Check this out, 3D laser objects

[Kasey Maxwell]

Laser Origami, Anyone know much about this ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arjRtCjI9AQ&feature=youtu.be

[Joe Hillmann]

I have read about something similar but it used a combination of printer, laser and heat lamp. First black lines of a width that corresponds to the degree of the bend are printed on the plastic with a laser printer. Then it is laser cut, then put under a heat lamp. the black ink absorbs more heat causing the plastic to bend where there is ink, the wider the line the sharper the bend.

[Kasey Maxwell]

I'm thinking the material they use in the video is special and not just acrylic ?

[Scott Shepherd]

Looks like normal acrylic to me. Done on the same machine we own. I didn't see it doing anything we can't do. That's one of the advantages of having a programmable Z-Axis.

[Martin Boekers]

Very interesting! I am surprized no one has made mention of the vector table she created.

I wonder if the height can be set in the print driver as she changes heights for cutting and bending.
This is definitly thinking out of the box! Wonder about durability if this processed was use for bending
table signs.

She seem amible to emails from the questions asked I'll see if she would consider joining our forum. Would be a great addition!

[Joe Hillmann]

If you read the comments down below it appears as if she will willingly give away any information anyone wants about the processes. I looks like she is doing it as an opensource project.

[Scott Shepherd]

I wonder if the height can be set in the print driver as she changes heights for cutting and bending.
This is definitly thinking out of the box! Wonder about durability if this processed was use for bending
table signs.



The Universal and Trotec both do that in the driver. That's why I have said more times than I can count that I'd never own another machine that didn't have a programmable Z-Axis. That's exactly the stuff it's made to do.

[Joe Hillmann]

The Universal and Trotec both do that in the driver. That's why I have said more times than I can count that I'd never own another machine that didn't have a programmable Z-Axis. That's exactly the stuff it's made to do.

Can the machine also control the fourth or fifth axis that she was using? It wasn't running off the rotary port because it only turned when needed although maybe a combination of the rotary port and an arduino can be programed to turn only when wanted.

[Scott Shepherd]

Can the machine also control the fourth or fifth axis that she was using? It wasn't running off the rotary port because it only turned when needed although maybe a combination of the rotary port and an arduino can be programed to turn only when wanted.

No, like you said, it wasn't plugged into the machine. The rotary port is on the opposite side of where their wires were running. You could easily control that servo, and you didn't see if they changed programs, hit pause, or what between that part. You could easily control that servo with a number of things, plus it's a $15 servo motor.

Very clever people, no doubt. It's great to see people pushing lasers like that. Super creative!

[Joe Hillmann]

Her professor also worked on this http://www.hpi.uni-potsdam.de/baudisch/projects/constructable.html which showed up here a while back.

[Jesse Anderson]

It Slices It Dices, It Cleans it Pokes, It Plumps. Its the Amazing SHAM WOW---- Order now and we will throw in 2 Dog Snuggies.

I am sure there are some practical applications. But i can think of about 10 other ways that using a plastic melter or welder would be 10 times more efficient. Seems pretty propaganda ish to me Sure it looks nice. But u could probably get similar results just tweaking the settings of your laser at home. Minus the Rotary attachment thing..

The person that made my rottary attachment did a nice job. Just a few basic components . Some machined aluminum. Print Drivers. And what ever else throw in there.

[Martin Boekers]

Yes we can do this with our lasers, as they are using the same equipment. Personally I am impressed, wires and heaters are easy for simple things, but I really doubt, say for the plant holder it could be cut and shaped consistantly quicker than the 30 seconds or so
that was done on the laser. Is there viable use in our commercial area? Maybe, maybe not... These type of ideas taech us to expand our knowledge base. There is something to be learned about the process and developing concepts. I appreciate when folks share
these type of projects as somewhere along the way I just may use part of this knowledge for a project to resolve an issue that
standard solutions won't resolve.

[Joe Hillmann]

Here is a link to the ink and heat lamp based origami, I guess I was wrong nowhere in it do they mention using a laser to cut the outlines. http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/11/scientists-make-magic-auto-origami-using-ink-and-light-video/

It uses #6 plastic, the same as is used for shrinkey dinks.

[Kim Vellore]

Whats interesting is the heating pattern for bending, it did not look like rastering just a bend line, there was a specific pattern more like dashed lines alternating in power. It would be nice to know the focal distance and the lens used for the bends. Awesome creativity.

[Doug Griffith]

I like the creative use of the z axis. It enforces my decision to switch to a machine that has programmable z-axis control when the time comes.

The 4th axis servo is most likely controlled by an Arduino and a few simple buttons. Controlled manually.