How to Engrave Wood With a CO2 Laser Machine
A CO2 Laser Machine is an industrial device that emits powerful light that can vaporize and cut a range of materials. The light is generated by mirrors bookending a tube of gases.
A CO2 Laser Machine can be used with organic (non-metal) materials like wood, acrylic, and cardboard. It can also engrave on curves, which makes it perfect for artistic projects.
1. Engraving on Curved Objects
The intense heat of a laser beam melts away the material, cutting it with precise lines and leaving a finish that’s much smoother than what you could achieve by hand. It’s this ability that makes laser cutting machines so useful hifu machine supplier for everything from medical equipment to small business and hobby needs.
The process works by directing the output of a high-power CO2 laser through mirrors and lenses that intensify it and refine its path to an exact spot on the material you’re working with. Over time, these lenses and mirrors can get dirty and damaged, so it’s important to regularly clean them or replace them when they start losing quality.
Lasers can also etch materials, but they don’t necessarily cut through the material. Instead, they leave tiny surface marks that create a filled-in shape or recreate an image. Engraving is a popular use for lasers, especially on metal objects like gun barrels and coffee mugs. But you can also etch on wood, glass, marble and tile. Engraved metal is particularly eye-catching as it gives a finished piece a unique and impressive look.
2. Cutting Paper
As one of the most common materials for laser cutting, paper can be cut quickly and effectively using a CO2 Laser Machine. A few important factors must be kept in mind, especially when cutting thin or wavy material.
Unlike metal, which is subject to melting, paper evaporates during the laser-cutting process (sublimation). This means that no smoke residue remains on the edges of the cut and that delicate contours are not distorted due to the heat load.
To ensure a high quality finish, the laser must be used at low power settings and with the correct feed speed. Otherwise, the paper might burn or even ignite. Luckily, this is a relatively easy problem to prevent, provided that the appropriate settings are used. This is why it’s essential to test your material before starting a project. This will give you a better idea of the optimal power setting for your particular design. It’s also a good idea to have spare material handy just in case. It is also important to have a water chiller or air assist connected to the glass laser tube in order to manage the high temperatures that are generated during the cutting and engraving process.
3. Kerfing
Laser cutting uses a focused beam of light to cut through materials. The width of material the laser burns away is known as the kerf and can be affected by the thickness and type of the material. The wider the emsculpt machine kerf, the more time it takes for the laser cutter to cut through the whole piece and may result in a non-perpendicular edge. This is more noticeable on thicker materials such as clear acrylic and can be corrected by diluting your design to account for this issue.
Kerfmeter is a hardware + software device that attaches directly to the laser cutter head and automatically determines how much material the laser cutter burns away. This allows designers to create parts that fit together well (without glue) by dilating their models appropriately for the kerf. It also allows for more accurate cutting of thin materials like wood. This paper explores the kerf surface morphology in CO2 laser cutting of medium density fiberboard (MDF). Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of processing parameters on kerf side curvature.
4. 3D Objects
Laser cutting is a non-touch way of creating highly intricate designs in all types of materials. Depending on the laser type (ususally diode, CO2 or fiber lasers) and the material, it may vaporize, melt or burn the surface to create the desired design.
You’ve probably seen the breath-taking 3D laser engraved crystal souvenirs, photos or logos that are often sold at tourist attractions or given out as special awards and gifts. These incredible creations are made using a process called subsurface laser engraving, which is a technology that really makes your mouth drop!
This amazing technology works by using a green laser beam and extremely clear optical grade crystal. This crystal is usually made from the same material used to make precision lenses and must be of high quality for this technology to work. It is important that any doors to the laser chamber are interlocked and cannot be opened when the machine is in use or it will switch off the laser beam.
The laser beam is passed through a semi-reflective mirror and then bounced back and forth between two other mirrors. The energy of each reflected photon disturbs nearby carbon dioxide molecules, which then emit photons at the same wavelength as the disturbed photon that caused them to be excited.
5. Engraving on Wood
The CO2 laser machine can engrave on wood with precision and a unique look. To avoid burn marks and a poor result, it is important to choose quality wood that is flat and free from knots and imperfections. Additionally, the power of the laser should be adjusted to the type of wood used. Dense woods require more laser power than softer woods.
It is also important to use a good chiller that maintains a closed circuit and keeps the laser tube cool. Ensure the chiller is equipped with a high temperature alarm that will stop machine operation and notify you of a problem.
To ensure the best possible results when engraving on wood, make sure to use a vector graphic file as opposed to a raster one. Vector graphics are scalable without losing their quality, while raster images will begin to pixelate at a certain point of enlargement. Also, it is advisable to use a utility knife for pre-cutting the materials before placing them on the machine. Finally, the machine should be fitted with a safety lock and rotary to assist in processing cylindrical objects.
