[ Fabrication ] Digital LASER CUTTING FabAcademy 2018 - 2019 BARCELONA - SPAIN by: Eduardo Chamorro Martín [email protected] for 

Kumar Patel and one of the first CO2 laser cutters 50’s - Charles Townes > MASER “Microwaves amplification of a magnetic wave” - A. Schalow / Gordon Gould > Optical resonator > LASER 1963 - Kumar Patel > 1st Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Laser cutting Machine LASER HISTORY 

Is a technology that works directly by output of high material, when either melts, burns, vaporizes or blow away by jet of gas ,leaving an edge with a quality surface finish [ Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation ] LASER CUTTER 

DIGITAL FABRICATION 

DIGITAL FABRICATION 

Materials Laser-cutting is a fast, easy and precise way of cutting and engraving detailed artwork. It does this by continually firing a powerful laser beam, via a series of mirrors and lens that move lateral- ly, and onto a flat bed where sheet material such as cardboard, MDF and acrylic is placed. 1. plastics 2. wood 3. cardboard 4. fabrics 5. etc LASER CUTTER Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation 

CO2 DIODE LASER TUBE [ LASER TUBE ] LASER CUTTER 

LASER CUTTER 

LASER SYSTEM top view side view Hidden in the back of the machine, the laser tube, or cartridge, fi res out the powerful laser beam. A series of mirrors direct the beam to the laser carriage, which can move in both the X and Y axis. It is then directed vertically down and focused through a lens onto the surface of the material. The carriage will move across the material, following a predefi ned path, with the laser cutting or engraving as it goes. 

2 AXIS POWER SPEED FRECUENCY AIR COMPRESSOR 2D CURVES&LINES IMAGES CUTTING ENGRAVING MARKING SUBSTRACTIVE PARAMETERS GEOMETRY RESULT LASER SYSTEM 

LASER SYSTEM 1- The laser originates from a laser resonator, which sends out a beam of intense light that reflects through a system of mirrors to the cutting head. Within the cutting head, the laser is focused through a lens and narrowed down to an extremely thin, concentrated beam. 2- The laser resonator creates the energy at the origin of the beam. It can be: light, thanks to diodes or lamps ; an electric discharge. 3- This beam is projected down at the material to cut it thanks to an optical system which is composed of mirrors and lenses. laser originates focused diodes lamps optical system 

A gas discharged which is air or water-cooled. It is a mixture of mainly carbon dioxide and nitrogen, with hydrogen and/or xenon and helium. Crystals: neodymium doped crystals such as Nd:YVO4, Nd:YLF and Nd:YAG. A “seed laser”, amplified via special glass fibers. Can cut thin sheets of various materials, inexpensive, efficient. It can cut and engrave a wide variety of materials. With a smaller wavelength, they can cut very thick materials. But parts of the machines often need replacing. Their wavelength and intensity is similar to the Nd lasers but a fiber laser requires less maintenance. Wood, paper based products (like cardboard), leather, acrylic, some plastics, and some foams. Metal, plastics and some ceramics. Metals and plastics CO2 Neodymium FIBER Work with... Main properties Materials LASER SYSTEM 

Laser [ Design ] 

3D SHAPE STRATEGY 2D CURVES LASER DESIGN ? 

UNFOLDING EPS CEU Summer School 2018 LASER DESIGN 

UNFOLDING Unfolding, separating in layers, nesting and labeling LASER DESIGN 

UNFOLDING Unfolding, separating in layers, nesting and labeling LASER DESIGN 

NESTING Before cutting its better to optimize the files to reduce the waste of material. The optimization can be done manually or through nesting softwares. LASER DESIGN 

Design [ Concerns ] 

LASER CONCERNS TOLERANCES 

LASER CONCERNS KERFING 

Inexpensive, recyclable, easy to paint, easy to join High quality look and finish,high level of detail possible, engraves well, affordable. Affordable, engrave well, easy to stain, natural material giving a unique surface aspect, good mechanical properties. High quality look and finish, engraves well, solid/ substantial feel. Recommended to create 3D objects from laser cut. Low durability. Can crack under stress, can scratch. *MDF products emit free formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds that pose health risks at concentrations considered unsafe, for at least several months after manufacture. Inconsistent thickness between supply batches. Does not like humidity, not really resistant in small thickness. Iaac doesn't recommend to cut MDF in the laser cutting machine* CARDBOARD ACRYLIC WOOD MDF LASER MATERIALS 

Laser [ Samples ] 

LASER SAMPLES 

Beijing Design week Iaac Pavilion LASER SAMPLES PRESSFIT 

Abyss Table, Christopher Duffy LASER SAMPLES STACKING 

LASER SAMPLES cardboard furniture kit WAFFLE 

LASER SAMPLES STACKING Columns, Michael Hansmeyer 

LASER SAMPLES WAFFLE Metropol Parasol, Jürgen Mayer H, Sevilla 

LASER SAMPLES WAFFLE SOLAR HOUSE / IAAC FAB LAB BARCELONA 

LASER SAMPLES Tessellating Sculpture, Marc Fornes and the very many 

LASER SAMPLES Tessellating Sculpture, MatSys 

LASER SAMPLES BENDING Student experiment 

LASER SAMPLES KERFING EAMES CHAIR 

LASER SAMPLES PATTERNS 

Laser [ CUT ] 

CUTTING MODES LASER CUTTING MODES The laser cutters have two different printing, or output, modes. They defi ne how the digital information from the source drawing is used to tell the laser what to do. When creating artwork to laser cut, it is important to understand which mode will need to be set. The two different modes are: VECTOR MODE Vector mode is most commonly used. The laser will follow along every drawn vector in the artwork so long as it is zero, or hairline, in thickness. RASTER MODE In raster mode the laser treats everything as an image. It is usually used to engrave solid areas, such as text, or to create images. To achieve this the laser will act like a print cartridge in a printer, incrementally ‘printing’ the desired artwork. 

The laser cutters are set up to print from Rhino. Students should create or import their 2D artwork into this software at the correct size in millimetres. - Laser Cutting Area: 900mm x 450mm - Art work in rhino should be a 1:1 scale - Material size should be larger than the artwork but smaller than the cutting area LASER PREPARATION 

Once the artwork is arranged correctly: >File >Print Output Color: >Display - Place the window in the desired position Scale: 1:1 in mm View Window: >Set - Try not to change the scale when doing this LASER PREPARATION 

LASER PREPARATION Remember, what shows in the print preview is what the laser will cut/engrave. >Properties This is where the parameters for the laser are set. 

LASER SETTINGS Adjusting the following parameters will determine the depth the laser will cut to: Power: The percentage of power used from the laser Speed: The speed the laser carriage moves across your work PPI: The rate the laser fires as it moves (pulses per inch) Select the desired colour and use the three sliders to adjust the parameters. Choose the correct Pen Mode - either: Raster, Vector or Skip (which ignores the colour). It is worth bearing in mind that the order of colours cannot be changed. When ready >Set After all colours are set >OK 

LASER SETTINGS The following settings can be used for each material. However, these are just guidelines and aren’t guar- anteed to work. It is highly recommended that a small test be carried out first. 

POWER SPEED POWER SPEED LASER SETTINGS 

All the machines must be switched on before using the laser cutter LASER SYSTEM The laser cutter must be connected to several other pieces of equipment to operate safely. A computer is needed to set the correct cutting information. A smoke extraction unit is required to remove fumes and small particles produced by the vaporisation of material and a compressed air supply is needed to add air into the laser cutter to keep the air flow It is very important everything is switched on and working before using the laser cutter. 

LASER SYSTEM HOW TO FOCUS THE LASER The material must be set at the correct height for the laser lens to be in focus. This is because the lens always focuses the laser bean to a set distance that cannot be changed. Ther efore the cutting bed holding the material must be moved up or down so that the laser focuses on the top surface of the material. 

[ NESTING ] 3D PRINTING HISTORY SVG NEST / RHINO NEST / FAB TOOLS 

[ Limitations ] [ MDF] [ CARDBOARD ] [ ACRYLIC ] [ METAL ] [ CARBON FIBER ] [ PAPER ] LASER QUIZ 

[ Limitations ] [ Power 20 Speed 200] [ Power 60 Speed 30 ] [ Power 90 Speed 8 ] [ Power 75 Speed 15 ] [ Power 90 Speed 200 ] [ Power 0 Speed 100 ] LASER QUIZ 

APPROVED MATERIALS 1. Wood (and any untreated wood product) 9MM or LESS 2. Cardboard 3. Chipboard 4.Museumboard 5.Paper 6. The following plastics ONLY: Acrylic, Delrin, Mylar, PETG, Styrene RESTRICTED MATERIALS 1.Metal: of any sort or thickness 2. ANY Foam Core 3. Glass: Silicate and Non-silicate, or any other kind 4.ANY Poly or Polycarbonate PC, Lexanm,Plastic OR ANY Plastic that is not one of the approved plastics above. 5.PVC 6. Vinyl 7.Fiberglass 8. Carbon fiber 9 .PCB Boards 10. Teflon HEALTH & SAFETY 

HEALTH & SAFETY USE CONDITIONS 1. Only students who have attended the laser induction may use the laser cutters. If in doubt, students must speak to the lab staff 2. When using the laser cutters, students are responsible for their safety and of those around them. Improper use can cause serious health risks and damage to the machine 3. Students can only use the laser cutters when under supervision from the lab staff or lab assistants. 4.When using the laser cutter, students must keep a close watch on their machine at all times to ensure it is working correctly and is not hazardous in any way. 5. If you see fire call the lab staff and stop the machine inmediately 6. NEVER , EVER LEAVE THE MACHINE UNATTENDED.If you need to leave pause the machine or make a colleage supervise it. 7. Only approved materials may be used in the laser cutters. Students must check with lab staff if unsure 

HEALTH & SAFETY WARNINGS 1. Before use check that the smoke extraction is switched on 2. Before use check that the compressed air supply is switched on 3.Don´t following the previous points may damage the machine 4. Check that you have focused the machine properly Students must ask the lab staff if in any doubt about correct operating procedure or if in need of assistance CAUTIONS & RISKS 1. Do not stare continuously at the laser beam or view with optical instruments 2. Do not cut more than one sheet of material at a time 3. Only pre-approved material is allowed 4. If you discover a fire:pause the laser and tell the lab staff. DO NOT tackle the fire yourself need of assistance 

iaac.net fablabbcn.org Eduardo Chamorro Martín [email protected] This presentation is a collaborative effort from : Eduardo Chamorro Martin Alexandre Dubor Ricardo Mayor Luque And many people at IAAC the End