Laser Etching

[pickdropper]

That video is cool, although I was under the impression you needed a YAG laser to go through metal, as a CO2 laser is the wrong wavelength (I think). I've got some old circuit board somewhere I think, if I can find it I'll be trying it out!

The video uses a Fiber laser which, like YAG lasers, are designed for metal engraving.

http://www.troteclaser.com/en-US/Support/FAQs/Pages/Laser-Types.aspx

[italianguy63]

I'd like to re-bump this thread.

My son is interested in robotics.  I would like to etch enclosures, and maybe PCBs.

Can someone offer an entry level good solution to this?  I keep seeing the 40W CO2 laser mentioned, also the DSL controller.  What is needed to do this?  Could a Makeblocks X-Y plotter work? 

What is the deal with the $450 Chinese laser boxes?  What about the big $3500 ones?

Finally, I am really not a vector-graphics person, what is the software required to port the image from PC to the robot/plotter?  Is there an option that supports vector, as well as .jpg type?

OK probably way more than enough questions.

Pictures of anyone's homebrew plotter/lasers would be welcomed. 

Thanks!
MC

[darron]

Don't worry too much about the vector graphics end. I always like working in vector where I can though. If you're just "printing" an image it will still be a RASTER IE bitmap in the end.

If you want to do some cutting though, that has to be in vector. The machine needs to know a path to follow and obviously can't make sense of that from a bitmap. In cutting mode the beam will move around using both XY axis all over the bed. But in raster mode it will just make passes back and forth to print the image.