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I have a 40W ULS Versalaser 3.50 and I would like to be able to cut photo prints that are laminated with 10mil glossy film and stuck to 3/16" acrylic. I want to cut through the print and acrylic.
When I cut with my 2" lens, the edge of the laminating film melts a little and puts a small, but unsightly "gutter" along the cut. Do you think the HPDFO would make a difference?
Thanks!
Al
You might want to try a couple of lower power passes to cut through the film then bump it up a bit to finish off the acrylic.
Thanks, Gary. I believe I tried that in the past... it has been a while, but I will certainly try it again.
I don't believe the HPDFO would be of any help. If I'm not mistaken that is a shorter lens and would make the problem worse.
I believe multiple passes may be your only option but I would increase the speed. You might also try to focus beneath the surface of the piece.
Thanks, Mike. I was thinking the extra small beam of the HPDFO might help. ULS says it is .001"
With my 2" lens I tried your suggestion to lower the focus but maybe I just didn't hit the sweet spot. I'm thinking I'll make an acrylic sandwich YUM! with the photo between the acrylic. A quick test indicates that will work instead of the 10mil laminating film.
Al
According to their website that lens has a depth of focus of 0.03", that gives you so little "wiggle" room that cutting something that isn't virtually perfectly flat may not work. If it did, however, that .001" spot size would be nice vs .004 (or so) for most 2" lenses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Stewart
My assumption, perhaps incorrect, is that that lens has a very short focal range thus not good for cutting material of the thickness you're working with.
That's a good point about the depth of field, Gary. My work would be very flat and smooth, so that part might not be a problem. But Mike mentions below, it might be a problem cutting 3/16".
Gary above says it is .030". I wonder if the smaller dot might make up for some of that when cutting. I'd like to hear from someone who uses that lens to see how it does.
I think you'll be surprised at how thick of material you can cut with any given lens, especially acrylic. About 10 years ago I cut 1/2" acrylic with my 30 watt GCC (now Kev's) using a 2" lens. That lens has about 1/8" focal range, maybe less, yet it cut fine through the 1/2 acrylic. It was at 100% power, the slowest speed setting possible, lots of air assist, and it was slow. The point is though, that it worked and the cut edge was pretty decent. If I remember correctly, acrylic will "carry" the beam well beyond its focal range unlike most other materials.Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Stewart
I would be willing to bet you can cut it as long as it is perfectly flat, but as I said previously, a little bit out of flat and you'll have problems.
Now I see where your tagline comes from! 😃