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Author Topic: The Laser Project.  (Read 1191346 times)

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Offline Dan13

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Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1050 on: March 15, 2018, 05:02:17 AM »
 That is fantastic, Art!!

What is the visible red dot? Did you also build the hardware??  :o

Dan

Offline ART

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Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1051 on: March 15, 2018, 07:14:01 AM »
All G1's.. I turned off rapids for that test :)

Art

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1052 on: April 25, 2018, 07:11:12 AM »
An echo from the past.  ;D

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tweakie-cnc/27822699768/in/dateposted/

This demo was made in the early days, before the M62/M63 commands were included within Mach4. The laser was switched using the A axis direction pin and machine control was by the LPT parallel port using Darwin.

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1053 on: May 06, 2018, 09:03:03 AM »
Hi Spandex,

Depth control is a weak point.
Comparative depth and repeatability is generally good but trial & error is usually used to arrive at the correct initial settings.

Tweakie.


Still thinking about depth quality. Do you think a laser that's reasonably priced would have a depth of cut accuracy to be able to take off a layer of paint? So I'd I have a few coats of primer and then a few layers of top coat, would it be reasonable to expect to go through the top coats and say half way through the primer?

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1054 on: May 06, 2018, 10:45:40 AM »
I am sure it is possible but it is not something I have ever tried.
I suspect that the final result would be far from satisfactory as there is bound to be some scorching / charring of the edges of the topcoat and the entire surface (and quite possibly the entire thickness) of the undercoat.
Perhaps a subject for experimentation ?

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1055 on: May 07, 2018, 09:59:02 PM »
I am sure it is possible but it is not something I have ever tried.
I suspect that the final result would be far from satisfactory as there is bound to be some scorching / charring of the edges of the topcoat and the entire surface (and quite possibly the entire thickness) of the undercoat.
Perhaps a subject for experimentation ?

Tweakie.


Spent a few hours researching this, couldn't find an answer thus far so perhaps experimentation might be the order of the day.

What's your take on Fiber lasers? I'm only starting looking into them, but they appear to be superior to CO2 lasers at least for thin materials. Although they appear to be a fair bit more powerful than CO2 lasers which doesn't bode well for simple engraving work. The main thing that interests me with fiber lasers is the fact that you don't need to spend a long period of time setting up all the mirrors (and are therefore also more reliable in exploitation) and they appear to last longer as well, so these seem to be a much cheaper alternative all around.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2018, 10:01:01 PM by Spandex »

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1056 on: May 08, 2018, 04:12:20 AM »
Fiber lasers open up a whole new chapter, their different wavelength enables metals engraving and many other things that can’t be done at the CO2 wavelength. However, CO2 lasers can do many things that Fiber lasers can’t so best to decide on the final product required before choosing the laser type – or perhaps have both types, after all it’s only money  :D

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1057 on: May 14, 2018, 06:55:00 AM »
Hi Tweakie, do you have any info in relation to laser wavelength selection?

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1058 on: May 14, 2018, 11:23:37 AM »
It's such a broad subject and documents I have seen only cover limited aspects of photon properties at various wavelengths so best to Google the subject and see what you find. The various laser manufacturers websites will often detail what their machines are capable of so that should be a start.

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: The Laser Project.
« Reply #1059 on: May 17, 2018, 03:30:28 AM »
I think I found the answer, looks like it's as simple as, the optimal wavelength is the wavelength that is absorbed by the material.