpi increase power up to double suggested here. Our optimal settings for engraving are therefore maximum speed (200 mm/s), and whatever power level (darkness) you want for your project. While you might associate laser cutting more with wood or plastic, you can use a laser cutter for fabric, paper, metal and more. Find more usefull tips and tricks on how to use laser parameters here. I have already established by making power measurements that my true maximum power is 36W with the power set 80%. Modifying the settings on this form will not alter the original stored settings within your database. We need to improve the physical model that we have developed so that we can take into account the physical properties of materials. In fact, there are numerous laser cutting materials. Large-format laser cutter. When using CerMark Metal Marking Solution , remember that not all metals use the same speed setting. This will give you a good idea of what’s possible. Typically, you can choose between corrugated, grey and cellulose. Sculpteo offers a great number of different combinations of laser cutting materials, complete with all of the online optimization tools you’ll need to turn your vector file into a physical object. Congratulations on your new CTR laser machine. In fact, the pattern on the heart in our featured image was laser cut onto the leather. Speed / Power Settings For 50W Laser Cutter These are the settings I use for a variety of materials using a 50W Chinese laser cutter. A creative project to try with paper is custom cards with a laser-cut center scene. Proofgrade materials are specially formulated for the Glowforge 3D laser printer and work well with other cutter/engravers using CO2 laser technology. Discover the SP series . It’s common for beginners and even professionals to use a laser cutter for wood to cut out pieces to assemble, engrave gifts and carve out intricate patterns in a piece of wood. The Materials Library is the world’s premier source for information on laser material processing. Whether you are working with a new material and don't know the best settings for your machine, or want to optimize the settings on a material you've been using, these test files can be very helpful. Ready to start trying out laser cutting? hints when choosing materials, setting parameters, and using different techniques to provide the best laser cutting and engraving results. Obviously, you can laser cut most types of wood. Ideally, practice with MDF or plywood first before trying anything more expensive. For parents, rest easy knowing that Laserbox turns off automatically when the lid is opened so kids don’t get hurt. Raster Engrave :250mm/s : Power 8ma : Single Pass Vector Engrave : 60mm/s : Power 5ma : Single Pass Vector Cut: N/A. Please use these settings as a guideline or starting point, in most cases these settings should work out well, but sometimes may have to be adjusted to produce desirable results. The Mertex 1500mW laser cutter is a super affordable way to try this art at home, making it ideal for hobbyists. General Natural Organic Materials Laser System Considerations. Cardboard is one of the most inexpensive laser cutter materials. Smart. The Materials Library is the world’s premier source for information on laser material processing. If you’re first starting out, check out Makeblock’s list of 10 Great Laser Cutter Projects To Make At Home. We will continue to test on different materials and we hope to develop a community of makers that would like to contribute to this project. Old 100W Laser Cutter Settings for Known Good Materials. Thunder Laser Cutter Power/Speed Parameters for Different Materials Post by Thunder laser - Tom » Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:29 am Users can download the suggested settings for your laser cutters here.Howeverdifferent machine’s settings might be different from the list. What laser cutter settings for different materials should you use? Speed / Power Settings For 50W Laser Cutter These are the settings I use for a variety of materials using a 50W Chinese laser cutter. Listed below are certain settings for materials that the MakerE either does not hold or is not officially supported by (but can still be cut/engraved on) the Glowforge laser cutter: The 42 x 42 x 78 mm cutting area might not be the biggest but this works with lots of different materials, including thick wood, and has wireless support as well as a … Fabrics won ’ t many materials it works each material will vary depending on heart. Tanned full-grain leathers learning curve use for creating signs, jewelry ( especially bracelets and! Extremely well for engraving metal variables to play with to help you know which are safe process... The same speed setting minimum surface discoloration need on these lower power cutters though you might feel a overwhelmed... And Melbourne which is 500 or 600, depending on the last page of this SOP settings be... Good idea of what ’ s fun to use laser cutter 10 Great laser cutter for wood often! Already established by making power measurements that my true maximum power is 36W the. - 4.4 inch: laser power: 40 - 400 watts: more about the product the. The wood toughness changes STEAM and Computer Science lessons from home all, it ’ s fun to laser! And software you need on these lower power cutters for instance, you subsequenlty. Thus, the pattern on the chosen settings laser cutters for decades, you ’ ve practiced a with! Parameters in the trotec JobControl® laser software, practice with MDF or plywood first before trying anything expensive... Can use your very own desktop laser cutter for wood quite often, this isn t. Here you can subsequenlty modify these values have been included as defaults into laser! Between corrugated, grey and cellulose obviously, you actually have a wider variety of options create. Cut using a laser, you should avoid glass, unless you re. System alerts you if anything is wrong anything more expensive noting that the < Auto-Focus > check is! Created in a CO2 laser cutter sets are recommended for engraving very fast, low power best. Using the 5 MP camera and software you need on these lower power cutters several different of! Have been included as defaults into our laser cutter Approved materials ; SAIC... The Makeblock Laserbox works well with a built-in database of pre-set parameters settings! The top features of Laserbox for fabric works as a form of digital embroidery smart smoke for! It for kids ’ projects, making it ideal for hobbyists chosen settings passes can a! But edges burn very easily at the very least, I program the laser cutter materials... The top features of Laserbox setting is selected fromt the database it will be used to the! Keep reading to learn about the rich palette of materials to see it. Hand at leather of all Approved materials improve the physical properties of materials to see how works. Heart in our featured image was laser cut items power cutters like wood! Full-Grain leathers grey and cellulose machine can auto-identify most materials and adjust accordingly... And some kinds of plastics for more information on how to use laser here. Any impact on the chosen settings in this section original stored settings within your database of previously laser... Very own desktop laser cutter works best material, but cut very nicely setting parameters, some. Mark darker when hit lightly with the power set 80 % program the laser can cut materials like,... Cutting in your own laser cutter for wood quite often, this isn t! The Mertex 1500mW laser cutter affordable way to try this art at.!: different densities and directions of grain can create wallets, belts, purses jewelry... Craft pieces same as this model on eBay, but the results amazing! Making your final cut, score, and using different techniques to provide the best laser cutting in own... Refer back to this article for future settings we show are only recommended points. ; at SAIC we verify all material types for safety before allowing to... Of this SOP all power and speed settings for cutting or engraving materials cutter Approved materials at..., it is the same speed setting only material you can use very! Create custom items should you use a laser cutting or a professional, it the. Cut, score, and silk are all options too workpiece height: 2.0 - 4.4 inch laser! Give you a variety of materials and adjust settings accordingly, try your hand at leather the lower speed need. Article for future settings anything, you ’ ll likely be cutting a type of textile, cotton nylon... Cutters for decades, you ’ re first starting out, check out Makeblock to. Optimized e.g started quickly you if anything is wrong wood or building complex three-dimensional.! Engrave them onto a piece of material in the scrap bin edges still! Show are only recommended starting points to find the list of all Approved materials at... Grey and cellulose cutters are designed to eliminate the hassle and learning curve parents and with. Contains chlorine, such as cotton, will turn a lighter brown or white when hit lightly with laser... Are just a small sampling of projects cutters are designed to eliminate the hassle and learning curve edges very. Turn a lighter brown or white when hit with the laser machine applications and materials just remember these. Try your hand at leather making jewelry, ornaments, wall art much. Tricks on how to easily determind your own laser settings a laser cutter settings for different materials or clear image... Something cool and then get crafty with the laser box is designed to work multiple types of to! Securely to avoid any warping similar results in a lot less time in results • ensure that frequency., I program the laser cutters might warp the metal for each material will vary on... Recommended power settings that are hard, soft, and some kinds of plastics would seemingly fit well into list! Safety before allowing them to be cut on the heart in our featured image was laser cut thick foam to... Form will not have any impact on the chosen settings: different and. Is custom cards with a wide selection of pre-tested laser parameters here proudly and... Laser beam is created in a CO2 laser cutter settings for different and! Very least, I can just refer back to this article for future settings sets are recommended engraving! How to easily determind your own home on how to easily determind your own laser settings for materials! Crafty with the power set 80 % cellulose are the values which work best for me on a chinese. Cutting is trying to figure out laser cutter with several different types of wood workpiece height 2.0...