3D printers are amazing for makers everywhere, as they enable easy, cheap, and fast progress on projects. They can’t do everything though; that’s why makers also use CNCs and laser cutters to compensate.
The truth is, each device has its own advantages and disadvantages.
CNCs and laser cutters for instance enable the maker to work with many more materials, like wood, acrylic, metal, and more. Compared to entry level 3D printers, small CNC routers and laser cutters are expensive.
That’s why, specialists of the makers’ world are exploring new ways to integrate the functionalities of CNC routers and laser cutters using the existing motion system of a 3D Printer.
With CNC, that is quite difficult due to the much higher forces that are applied to the tool head. Laser cutting however doesn’t have that issue, so it’s a prime candidate to be retrofitted onto a 3D printer.
Since CO2 lasers are bulky and difficult do dial in, diode lasers are a much better choice. They are quite small and light, so they can be easily either mounted next to the hotend, or instead of it. Most units you can buy come with simple electronics, where you only need to supply power, and if you so desire a PWM signal to modulate the output power. Since you aren’t using the heated bed and hotend while laser cutting, chances are good that your printer’s power supply has enough power, to also feed the laser. The PWM signal for changing the output power can be attached to the part cooling fan output, since you also don’t need that while using the laser, and it is really simple to control that pin using software, without having to modify the 3D printer’s firmware.
Things you can do with lasers
Leather phone cases are really popular, but they all look pretty much the same. So how about customizing yours a bit by burning a design on it with the laser. A wallet style case gives you the most area to customize, but this of course also works for a case that just goes on the back of your phone. When taking measurements for how big the design should be, make sure that you also take note of any cutouts, and where they are located, so that you don’t lose an important part of your engraving. Other than that, you can leave your imagination free range. Anything is possible, from logos, to your favorite quote, or even a simple image. Just keep in mind that depending on what color your leather is, the contrast might not be that strong, so it’s advisable not to go with too complicated of a subject. Depending on what kind and color of leather your case is made out of, the engraved parts might also not be dark, but actually lighter than the surrounding areas. This is because the top layer of the leather is often dyed, the engraving then exposes the original color of the leather underneath.
A powerful diode laser isn’t just limited to engraving on organic materials tough. With a laser of sufficient wattage, like for example the 10W version from Endurance, it is possible to engrave on most dark stone, and glass. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities, like for example engraving a design on coasters made from slate stone, customizing bottles for personal gifts, adding your own design to your coffee cup, and many, many more.
With these materials you will have to go quite slow and make sure that the laser is properly focused, but with some patience you can create results that look really professional. Be it as gifts, for personal use, or to sell on your Etsy store, not being limited to materials like wood, or leather is quite amazing.
So, are there things that you can’t do with a blue diode laser, that would be possible on a CO2 laser? Certainly, engraving on metal for example needs a special paste or spray to work with cheap blue diode laser, but the list of things that you can do is very long and the hit on your wallet will most likely be much smaller as well, leaving you with more to spend on other techniques like CNC cutting, or resin 3D printing. You also have the great benefit of not needing to add an additional machine to your workshop, that would take up valuable space, due to how easy it is to retrofit a diode laser onto a 3D printer or CNC router.
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