Our Notes on Computer Controlled Cutting

Compiled by Henry & Vipul

Vinyl Cutting

Operations possible with the machine:
  1. Cutting
  2. Embossing
  3. Scoring
  4. Plotting
Requirements to operate the machine :
  1. Laptop with Roland CutStudio
  2. Vinyl or Paper (Max. Width 1372)
  3. Transfer tape
  4. Tweezers
  5. Design to cut (Max. width 1195)

Getting started

Get the file ready
  1. Make a vector file using some software. Export as an .ai file
  2. Make or download a vector image. Image needs to have a high contrast between the background and the foreground.
  3. Prefer Sans serif font with rounded edges for text. Serif fonts have sharp corners which gets difficult to cut as blade can not turn fast enough.
  4. Spacing and line widths should preferably be greater than one millimeter. Lesser than this gets difficult to cut and may tear apart while weeding.
Get Machine Ready
Load material
  1. Material requirement to be fit for cutting on GX-500 (Max. Width 1372 and max thickness 1mm)
  2. Make sure there is approximately 25mm of space between the material edge and the inner edge of the pinch wheel.
Set up the blade
  1. Blade should extend approximately as much as the thickness of a credit card out of the holder.
  2. Blade can be replaced with a pen or an embossing tip.
Common things that we forget
  1. Engage the lever for material hold.
  2. Define origin.
  3. Taking material width and length into consideration while placing the design.
  4. Pinch wheels should align with verification marks.
  5. Align the right-hand edge of the material with the scale lines.

**For more detailled instaructions see Roland CAM GX-500 instructions

Laser Cutting

  1. Kerfing ... you can do it, but use it well... and make it cool... and know what you are doing...

  2. Snap fitting:

    • Also known as press fit or interference fit, it's a method of holding down two parts with just friction and no other means of fastening.

    • routed and made with wood, but the concept holds

    • FEA

    • I LOVE MATH

    • It's important to chamfer the notch edges, otherwise it may get impossible to slide-in the two parts.

    • Snap fit exercises from previous years of FabAcademy.

  3. Metal Laser Cutting Parameters:

    • Metal sheet to be cut

    • Sheet thickness

    • Cutting speed

    • Laser pulse frequency

    • Type and pressure of cutting gas

    • Diameter of nozzle

    • Distance between the cutting nozzle and the work-piece

    • Focal length of the focusing optics

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