[Robotgroup] laser cutting (was: cardboard bots)

[Robert Carter]

On Jun 15, 2008, at 3:59 PM, brooksdesign wrote:

>   Does anyone remember who we got the cardboard bots from? I have a  
> product that I need a bid on cardboard cutting and I figured I  
> would go with someone who has helped us out. But if anyone knows of  
> a laser shop or what ever there is locally......?????
> -brooks
>

Hey Brooks--

Sorry I didn't follow up on this yesterday, too busy to read my TRG  
emails. But yes, I know of a laser shop, sort of: the UT School of  
Architecture has two laser cutting tables, one with a cutting area of  
24 x 48" and one with an area of 18 x 32". I have not used them  
myself, but a few months ago I took the preliminary class that one  
has to sit through before one can work with them. Normally SOA staff  
aren't encouraged to use these machines, they're for the students and  
faculty. But this being the time of the year when almost nothing is  
happening at the school, it seems like the perfect time to ask if I  
can try it-- except I suddenly can't think of any two-dimensional  
shape I need to custom fabricate. But if you've got a project, maybe  
this is my chance to do something with those cool machines (even  
though I promised myself I would not volunteer for anything until I  
get some of my current tasks finsihed, but this is a special case).

I know the tables will cut plywood, plastics and thin metals. I'm not  
sure if they will cut cardboard-- I mean, I'm sure the lasers will  
penetrate it, but whether the cardboard will cut cleanly without  
burning, I don't know enough about it yet to say. But if the  
cardboard bots were cut on a laser table, then I imagine it can be done.

How much material would you need to have cut? Our laser cutters  
require that the cutting pattern be laid out in CAD, do you have your  
designs in that format?

Here's some info on the school's equipment:
http://soa.utexas.edu/it/digifab/lasercut

Regards--

Robert Carter
Visual Resources Collection
School of Architecture
The University of Texas at Austin
rcarter at mail.utexas.edu