Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] High pressure water jet (Lasers)

e.heritage@... wrote:

> CO^2 lasers most definitly use a gas mixture if they're any good. It's
> not really fair to call them CO^2 when they're not really using much of it.
> Home made lasers can run off welding quality straight, better ones pure CO^2
> and really good ones run on a mix, even though the mixes are not that much
> more expensive.

OK, then it is possible this unit was really running straight CO2, and that may be
why they were limited to 50 W.

> 50 watts is just enough to cut metal like you said but on thicker stuff
> it'll just heat the sheet up.

This system was not designed for metal cutting. They were mainly selling the
system for cutting rubber stamp label printing, but this guy had the idea to
cut indirect lighting systems for aircraft instrument panels. They cut a bunch
of big circles in lucite and black textured plastic, with the lucite having slightly
bigger holes. They also carved small holes and part-way through grooves
for grain-of-wheat light bulbs and wiring. The panels worked real nice, and
once he had the CAD data for all the instrument cutouts on a particular
aircraft model he could whip a set of the panels out in a couple hours
(including laying in the bulbs and wires). He was experimenting with all
sorts of stuff, burning pictures into wood plaques, nameplates for doors
and desks, etc.

Thanks much for the info!

Jon