2W 445nm Diode laser cutter/engraver in a suitcase

[Retroplayer]

Retro my main complaint about the laser is the fact that I can't manipulate to my hearts content the software. What I mean by that is I wish I could use openscad to program with. I am not a software guy. What I mean by that is while I love creating in say openscad I hated learning it. It's like some of these folks who want to run a laser but refuse to take the time to learn ohms law as it applies to life. Very elitist viewpoint I realize. If there was a way to get .stl files into laserDRW to cut things I would be a happy man. Also what slicer do you use? I switched to Cura a year ago and never looked back!

I am much like you. Programming is a necessary evil for me, but I do not enjoy it. I have no formal training in CAD programs, but had to learn it to realize my projects. I am comfortable mostly in the world of electronics. But, with so many interests such as animatronics, I had to learn sewing, sculpting, casting, molding, and other numerous skills.

But, you just hit on the number one reason I am upgrading my laser cutter. I want to use the RAMPS controller so that I can open up the possibilities of software. Once upon a day, people wrote the G-Code entirely by hand. Still entirely possible to do, but not fast or simple. Not something I would even want to learn to do! But of course, we are forced to know it enough to diagnose problems with our toolpaths and to understand what the machine is doing.

I use Sketchup almost entirely for my design work and openscad for some things it does better. Its probably silly (my fried thinks so anyway) but the number one reason I like Sketchup is the guide lines. It just makes sense to me in a natural way. And with a ramps controller, I should be able to use Sketchup even for the laser cutting designs.

Anyway, back to slicers. I use Simplify3D for my 3D printing. It has its own propietary slicer. I used Cura and Repetier-host previously on my Solidoodle. I liked Cura much better than Slic3r, but some things Slic3r did better. It really depended on the model. This printer is a makerbot/flashforge clone, so it uses x3g which a binary g-code. It really limits what software I can use, but Simplify3D seems to work well with it (after some headaches setting it up.)

And as Elaser says, the ability to import DXF is a definite. Most of my work with the laser will be panel cut outs, enclosures, etc... So, using CAD programs is a requirement. Thankfully I do know Inkscape and Corel a little from a former life doing desktop publishing. But it is definitely not my preferred tool.

[buddydog]

Elaser I do what you described all the time in LaserDRW. It has circles, squares, etc and they can be stretched and changed by a panel that appears to the right of them when an object is selected or they have "handles" you can left click "drag" to change them (unfortunately they can't be "aliased". Circles can be made oblong but for instance not teardrop shaped. Squares become rectangles but not parallelograms etc. You can define radius, x and y (for rectangles and lines), center x and y, y1 and y2, x1, x2 and tons of other things. Unfortunately there is no (and I don't know how to describe this) way to make curved lines or just draw an object. The other missing thing is an eraser. I phony those functions with solid "white" (invisible) objects that I create and then position over areas I want to "erase". For instance to create an airfoil shape I overlay a series of different size oblongs, then clone a duplicate set and make them all solid white, the overlay them offset slightly to erase the first circles leaving a line I can "cut" that is a "French curve" {I think that's the name). One nice thing about DRW is it will either cut or raster as you command it with those designs from within it. I have not tried cutting a .bmp or.jpg so I don't know if it would "cut" but they do raster fine. I only use free software so far like with the 3d printer. I just wish I could get openscad files into DRW.
DRW is cumbersome to draw in as explained above but it does work.

[Retroplayer]

Can you import any formats into LaserDRW?

[ELaser]

RuiDa Laser system independent software LaserWork RDCAMV6.0 | Automation.comRuiDa Laser system independent software LaserWork RDCAMV6.0 | Automation.com

[buddydog]

Can you import any formats into LaserDRW?

Well if you mean file types, yes it recognizes several including .jpg, and .bmp and so on. I'm not home and don't have it in my computer here. Unlike the internal .lyz that you can modify when you bring it back in, the .bmp's can only be expanded and contracted in size and they can be rotated, something you can't do (as far as I know) with something you create in DRW. In DRW you have to work on each element one at a time, very fiddely. Sometimes when I am happy with an object I save the whole thing as a .bmp and then bring it back in and then I can expand, contract and rotate as I wish. I keep thinking there is something I have missed.

[Retroplayer]

My K40 came with Corel whatever, whatever. I installed it, opened it, and then immediately said, "oh h**l no." The combo of inkscape and the LMN plugin seems to work fairly well. With the RAMPS controller, though, you can use pretty much whatever to create the GCode files. You may need to go in and add manual codes for some of the laser specific stuff if you are not using a purpose-built plugin. Once I get everything up and running, I will be playing around in that area as well. A nice GUI-based system much like Repetier or Pronterface specific to the laser cutter would be very welcome, I think.

Being able to use Autodesk 123D Make and Pepakura Designer are of particular interest to me.

[Retroplayer]

Oh, here is another cool resource if you didn't know about it already: MakerCase - Easy Laser Cut Case Design

It lets you design custom electronics enclosures easily and outputs SVG files.


And just a little status update:
1. Just a few days ago, the author of GRBL added experimental CoreXY support.
2. I am going with standard Nema17 steppers. These little steppers are really choppy and I disassembled one and found plastic gears inside. So, I ordered up some 32oz/in 0.9 degree bipolar steppers.
3. Sticking with the CoreXY platform, but I revived an older project I was working on. The main difference is instead of using the suitcase as the structure, this design uses a plate (acrylic, steel, whatever.) It was designed to be a standalone platform where I can just set it on top of the material to cut and let it go. It will still be installed in the suitcase, but I think this will be much more stable.



Still working on adapting it. The original used the X assembly you see in the bottom with two rods instead of the C Channel. I may even just go with that instead of the C channel. In the standalone configuration, it would have feet attached to the corners where you can clamp it to your workpiece and start it up. It was designed originally for circuit board milling and standard pen plotter functions.

The stepper mount idea originally came from an upgrade for my CTC printer which has the steppers just mounted with standoffs. I wanted something a little more robust. I should get those up on Thingiverse. They are really handy to design around.

[ELaser]

Oh, here is another cool resource if you didn't know about it already: MakerCase - Easy Laser Cut Case Design

It lets you design custom electronics enclosures easily and outputs SVG files.

There is a cool plugin for inkscape as an extension that does exactly this
Maker - Tabbed Box Maker

[Retroplayer]

There is a cool plugin for inkscape as an extension that does exactly this
Maker - Tabbed Box Maker

Cool, thanks! Lots of good stuff out there!

[buddydog]

What a cool box maker...Unfortunately DRW only supports the following files: .lyz .bmp .emf ,png .gif .jpg .tif .wmf .pcx .jpeg .dib .tiff .tyz and so I could not open the file I created with the box maker. AND therein lies the problem with DRW. It does a good job of engraving jpg and bmp 's and it cuts out the stuff you create in it's limited dieter just fine but you can't download the thingiverse files .dxf or anything useful from the net! Like I have said before "not a software guy" and need someone to hold my hand to one of these other free programs that would be useful for downloading internet stuff.

[buddydog]

RuiDa Laser system independent software LaserWork RDCAMV6.0 | Automation.comRuiDa Laser system independent software LaserWork RDCAMV6.0 | Automation.com

[/I]
Is this a free program?

[ELaser]

DXF to EMF Converter

dxf to emf converter... not free

inkscape will save as .emf

be aware .emf is a more limited format than .dxf

- - - Updated - - -

[/I]
Is this a free program?

you get it free when you buy the controller...

[ELaser]

On this whole subject of controllers and software, it seems that the quality of the controller limits the quality of the software that can be used with it.



THis is a screenshot of the latest chinese controller, and as you can see, it's quite good, of course, there is also a full USB and Ethernet connection, and the software can also control the machine directly though either of those...

BTW the speed showing is the "rapid" speed when pressing the motion buttons, and the power shows in the "pulse / test" power, not job power.

It's a colour display so if you have a job with different layers, eg reaster engrave this at x, vector engrave this at y, and vector cut this at z, all will be shown in different colours, it also tracks current cursor / laser head position.

[buddydog]

DXF to EMF Converter

dxf to emf converter... not free

inkscape will save as .emf



be aware .emf is a more limited format than .dxf

- - - Updated - - -



you get it free when you buy the controller...

Which controller? $83 is to much for me as I am saving cash money for whatever cheap version of Corel will work with the free Corelaser program that I think works with my controller, or a full on AWC608 conversion OR just sell this working unit with some instruction and go for a Redsail bigger 1600$ machine or one of the other suppliers that ships from the US. That said I don't even know for sure what Corel does? Like I said not much of a software guy. I did bookmark that page for the 30 free uses if something pops up that I just have to convert. For my hobby use "free" works or I just stick with the DRW for now. At least I don't have to learn it! There is a page on DRW I don't understand called printer or something like that. It acts like It wants to send something to a local printer? It has some additional capabilities I don't understand like colored layers (I know normally those would be used for cutting, engraving, different feed rates etc) but I haven't needed it and it doesn't seem to have any additional drawing functions (like French curves, an eraser, etc) so I have not messed with it beyond just clikcing on it to look at it. By the way I think DRW will "cut" bmps ok but it goes over and over thicker lines (actually I think I eliminated that on one cut with one of the "cut" commands. Something like minimum distance between lines or something like that) . Still faster than engraving by a bunch!

[buddydog]

By the way guys paint.net (free program) does everything I want it to do but I don't know if (for cutting) there is a better "save"function than bmp's. They can'tbe edited in DRW, just resized, rotated and engraved.

[buddydog]

On this whole subject of controllers and software, it seems that the quality of the controller limits the quality of the software that can be used with it.



THis is a screenshot of the latest chinese controller, and as you can see, it's quite good, of course, there is also a full USB and Ethernet connection, and the software can also control the machine directly though either of those...

BTW the speed showing is the "rapid" speed when pressing the motion buttons, and the power shows in the "pulse / test" power, not job power.

It's a colour display so if you have a job with different layers, eg reaster engrave this at x, vector engrave this at y, and vector cut this at z, all will be shown in different colours, it also tracks current cursor / laser head position.

Well that is cool. Where do you get that thing? Have you actyually bought and tried it and how much was it? And the big question does it require a dongle??

[ELaser]

Well that is cool. Where do you get that thing? Have you actyually bought and tried it and how much was it? And the big question does it require a dongle??

it's standard in my new machine.
IMHO it rocks
no dongle or anything

feel free to ask any further questions

[p1rata]

Can anyone direct me to a walkthrough on exactly how the Inkscape/LMN process works? I'm using Pronterface to send the gcode right now because my LCD controller is missing a piece. But, I can't seem to find any information on how you go from an image in Inkscape to generating correct gcode. I can't seem to make that file do anything with Pronterface. And, does this method allow for different colors in Inkscape to give different laser commands? For example, black is engrave, red is cut, etc? Any direction you can give on step-by-step Inkscape/LMN extension would be great.

I don't need any instructions on Inkscape itself, but I can't find ANYTHING on how to use the LMN extension.

I am using a laser from China that I have fitted with an arduino/ramps and installed the modified firmware from Dan (Adventures in DIY Engineering). My machine appears to be identical to the one modded on weistkengineering - I've used the same arduino/ramps and firmware detailed in that blog (no LCD controller, however).

Any insight (in addition to the mountainsalready provided to this forum) will be greatly appreciated!

[buddydog]

I don't know if this helps but have you seen this thread?:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/genera...56422-cnc.html

[borgsteam]

I know I am late to the party but this seems to be my life in general lol. On the 40w CO² laser vs a 445nm (or even a 405nm) one huge difference is going to be what you can cut, sure it (blue laser diodes) will be as capable and even more so in some instances as the more powerful slower frequency of CO² but it will absolutely not cut anything clear, so glass and clear acrylic (no colored tint) are out, and blue is pretty hard if not impossible to cut too, the clear because it passes with no effect and will in fact burn what is on the other side, while the CO² sees the clear substances as solid black and is absorbed burning the material away. And I am sure it does wonders on blue even painters tape, unlike the 445nm unit.

One thing you can use though to your advantage is to heat something up inside say a natural or clear PLA print (like doped carbon fiber or a metal substance that has absorbance capablity like titanium or say steel or tungsten but not aluminum power, as that reflects I think too much of the light to get any heat, as the beam will pass right back out of the PLA again with out heating it) and get it warm enough to soften the PLA so you can reorient it, like with a magnet near the outside surface, or throw down a clear glass or plastic case and laze something inside the case. that way you can control the air flow (or atmosphere) inside it with out effecting your laser head.
I am using a 6040z CNC mill with parallel port input on my controller and applying an on off action to my second relay for now. but I want to add a break out board so I can use the step and directions from an arduino based 3D printer controller to inject pulses to the parallel port on it, and a laser engraver head controller output for a 15w 445nm laser, that I have been doing exactly what you were discussing with making stencils


one issue is heat on laser heads, so I am looking to see if a water cooling block helps

the laser head pictured is a 2.5w 405nm
as for the reason for equal cutting power depending on what you are cutting (things that both will cut with ease) I think is due to the fact that the individual photons of higher frequency light, carry more eV potential so you are packing a lot more energy into the photons, while generating them requires the same level of power pretty much, along with the more power to beam of diodes vs that of gas based lasers, which waste a lot of the energy in randomization, thus its lost as heat coming out of the head.

I have been looking into a lot of this tech and science, and found that if we could make high enough frequency photons, you could do a LOT of stuff that people just are not aware of yet. Unfortunately I have not been able to find a source for some exotic diode material like diamond diodes lol (222nm UV output ) anyway if it helps I can do a build log, at some point, and post what pictures I actually thought to take, for what I am doing now. if anyone is interested