Question about LS3020 "pro"

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Mat-Moo
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Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Mat-Moo »

Currently we use a small Graphtex desktop cutter for cutting shapes out of paper. We have been running this for 18 months now, and apart form the machine stopping one day (service replaced very quickly), it's been not a bad machine. However the cut time is quite slow (around 4-7 mins per sheet depending on the shape) and then we have to remove shapes from the backing sticky paper... all a bit time consuming but got the business running.

We are now considering if a Laser cutting machine would be a better tool to use, so have a couple of questions, I hope it's ok to ask :)

1) We need to accurately cut pre-printed 120gsm glass paper, can we do this with the LS3020 pro?
2) Can we do more than one sheet at a time?
3) What speed would we expect, e.g. 63 1" circles off one page?
4) Is this a simple plug'n'play machine, or does it require a water reservoir etc.?

Thanks :)

Mat
http://www.matmoo.com
Spooky
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Spooky »

Hiya Mat,

Sorry for butting in, I can find out if you can cut glass paper with a laser. Gimme an hour or so and I'll go try it :)

best wishes

Dave
Please note I am not employed by HPC, any advice or recomendations I give are based on my own experience and are not necessarily the same as HPC's. First point of contact on any hardware issues should be with HPC
Dave@OpticalPower.co.uk
Mat-Moo
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Mat-Moo »

HA HA HA GLOSS paper!
Spooky
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Spooky »

Tried both :)

Strangely enough the wife did ask "Why you cutting up sandpaper" :)

Ok....120gsm photo paper (it's the nearest thing I had to hand), circles of 25.4mm (1 inch) 63 cut in 51 seconds without really tweaking or fine tuning any settings.

Cutting multiple sheets of anything isn't a great idea (it can be done but I'd advise against it) as you get smutt between the sheets no matter how well you lay them on top of each other, I tried it with Acrylic and never could get any kind of decent result.

The other details about the actual machine I can't help with, that's down to Chris and Charli :)

hope the results help a bit :)

Best wishes

Dave

ps:Anybody need any 1 inch disks of sandpaper :):)
Please note I am not employed by HPC, any advice or recomendations I give are based on my own experience and are not necessarily the same as HPC's. First point of contact on any hardware issues should be with HPC
Dave@OpticalPower.co.uk
Mat-Moo
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Mat-Moo »

Thank you for your help!

51 seconds, that's not bad :) faster than we cut at the moment. Does cutting paper leave a burn mark or anything?

Is smutt a technical term or will I get excited after trying to cut multiple sheets :) If they are stacked 4 high with weights on top (like a grid) would that help? If we could speed up the process x 8 rather than just x2 we could have a lot more reason to invest.

Just exploring at the moment as we where asked to cut some snow flakes, which we can do but it's a slow process and very fiddly to peel off the sticky back holding sheet.
Spooky
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Spooky »

Hiya Mat,

When a laser cuts's it's basicaly burning, in the tiny air gap between layers you get trace smoke and thats what causes marking of your paper. Imagine holding a sheet of paper over a lit cigarette, the impurities in the smoke will discolor it, same thing with a laser :)
As to burns when cutting one sheet? nope, nothing to speak of (unless you have an electron microscope) as the power levels are set soooo low and the speed so high the paper at the cut edge just vapourises without leaving any staining. Cutting stuff like complex snowflakes is easy and far more accurate than any bladed trace cutter will achieve.
Accuracy wise a laser is top of the field,quite simply light doesn't bend (in real terms) so what you tell it to do...it does without error or dragging or gumming up.

Speed wise you could probably double my earlier test speeds and achieve results,all that will take is a bit of tweaking on your settings.

I had a LOT of years as an engineer and to date I've yet to find a piece of equipment or machinery with more possibilities than a laser cutter. I didn't have a clue what I was going to use it for when I bought my first one 8 months ago, things have taken off so well I'm looking at ordering up the biggest model Chris does now to meet requirements.

Once you have a laser the number of people who ask "can you do this or that" is astounding.

best wishes

Dave
Please note I am not employed by HPC, any advice or recomendations I give are based on my own experience and are not necessarily the same as HPC's. First point of contact on any hardware issues should be with HPC
Dave@OpticalPower.co.uk
Mat-Moo
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Mat-Moo »

So you'll soon have one for sale :)

Really useful information, and I understand the burn marks through, very well explained.
Spooky
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Spooky »

Hiya Mat,

I may well end up needing three machines at this rate, I have a 6840 at the minute and want a 2012 but now it seems I may well need another full size model for larger cut projects.
My only real advice would be if you opt to buy a machine is get the biggest one your budget can stand, the prices don't really go up that much in ratio for the big big machines and it opens up a lot more opportunities.

The number of things you can actually make once you have a machine is astounding!! I never imagined I'd be making scale models of helicopters but that's the way it has gone. Most of the time I just supply RTC (Ready To Cut) drawings for laser owners (I'm a draughtsman) but having the option to cut the projects has brought in a good 40% extra turn over.

As to plug and play, from install you can have your first parts cut out in no more than 5 minutes,pretty much anybody who is computer savvy enough to write an email will be able to run a laser system.

I'll get some pictures of the Victorian Doll Houses up so you can see what I'm babbling on about :)

If you local to me your always welcome to drop by and have a look at the machine running (Chris is way up north so I'm always happy to have anybody in the south drop by)

I better go do some more work :)

best wishes

Dave
Please note I am not employed by HPC, any advice or recomendations I give are based on my own experience and are not necessarily the same as HPC's. First point of contact on any hardware issues should be with HPC
Dave@OpticalPower.co.uk
silverstreamdesigns
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by silverstreamdesigns »

I agree with Dave!

Get the biggest you can afford - I was originally looking at the A4 bed size but opted for the A3+ (6040???).
I haven't seriously got it going "commercially" - due to being so busy with my "day" job - but all that is set to change. And so at some point i'll be looking ato get a bigger machine - probably as well as the one I have now!

I've done a lot of card (320gsm) & paper, and would like to offer the following tips!

1/ Play around with the machine settings to determine optimum cutting speed at lowest power!
Do NOT be tempted to just whap everything through at top power & speed!

2/ Always use the air jet blower and machine fans! The air jet will deter (but NOT for definite) the paper/card from catching alight!

3/ Do NOT leave the machine running unattended with anything flammable being cut. Even engraving slate & glass at lower speeds i stand by - get a book/magazine/telly set up nearby - but keep one eye open on the machine!

4/ Anchor light items down well - the air jet may move them otherwise! I raided a local pound shop for Magnetic Pick-Up Tools. I snipped off the telescopic handle ti leave a 20mm stem above the 12mmDia Magnet.
I place these on the material to hold it against the metal bed in areas that WON'T be cut.

5/ Keep a dedicated vacuum cleaner to hand! As soon as i open the lid I'm in there with the nozzle - there isn't a lot of dust - but what there is comes straight off the card before it gets smudged in. And make sure you get tiny scraps of paper off the bed to minimise fire risk!
Even so i keep a small fire extinguisher next to the machine! Better to have on e and never use it ..... !

.. and apart from that you'll never look back! I still use my Graphtec Cutter - but only for specialist items! The Laser is much better & quicker - even one sheet at a time!
Spooky
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Re: Question about LS3020 "pro"

Post by Spooky »

Great tips Sil,

A good supply of Neodymium magnets has been my kids "Magnetix" sets :) they are N45's so real powerful and at 6mm diameter and only 3mm thick (once you snip them out of the plastic holder) they clear the laser air nozzle with a couple of mil to spare :)

6 of these have now been araldited to the lid of my machine to help keep it closed (read keep little fingers out) and they work so much better than relying on the over-centre of the gas struts ;)

Another good one is small bulldog clips (god bless poundland) with 6oz fishing leads attached ,they fit between the bed bars really well and will hold even the most warped Birch ply down when clipped round the edge ;)

best wishes

Dave

ps:we outta get a tips section going :)
Please note I am not employed by HPC, any advice or recomendations I give are based on my own experience and are not necessarily the same as HPC's. First point of contact on any hardware issues should be with HPC
Dave@OpticalPower.co.uk
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