Laser Cutter Notes
Release status: unknown
Description | turnkey or DIY laser-cutter toolheads
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Contents
RepRap Research/Writeups
Bright-VikBot or a good name.
Background
Description
Discussion: http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?70,13836,14061#msg-14061
Laser Light Sources
~45 sealed CO2 laser ...
1 watt pigtail diode laser with optical head (focus ~50 microns):
Cost Estimate
- comercial 'naked' diodelaser with 8Watt@975nm and 0.1mm atached glass fibre: ~230 Euros (in quantities above 5 pcs).
- turnkey-system with 10Watts@975nm, a visible red pilot-laser and jack for the glass fibre: ~1000 Euros (in quantities above 5 pcs).
Components
1. Laser-source:
- CO2-lasertube ... sealed (RF) or 'naked' glass-tube
- diode-laser ... best with atached glass fibre (=pigtailed)
- ...
2. beam-feeding optics:
- mirrors for CO2-laser
- glass fibre (or lenses and mirrors) for diode-laser
- ...
3. focussing optics:
- Germanium- or ZnSe-lens for CO2-laser ... concave mirror is possible too
- 'normal' optical lenses for diode-laser
- ...
3.1. Embedding a Pilotlaser:
4. power-source:
- mostly monolithic PS, good when below 40 Volts for RF-CO2-lasers, 'naked' and DIY-CO2-tubes need above 1000 Volts
- constant-current-driver (e.g. more LM317 in parallel)
- ...
5. output-power controller:
- embedded in RF-CO2-lasers - mostly TTL-input capable of switching the laser output with some ten kHz
- current-modulation and/or PWM-switching for diode-lasers until some kHz
- AOM (AcoustoOpticalModulator) for diode-laser switching until some hundred kHz
- ...
Usage
Capacity/Specifications
Requirements
- Power
- Nitrogen tank or clean dry compressed air.
Health and Safety
Laser-goggles are essential when working with lasers!
This laser-goggles have blocking ranges of 700-1100nm (for diode-lasers and NdYAG) and 10600nm (for CO2-lasers)
Fumes and vapours are extremely toxic and carcinogenic!
You can absorb the toxic vapours by exhausting the fuming area through a charcoalabsorber - e.g. the disc-shaped filters often used in deep fat fryers, or filtering units for soldering ...
When using inert (and other) gases in an enclosed room you have to test for leakage or monitor the oxygen-concentration in the room.