How to find correct power

[Andrey Anfimov]

Our lasers are able to do much: cut, engrave, do photos on different materials... Our lasers have complex
electronics inside and the advanced drivers. But our lasers cannot do one simple operation - cannot correctly
choose power with which it is necessary to process a material.
Let's look at a calendar. The XXI-st century!!! Why in the XXI-st century I should speak to this "stupid" laser with
what power it should work?! 8-)))

It seems to me, I have found an easy and fast method to define what power is optimum for a processed material.
However, this method well works on lasers of ULS ( I use Versalaser 3.50). Probably this method can be used on
lasers of other manufacturers. Try it!

I made all works on marble because my compressor is still faulty (ULS service in Egypt still sleeps for 1.5 months)
and I cannot work with other materials yet. 8-((

Ok, let's begin.
There is one remarkable function in ULS driver - 3D. In this mode power of the laser inversely proportional
brightness of the image. White colour - 0 % of laser power, black colour - 100 % of laser power.
I use a grey scale with brightness from 0 % to 100 %.
1) In program Autocad I have drawn a rectangle and have filled it with a gradient from white to the black.
(Gradient ¹0)
2) On a rectangle I have made a scale, it allow to you to measure power of the laser in the given point easily. It is
possible to use a usual ruler (long side of rectangle was made 100 mm) and each millimetre there corresponds 1
% of power of the laser. (Only for Gradient ¹0)
3) Installations for driver ULS:
- Print Mode = 3D
- Power = 100 %
- Speed = 100 %
- Image density = 3 (250dpi) / for marble /
- Image Enhancement - OFF (don't use in mode 3D)
4) Print rectangle Gradient ¹0 using ULS driver from Autocad or another program that are working with dfx files.
5) Swith ON laser and make an engraving on black marble.
6) Investigate drawing and find a point whit minimal power.where picture contrast turns out the greatest.
That is power you are looking for.
7) Now you can make trial drawing on a black marble.

For wood and combustible materials please use other Gradients!!!
The material can burn at the high power!!!

At first use the Gradient ¹1 which give your laser the maximum power of 30 %.
If this power insufficiently use the Gradient ¹2, power will changes from 30 % to 60 % and the Gradient ¹3 (from 60 % to 100 %).
Also Gradients ¹1, ¹2 and ¹3 you can use for fine adjustment.

Also now you can play also with different speeds and easily define necessary power.
All files are in a format dfx (Autocad 2004 and later).


PS Forgive me for my bad English, my native language is Russian. (But I live in Egypt)

Best regards.
Andrey Anfimov

[andy blackett]

Hi Andrey,

Seems like a really good idea, its always something that seems obvious when someone tells you but you'd never think of it yourself!!

Well done,

Andy

[Andrey Anfimov]

It was as light flash. I have made all for half an hour.
Now fire already is not present, but the smoke still goes! 8-))))

[Kevin Baker]

Andrey -

Any chance of getting those files in cdr format? I've tried everything to convert the dxf files to something that would import into Corel (even the import function in Corel doesn't work).

Thanks,
Kevin

[Rodne Gold]

For Corel users Make a 3x3 array of small rectangles , fill it with 9 colours your driver recognises and then set each colour in the engraving driver to 10% power, increase the next by 10% so its 20% and so on...
Run at 100% speed. If that doesnt produce results , run at 80% speed and so on , save the driver settings. You will know exactly what power and speed to use.
There are 2 variables , speed and power so if you got from 10-90% power and its constant , its easy to work out speed for best results.
Im not too sure whether 3d results are the same as my colour mapping results in my laser , so I don't use 3d mode in my case , I use the solid coloured block method.

Kevin , if you can get the ACAD dwg file , it's way better for importing than DXF files. The later versions of Corel do ACAD imports rather well.
Also if you REALLY have issues with importing ACAD dwgs or DXF files , save them as a much earlier version , like ver 9 or below....and then try DXFouting em.

[Andrey Anfimov]

Kevin,
I don't use Corel so I did PDF files.
Just open it in Acrobat Reader and print to laser.

[Kevin Baker]

Andrey -

Thanks this works for me.

:)

Kevin