Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: CNC LASER ENGRAVER

"Rose, Gary" wrote:

> Interesting site.
>
> For such an engraver, how do you turn on and off the cutting action? I know
> you don't turn the laser off. Is it some kind of moveable mirror to reflect
> the beam elsewhere? Looks like fun.

Yes, indeed, in many systems, the laser is turned off to do the marking.
Some systems use electro-optical switches to modulate the laser beam.
I saw a machine that would cut sheet metal and almost any plastic or wood
material, and it varied laser power with the velocity of the table. As the
table
accelerated, laser power increased. (It was easy to see, as the laser tube
was visible, and the pink glow of the Helium/CO2 mix was indicative of
laser excitation. They also had programs for raster-scanning images
onto the work. They made rubber stamps for printing short-run labels,
cut black and clear acrylic sheets to make aircraft instrument panel
backlight systems, burning the usual cowboy on a horse at sunset into
wood plaques, and so on. Definitely a NEAT system.

Jon