[Robotgroup] laser cutting (was: cardboard bots)

[Leslie Filip]

On 16 Jun 2008, at 11:19 PM, Robert Carter wrote:

>
> 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
>
>
>
>
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Hi Robert,

Are you certain those machines will cut metals? Normally it takes a  
special (read much more expensive) laser to even etch metal directly,  
much less cut it.

Les