Inline FabricationRepackboxRotoMetals2Wideners
Titan ReloadingMidSouth Shooters SupplyLoad DataReloading Everything
Lee Precision
Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Lazer cutting machine

  1. #1
    Longwood
    Guest

    Lazer cutting machine

    A friend that has a CNC shop was showing me his new machine yesterday.
    Here is a Youtube video of one in action making a brake disk.
    The parts barely get warm.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&fe...&v=RQIJSsbvolc


    Another video of one working.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmOmZ...e=results_main
    .
    Last edited by Longwood; 08-07-2012 at 03:24 PM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,269
    They have the smallest kerf by a good margin and a HAZ 2nd only to a water jet.

  3. #3
    Longwood
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by jmorris View Post
    They have the smallest kerf by a good margin and a HAZ 2nd only to a water jet.
    The laser on my friends machine is 750 watt.
    He opened up the cabinets so I could see the innards, and the laser unit must have 80 cooling hoses going to it.
    I am curious to see all it is capable of.
    He also has an EDM machine that is down right amusing. I can hardly believe what comes out of it.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    dragonrider's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Linwood, Ma. USA
    Posts
    3,431
    We have a laser machine at work, but in caparison to the ones in the videos it is a dinosaur.
    Paul G.
    Once I was young, now I am old and in between went by way to fast.

    The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun.
    -- R. Buckminster Fuller

  5. #5
    Moderator

    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Ojai CA
    Posts
    9,872
    I just had some Placard blanks cut on a Laser last week.

    They are 1.655 x 1.460 and have 4ea. .085 round holes cut in them. They are just rectangles with radiused corners and the 4 holes. They were made from .024 aluminum.

    After watching the bicycle brake disc run I bet my parts took all of 5 seconds each to cut out.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Pb2au's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Southwest Ohio
    Posts
    1,228
    The company I work for manufactures laser cutters, as well as other sheet metal fabrication CNC machines. The machine above is a competitor of ours. To be fair, they do make a pretty nice machine.
    The trend my company started two years ago, and everyone else followed was the use of a solid state laser source, and a fiber optic delivery system. Only one mirror in the optic path, that's it. Ask anyone who has ever aligned the beam path mirrors on a standard laser cutter how much fun that it........
    The machines are getting faster and faster every year, it's pretty amazing what everyone is doing.
    Now for kicks, measure to see if it is cutting a true circle, or an oval.......that's shows true axis control.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,269
    Now for kicks, measure to see if it is cutting a true circle, or an oval.......that's shows true axis control.
    When you do that cut one from all 4 corners of the table and center (same speed) to see how close they all are, thinner the better.

  8. #8
    Moderator

    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Ojai CA
    Posts
    9,872
    Yes the backlash in the screws and slides is where the discrepancies exist.

    My Bridgeport with a Proto*Trac MX2 control makes circles that are about .002-.003 larger on the Y axis than on the X axis. If the hole must be round, then I have to bore it.

    The interface between the table and the saddle is where the extra clearance is. On a ball slide machine the slop should be negligable, but it still has to exist as there is some clearance somewhere.

    I would like to see the results from the circles cut at all 4 corners, You woudl thnk they would all be the same but I guess ball screw torque would influence the results in different places.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  9. #9
    Longwood
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    Yes the backlash in the screws and slides is where the discrepancies exist.

    My Bridgeport with a Proto*Trac MX2 control makes circles that are about .002-.003 larger on the Y axis than on the X axis. If the hole must be round, then I have to bore it.
    Can the machines be programmed to compensate?

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Pb2au's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Southwest Ohio
    Posts
    1,228
    Compensation depends on the axis control, and guidance. We use encoders like everyone else to understand the position of an axis. We also use a switch to count the mounting holes of the linear rail the axis rides on. As the switch sees the mounting hole, that signal is compared to the encoder count. The distance between the holes is mapped and known.(accurately) So, we know what the encoder count between holes should be. By knowing the real count of the encoder, and compare that to the map, we can understand if there is heat growth in the mechanical structure, bearing wear, etc.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,269
    And older systems (and some current) use(d) one rack and spur gear, so the gantry was driven from only one side. Think "T" running down the table. If you are out at the end any flex will show up more than if your close to the drive (stepper motor) end.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Russel Nash's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Proud new citizen of the Show Me state
    Posts
    1,283
    Cool!

    I have been thinking about making a CNC router from scratch.

    There is a website forum for everything, so one of the posters on a CNC forum said he made his CNC router for under $1,000.

  13. #13
    Moderator

    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Ojai CA
    Posts
    9,872
    Longwood: It can but it was never too accurate. For most cases the discrepancy is not an issue and the larger the hole the less it affects the outcome. IE on a 1" hole .002-003 out of round is a big deal.

    On a 10" hole it probably doesn't matter, and if it does then you use a different method, like a lathe or boring head on the Mill.

    I built a bunch of CNC router tables for BOBCAD about 15 years ago. Most had fixed gantrys and the table moved in Y. Teh best one I built had a moving gantry with ball slides and screws. I drove the gantry in Y with the srew placed on the centerline of the gantry. This way racking was kept to a minumium.

    Unfortunately these machines which ranged from 50x25 to 50" x 100" cost more than $1000. They started at $12,5K and went to $30K which is still a bargain for machines this big. Comparable machiens were 3 to 5x more.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  14. #14
    Boolit Master RU shooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    SW Pa.
    Posts
    2,928
    Quote Originally Posted by jmorris View Post
    They have the smallest kerf by a good margin and a HAZ 2nd only to a water jet.
    What is the kerf on them?
    If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,269
    Depends on power, speed and what your cutting but can be as little as .002"

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check