[dudesom]

I am an experienced 3d printer operator looking to break into laser cutting. I would like cut small pieces of thin (0.008" or .2mm) stainless steel.

To do this, I'd like to mount a 80w co2 laser horizontally and keep it stationary, while moving the workpieces into the laser. Here's a simple sketch:

Attachment 262926

My main question is:
If I pre-heat the stainless steel to red heat, will I be able to cut it with a 80w laser using compressed air as the assist gas?

And also:
Will the cut quality suffer due to the workpiece being vertical?

Any other comments about this setup are greatly appreciated.
Thank you all for your time

Edit: This machine would cut business cards. It would then drop them into another process while picking up another blank. This is the main reason for the vertical configuration.

[ELaser]

Dude, don't.

buy a standard XYZ table machine with a vacuum table controlled by Mach3 with a kress spindle, it's be faster / cheaper and produce better results.

[Retroplayer]

What are the advantages you foresee to mounting it in this configuration? One disadvantage I can think of is more susceptibility to vibration especially from the jerky motion of stepper motors.

I think your advantage is mostly the ability to work on much larger pieces without taking up valuable floor space. That is a noble goal and I have been knocking around an idea to make a vertical CNC router for exactly this reason.

If you go this route, I would look at using DC servo motors instead of steppers and of course dampers on the motors. Use steel cabling instead of timing belts and possibly even counterweights to help make the motion smooth. The difference is that you are fighting gravity in this configuration. With a horizontal configuration, the gravity works in your favor by holding the workpiece steady while you slide it parallel to this force. Steppers have practically zero torque in between steps and the effect of gravity is strong. This is why you never see belts on the Z axis of a 3D printer.

Just some random thoughts. I am new to the laser world myself, so I cannot answer specifically about laser power, etc... Personally if I was intending to cut a great deal of steel, I would be looking into plasma cutters or abrasivejet techniques.

[dudesom]

I see that sketch didn't do my idea justice. Although I could use belts for the Z axis, it doesn't really matter at this point.

The end goal is for this machine to cut and engrave business cards. So plasma and routing are out.

Since the workpieces will be light, I don't really lose much by making the motion system vertical, and I gain in what I can then automate.

I see a machine that can pick up a blank, cut it, and then do a bunch of post processes (pickling, coating, etc..). Then, it could pick up another blank and start all over again.

My biggest concern, though, comes back to the sideways cutting quality.

[Retroplayer]

Perhaps it is the sketch, but I still don't get what you are gaining by going vertical. You can automate the process just as easily horizontally (and still move the workpiece instead of the laser.) You could have the material as one long strap and just move into position, cut, leave a little tab to cut off in the corners, and move to the next piece.

Are you trying to avoid the mirrors by going vertical? Or just trying to do something "different?" Fit into some existing carriage? Why vertical?

Anyway, all I can suggest if at all works in your head is to try it and see. Whatever you come up with can be flipped to horizontal anyway if it doesn't work.

[Retroplayer]

And by the way, I have cut thin metal (tin soda cans) just using a flyback transformer from a television. If your material is that thin, I still think there are better ways than a laser, including chemical milling.

[dudesom]

Really, I'm not overly attached to the vertical movement platform. If I find it to be unworkable (due to poor cut quality or otherwise), I'll convert it to a horizontal and add another vertical XZ pick-and-place to do the automation.

While I could use chemicals to etch the cards, I'd rather not deal with the etchants and rinses needed. Other than chemical milling, I don't see how else I can etch fine print without a laser.