The power of the laser module is a key parameter when choosing a machine for cutting plywood. But this is not the only factor that must be taken into account before purchasing a machine to solve specific problems.
Read our instructions for selecting CNC laser machines for cutting plywood.
What kind of laser is needed for cutting plywood?
The choice of a laser for cutting plywood directly depends on the tasks to be solved using the device.
To a first approximation, we can assume that the required power of the optical installation is directly dependent on the thickness of the plywood sheets being processed. In practice, there are other conditions that influence the selection of certain cutting machine parameters. For example, in a company that uses large circular saws to cut large sheets of plywood, a low-power laser machine may be the best option for cutting small sheets.
Laser machines for cutting plywood have a number of advantages that distinguish them from machines for mechanical processing:
- High cutting precision;
- Ability to create objects of complex shapes;
- Ease of use;
- No noise or sawdust in the process.
All of the above advantages are possible due to the fact that in laser machines the working “tool” is a thin beam of light with high power. The beam burns through the plywood board, leaving a thin and narrow cut, like a surgical scalpel. Thanks to numerical program control, the machine is able to draw an ornament of any complexity. Therefore, the most suitable tool for creating decorative plywood elements is a CNC laser machine.
The disadvantages include the cost of the laser machine. This drawback only applies to powerful devices with a large working surface. The price of basic models is comparable to milling machines of a similar area. If you have sufficient competence, you can assemble a laser machine of any power with your own hands. The work will take a lot of time, but the financial savings will be significant.
Depending on the power and functionality, machines are divided into types. Since nowadays even budget models are equipped with CNC, we will not consider manually controlled machines as an option.
Source: top3dshop.ru
By purpose:
- A cutting and engraving machine is a low-power device designed for engraving on plywood and cutting thin sheets;
- The industrial machine is a universal machine that is suitable for cutting plywood sheets of any thickness.
By laser head power:
- Up to 50 W - low-power devices;
- From 50 to 90 W - universal devices;
- From 100 W - industrial-grade devices.
There is a common relationship between the power of the laser machine and the size of the work area. Higher power means larger surface area to be processed. Exceptions happen very rarely.
How to avoid carbon deposits
This problem most often appears when there are not enough machine resources. Or the settings are not selected correctly:
- head speed,
- beam power,
- beam focusing,
- air supply for blowing the lens.
Important! These parameters are interrelated. If you change at least one of them, you need to select the corresponding others.
Speed setting
This parameter is selected experimentally, taking into account:
- density and thickness of the workpiece,
- radiation power.
The thicker the sheet, the slower the process occurs. Water-resistant types of material also slow down processing. The higher the energy of the beam, the faster it cuts. This means that the speed must be chosen so that the beam has time to cut through, but does not char.
Beam power
It is selected so that the machine cuts, but does not burn. If the emitter allows, this parameter is selected for the maximum speed of head movement. Important! The strength of the light flux depends on the condition of the laser tube. It has a limited resource. Over time, it sits down and the radiation weakens.
Focusing
The radiation from the tube is redirected using a prism to a lens, which focuses it onto the working surface. For the process to proceed cleanly and quickly, the beam must be well focused on the surface of the workpiece and be as thin as possible. This is achieved by adjusting the focal length. Focusing also depends on the state of the focusing lens:
- temperature regime,
- cleanliness of the lens surface.
Blowing the lens
Cooling is carried out by air flow. If the airflow on the lens stops or becomes weaker, it will begin to heat up. The laser spot area becomes wider. Soot appears. For thick sheets, airflow of 1.5-2 atmospheres is used. This ensures a bright and clean cut surface.
What is a laser head for cutting plywood
Source: all3dp.com
A laser head for cutting plywood is an optical element of the machine, consisting of a radiation source (laser) and a focusing lens that directs the beam onto the surface being processed.
There are mainly two types of lasers used in plywood cutting machines:
- CO2 (carbon dioxide) - the source of radiation is a tube filled with gas. Such installations can have great power, but they have relatively large dimensions.
- Diodes - with a semiconductor laser - usually (but not always) have lower power, but very compact dimensions. Due to their compactness and ease of use, they are often used on small machines.
Cutting with an electric chisel
This power tool has become indispensable for every wood carver. Essentially, it combines an ordinary hand chisel and a mini-machine for processing wood. In a professional environment, it is also called a pneumatic or mechanized scraper .
An electric chisel works on the principle of a jackhammer. Nozzles are attached to the electric handle with a motor. They come in three types: straight, semicircular and angular.
The tool is used for processing soft and hard wood, as well as wood growths (burls, burls). An electric chisel allows you to remove a large amount of material without much physical effort, so it is excellent for roughing. At the same time, there are also very compact models. For example, a tool from Proxxon fits in your hand and can be used to work with small objects. But even tree trunks are processed with large models to create real sculptures.
What is a laser module for cutting plywood
A laser module is a unit that consists of a laser head and other elements necessary for operation: an optical system, a power supply, a cooling system and control electronics. The implementation of a specific module circuit depends on the power and type of emitter, as well as on the purpose of the machine.
According to the purpose of the machine, laser modules are divided into:
- Collimated - to create a grating or circle with a laser beam;
- Focused - for consistent line formation.
Source: all3dp.com
In practice, as a rule, all laser modules for cutting plywood focus radiation at one point. Firstly, such a system is much cheaper and easier to maintain. Secondly, this way a CNC machine can form any lines. Therefore, focused modules allow you to cut out not only rectangles and circles, but also objects of arbitrary shape.
Laser modules are also divided into types, depending on the length of the light wave emitted by the emitter. In the case of plywood cutting machines, both diode and CO2 lasers belong to devices operating in the infrared range.
Laser machine for wood
When choosing a laser machine for wood, you first need to focus on the type of processing (cutting or engraving). If you are cutting wood, you need to know the maximum thickness of the workpiece; this affects the power of the machine you will need. The thicker the workpiece, the greater the power of the laser tube should be.
The next point is the area of the workpiece being processed if you are going to cut or engrave sheet materials. For these, it is necessary to purchase a laser wood cutting machine with a large working area, medium or wide format. If the workpieces are small, for example, the main activity is making souvenirs, then a machine with a small working area will suit you.
In the case where circular engraving of cylindrical shapes is necessary, this affects two points at once. The first is the height of the workspace, and the second is that you will have to purchase a so-called rotating device.
If you have any questions, you can always consult our engineers.
Description of laser for cutting plywood
Source: all3dp.com
The operating principle of a laser plywood cutting machine is easy to understand: a laser emitter creates a beam of light of a given wavelength, and the beam power is sufficient to burn through the fibers of a wood board. The higher the power, the deeper the beam penetrates into the plywood, and the thicker the sheet that can be cut in one pass. The power range varies, starting from several watts.
What materials and mechanisms will be required
To make a simple laser cutter with your own hands, you will need the following materials and technical devices:
- laser pointer;
- a regular flashlight equipped with rechargeable batteries;
- an old burner drive (CD/DVD-RW) equipped with a laser drive (it is not at all necessary that such a drive be in working condition);
- soldering iron;
- set of locksmith tools.
The higher the write speed of the drive, the more powerful the laser cutter will be.
Thus, you can make a simple laser cutting device using materials that are easy to find in your home workshop or garage.
What laser power is needed to cut plywood?
Source: all3dp.com
Typically, laser machines with the following emitter power are used for cutting plywood:
- Up to 50 W - for cutting sheets up to 6 mm thick;
- 60 - 80 W - for cutting sheets up to 8 mm thick;
- More than 80 W - for cutting sheets up to 10 mm thick.
The power of the emitter is always indicated in the device specifications, along with the power consumption of the device as a whole. For example, the LaserSolid 640 Lite laser power is 50 W, the device power is 450 W.
However, there are laser modules with much lower power. Let's consider the capabilities of such elements.
Laser 2.1 W
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The purpose of the 2.1 W diode laser is to cut cardboard and plywood up to 1 mm thick. More often, modules of this power are installed in engravers.
3.5W cutting laser
The 3.5 W laser module for cutting plywood is also used primarily for engraving. As an exception, it can be used for cutting plywood. But to process a sheet even 3 mm thick it will take about 20 passes.
5.6 W short throw laser
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There are few differences between this device and the one discussed above. For example, cutting 3 mm thick plywood will require 4 passes. It's faster, but still very slow.
Laser 8 W
The 8-watt laser module is more efficient at cutting plywood sheets. A device equipped with such an emitter can cut a sheet 2 mm thick in one pass.
10W cutting laser
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Increased power to 10W provides the potential to cut 3mm thick plywood in one pass. However, such equipment is still found mainly in homemade cutting machines and laser engravers.
Laser 15 W
Fifteen-watt diode lasers can be used to cut plywood up to 10 mm thick, but this will require going over the same line several times. Such devices are suitable for amateur-level machines. Due to their low power, they have low heat generation and energy consumption. Accordingly, compact cooling systems will be required for trouble-free operation.
For professional cutting of plywood sheets, we recommend using machines equipped with laser modules with a power of 40 W or more.
