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Thread: Where can i find a good Laser Cutter??

  1. #1
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    Default Where can i find a good Laser Cutter??

    I have designed some intricate flat pieces and have started to cut a few out... however much i enjoy piercing- i reallly do- its wierd!! Its reallly taking far too long, along with the cleaning up!! Can anyone suggest any good laser cutters? Possibly silver??

  2. #2
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    I'd say a cheaper option would be to get the pieces photo etched. I can recommend Chempix in Birmingham. Phil Jennings is the contact.

  3. #3
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    Hi Jess, welcome to the forum.

    My name is Alan and I own GETi. We make Titanium rings and also offer a laser engraving service.

    Our machine is also capable of cutting profiles from sheet and although we don't tend to look for that sort of work because we don't have the attachments for long production runs, I may be able to help you.

    We can cut Silver sheet no problem up to a maximum of around 0.7mm thick and the machine has a working area of 100mm x 100mm square. If you would like to PM me with further details of what you would like cutting I can see if we can assist.

    On a techie note some may be interested to know why the machine can only cut to around 0.7mm thick.

    A laser beam used for engraving or cutting is in fact tapered and has its most power at the focal point. The deeper the beam cuts into the metal, the more out of focus it becomes until it gets to such a diameter that it loses power and will not cut any more.

    3D engravings with significant depth are possible with an attachment that raises and lowers the workpiece according to the theoretical heights that are mathematically worked out from greyscale jpg images using software such as Rhino. (I've rewritten this a few times - this is the easiest to understand so far)

    Laser machines with the addition of different gases (eg. CO2) improve cutting qualities tenfold. An equivalent power CO2 laser should comfortably cut up to 3mm sheet but as a rule doesn't have the resolution for engraving fine detail.

    That's it for this session kids - time for break.

  4. #4
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    Alan in serious mode - wow!

    Actually Alan I genuinely found that interesting - I like to understand the whys and wherefors of things
    Di x

  5. #5
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    Alan in serious mode - wow!
    Crazy isn't it? I'm not sure what came over me - not an innuendo in sight!

  6. #6
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    That was fascinating Alan. I had no idea of the limitations. Is laser cutting more expensive than photo etching?
    Em

  7. #7
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    Is laser cutting more expensive than photo etching?
    Quite probably when you take into account spending 50,000 on the machine to start with. I've no experience of photo etching as to how long it takes and what you can achieve with it - not much by the description.

  8. #8
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    Swings & roundabouts, Alan. Photoetching is great for materials that respond to it, but has the 2d lithography limitation. You can sort of do multiple masks on the material, but it tends to be diminishing returns - and you've always got the fun of the undercuts on deeper etches.

    Then there's the whole noxious chemical handling/disposal too.

  9. #9
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    But if you just want basic shapes to add your own finishing touches to, it's really good.

    I had some acrylic shapes cut out with a water jet cutter and they worked out at about 70p per piece, which I thought was quite expensive, considering I can get etching done on silver for about 5p per piece.

  10. #10
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    Oh, the fun I could have with a water jet cutter...
    Less HAZ (er - none) than the alternatives (plasma, laser, arc) and fewer materials problems. Width of cut is usually a bit more wasteful though.

    The last one I saw required a fairly deep drop tank, however.

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