1.5 million dollar laser CNC . anyone wanna cut somthing?

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:02 pm

I have a couple of good friends that put it all on the line and went into the world of CNC laser cutting, they are stupid busy but from time to time it's all mine, I cut my name out of 1 inch plate, built some bumpers and made some stainless naked hotdog guy sticks but the one thing Bryan (gridracer) and I never finished was getting a vector PG logo and cutting it out for his wall.

So I am just putting it out there that I have acess to this machine and if anyone had an idea that involved cnc cutting maybe we could make it happen.

It uses autocad files that are real clean but I have used corel draw and saved it as vector with good results after the guy cleaned them up, after the file is good any size , thickness , material and amount is the easy part.

Post by **Eric D** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:41 pm

What brand and model laser is it?

I too have access to a laser, and I have been cutting a lot of goodies for myself. Lasers are a lot of fun!

Post by **ttocs** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:41 pm

I have most of the pg logos already in vector for my vinyl cutter. If they can help you you can have them.

00goobs · Post by **00goobs** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:57 pm

Cut out MS and MPS end plates in Aluminum...

A fun project would be to make Roadster 66 like pieces to convert the RSD 1200.1 to match. This might be more a CNC mill job, but the input and connection plates could be laser cut...

Post by **Eric D** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:36 pm

00goobs wrote:Cut out MS and MPS end plates in Aluminum...

A fun project would be to make Roadster 66 like pieces to convert the RSD 1200.1 to match. This might be more a CNC mill job, but the input and connection plates could be laser cut...

One step ahead of you...

SilverGT · Post by **SilverGT** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:53 pm

with that pic I just got an idea to make some frank xenon amps..lol 200.2 and a 1200.1 on one board? oh ya..lol

really I woundnt mind some PG logos

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:39 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eWSs8do_VA

4000 watt 5x10 table

They also just set up a second unit that is plasma for really thick stuff, not sure why as the laser will do 1.5 inch steel..

I run a pizza place so I often feed the guys and in return they let me play with the cutter or somedays I just go apeshit on the forklift with a few beer

The laser shop is the old oat milling place that Bryan and I worked at when we were young, Bryan got me the job and it was 24 hour shift work that just sucked but Bryan worked his way up to milling and ran this machine that was a 40x40 building 5 stories high and would plug up from time to time, he would emerge from a port hole the size of a small plate covered in oat dust with a screwdriver in his hand , man I miss them good ol days.

Post by **Eric D** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:57 am

If that video is of the laser you are talking about, it looks like a Trumpf L3030S 4k.

If it is indeed a L3030S, with the 4k resonator, it will do only about 3/4in steel (with an "OK" cut). The laser might go thicker, but it really starts looking nasty.

The manufacturer specs on the L3030 are...

0.8in Mild Steel
0.6in Stainless Steel
0.4in Aluminum

New these machines are under $600k.

The only reason I know anything about the laser in that video is we own the exact same one where I work. I spend about half my day programming it.

Post by **Eric D** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:58 am

Can you ask them what software they are using to program it, and what version? I am looking for something better than what I am using now.

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:49 pm

Eric D wrote:Can you ask them what software they are using to program it, and what version? I am looking for something better than what I am using now.

I know they changed from the first one they had, It used a key code that needed to be updated from some guy?

I will ask and get back to you.

denim · Post by **denim** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:47 am

Would love to get some logo's cut.

Post by **smgreen20** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:33 pm

Shun me if you must, but I'm in need of some end plates for some OS LANZAR Opti amps.

Post by **smgreen20** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:39 pm

bassman wrote:
They also just set up a second unit that is plasma for really thick stuff, not sure why as the laser will do 1.5 inch steel..

Plasma can cut up to 6" thick,
Acetylene torches can cut up to 7" thick.

00goobs · Post by **00goobs** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:59 am

I've cut up to 8" tool steel with a water jet. I've also done it with an EDM Machine with NO deflection. Now I use a torch and grinder with ugly results, hehehe...

bretti_kivi · Post by **bretti_kivi** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:46 am

ooh, this could be interesting. What formats are you looking for?

Bret

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:00 pm

dxf is what they use but even then they need to clean it of excess nodes, I am not the guy who does this but I have taken them a few different vector-format files and they work magic and I get parts.

They are very busy but they also like to do cool stuff so get me a logo in a vector format and I will make it happen, I think a thin stainless window logo would be cool!!

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:08 pm

00goobs wrote:I've cut up to 8" tool steel with a water jet. I've also done it with an EDM Machine with NO deflection. Now I use a torch and grinder with ugly results, hehehe...

8 inch !!! wow!!

how big a sheet?

I have a 1 inch thick 4x8 skeleton that I use to drag my yard and it weighs about 300 pounds, I used to think 3/4 mdf was heavy.....
A full sheet of 1 inch is over 1200 pounds!

Waterjet is very cool, we did a small run of stainless semitruck parts with one at a shop in Toronto, no heat discoloration.

denim · Post by **denim** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:11 am

Water jet's are cool, just a lot of up keep and serious electrical demands.

00goobs · Post by **00goobs** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:09 pm

The 8" thick piece was like 10" x 10" x 8" thick. We were cutting the rough shape of a special drill bit then finished it on the EDM machine. The water jet was dirty, loud and maintenance full, but it would cut titanium on one pass then foam with a plastic mirror on the next with only heavy scrap to hold them down while cutting.