Full Spectrum 40W Laser Cutter Up and Running!

I'M A' FIRIN' MAH LAZER!!

At the Red Bull Creation this year, i3Detroit won a 40W Full Spectrum Generation 5 Hobby Laser with a 16″ x 12″ bed.

This prize was awarded to i3Detroit as the Team Choice award prize.

After much design work, purchasing, and duct installation, we now have the machine up and running in the Fab Lab. Wiki page for the machine.

We will be having training classes on the machine in the coming weeks, so watch this space and our mailing list for information.

One of the first things we cut on it was a new door placard for the Fab Lab, as it still had all the vinyl from its previous life as a chemistry lab.

Designing the sign in Inkscape:
New Fab Lab door sign

Halftone raster engrave settings in RetinaEngrave, the control software cum Windows print driver:
Raster engrave with halftone settings in RetinaEngrave

Vector engrave and cut settings:
Vector engrave and cut in RetinaEngrave

Finished product (~40 minutes of laser time, 90% of which was raster):
Finished product!

Installed on door:
Sign installed on Fab Lab door

Our ventilation system really sucks!
Fancy DC blower control
Intake holding up masonite by air pressure alone
Over a half inch of water column of vacuum in the chamber

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