Laser Cutter
About
The Epilog Helix laser cutter is a versatile CO2 laser machine utilized to cut and engrave various materials.
Video Tutorial:
Epilog Helix:
24″ x 18″ (610 x 457 mm)
Maximum engraving thickness: 216 mm
75 watt CO2 laser source
File Types: .ai / .svg / .dxf or any other vector file
Policies:
- The laser cutter must always be operated under the supervision of staff, fellow or faculty.
- The laser cutter must be watched at all times during operation.
- Laser processing can cause fires or release of deadly gasses, thus materials not explicitly listed under the Materials section as approved for cutting need to be approved by the lab manager.
Materials:
- Acrylic and birch plywood are available.
- You may bring your own materials to cut, but they must be approved by the lab manager.
- Anodized metals can be engraved, but bare metal cannot be engraved or cut.
- The follow materials are not allowed:
- PVC or any plastics containing vinyl
- Polystyrene foam (Styrofoam)
- Polycarbonate (PC)
- Foam-core board
- Mirrored surfaces (except mirrored acrylic designed for laser cutting)
KERF and Tolerance
Laser burns material away!
If you intend to have fitting pieces or use gears that engage with each other, you want to consider how precise your tolerance needs to be.
We called this “KERF” or how much material the laser cutter burns away when cutting specific materials.
For example, if cutting a 3mm Plywood, usually KERF is about 0.15mm.
If I draw a square exactly 50mm, the resulting hole will be 50.15 mm and the resulting piece will be 49.85 mm.
Check our material guidebook to find the KERF for each material available in the FabLab or check this Instructables to learn how to calculate the KERF by yourself.
Resources
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