Advertisement |
|
|
|
If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
|
Shop Talk - Tool and Shop Discussion! Tool and Shop Discussion! |
04-20-2017, 06:21 PM
|
#1
|
Name: RonA
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Liberal ground zero.
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 11,053
|
Lasers.
I have a laser engraver that is worth it's weight in gold, but is for engraving only. Been looking at one for cutting stainless up to 14ga. They make them with small foot print(about 6ft square 24 x 24 travel. I only do small stuff so I can't justify a 5' x 10' travel machine. Any one run or own one and have any idea how much gas they use when cutting (O2 on steel, N2 on stainless)?
RonA
__________________
55 years of work and all I got was a T-shirt.
|
|
|
04-20-2017, 08:03 PM
|
#2
|
Name: smokinVE
Title: $$+VE=NO HP
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Desart
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 1,731
|
__________________
93D350, VE powered, slow but reliable:-))
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonc
I don't think they let hair sniffer twit much. Or the little gay guy. Only the Indian does.
|
|
|
|
04-20-2017, 09:10 PM
|
#3
|
Name: WUnderwood
Title: CompD Minion
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Texas
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 8,418
|
^^^ well played, sir.
__________________
2011 Ford F-150 Lariat 4X4
RIP BFD99, jponder, and Forrest Nearing
|
|
|
04-21-2017, 07:01 AM
|
#4
|
Name: EnduringAtlas
Title: Green Behind the Ears
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Oct 2015
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 86
|
I run a Trumpf TruLaser 3030. It's a fiber laser, and is a 5x10 machine. Before this one we had a Mitsubishi CO2 laser that was also 5x10. I have no experience with the small machines so I'm no help there. But I know with Nitrogen on steel (we use it on 9ga and under for travel speed) we run around 14 bar. We don't cut much stainless so I don't know the pressure for it off hand but the machine feeds at 27 bar, and stainless does use more pressure than steel does.
We normally use O2 on 3/16 and up unless customers want a laser scale free edge then we will use N2. For thin material it is more cost effective to use N2 because we can cut so much faster with it.
We also can use compressed air. We don't use it very often but if you have the compressor requirements and driers already it is the cheapest gas to run for steel, and you can run a decent speed with it too.
Hope this helps in some way, sorry I don't know any numbers on actual amounts used, I just run the machine..
|
|
|
04-21-2017, 09:10 AM
|
#5
|
Name: 9724VF350
Title: Tractor Guy
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Northeast Ohio
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 2,784
|
A company that does work for us is as "Made in the USA as it gets, and they run 4 Mitsubishi lasers 5x10 and larger. They said the idea of buying a Mitsubishi killed them, but they started with one and bought more.
__________________
97 F350 4X4 CC Dually 5spd 24V 913 S300/HT3B Ranch Hand.
Playtoy-Oliver 1655. 12V now , 13mm, S475
Wife's ride-03 Excursion 12V swap in the works.
|
|
|
04-21-2017, 09:38 AM
|
#6
|
Name: RonA
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Liberal ground zero.
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 11,053
|
You rarely see small travel lasers. Makes more sense to have a big one so you can nest more, or larger parts, but since the largest part I need is 1.9" in diameter, a large table just isn't needed. Substantially cheaper and alot easier to find room for a 6 x 6 spot in the shop instead of 9 x 18. This one is a fiber laser as well, comes in 300. 500, and 700w. I'm looking at the 700.
__________________
55 years of work and all I got was a T-shirt.
|
|
|
04-21-2017, 10:41 AM
|
#7
|
Name: EnduringAtlas
Title: Green Behind the Ears
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Oct 2015
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 86
|
What is the maximum thickness the 700w laser is able to cut?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 9724VF350
A company that does work for us is as "Made in the USA as it gets, and they run 4 Mitsubishi lasers 5x10 and larger. They said the idea of buying a Mitsubishi killed them, but they started with one and bought more.
|
Mitsubishi makes a good machine. The one we had as far as I know is still working. Fiber machines just cut so consistent. The only time we have to make adjustment with the Fiber machine is if there is big differences in the chemical make up of the material. Where as with the CO2 laser we'd have to make adjustments as the mirrors deteriorated.
|
|
|
04-21-2017, 01:18 PM
|
#8
|
Name: Red Sleeper
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lone Star State
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 4,582
|
How much room do you have Ron?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
Nick J
'14 Silverado LTZ 5.3 4wd
'05 Cummins QCSB 4wd 48re
'91 Cummins w350 5spd
|
|
|
04-21-2017, 03:00 PM
|
#9
|
Name: RonA
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Liberal ground zero.
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 11,053
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnduringAtlas
What is the maximum thickness the 700w laser is able to cut?
Mitsubishi makes a good machine. The one we had as far as I know is still working. Fiber machines just cut so consistent. The only time we have to make adjustment with the Fiber machine is if there is big differences in the chemical make up of the material. Where as with the CO2 laser we'd have to make adjustments as the mirrors deteriorated.
|
700w max rating is 7mm in mild steel and 3mm in stainless.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Sleeper
How much room do you have Ron?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
|
It's a matter of how much room I want to give up. 6-8 ft square I can do. a 5 x 10 machine footprint is just too big.
__________________
55 years of work and all I got was a T-shirt.
Last edited by RonA; 04-21-2017 at 03:04 PM.
|
|
|
08-08-2017, 11:10 AM
|
#10
|
Name: RonA
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Liberal ground zero.
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 11,053
|
I have so much fun with this engraver.
__________________
55 years of work and all I got was a T-shirt.
|
|
|
08-08-2017, 11:25 AM
|
#11
|
Name: joefarmer
Title: MR. Supreme Overlord
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ohio
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 6,137
|
I want one. 700w fiber sounds expensive though. Too many zeros in the price tag.
__________________
brandon'); DROP TABLE Users;--1948 Dodge 1.5t 12v RH swap | 99 F250 12v RE test rkt | 11 X5 'no soup' | 08 F250 CR RE swap | 05 2500 CR 68 standalone
firepunk.com
|
|
|
08-08-2017, 11:31 AM
|
#12
|
Name: RonA
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Liberal ground zero.
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 11,053
|
I agree. I had a machining center die on me so I replaced it instead. Just ordered another $2500 worth of laser cut parts and haven't even had the machining center delivered. Maybe some day.
__________________
55 years of work and all I got was a T-shirt.
|
|
|
08-08-2017, 11:33 AM
|
#13
|
Name: turbom700
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: minneapolis mn
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 1,186
|
Why not a water jet, seems like a better option for thin stuff
__________________
2001 Ford F-350 CCSB The usal stuff
1997 s10 2wd 350sbc 4l80e
2000 vw gold tdi
1999 Sportsman DIESEL
|
|
|
08-08-2017, 12:22 PM
|
#14
|
Name: RonA
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Liberal ground zero.
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 11,053
|
I had parts cut using both methods. Water was almost 3 times as expensive and all parts had to be tumbled before assembly because the abrasive gets caught in the cut area and caused problems welding. Laser cut parts can be touched up as needed on the belt sander and welded.
__________________
55 years of work and all I got was a T-shirt.
|
|
|
08-08-2017, 01:09 PM
|
#15
|
Name: Red Sleeper
Title: Too Much Time
Status: Not Here
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lone Star State
Member`s Gallery
Posts: 4,582
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonA
I had parts cut using both methods. Water was almost 3 times as expensive and all parts had to be tumbled before assembly because the abrasive gets caught in the cut area and caused problems welding. Laser cut parts can be touched up as needed on the belt sander and welded.
|
Exactly. The sand/dust impregnates itself into the cut edge. If you are doing detailed work with the parts and want things to look nice, cleaning of the cut surface is required after waterjet cuts. Especially in aluminum and stainless.
Cutting 1/2" carbon and piling on weld with a wire feed, no cleaning needed.
__________________
Nick J
'14 Silverado LTZ 5.3 4wd
'05 Cummins QCSB 4wd 48re
'91 Cummins w350 5spd
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:35 AM.
|