LASER CUT WOODEN MINIATURES

PAPER BOXES AND CONTAINERS

Miniatures intricately-cut from quality wood offer an elegant, antique feel, and have added market appeal, especially as limited collector's items. Here we show you how to use a laser engraver to cut an attractive and stylistic wooden chair miniature from a common medium-density-fiberboard (MDF) panel.

Producing wooden miniatures with a laser engraver resolves the problems inherent to assembly-line cutting. Cutting with a laser offers the ability to cut intricately fine designs with exceptional precision and quality; simply not possible with a metal cutting blade. Laser-cut edges are much smoother and finer. By simply "printing" the graphic design to the laser engraver, you will be cutting distinct and profitable wooden miniatures in no time.

We show you how to make laser-cut wooden miniatures using a standard medium-density-fiberboard (MDF) panel, easily found at your local woodworking supply store. MDF panels can be used as an alternative to wood, as they cut excellently with lasers. Cutting MDF panels generates smooth uniform cut edges due to the material's structure.

Wooden Miniature Sample:
Here, we have prepared for you a CorelDraw design and laser parameter to laser-cut a distinctly unique wooden miniature chair.

Steps:
1. Prepare one medium MDF panel.
2. Load the CorelDraw image we have prepared for you to download.
3. Cut the individual parts with a laser engraver.
4. A quick assembly of the individual parts will result in your final miniature wooden chair.

Tips:
•  Make sure the selected MDF panel is completely flat. Curved or warped panels will result in uneven cutting.
•  To minimise laser burn marks on your MDF panel, make sure you enable the air-assist (SmartAir™ on the Spirit) when cutting.
•  Cut with the "Vector Sorting" function. This ensures the laser cuts each part from inside to out.

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Follow the instruction to create your own Tyrannosaur puzzle!
1. Download and open the tyrannosaur.cdr file in Corel Draw software.
2. Prepare wood sheet or pressboard in 3mm thickness for laser working.
3. Follow by the following parameter list and vector the working piece with your laser.
4. Use thumbnail to push out every piece carefully.
5. Determine where each part fits in the over-all structure before assembly.
6. Pick up two pieces that correspond with each other by number as figure XX indicates and assemble.
7. Use glue to fix it if the connecting joint is loose.

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The food industry has become more sophisticated in recent years. Food manufactures spend time not only on investigating new flavours but also on packaging. They aim to improve the sales of their products through new looks. However, is there anything that can impress consumers besides packaging?

Just put the picture and text files you have edited onto the work platform,and you can successfully make your desired appearance for the food products.

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Once a year Mothers Day is the time when we can gratefully show our appreciation for our mothers. As the occasion approaches near, various commodities and gift ideas become available on the market, all with the incentive to present mothers with surprises and to joyfully celebrate this special day.

Here we demonstrate how to manufacture mother's day cards.

LaserPro has provided two graphic card files. Firstly, please cut out the two graphics shown.

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Digitalization makes information available widely and cheaply. More and more businessmen start to look at money making opportunities from digital images. Printing images on T-shirts, cups or desk calendars is highly profitable. This application lab shows you how to produce a characteristic product using LaserPro engravers. Take a personalised jigsaw puzzle for example, simply insert the requested image on the jigsaw and it will be a very cool gift.

To make a personalized jigsaw, we need (1) a picture (2) a 2 mm thick acrylic.Download the designed jigsaw layout from LaserPro application lab then insert the prepared picture onto the software, CorelDraw for example.

Click the "Effect" on the tool bar to insert the picture onto the puzzle layout.

Put the picture onto the layout by clicking the black arrow.

Tips:
• Moderately adjust speed and avoid extremely strong energy to crack marble.
• PhotoGrav can help you to improve the engraving quality.
• The power output should be accurately controlled and high power output should be avoided, or the acrylic might be deformed due to overheat.

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An exceptional acrylic-cut sample, using a 200W powered Laser to cut acrylic up to a thickness of 1" (25mm). Through techniques provided by the LaserPro Application Laboratory, you can effortlessly cut a magnificent acrylic sample with precision.

Prepare a 25mm acrylic sample

Open downloaded files or sketch a preferred image, transmit to machine for cutting.

The LaserPro Application Lab has gathered a number of cutting techniques below for your reference.

Flare up during cutting could be caused by the large volume of dust generated come into contact with laser's high temperature, causing ignition/combustion. Increase the volume of air extraction will effectively impede this occurrence. Additionally, when using a moderate speed for cutting may also cause combustion easily. Turn on the nozzle head can effectively reduce this effect, but nozzle heads are not recommended for the applications of deeper cuttings (See example below).

Setting parameters is of crucial importance. Speed, power, dpi and ppi can affect the overall output quality. Adapting appropriate parameters can effectively prevent coin-like markings or bottom-dragging episodes.

The new Gaia version has installed an updated Firmware which includes a "smooth" cutting function; this will improve the quality of finished cutting products.

*Laser pathway can also affect the quality of cutting, if you are unable ensure the quality of your laser pathway, please contact us for further information.

When cutting draws to completion, without any supporting base below, objects may appear to be hanging in the air, as shown below:

Laser's heating temperature may cause objects to melt, so even before laser carriage draws to completion, the acrylic parts may fall off first. Furthermore, when acrylic falls, the laser continues to fire and hits the cut object, which may damage the sample (Please see example below).

Place a supportive tool/base below the cut object to prevent

Use various sizes of screws to adjust the supportive height.

Before cutting finishes, press [F1] to temporarily halt the machine, then paste the adhesive tape or double-sided tape to the cut segment, this will prevent the object from falling.

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This laser application takes advantage of the optional rotary attachment for our LaserPro laser engravers. A rotary attachment opens new possibilities and brings a host of new opportunities for laser engravers. The rotary attachment employs an electronic-controlled precision system in conjunction with a laser engraver to elegantly engrave fine text or detailed pictures onto cylindrical or spherical surfaces. A quick and simple measurement of the object's diameter (at the point of engraving) and input of that information into the laser engraver's print driver is all that is required to engrave with a rotary attachment. This month's showcase demonstrates the customized value and additional zest a rotary and laser engraver brings to an otherwise commonplace object, a glass cup.

Tips:
• The quality and composition of different glass will vary, and it can be hard to predict the effect you will achieve. Therefore, it is best to experiment a bit with different laser settings on unfamiliar glass.
• When mounting your object on the rotary, ensure it is properly centered along the centerline of the rotary. This will ensure you the most balanced engraving results.
• Engraving on glass produces miniscule glass chip remnants. After the engraving process, use a damp wet cloth to wipe off the remaining glass chips from the engraved area.
• Avoid using excessive laser power when engraving glass, as the heat produced may cause cracking or splintering of the glass.
• For the best glass cup engraving results, it is best to select a glass with an engraving surface that is flat, rather than slanted. If you do select to engrave on a slanted glass surface, focus your laser on the midpoint between the top and bottom of the engraving and ensure the slant differential between the midpoint to either the top or bottom does not exceed 2-3mm (the approximate focal distance of the laser). Otherwise you will get unbalanced or out-of-focus engraved results.

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In today's packaging industry, paper containers and carton box suppliers often find themselves spending several days to make a prototype sample for their customers before they set up the production line. Cutting done on the sample are made done by hand, with many sharp metal pieces, on a board (i.e. cutting mould). Each handcrafted sample will usually prove expensive and it will cost the customer even more if there are changes needed. The supplier will have to remake the sample again, and this takes more time, and more effort. With the LaserPro laser cutter, you will never have to go through this trouble. After simple modification using the graphic software, changes to the sample can be done with the touch of a button.

In this LaserPro Application, we will show you how to make some quick and precise paper containers which you can use to store small items such as sweets and cookies. As you follow our instructions, you will see that not only will LaserPro help you save money, but LaserPro will save you a lot of time!

Paper Weight: Yellow: 216g, Gray: 148g

Parameters:

• Draw the shape of the card in your graphic software such as CorelDraw .
• For better result, fill the card shape with 40% Black and select a lower DPI when output .
• Set Dithering Matrix and Pattern Type under the Dithering function of the LaserPro driver. We chose Dithering Matrix 4x4 and Pattern Type “Corner” for this sample .

Paper Weight: 216g

Parameters:

Tips:
•  Parameters are subject to change and are laser type and material dependent.
•  Before you start the job, please make sure the paper is completely flat.
•  Please keep the cutting edges inside the box. Otherwise the paper at box corner will be raised as the red-circle on the photo below shows.
•  Turn on Vector Sorting to confirm the working orders .
•  Use heavier paper to avoid unnecessary splits after cutting.

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In this Application Showcase are two specially designed display racks for you. With the powerful LaserPro CO2 laser engravers and the corresponsive software, you will be capable to achieve your unique ideas easily. The finished racks are beautiful and also raise the value of your products. Just simply cut a piece of acrylic sheet by your design and put the modules together, you will have the most delicate and irreplaceable display rack in a few minutes!

Display Rack 1

•  Prepare acrylic sheets with 2mm and 5mm thickness.
•  Input the design drawings and set the parameters.
•  Press “Enter” to start!

Parameters:

Tips:
•  Use the honeycomb table to increase the cutting quality.
•  Leave the clearance between every module (around 0.4~0.6mm).

Parameters:

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Ever wanted to embellish your ordinary metal tags, cardholders, tableware and other household items? LaserPro can help! In this Showcase, we would like to introduce various ways for you to add a new luster to your daily used metal articles, such as can openers, metal name cardholder, watch dial plate and so on.

Let's start with surface-treated metal materials. Most untreated metal materials cause the CO₂ laser to reflect, and for this reason most of these surfaces cannot be engraved. However, there are some surface-treated metal materials available in the market that may compensate for this:

Anodization is the controlled oxidation of aluminum. Aluminum oxide is one of the hardest surfaces known to man. Many beautiful colors can be produced from such electrochemical reactions. Although the unit price might be quite expensive, anodized aluminum is still considered to be one of the most ideal laserable material.

Procedure
• Open an image file with CorelDraw software.
• Put the can opener on the working table of your laser engraver.
• Set the parameter settings as suggested in the following and then print.

Tips
• To avoid unevenness and imbalance, do not engrave long images onto a curved surface such as the can opener.
• Characters, rather than images, produces better results on curved metal surfaces because most characters are less complex than images.
• Notice whether your customer is left or right-handed, and engrave or flip your images accordingly so that your images shows right-side up when the can opener is being used.

Parameter Settings

AlumaMark is one of the newest types of CO₂ laserable aluminum and it is highly compatible with LaserPro CO₂ engravers.

Reflective metals such as gilded or silvered copper can also be engraved with our LaserPro CO₂ engravers. To do so, simply apply a thin layer of Cerdec metal marking paint onto the metal surface. With a CO₂ laser, the metal marking solution will soak into the metal surface and create clear and solid black engraving.

Procedure
• Using a watercolor brush or Chinese calligraphy brush, spread the Cerdec metal marking paint onto the metal surface.

• Open the Metal_cardholder.tif or Metal_belt.tif file with CorelDraw software.
• After the paint is dry, you may start to engrave. The engraving will be appear more beautiful on metals that are more reflective.

Parameter Settings

Tips
• Spreading the paint evenly on metal surface will help produce better engraving quality.
• The product can be washed with water right after engraving.
• With Cerdec metal marking paint, simple or single-color images will look better than those complex multi-color ones.

As shown by the sample photo, laser engraving can also be performed on a powder-coated dial plate. Please download and open the Metal_watch.cdr file with CorelDraw software and start to engrave!

Tips
• Different powder coating may have different thickness. The parameter settings are only for your reference.
• Slowing down the laser speed would generally enhance the image quality.
• To avoid inaccuracy caused by the mispositioning of the images, one must carefully calibrate the position first.
• If the watchcase is made of reflective metal, a layer of Cerdec coating is necessary.

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