How does the process work? How are parts built? How is design information transmitted to the manufacturing process?

The Lasercamm manufacturing process operates by cutting 2-dimensional parts out of thin sheets of various materials. It operates with pulsed CO2 lasers ranging in power from 50 to 150 watts and moves only in the x-y plane. This limitation means that cuts are always straight and that edges cannot be beveled. Altogether, though, the process is rather simple once the design specifications are available to the machine. As it turns out, getting the information there is simple as well.

The most common way to translate one’s idea to an actual lasercamm prototype is via a CAD program. With a 2-D part created on CAD (the 3^rd dimension simply being thickness), the part can be saved as a DFX File. This, then, can be imported to any Windows 95/98 or NT workstation. With the Windows software the file can be converted to a DMC File. This file is then easily read by the lasercamm machine.

With the file on hand, a material is chosen for the part to be cut from. This material comes in the form of a sheet that is laid on the machines cutting surface and secured. Once this is done, a series of options present themselves to the user:

1. Cut or score the material on a range from 1 to 5.

2. Customize the settings for unique materials.

3. Preview the cutting path ahead of time.

4. Estimate the cut time and material required.

After all the settings are ready, the material is then either cut, scored, or perfed. As already noted, the parts that are finished are 2-D only. However, a series of 2-D cross-sections is not unheard of when trying to construct quick 3-D models. In fact, it is a very common practice. Whatever the case may be, though, the process is quick and, as is discussed later in this report, cheap, two characteristics that make this rapid manufacturing process ideal for many purposes.