Discovering the best laser cutter for your makerspace is similar to finding the right laser cutter that fits into your classroom.
As we continue our blog series on tips for building and operating a makerspace we investigate key tips for finding the best laser cutter for makerspaces.
Determine Your Necessary Laser Wattage
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In order to know what laser wattage you’ll need to know a) what material you plan to cut most commonly; and b) the thickest material you ever plan to cut
There are several different types of materials that can be cut, etched or engraved with a laser system.
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- Composites — Composites are formed by combining two or more materials with different properties to form a new material (the composite) with properties that are superior to those of the individual components. Examples include carbon fiber, giberglass sheets, foam core board, and velcro.
- Elastomers — Elastomers are organic materials characterized by their ability to deform and then return to their original shape. Examples include rubber and photopolymers.
- Foams — Foams are usually made from polymers, but they can also be made from ceramics or metals.
- Glass and Ceramics — The key difference between these two types of material is that glass is complete amorphous, while ceramics are crystalline.
- Metals — Metals can be bare (like aluminum, brass, copper, iron, nickel, pewter, silver, stainless steel, titanium, and zinc) or coated (like anodized aluminum, powder coated metal, or painted metal)
- Natural (inorganic) — Naturally occurring inorganic materials like stones and gems are hard, non-metallic minerals. Examples include jade, mother of pearl, granite, marble and slate.
- Natural (organic) — Naturally occurring organic materials like wood and leather are derived from plants or animals.
- Paper based — Paper-based materials include card stock, cardboard, consturciton paper, matboard, silk paper, and rice paper, among others.
- Plastics — Common plastics include ABS plastic, acrylic, nylon, PEEK, PLA, polycarbonates, polyesters, and polyethylenes, among others.
- Textiles and Fabrics — Common textiles include cotton, denim, felt, fleece, nylon fabrics, and polyester, among others.
Keep in mind that every 10W of power provides about a tenth of an inch of cutting depth in most materials. If you think your makerspace program will grow or your needs will change, consider a system that allows you to easily swap out for a more powerful laser tube later.
Leverage a Materials Database
Proper selection of processing parameters for laser cutting, engraving, and marking a material can vary based on several factors including:
- Type of material
- Material thickness
- Available laser power
- Rate of energy delivery
- Laser wavelength
- Lens focal length
- Duty cycle of the laser
- Speed of the beam delivery system
- Number of pulses per inch
- Air flow rate
- Pulse waveform
- Exhaust flow rate
Calculating the power, speed and pulses per inch for a laser to cut your material not only wastes time but is often unreliable, as users have to test and retest as they experiment what will work on different materials (also wasting materials).
That’s why we always recommend selecting a laser system that offers the ability to select preset materials from a software database. This will ultimately save time so that you can focus on all the other aspects that go into managing a makerspace.
Look for a System that Helps Keep Your Optics Clean
Laser systems should have the ability to quickly and easily check and clean the optics. If you expect heavy use of the laser system in your makerspace, you should consider a unit that has air assist with optics protection – which blows clean air on the optics while the system is in use. This protects the optics and reduces maintenance requirements.
Read more about laser cutters for for makerspaces and other makered technologies, including 3D printers, vacuum formers, robotics, and more by downloading our full Makerspace Checklist.
