The possibility of making something useful from unused or deteriorated technology attracts many home craftsmen. One such useful device is a laser cutter. Having at their disposal such a device (some even make it from an ordinary laser pointer), you can decorate products from various materials.

What materials and mechanisms will be required

To make a simple DIY laser cutter, you need the following materials and technical devices:

• laser pointer;
• an ordinary flashlight equipped with rechargeable batteries;
• an old burner drive (CD / DVD-RW) equipped with a laser drive (it is absolutely not necessary that such a drive be in working order);
• soldering iron;
• set of locksmith tools.

Thus, a simple laser cutting device can be made using materials that are easy to find in a home workshop or garage.

The manufacturing process of the simplest laser cutter

The main working element of the homemade cutter of the proposed design is the laser element of the computer writing drive. It is necessary to choose the writing model of the drive because the laser in such devices has a higher power, which allows burning tracks on the surface of the disk installed in them. The design of the read-type drive also contains a laser emitter, but its power, used only for illuminating the disk, is low.

The laser emitter, which is equipped with a recording drive, is placed on a special carriage that can move in two directions. To remove the emitter from the carriage, it is necessary to free it from a large number of fasteners and detachable devices. They should be removed very carefully so as not to damage the laser element. In addition to the usual tools, to remove the red laser diode (and to equip a homemade laser cutter you need it), you will need a soldering iron to gently free the diode from the available soldered connections. When removing the emitter from the seat, you should be careful and careful not to subject it to strong mechanical stress, which may cause its failure.

The emitter, removed from the computer's recording drive, must be installed in place of the LED that was originally supplied with the laser pointer. To perform this procedure, the laser pointer must be disassembled by dividing its body into two parts. In the upper of them is the LED, which should be removed and replaced with a laser emitter from a computer writing drive. When fixing such a radiator in the pointer body, you can use glue (it is only important to make sure that the peephole of the radiator is located exactly in the center of the hole intended for the beam exit).

The voltage generated by the power supplies in the laser pointer is not enough to ensure the efficiency of using the laser cutter, so it is impractical to use them to equip such a device. For the simplest laser cutter, you can use the rechargeable batteries used in a regular flashlight. Thus, by combining the lower part of the flashlight, which houses its rechargeable batteries, with the upper part of the laser pointer, where the emitter from the writing computer drive is already located, you can get a fully functional laser cutter. When performing this alignment, it is very important to observe the polarity of the batteries that will power the emitter.

Before assembling a homemade hand-held laser cutter of the proposed design, it is necessary to remove the glass installed in it from the tip of the pointer, which will prevent the passage of the laser beam. In addition, it is necessary to check once again the correctness of the connection of the emitter with the batteries, as well as how accurately its peephole is located in relation to the outlet of the pointer tip. After all the structural elements are securely connected to each other, you can start using the cutter.

Of course, with the help of such a low-power laser it will not be possible to cut a metal sheet, it is not suitable for woodworking, but it is suitable for solving simple tasks related to cutting cardboard or thin polymer sheets.

According to the algorithm described above, it is possible to manufacture a more powerful laser cutter, slightly improving the proposed design. In particular, such a device must be additionally equipped with such elements as:

• capacitors with a capacity of 100 pF and 100 mF;
• resistors with parameters 2–5 Ohm;
• collimator - a device that is used to collect light rays passing through it into a narrow beam;
• LED flashlight with steel body.

Capacitors and resistors in the design of such a laser cutter are necessary in order to create a driver through which electrical power will flow from the batteries to the laser emitter. If you do not use the driver and send current to the emitter directly, the latter can immediately fail. Despite the higher power, such a laser machine for cutting plywood, thick plastic and even more so metal will also not work.

How to make a more powerful apparatus

Home craftsmen are often interested in more powerful laser machines that can be made by hand. It is quite possible to make a laser for cutting plywood with your own hands and even a laser cutter for metal, but for this you need to acquire the appropriate components. In this case, it is better to immediately make your own laser machine, which will have decent functionality and work in automatic mode, controlled by an external computer.

Depending on whether you are interested in your own hands or you need an apparatus for working on wood and other materials, you should correctly select the main element of such equipment - a laser emitter, the power of which may be different. Naturally, do-it-yourself laser cutting of plywood is performed with a lower power device, and a laser for cutting metal must be equipped with an emitter with a power of at least 60 watts.

To make a full-fledged laser machine, including for cutting metal with your own hands, you will need the following consumables and components:

1. a controller that will be responsible for communication between an external computer and the electronic components of the device itself, thereby providing control of its operation;
2. electronic board equipped with an information display;
3. laser (its power is selected depending on the materials for the processing of which the manufactured cutter will be used);
4. stepper motors, which will be responsible for moving the device desktop in two directions (such motors can be stepper motors from unused printers or DVD players);
5. cooling device for the emitter;
6. DC-DC regulator, which will control the amount of voltage supplied to the electronic board of the emitter;
7. transistors and electronic boards for controlling the stepper motors of the cutter;
8. Limit switches;
9. pulleys for installing timing belts and the belts themselves;
10. a case, the size of which allows you to place all the elements of the assembled structure in it;
11. ball bearings of various diameters;
12. bolts, nuts, screws, ties and clamps;
13. wooden boards from which the working frame of the cutter will be made;
14. metal rods with a diameter of 10 mm, which will be used as guiding elements;
15. a computer and a USB cable with which it will connect to the cutter controller;
16. set of locksmith tools.

If you plan to use a laser machine for DIY metalwork, then its structure must be reinforced to withstand the weight of the metal sheet being processed.

The presence of a computer and a controller in the design of such a device allows it to be used not only as a laser cutter, but also as an engraving machine. With the help of this equipment, the operation of which is controlled by a special computer program, it is possible to apply the most complex patterns and inscriptions on the surface of the workpiece with high precision and detail. The corresponding program can be found freely available on the Internet.

By its design, a laser machine that can be made by hand is a shuttle-type device. Its movable and guiding elements are responsible for the movement of the working head along the X and Y axes. The Z axis is the depth to which the workpiece is cut. For the movement of the working head of the laser cutter of the presented design, as mentioned above, stepping motors are responsible, which are fixed on the stationary parts of the device frame and are connected to the moving elements using toothed belts.

Sliding support Head with laser and heat sink Carriage assembly

Placing the carriage on the racks

All photos from the article

Is it difficult to assemble a DIY plywood laser cutting machine? What problems can be expected at different stages of the project? What equipment will you have to buy? In this article we will try to find answers to these questions.

Pros and cons of laser cutting

When implementing any large-scale project, the question of its expediency always arises. We will try to help the reader give an independent answer to it.

Benefits

• The device for laser cutting plywood in practice is able to work not only with it. The list of processed materials includes leather, fabrics, plexiglass, plastics, in a word, all materials that have low thermal conductivity and a relatively low combustion temperature;
• Thanks to the CNC, the machine will allow you to cut with the highest precision by creating detailed paths;
• Its possibilities are not limited to sharpness. Plywood laser cutting machines are quite capable of performing the functions of an engraver. By varying the speed of the carriage and the power of the beam, they can create complex images with tone transitions;
• By focusing the beam, the width of the cut can be kept to a minimum- from 1/100 mm, which again has a positive effect on the accuracy of manufacturing parts or the detailing of the image applied to the workpiece.

Problems

Of course, you can't do without them either:

• The price of the purchased equipment will not be cheap. The most popular solution for inexpensive home-made engravers - a laser diode removed from a DVD burner - is not absolutely suitable for cutting plywood due to its low power. The minimum laser power for cutting plywood is 20 watts; with any significant thickness of the material, it is better to increase it to 40 - 80;

Reference: a carbon dioxide laser tube of this power, when ordered directly from Chinese manufacturers, will cost the customer 15-20 thousand rubles at the current exchange rate. Added to the cost of the laser is the cost of a complex and expensive focusing system, DSP controller, stepper motor driver and carriage.

• The life cycle of the tube is from 3 to 8 thousand hours, after which she needs a replacement;
• The laser requires liquid cooling. In industrial conditions, for this purpose, a refrigeration unit is used that operates on the principle of a heat pump - chiller. The minimum cost of such a unit is 35 - 45 thousand rubles;

However: with a short operating time, you can get by with a tank with a capacity of 80 - 100 liters and a water pump that will pump its contents through the tube jacket.

• CNC implies the presence of not only special software, but also sketches of the contour of the manufactured product. It is not so easy to find drawings for laser cutting of plywood; their independent construction will take a very long time;
• Finally, the material is cut by rapid heating and evaporation. In this case, the edges of the cut are inevitably charred, and the room is filled with smoke. If so, you will have to design a closed case with a transparent lid and an intensive forced ventilation system.

Constructive execution

So how does a homemade plywood cutting laser work?

The base of the bed is an aluminum professional pipe with a size of 40x60, fastened with a furniture corner and metal screws. The body is assembled from inexpensive chipboard - it does not experience significant loads during operation.

Please note: there is a 12-volt LED strip running around the perimeter of the case. The backlight will allow you to visually control the cutting process.

Directly on the pipes of the frame, guides are fixed, which ensure the movement of the carriages along the transverse axis.

A longitudinal tube with one more guide is screwed to the carriages - already under the carriage, which directly ensures the movement of the head.

And here is the laser head itself for cutting plywood. The foil is used to seal the connection between the tube and the fitting.

Cutting metal with a laser is the most advanced and modern technology, but also the most expensive. Its main advantage is a beam with unlimited possibilities. Do-it-yourself laser cutting of metal makes it possible to cut workpieces in any direction, while the cut edges will be neat and do not require further processing. In addition, the laser beam is monochrome, that is, it has a clear and strict wavelength (it is fixed) and a constant frequency. This makes it easy to focus it even with ordinary lenses.

So, equipment for laser cutting for metal is a thing inaccessible to many, it is too expensive a pleasure. Therefore, home craftsmen find a way out by using various already almost unnecessary items, from which they make a homemade device. There are many options for making laser cutters with your own hands, one of them is based on the use of a laser pointer, and we will talk about it.

Making a homemade laser cutter

To assemble the cutter you will need:

• laser pointer;
• Lantern;
• CD / DVD-RW - not necessarily new, the main thing is that it has a laser with a drive;
• tools: soldering iron and screwdrivers.

Please note that a DVD burner is required to assemble the laser cutting machine. It is necessary to disassemble it and find a carriage with a laser that writes and reads information from a CD. There should be a red diode next to the carriage. It also needs to be dismantled with a soldering iron because it is soldered to the circuit in the plateau. By the way, the diode must be handled carefully, shake it, drop it, hit it, and so on.

Now here's the point - a laser cutter (aka a diode) consumes more current than a diode of a laser line. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that this current is greater. There are several options, but since a flashlight was prepared, its batteries will be used to power the diode. The laser pointer has a smaller battery and one.

Now you can proceed to the assembly of the laser cutter.

• The laser pointer is disassembled.
• Its diode is removed from it, and a diode removed from the DVD is installed in its place.
• Now you need to connect to a new, more powerful power source. To do this, the front part of the pointer is installed in the flashlight, after removing the lens from it. It is fixed to the device using a threaded compression nut.
• The diode is connected by wires from the terminals that connect to the batteries. It is important here not to mix up the polarity of the connection.
• In principle, everything is ready. A laser miniature cutter can be used.

Of course, they will not be able to cut metal, but paper, polymer films and burned through. Even matches can be set on fire with such a device.

Metal cutting laser

By adding a few devices to those used above, you can make a more powerful device, almost 500 times more powerful. Added:

• an optical collimator is a device that creates a luminous flux from parallel beams;
• capacitors 100pF and 100mF;
• one resistor with a resistance of 2-5 ohms.

A driver is assembled from radio components together with a diode, which will bring the cutter to the required power. The optical collimator is equipped with a place where you can install a diode, and this is its great advantage. That is, instead of a laser pointer, this setup uses a collimator. In addition, the pointer is made of plastic, and during the cutting process, its body will be very hot. This will lead to warping, and the installation itself will be badly cooled.

All other assembly technology is exactly the same as in the previous case. It should be noted that a diode is a very sensitive element, therefore it is necessary to remove static electricity from it before use. This can be done with an anti-static wrist strap. If there is no bracelet available, then you can wind a thin wire around the diode, which will take away statics from the part.

Making a laser with your own hands for cutting metal requires certain actions that affect its high-quality functionality. First of all, you need to test the assembled driver. To do this, you will have to find another exactly the same diode. It is connected to the device and tested with a multimeter. 300-350 mA is the norm for many home-made devices. But if there is a need to increase the power of the entire unit, then it is better if the multimeter shows 500 mA. True, for such a cutter, you will have to assemble another driver that supports this current value.

Do not forget about the aesthetic side of the issue. You can come up with different body options. For example, an LED small flashlight. It is recommended to store the finished device in a special case so that the lens of the optical collimator is not covered with dust. By the way, such a cutter can raise many questions from the relevant law enforcement agencies, so you should not carry it with you in your pocket.

It should be noted that the power of the diode depends on the current, not on the voltage. With an increase in the latter, the brightness rate of the diode is exceeded, and this leads to the destruction of the resonator in the diode design. That is, the light source stops heating up, which is necessary for a laser cutter. It just glows like a regular light bulb. Temperatures also affect the performance of the diode. At low temperatures, its performance increases, at high temperatures, the resonator fails.

Good day, brain engineers! Today I will share with you a guide on how how to do laser cutter with a power of 3W and a work table 1.2x1.2 meters under the control of an Arduino microcontroller.

This brainwashing was born to create a pixel art coffee table. It was necessary to cut the material into cubes, but it is difficult by hand, and very expensive through an online service. Then this 3-watt cutter / engraver for thin materials appeared, I will clarify that industrial cutters have a minimum power of about 400 watts. That is, light materials, such as expanded polystyrene, cork sheets, plastic or cardboard, are mastered by this cutter, but thicker and dense materials are only engraved.

Step 1: Materials

Arduino R3
Proto Board - board with display
stepper motors
3-watt laser
cooling for laser
power unit
DC-DC regulator
MOSFET transistor
motor control boards
Limit switches
case (large enough to hold almost all of the details in the list)
timing belts
ball bearings 10mm
pulleys for timing belts
ball bearings
2 boards 135x 10x2 cm
2 boards 125x10x2 cm
4 smooth rods with a diameter of 1cm
various bolts and nuts
screws 3.8cm
grease
cable ties
a computer
a circular saw
screwdriver
various drills
sandpaper
vice

Step 2: wiring diagram

Laser circuit homemade informatively presented in the photo, there are only a few clarifications.

Stepper motors: I think you noticed that two motors start from the same control board. This is necessary so that one side of the belt does not lag behind the other, that is, the two motors work synchronously and maintain the tension of the toothed belt, which is necessary for high-quality work. crafts.

Laser power: When adjusting the DC-DC regulator, make sure that the DC voltage is supplied to the laser, which does not exceed the specifications of the laser, otherwise you will simply burn it. My laser is rated for 5V and 2.4A, so the regulator is set to 2A and the voltage is slightly below 5V.

MOSFET transistor: this is an important part of this brainwashing, since it is this transistor that turns the laser on and off, receiving a signal from the Arduino. Since the current from the microcontroller is very weak, only this MOSFET transistor can perceive it and turn off or unlock the laser power circuit, other transistors simply do not react to such a low-current signal. The MOSFET is mounted between the laser and ground from the DC regulator.

Cooling: When creating my laser cutter, I faced the problem of cooling the laser diode to avoid overheating. The problem was solved by installing a computer fan, with which the laser functioned perfectly even when working for 9 hours in a row, and a simple radiator could not cope with the cooling task. I also installed the coolers next to the motor control boards, as they also heat up decently even if the cutter is not working, but simply turned on.

Step 3: assembly

The attached files contain a 3D model of the laser cutter, showing the dimensions and assembly principle of the desktop frame.

Shuttle design: it consists of one shuttle responsible for the Y-axis, and two paired shuttle responsible for the X-axis.The Z-axis is not needed, since this is not a 3D printer, but instead the laser will alternately turn on and off, that is, the Z-axis is replaced by the pierce depth ... I tried to reflect all the dimensions of the shuttle structure in the photo, I will only clarify that all the mounting holes for the rods in the sides and shuttles are 1.2 cm deep.

Guide rods: steel rods (although aluminum is preferable, steel is easier to get), rather large in diameter 1 cm, but this rod thickness will avoid sagging. The factory grease has been removed from the rods, and the rods themselves are carefully sanded with a sander and emery paper to perfect smoothness for good glide. And after grinding, the rods are treated with white lithium grease, which prevents oxidation and improves sliding.

Belts and Stepper Motors: To install the stepper motors and timing belts, I used the usual tools and materials at hand. The motors and ball bearings are mounted first, and then the belts themselves. As a bracket for the engines, a sheet of metal was used approximately the same width and twice as long as the engine itself. 4 holes drilled in this sheet for attaching to the engine and two for attaching to the body homemade, the sheet is bent at an angle of 90 degrees and screwed to the body with self-tapping screws. On the opposite side of the motor mount, a bearing system is installed in a similar way, consisting of a bolt, two ball bearings, a washer and a metal sheet. A hole is drilled in the center of this sheet, with which it is attached to the body, then the sheet is bent in half and a hole is drilled in the center of both halves to install the bearing system. A toothed belt is put on the motor-bearing pair obtained in this way, which is attached to the wooden base of the shuttle with an ordinary self-tapping screw. This process is more clearly shown in the photo.

Step 4: software

Fortunately, the software for this brainwashing free and open source. Everything you need is on the links below:

In and all that I wanted to tell you about my laser cutter / engraver. Thank you for attention!

Successful homemade!

Anyone can make a laser for cutting metal with their own hands today. And this fact cannot but rejoice, because the cutter is a unique device with which you can easily and accurately cut metal of almost any thickness with high quality and accuracy.

Benefits of laser cutting

The demand for this method of material processing is due to several factors.

Cut quality

The first and one of the most significant indicators is the high quality of laser cut products. Such parts have a smooth, even cut and are characterized by the absence of any flaws on the treated surface.

Method versatility

The second important advantage of laser cutting is that with the help of this procedure it became possible to process almost all types of products, regardless of the hardness of the alloy from which they are made, their thickness or shape. In addition, the laser method of cutting parts is not limited to cutting in a plane, that is, it is possible to cut and bulk objects.

Process automation capability

The third advantage is the ability to automate the process of cutting metal with a laser using computer equipment. This property allows you to save not only time, but also money on the manufacture of special casting molds required for the production of products. This increases the productivity of the installation.

Computer-controlled metal cutting produces better parts that do not require additional turning and grinding.

Note that all of the above qualities are inherent, to one degree or another, to all laser metal cutters, both industrial and home-made. The only difference between them lies in the power of these devices. For example, hand-made metal cutting lasers are less powerful than professional laser cutting machines. They are great for cutting plywood and thin metal sheets, but they are not capable of handling super-hard and thick metal products, unlike special equipment.

But, despite this, homemade cutters are more popular among craftsmen. And all because industrial installations are quite expensive, and not everyone can afford to buy such a laser at home. In addition, in the household, there is no need to use a heavy-duty metal cutter, the simplest, do-it-yourself cutter is enough.

What materials and devices are required to manufacture a laser for cutting metal?

It is possible to make a laser cutter for metal on your own using the following tools and materials:

• laser pointer;
• the simplest flashlight with rechargeable batteries;
• an old writing computer drive (CD / DVD-ROM) equipped with a matrix with a laser (it can be inoperative);
• soldering iron;
• screwdriwer set.

It is worth preparing a place in advance for creating a device. The working area must be free of foreign objects, provide yourself with a convenient location and good lighting.

After everything you need is prepared, you can proceed directly to the assembly of the metal laser cutter.

Step-by-step instructions for making a laser for cutting metal

The first step in the process of making a homemade cutter is to disassemble the drive of your old computer's laser burner drive. To do this, it is necessary to carefully disassemble the device and remove the device itself without damaging its integrity.

Then you need to remove the red diode, which burns the disc while writing information to it. This diode, in another way - a laser emitter, is placed on a special carriage equipped with a large number of fasteners. To remove the emitter, you need to unsolder all fasteners with a soldering iron. It is important to perform all actions with the utmost care, since any damage to the diode can cause it to fail.

The next stage in the assembly of a metal laser cutter involves installing the emitter in place of the LED that comes with the pointer. To do this, carefully disassemble the pointer into 2 parts without damaging the connectors and holders. Then take out the LED and put the laser in its place. You can fix it, if necessary, using ordinary PVA glue.

This is followed by the manufacture of a housing for a laser homemade cutter. You can assemble the housing for the laser using a flashlight and rechargeable batteries by aligning the lower part of an ordinary flashlight, in which the batteries are located, with the upper part of the pointer (before assembling, the glass installed in the pointer must be removed from the tip of the pointer), where the emitter is located.

In the course of making such a connection, it is important to correctly, observing the polarity, connect the diode to the battery charging.

After completing all the steps, the cutter is ready to go! It is important to remember that the device, if the safety rules are violated, can harm your health! Be careful!

DIY laser cutter

What is the difference between finished products

The main reason why many people prefer a homemade laser cutter is the low cost of this device. It should be noted that a home laser for metal cutting performs simple tasks no worse than a factory one.

This is due to the unified principle of operation of any metal laser cutter, which is as follows:

How laser cutting works

• During the cutting procedure, the laser acts on a metal surface in such a way that an oxidizing agent is formed on it, which increases the energy absorption coefficient.
• The powerful radiation causes the material to heat up.
• At the point where the laser beam touches the metal, a very high temperature is created, leading to the melting of the metal surface.

The difference in the work of a factory and a laser home-made cutter lies in their power, and, accordingly, in the depth of the laser cut into the metal surface. So, factory models are equipped with high-grade materials, which provides a sufficient deepening rate. Homemade cutters are capable of cutting only 1-3 cm.