Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] added laser cutter to my mill (pics)

----- Original Message -----
From: "skykotech" <rick@...>
To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 11:26 PM
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] added laser cutter to my mill (pics)


> CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO
> ^
> LASER :-)
>
> I just added an attachment to my cnc mill. It is a 10 watt Synrad
> CO2 laser (doing about 17 watts, go figure). I got it for free from
> a semiconductor marking machine that was tossed in the dump. The
> lens is a 1 inch dia. 3 inch F.L. ZnSe curtesy of ebay ($25). I am
> not really positive it was required to mount the lens as far from the
> co2 laser as I did (about 20 inches) but I read that the beam from a
> Synrad laser is square in profile at exit and becomes round and
> gaussian at about .6 meters from the laser output. Anyway, it seems
> to work O.K. In the pics I cut 1/8" basswood at 60IPM, black felt at
> 120IPM, 1/8" acrylic at 40IPM, 1/8" spongy foam at 100IPM, and 1/4"
> acrylic in 2 passes at 30IPM. I am using dry shop air at about 20
> PSI into the lens/nozzle assembly I machined on the same mill. I
> used a ring of Indium wire to form a seal/cushion for the lens
> (overkill?). I tried using nitrogen, but didn't see much difference
> than air (and I saw my nice bottle of 2500 PSI 99.999% N2 dropping
> all too rapidly :-)
>
> Right now I am just hitting a footswitch when I want the laser to
> come on (couldn't wait and just had to see it cut something). My
> mill runs EMC and I am going to get a second parallel port and use
> I/O from it to turn the laser on/off. What would be a good thing to
> use? Does coolant on/off have latency?
>
> Also, I know about the toxic fumes from some plastics and am staying
> away from them until/unless I get a fume extractor. I am mostly
> cutting thin wood and paper. I designed this so I can take it on/off
> the mill in about 5 min. (it bolts to the head of the bedmill). I
> always wear plastic safety goggles which are perfect for blocking
> 100% of the 10,600nm wavelength of CO2. Also, as you can see in the
> photo, I have encased the beam inside a metal tube all the way to the
> lens, which is a short focal length. If the focused beam somehow
> gets reflected, it will be diverging rapidly and would not have
> enough energy density to set anything on fire. I might put a
> plexiglass shield around the lens head.
>
> Anyway, here are the pics of my $25 CO2 laser engraver/cutter:
>
> http://www.skyko.com/shizlaser/shizlas1.JPG
>
> http://www.skyko.com/shizlaser/shizlas2.JPG
>
>
>
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