Are the laser cutters able to cut through thin metal, or just engrave? If they can cut through, what thickness are they capable of? Thanks,
They can not cut metal.
All you can do with our lasers on metal is to use Ceremark to mark them or raster off paint/powder coating.
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Ok, I need to do that too so that’s good to know, thanks
you might check out the cnc plasma cutter.
I don’t know when there will be a class for it, but it’s probably what you need.
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Right now the only way you get training on the Dynatorch (CNC metal plasma cutter) is to come to a Metal Shop Committee meeting that Jim is at. If you help clean up after the meeting, he’ll teach you what you want to know.
I’ll try to run another Hot Process Safety class Thursday before the meeting so that he won’t have to do that.
The plasma cutter is probably what you need.
If the object is small and you only need lettering/messaging, maybe engraving with our engraving machine could suit your needs?
We have an engraving machine? Where does it live? I actually needed to engrave a name into one of these metal pen caps that comes with this pen kit. None of the lasers would be able to raster a name into it?
It used to be in the old dye-sub room. Maybe it’s still there. I haven’t looked in a while and I’ve never used it. Ask @dryad2b or @Photomancer.
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So I asked John Gorman, and he said that the Metasa was in Creative Arts. He also said that, depending on the metal, you could engrave it using the smaller Shapeoko. I’ve never used either one.
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I believe I’ve seen it on the desk next to the vinyl cutter. It’s an impact printer.
If you had a small jig to hold the cap so the tab was flat and square to the bed one of the lasers would likely be able to do it just fine with some Ceramark. The fusion would be great because of the fine detail it’s capable of and the camera alignment system. If you decide to do it message me and I might be able to get you some Ceramark to use.
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I have not gotten up to DMS to bring the can I got to donate. Might be able to do that tomorrow.
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Yes . . . if that’s fifty feet tall.
Lol it’s 8.5x11 and a thinner than my fingernail
To answer your question, it will cut it but it will not be desirable with the detail that intricate & material that thin. By thin I mean paper thin. Don’t get me wrong, the plasma will cut some thin stuff, but there are limits.
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I’m guessing that something that thin is either stamped or etched.
The plasma will probably cut thru. You can use Cermark and mark it with one of the CO2 lasers
Thank you (all) for the tips and suggestions!
The goal is to have it cut through but I want the level of precision and detail we get with the CO2 lasers.
Any other ideas?
Depending on the metal, it might be do-able on the Shapeoko. Could probably be done on the HAAS CNC mill after a long, steep learning curve.
Have you priced out-sourcing it using a service like Xometry? (This is not an endorsement, that’s just one I’ve heard of.)