![]() Although the software built in to the LC40 contains presets for a variety of materials, it still takes some tweaking to get the best results. It cut and engraved wood and leather without problems, following the designs we input. We were impressed with the quality of the cuts that the LC40 made. Printing Quality: Excellent, with practice I then glued the sheets together to form the final model. I loaded this onto the LC40 laser cutter, which cut the shapes out of a sheet of birch plywood that was one eighth of an inch thick. Fusion 360 then arranged these into a sheet and output them as a PDF file. I then used this to cut the model into slices, each an eighth of an inch thick. Firstly, I loaded the model into Fusion 360, a 3D-modeling program. We use a 3D scan of Rodin's "The Thinker" when testing 3D printers, so I decided to use this laser cutter to create a similar model. Because the cutting laser is infrared, you don't see much, just an occasional puff of smoke as the material is cut. The process of cutting the material is also pretty straightforward: Once everything is loaded, you close the cover and hit the button twice, and the cutting starts. Printing Process: Smoky, but free of hassles You'll still need to experiment, but these presets provide a good starting point.Įven with the fan engaged and the LC40 connected to an outside air vent, we found that the smell of cutting still escaped, causing a slight smoky aroma from wood and an unpleasant burnt-plastic odor from acrylic. Once your image and material is loaded into the cutter, you can just hit the button, and it will use the appropriate settings for laser power and speed. The LC40's software comes with a large number of presets for different materials, including acrylics (such as Perspex or Lexan), various types of wood, leather and even aluminum. ![]() If you're using materials that are more likely to burst into flame or if you want to just etch onto the surface, you would use lower power.įortunately, you don't have to work this stuff out yourself. If you have high power and slow speed, the laser will cut deeply into a material or go right through it. ![]() Speed is how fast the cutting head moves as it is working. Power is how much of the laser's output is used, usually indicated as a percentage. There are two main variables to understand with laser cutting: power and speed. You use the button below the touch screen to confirm actions to start a cut, for instance, you press the button twice. It's pretty simple to use and worked without problems in our tests. You use the screen to set up the cutter and print files from USB drives or from memory. As a result, you control the LC40 through either its touch screen or the web interface. Control: Handled via the webĭremel took an interesting approach for the control of the LC40: The software that sets up and controls the laser cutter is only on the device itself. Fortunately, an included manual describes this process well. The laser cutter will also require regular cleaning, as smoke and dust tend to accumulate on the mirrors and lens that direct the laser itself. The only time you have to do much is when you set the laser height, which you do by putting an included plastic puck on the material, lowering the head to touch the puck and then tightening the holding screw. The device takes you through the setup process with a step-by-step wizard, introducing the controls and testing the various parts. Once you have wired the cutter up, it's time to start it up and calibrate. MORE: Best Home 3D Printers - Reviews for Beginners and Enthusiasts In addition, you have to connect the fan and vent tube to a window or dryer vent. The water cooler isn't large (about the size of a shoebox), but it has to be connected to the back of the cutter by three tubes and a cable (two for water and one to measure the water level, plus power). The LC40 is a large device, so you'll need a lot of space in which to set it up and use the laser cutter, water cooler and fan vent. Setup: Several steps, but not complicated You fill the box with water, and it pumps the fluid around the laser tube and base, then back through a radiator. This is handled by the water cooler, an included separate box that connects to the cutter by two pipes. ![]() In addition, the LC40 needs cooling to get rid of the heat that the laser generates. Either way, some of the smell does escape into the surrounding area, so you should use this cutter in a well-ventilated space. The more expensive model of the LC40 ($7,999) comes with a fume extractor, so the cutter can be used without an air vent. Connect this to an air outlet, and it will vent the nastiness outside. The least expensive model of the LC40 ($5,999) does not include any way to get rid of this smell, but the $6,299 model comes with a clip-on fan and a clothes-dryer-vent tube that hooks onto the back of the cutter case.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |