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equipment:laser_cutter_150w

Laser Cutter/Engraver 150w

Make/Model

Derek Laser Technology, China

Cost To Use

$10/hr of cutting time
Donation Box next to Device

Notes

You MUST BE TRAINED before using it alone. Ask for help from those who have been trained, and
Contact James Pittman to set up an appointment for your training.

Laser Cutter Handout

Informative video series by Russ of Sabar Multimedia

RDWorks 8.01.26

Settings and tutorial on using it.

Specs

  • Laser power: 150W, as claimed by factory. 130W, actual.
  • Laser type: Hermetic CO2 glass tube F6
  • Working area: 1300mm X 900mm (Approx. 51“ x 35.4”)
  • Data transfer interface: USB and wifi
  • Cooling: Water Chiller cw3000
  • Firmware: Rworks v8
  • Controller: Ruida 6442S
  • Machine dimensions: enormous
  • Net Weight: 1,000,000 pounds

Good-to-know

Tips and Tricks

  • The harder the wood, the more power/less speed it will take to cut.
  • Plywood takes more power/less speed than solid wood of the same thickness.
  • The kerf of the laser is often around .5mm (or around .3mm on the big cutter). Keep this in mind if cutting pieces that are designed to fit together. (Kerf is the amount of material that is removed by the cutting element. With saws, it is the thickness of the saw blade.)
  • The kerf will also be variable from the top to the bottom of the laser-cut piece, being wider on the top and thinner near the bottom. The variation will be more pronounced in thicker materials.
  • Always test settings on your material before cutting your whole piece.
  • It's best to cut in the top-left part of the bed. The power is strongest in the top-left corner and gets weaker as you move down or right. The difference from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner has been measured as a 10% power loss.
  • Plywood that's extra-charred? If the inner layers of the plywood have a knothole or a gap, glue can squeeze into that void and create an inclusion. The laser does not cut through glue well at all, so it fails to cut that spot. It also tends to create much darker soot. Running a bit slower might give you a buffer and allow you to cut all the way through it. A higher grade of plywood might help but its debatable. Unfortunately, its just a downside to using plywood.

Materials Information

Ownership

Purchased by The Bodgery

History

05/12/17 - Arrived at Makerspace
00/00/17 - Ready to Use

Owner's Manual

Coming soon. . .

QR Code

Coming Soon…

Teamup Calendar

All shop Teamup scheduling calendars are accessible from:

equipment/laser_cutter_150w.txt · Last modified: 2023/03/06 03:26 by James Pittman