Laser cutting is a process that uses a laser beam to cut through materials, such as metal, plastic, wood, or textiles. The laser beam is focused and intense enough to vaporize or melt the material, creating a clean and precise cut. The process is typically performed by a computer numerical control (CNC) system that controls the movement of the laser and sets the cutting parameters.
One of the most popular materials for laser cutting is wood. It's common for amateurs and even experts to use a wood laser cutter to cut out assembly-line components, engrave presents, and carve intricate designs into a piece of wood.
Of course, you can laser cut the majority of wood types. A thinner piece will function better if you're cutting all the way through. Since they are less expensive, plywood and MDF (medium-density fiberboard) are frequently used. However, bamboo is a great choice that is friendly to the environment. Ideally, test anything more expensive after practicing with MDF or plywood.
Acrylic can be cut with a laser cutter to produce some truly incredible works of art. Materials like plastic and acrylic are perfect for making wall art, jewelry, signs, and other items. You can choose from a wider variety of acrylics than wood, which may surprise you.
Popular acrylic is plexiglass, particularly colored plexiglass. Make lovely stained-glass-inspired art. You can choose between different thicknesses, just like with wood.
A laser engraving machine can cut wood, paper, cork, and some plastics and other materials. Wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, marble, stone, ceramic tile, and glass can all be laser engraved.
However, some materials should not be laser cut or engraved. These materials will not only emit a large number of harmful substances that will harm your body during the laser engraving process, but their flammability will cause fires and other safety incidents, endangering your safety and damaging your equipment.
Furthermore, the cutting ability of these materials is subpar. To avoid mishaps, keep in mind that the following materials are not suitable for laser cutting and engraving.
For materials that cannot be cut or carved, please refer to our blog: What Materials cannot be Cut by Laser Machine?
Wattage |
Parameter Settings |
1/16 in |
1/8 in |
1/4 in |
1/2 in |
3/4 in |
1 in |
1.2 in |
1.4 in |
material |
60w |
Speed (mm/s) |
16 |
12 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
|
Baltic Birch Plywood |
Power |
20% |
25% |
32% |
45% |
50% |
|
|
|
||
80w |
Speed (mm/s) |
25 |
12 |
7 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
|
|
|
Power |
20% |
25% |
30% |
35% |
43% |
47% |
|
|
||
100w |
Speed (mm/s) |
30 |
15 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
Power |
20% |
25% |
28% |
35% |
40% |
45% |
55% |
|
||
130w |
Speed (mm/s) |
35 |
16 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
|
Power |
18% |
25% |
27% |
32% |
37% |
42% |
47% |
55% |
||
150w |
Speed (mm/s) |
40 |
17 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
|
Power |
18% |
24% |
26% |
30% |
35% |
40% |
45% |
52% |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
60w |
Speed (mm/s) |
20 |
13 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
Leather |
|
Power |
20% |
28% |
35% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
80w |
Speed (mm/s) |
25 |
18 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Power |
18% |
28% |
32% |
40% |
|
|
|
|
|
100w |
Speed (mm/s) |
35 |
23 |
8 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Power |
18% |
25% |
30% |
38% |
|
|
|
|
|
130w |
Speed (mm/s) |
40 |
25 |
9 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Power |
17% |
24% |
28% |
37% |
|
|
|
|
|
150w |
Speed (mm/s) |
45 |
26 |
10 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Power |
17% |
23% |
27% |
35% |
|
|
|
|
A laser machine can cut a wide variety of materials. We've gone over some of the most common materials that can be laser cut, so you can choose them with confidence for your projects. We hope that this article has helped you choose the right material and its optimal settings.
]]>Among the numerous clothing production machines, why is the laser engraving machine increasingly becoming the choice of many designers and niche designer brands ? The engraving process of laser cutter is better than screen printing, embroidery, heat transfer and vinyl, because it is permanent and lasts for a long time. When you use a laser cutter, your design will be burned into the fabric or leather, so it will not peel off like other types of printing. Your design will also look clear, rather than blurring or fading over time as other methods do.
Compared with traditional patterns of printing, jacquard, embroidery and other fabrics, laser etching patterns have many advantages. The traditional fabric weaving process has high cost, complex process and high price, while the laser carving fabric pattern operation process is simple and fast. A simple pattern can be completed in 5 minutes, saving time and labor, and the cost is also low. The most important thing is that the pattern of laser engraved fabric really meets the customer's "private customization" requirements. One or two pieces can be completed immediately, unlike printing and jacquard, which generally require mass production. It is no exaggeration to say that CO2 lasers have proven to be the most suitable technology for the fashion industry.
By using a very extensive and efficient laser marking process on fabrics, you can achieve all the desired designs with millimeter accuracy. The energy efficiency and running speed of CO2 laser source are superior to any other traditional production technology, resulting in significant reduction of energy resources. In addition, this technology will only change the surface of the material, which means that no water or chemicals are needed. Compared with traditional decoration methods, laser engraving for clothing and textile industry is a more efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly process.
In addition, Monport laser engraver can achieve faster and more efficient carving and cutting of knitted fabrics. Laser processing is a non-contact, tool free process. In the laser cutting process, the textiles and fabrics that are cut and carved will not be contacted. Therefore, the textile will not warp due to the tearing force. The laser beam melts the material to produce a fiber free, clean and perfectly sealed edge, which is not only a neat edge, but also the whole fabric will not have deformation and other problems.
There are many shops that provide high-quality laser engraved leather patches for customized hats, etc., becoming more and more popular. You can create your own patch design with initials, symbols, logos, patterns, etc. Create your own custom leather patches from the various shapes and sizes available, and you can make an unforgettable gift for your friends and family no matter what festival it is. Pair it with a personalized hat or team kit to take your activity to the next level.
The engraving effect of this durable fabric is very good. With laser, you can make beautiful patterns in a small part of the time required for traditional embroidery. The weight of denim is different, so is the dye, and cotton may keep more moisture in some days, these variables will have different effects on the carving effect, so make sure to test the carving on the jeans.
Some small online leather shops or leather handicraft enthusiasts can provide customized services for customers through engraving machines. Laser cutting can personalize your wallet, passport folder, business card folder and other bags. This personalization can be carried out on the zipper of the bag or any other part of the product. In addition to leather bags, there are also some canvas bags that can be carved.
The pet accessories industry is also an extension of the clothing industry. The clothing design of these pets is also a place where laser carving plays a role. Owners usually choose to carve phone numbers or dog names on collars in order to prevent their pets from losing. Generally, collars are made of leather. The potential of the pet market is huge, The Monport co2 laser machines can completely meet your needs to create a customized permanent label for your customers' pets.
Usually, the laser cutter can conduct high-temperature etching on the surface of the clothing fabric through the laser beam. The yarn at the high-temperature etching part is ablated, and the dye is vaporized, forming etching at different depths, resulting in patterns or other washing and finishing effects. Both CO2 and optical fiber laser engraving machines use the thermal effect of laser to burn and etch the surface material without contact, and form convex and concave patterns. The laser engraving machine can produce artistic patterns on the fabric. These patterns can include words, numbers, signs, images, and can also be cut by other precise laser engraving processes to obtain various worn out and worn effects.
The laser engraving machine is suitable for polyester, aramid, Kevlar, wool, cotton, polypropylene, polyurethane, glass fiber, spacer fabric, felt, silk, filter cloth, technical fabric, synthetic fabric, foam, wool, Velcro material, fabric, knitted fabric, mesh fabric, plush, polyamide, denim fabric, corduroy, velvet, and other fabrics. Due to the different changes of various fabrics caused by laser burning, The color of the final carved surface will also vary. Wool and microfiber will usually produce a darker appearance, while denim and strong cotton cloth will produce an almost bleached appearance. When using the Monport laser engraving machine to carve fabrics, Monportlaser suggests you try various fabrics and settings to find your favorite fabrics!
The laser engraving machine is widely used in the clothing and footwear industry, such as leather, synthetic leather, artificial leather, cloth, fur and other complex characters, such as engraving, carving, hollowing, etc. The products include hats, jackets, underwear, home decoration, gloves, handbags, shoes, sports shoes, wallets, t-shirts, etc. In addition to clothing, the clothes racks necessary for various clothing industries can also be carved. You can customize your own brand logo in wood, Plastic and other material hangers. In addition to carving on the surface of the cloth, you can also cut the cloth to achieve the hollow effect,
To start creating your own laser cutting clothing art project, you may need to prepare a laser cutting file that can be printed, obtain a reliable machine, and select the ideal materials for the project. This is not a simple job. It requires extra effort to practice the laser machine skills. Fortunately, you can always find the source of information and video tutorials needed to complete the work, and the results will reward all your efforts along with your laser machine!
]]>Good use of a laser engraving machine can get the doubled effort, but good maintenance of a laser engraving machine can save costs to the utmost extent.
Since the price of a laser engraving machine ranges from a few hundred to tens of thousands, although high-quality after-sales service can provide some basic guarantees. Regular and comprehensive maintenance is the most important thing to truly extend the service life of the laser engraving machine. Let the follow-up work more smoothly, so as to achieve a true sense of low investment, high return.
In this article we will share with you how to maintain the laser engraving machine to extend the service life of the laser engraving machine.
1. Cleaning of various components
In order to ensure that the laser is always in a normal working state, after a week of continuous work or when it is not used for a period of time, the components in the optical path such as the laser lens should be checked first before starting to make sure that the optical components are free from dust pollution, mildew and other abnormal phenomena. If there is any abnormal phenomenon mentioned above, it should be cleaned and cleaned in time to ensure that the optical components will not be damaged under strong laser irradiation.
(Note: The equipment must be turned off during cleaning. If the equipment is used in a clean environment, the above inspection can be extended to two weeks or even longer accordingly)
Specifically:
1). Replacement of circulating water:
Before the machine works, ensure that the laser tube is filled with circulating water, and the circulating water should be replaced regularly.
The water quality and temperature of the circulating water directly affect the service life of the laser tube. It is recommended to use pure water and keep the water temperature below 35°C. If it exceeds 35°C, the circulating water needs to be replaced, or ice cubes are added to the water to lower the water temperature.
White scale will also appear in the tube after long-term use. At this time, a small amount of vinegar should be added to the circulating water. After the scale is removed, the laser tube will be washed clean with pure water, which will also extend the life of the laser tube.
It is worth noting that in the environment of high temperature or humid environment, the laser should always pay attention to observe whether there is any "condensation" phenomenon on the cooling water circulating pipe or laser concentrating cavity due to low water temperature. The "condensation" phenomenon will cause damage to the end face of the YAG crystal, resulting in a decrease in output power and even failure to emit light. If there is "condensation", immediately stop using the laser welding machine. After the moisture on the surface of the concentrating cavity is naturally dried, recheck the condition of the YAG optical surface, determine whether to clean the YAG rod, and check that everything is normal before turning it on again. Pay attention to properly adjust the lower limit set temperature of the high temperature controller before starting up.
2). Fan cleaning:
When the fan in the machine is used for a long time, a lot of solid dust will accumulate in the fan, which makes the fan generate a lot of noise and is not conducive to exhaust and deodorization. Dust will also deteriorate the insulation performance of electrical components and lead to electrical breakdown. It will aggravate the wear of the motion system, reduce the accuracy, and make the light output of the optical path system weaker or even unable to emit light.
When the fan suction is insufficient and the smoke is not smooth, the fan needs to be cleaned. First, turn off the power, remove the air inlet and outlet ducts from the fan, use a rag to remove the dust inside, then turn the fan upside down, pull the blades inside, and flush with a long-bristled brush and high-pressure air gun until it is clean. And then reinstall the fan.
3). Lens cleaning:
There are 3 mirrors and 1 focusing mirror on the laser engraving machine (the No. 1 mirror is located at the emission exit of the laser tube, which is the upper left corner of the machine, the No. 2 mirror is located at the left end of the beam, and the No. 3 mirror is located at the laser head fixed. At the top of the part, the focusing lens is located in the adjustable lens barrel at the lower part of the laser head. The laser light is reflected and focused by these lenses and emitted from the laser head.
The lens is easily stained with dust or other contaminants, which affects the depth of engraving and cutting, and also affects the accuracy of engraving and cutting, causing laser loss or lens damage. Generally, it is necessary to wipe the lens carefully with absolute alcohol in about a week (according to the frequency of use of the laser engraving machine). No. 1 and No. 2 lenses need to be removed when cleaning, just wipe the lens wiping paper dipped in the cleaning solution carefully along the center of the lens to the edge. The No. 3 lens and focusing lens need to be taken out of the frame and wiped in the same way. After wiping, they can be replaced as they are.
At the same time of cleaning:
(a) The lens should be wiped gently, and the surface coating should not be damaged;
(b) The wiping process should be handled with care to prevent falling;
(c) When installing the focusing lens, be sure to keep the concave surface facing down.
4). Guide rail cleaning:
The guide rail and linear axis are one of the core components of the equipment. In order to ensure the high processing accuracy of the machine, the guide rail and linear axis are required to have high guiding accuracy and good motion stability. During the operation of the equipment, a large amount of corrosive dust and smoke will be generated from the processed parts, and these smoke and dust will be deposited on the surface of the guide rail and linear shaft for a long time, which will cause a lot of adverse effects on the processing accuracy of the equipment, and it will be on the guide rail. Corrosion spots are formed on the surface of the linear shaft, which shortens the service life of the equipment. The machine guide rails should be cleaned every half a month, and the machine should be turned off before cleaning.
2. Fastening and lubrication of screws and couplings
After the motion system works for a period of time, the screws and couplings at the motion connection will loosen, which will affect the stability of the mechanical motion. During the operation of the machine, it is necessary to observe whether there are abnormal noises or abnormal phenomena in the transmission parts at all times, and tighten the screws one by one with tools at intervals. The first tightening should be about one month after the equipment is used.
Since the engraving machine is particularly sensitive to vibration, the working environment should be far away from places with vibration sources such as punching presses, heavy objects, etc., and anti-vibration pads can be installed to avoid the impact of the environment on the machine. In addition, there are several timing belts in the transmission system of the laser engraving machine. If the timing belt is too loose, the engraving font will appear ghosting. If the timing belt is too tight, the timing belt will wear out. After using for a period of time, the tension screw of the timing belt should be adjusted properly until the engraved text does not appear ghosting.
In addition to tightening the adjusting screws, some bearings of the laser engraving machine need to be regularly lubricated (except oil-impregnated bearings). Use a clean soft cloth to wipe off the floating soil on the bearing, use a needle tube to suck the oil into the needle tube, and then use the needle to slowly inject the bearing, and then slowly rotate the bearing when filling the oil.
3. The inspection of the optical path
The optical path system of the machine is completed by the reflection of the reflector and the focusing of the focusing mirror. Although the focusing mirror does not usually shift in the optical path, it is recommended that the user check whether the optical path is normal before each work. Every other week, check the X-axis guide rail and lead screw, Y-axis guide rail and lead screw, Z-axis guide rail and lead screw lubricating oil filling, keep the lubrication of all moving parts, and extend the X, Y, Z axis guide rail and lead screw. Service life.
Equipment operators can also check the laser output spot with black paper. Once spot unevenness or energy drop is found, the laser resonant cavity should be adjusted in time to ensure the beam quality of the laser output.
4. The working environment
Usually the working environment of the engraving machine does not exceed 40℃, and 20~25℃ is the most suitable. The increase in temperature will reduce the insulation performance of the equipment and deteriorate the parameters of the components.
There is too much dust and serious air pollution. In such an environment, the work of the machine will be damaged, causing the failure rate to continue to rise; various electrical accessories are also prone to problems in a humid environment. Therefore, ensuring the cleanliness of the working environment is also an important factor in maintaining the machine.
5. The matters needing attention in the daily maintenance process
Only by correctly mastering these five tips to maintain the laser engraving machine, can the laser engraving machine have a longer life, so as to truly achieve low cost and high return.
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