Computer Controlled Cutting

This week we learned how to laser cut and vinyl cuttin. The process went through up and downs, tirlas and errors to reach to an understanding on how to design the right shapes with the right dimenions that matches the selected material. That will eventually be affected by the machine settings

Group Work


In the group work, we worked on doing multiple experiments with the laser cutting machine to understand how to operate it, what are the suitable settings for different material, and how the machine settings affects the final outcome.

- You can find the details of the group work Sara Hashem's webpage.

Individual Work


The individual work focused on two activities; laser cutting which used to make our own model and vinyl cutting where we made our stickers.

Laser Cutting

Laser cutting machine

I used the following machine to laser cut my designed shapes.

I designed my shapes using Fusion 360, ensuring I make a parametric design and a press fit models.

PressFit: Models that join together through the cuts in between. Allowing joining shapes without any fasteners.
Parametric Desing: The algorithms applied on shapes design. This algorithm can be applied to similar shapes which can ease the process of the shapes modification; where the date in the algorithm can be modified and it will automatically apply to all the shapes assigned to that algorithm.
These following steps represents the workflow of making my model from laser cutting machine.



1.Modelling in Fusion 360

The following is showing the modelling process of my shapes in Fusion 360 applying press fit and parametrric design.

How the design is parametric: -

The design was of basic squares and arcs, keeping the main line segments as parametric, helps to edit the shape as a whole with only changing the value of the parametric segment, which will affect the other segments completing the full shape based on the change of the parameter.

In Fusion, in sketch mode > modify > ‘Chane Parameters’ . Then a table will appear and I add values. Each parameter value added can be added to a segment. Then assign the line to the parametric value. Then, when the design is not sufficient; I go back to the same table and change the value and when saved the new value will be reflected to the whole design.

After finishing the models the shapes are exported as DXF files.

2.Uploading Models To The Laser Cut Machine

- The DXF file of my model is uploaded in RDWorks which is connected to the laser cut machine and allows the design to be uploaded in the machine data.

- The speed and power selected in the settings were the saved in the library based on the results from tests that were done in the group assignment.


3.Setting Up The Laser Cut Machine

After the file is downloaded to the machine data; the machine settings had to be adjusted through the following steps:

1. Click on "File" to open the files downloaded to the data.

2. The wheel allows to select my file from the files saved.

3. "Enter" to my file, so the machine is assigned to my design.

4. The wheel used to select the file can be used also to move the laser needle to a specific point at the material board. After that I click "Origin" to set the needle to that point.

5. The botton "Frame" allows me to see the space my design will take from my material board.

6. After all the settings are done the cut can start by pressing "St/Paus".




4.Laser Cutting

For the laser cutting I used two different cardboards, a cardboard with approximate 3mm and a cardboard with 4mm.

The first attemp of the press fit design did not suit the mterials selected; the cuts were too big for the 3mm cardboard to connect together, and the cut were small with the 4mm cardboard.

5.Second Attempt

I redesigned the model from Fusion and due to the model being paramteric I only had to change the parametric valuenad it applied to all shapes within the same parametric, and I selected the 4mm carboard as it seemed it would be easy to enlage the cut to fit in it. Then I followed the same previous steps to laser cut in the machine.

4.Final Result

- Click to download the design file!


Vinyl Cutting

Cricut Explore Air machine was used to make vinyl stickers.

This little machine can cut 100 different types of materials; like vinyl. It works like a printer; instead of an ink the machine has a small blade that cuts the material according to the desired design. All it is needed to use it, is to dowloaded Cricut in a device, add the deisred design in "Cricute" and when ready, link the device with the machine with an USB.

The machine can cut upto 3 mm thickness materials and upto 3.6 m length. For thicker materials a special blade can be added.

1.Cutting Stickers

I used "Cricut Design Space" to upload an image of a motorbike that I like and then use the Vinyl Cutter to make stickers.:

- Uploading the image in Cricut.

- Modifiying it in terms of removing unwanted background and resizing the image.

- Preparing the images to according to the matt tat will be used with the machine and desire size.

- Setting up the machine for the cutting.

- Inserting the material to the machine and cut.


To peel the stickers of the paper I had to use tweezers and gently peel my design off and stick them on my pc.


2.Final Result


Download Stickers Images

Logo
Motorbike