Once programmed, the file is sent to the laser cutter.Дў. Colours are allocated to individual lines to enable the power and speed of the laser cutter to be programmed. A design is produced in a vector-based CAD programme. For example, by controlling the power and speed the machine could cut all the way through the material if the line is coloured red, whilst a line coloured black could be cut part way through (scored).ДЎ.

The laser cutter can then be programmed to cut, score or etch by altering the speed and power for each coloured line. Just like the process used for the profile cutter, lines drawn in the CAD programme can be allocated an individual colour. First, a vector-based design is produced using a suitable CAD programme, such as 2D Design Tools. The machine is used in the process of CAD CAM. Any remaining material left in the gap is removed by a jet of gas. When focused, the beam melts or vaporizes the material on contact. The bed of the machine can be adjusted to accommodate different thickness of material, however, not all materials can be cut as it often depends upon the power and size of the laser cutter.

The laser beam is focused through a lens which concentrates the beam to a fine point. It works by guiding a CO2 or Nd:YAG laser beam through a nozzle using a number of mirrors. A laser cutter is a versatile, high precision CNC machine It can be used to cut, etch and engrave a variety of materials.

Laser cut 6.1 photo engraving