I've been studying laser cutting, engraving and equipment for about three years in considering starting a home-based business. If I may ask, what laser hardware did you decide to go with? Epilog, GCC LaserPro and Kern are a few that come to mind. Kern equipment is on the larger format and heavier industrial scale with a much higher price bracket to match. On the education side, I would highly recommend the inexpensive online training and resources with Laser University to learn about the wide variety of materials and techniques used in the industry. I'm sure you know all of this already, but it's amazing what can be done with laser gear. If you don't mind sharing, please tell us all about it!
I'm still learning about what can be done with the laser. I have so much to learn about this tool.
The laser cutter we chose is the Epilog 36-EXT ($35K). I didn't do much shopping after I saw Phil Pilgrim make his choice - it was easy from that point. Therefore, you could say that Phil did all of the research for his purchase and I was only a tag-along in the decision making process. Epilog seems to be a company similar to Parallax in terms of support and size, and they're popular among prototype and production users.
I agree about the training program. I bought this particular tool partially for production but far more as a tool that inspires our staff to create interesting things. The flexibility and ease of use with their printer drivers should be a lot of fun. I'm in the process of encouraging more creative projects in the office with the various machines (mills, laser cutters, routers, LPKF, Pick&Place). . . the team can use these machines for both personal and professional use once they're trained.
How about this - I'll get a whole thread going with our installation, experiences, and activity around the laser. It arrives next week.
I was taught many moons ago that the job of a manager is to provide the proper "tools" for people in the company so they can do their jobs... That people want to do good work and will do so on their own... You just need to be sure they have·everything they need to do their work. (The manager actually sort of works for everyone else, getting them whatever they need is the idea!)
i.e. If someone's job is to cut paper, be sure they have·good scissors.
Well you folks are certainly doing this. I predict some·wonderful products will be created in such an environment.
I took note when Phil mentioned that he had purchased an Epilog system some time ago too. The 'homework' I've done shows the same feedback about the company and the support provided after the sale. Looks like you've made a good choice in the larger 36" format. How much laser power (wattage) did you purchase? Power equates to speed when the power isn't required for the job and versatility to handle the greatest range of materials and material thicknesses.
Oh how the Parallax creative juices will stir and flow with these new-found powerful tools at your beck and call... I'm quite envious in all honesty. How great to hear that you make this equipment available for the trained staff's personal use as well... that is a wonderful attitude to work under and I believe is what makes you successful. Keep up the good work!! BTW, I'd love to follow this in it's own thread, good idea.
Thank you,
Tim
Edit:
I may have to get in touch with Phil... I think he and I live pretty close to each other here in the Pacific Northwest.
Tim - we got the 75W. Much of the choice in power depends on what we'll be cutting. I figure 1/4" acrylic in a single pass should be plenty of power for us for quite some time. A good friend of mine bought a 120W and he just hasn't needed to cut 1" thick acrylic. If we've actually got a project that exceeds the machine's power we can make multiple passes.
The size I chose was based on some of the future solar products we are making. 2'x3' seems to be a pretty solid work envelope for anything we'd get into.
Oh, the key to choosing one of these is to get closed-loop servo control - no steppers! And do your best to make sure it is made in the USA. This matters because of future service requirements you may have. Being around these Maker Faires and various expos I've ran into many people who have bought $5-10K machines from eBay and have been entirely unhappy. It's almost like trying to retrofit a Chinese 7x10 mini lathe to cut the way you want it to. I've under-bought a few machines in my early days at Parallax and I'll never do that again. Always buy more than you need - it's really hard to "add power" to a laser or "add precision" to a CNC. You already know this, I'm sure.
Yesterday one of the machinists finally talked me into buying a Miller MIG welder for the office. He spent many hours in his high school welding courses and at the local dealer asking questions. After I got done telling him "we're buying this once - only get the machine you really want for the future" he picked one out. Poor dealer will now have to deal with our Purchasing Manager. . . Anyway we'll pick it up on Monday. This is a tool we've needed for many years at Parallax and such a simple one as well. The only problem with this machine is that we just threw ourselves into a new Workman's Comp classification for this employee.
So is it powered up yet?? Video? [noparse];)[/noparse] (Just what Ken needs... one more task... [noparse];)[/noparse]
I'm bracing myself for a brief forum outage, along with the momentary dimming of all the lights at Parallax when they
power this beast up. [noparse]:)[/noparse] <SMIRK>
Adding a little to Ken's comments about the laser cutter:
1. The work envelope is a big deal. Mine is 16" x 12", which is way more than big enough for the kind of things I do. But it's an oddball size when it comes to ordering precut material, which typically comes in increments of 12" in both directions (e.g. from McMaster-Carr). Given that, the 24" x 12" model would have been a much better choice. However, I've recently been getting material from Laird Plastics, who will custom cut a 48" width to three 16"-wide pieces for me at no charge. So I'm feeling a little better about my purchase.
2. My experience with Epilog has been 100% positive. The unit I bought was a demo unit, and it came with a vector grid (for cutting stuff all the way through). That's usually an expensive add-on for my machine, but I got the dealer to include it, along with an air-curtain compressor. When I started setting up to cut the Mouse Sensor parts, I noticed that the vector grid wasn't quite level with the laser head from corner to corner (by about 0.01"). So I called Epilog's tech support to inquire about adding leveling screws to it, which they assured me would work fine (and they did). While I was on the phone with them I also mentioned an anomaly with the design of the door that you open to let the crumbs out. (It was just a minor annoyance -- not a big deal.) The techie said it sounded like I had an earlier model of the vector grid and that he'd send me a new one. The next day I had a brand new vector grid and a return tag for the old one. Now that's service!
Mine is 35W. It barely makes it through 1/4" plexi at low speed. The laser tube is in a fixed position, because it's rather large. The beam is guided via a gantry and slide (like an XY plotter) using mirrors and, at the end, a lens for focusing. You would not want to retrofit a mill with a laser. The safety issues alone would be daunting.
Comments
I've been studying laser cutting, engraving and equipment for about three years in considering starting a home-based business. If I may ask, what laser hardware did you decide to go with? Epilog, GCC LaserPro and Kern are a few that come to mind. Kern equipment is on the larger format and heavier industrial scale with a much higher price bracket to match. On the education side, I would highly recommend the inexpensive online training and resources with Laser University to learn about the wide variety of materials and techniques used in the industry. I'm sure you know all of this already, but it's amazing what can be done with laser gear. If you don't mind sharing, please tell us all about it!
Tim
I'm still learning about what can be done with the laser. I have so much to learn about this tool.
The laser cutter we chose is the Epilog 36-EXT ($35K). I didn't do much shopping after I saw Phil Pilgrim make his choice - it was easy from that point. Therefore, you could say that Phil did all of the research for his purchase and I was only a tag-along in the decision making process. Epilog seems to be a company similar to Parallax in terms of support and size, and they're popular among prototype and production users.
I agree about the training program. I bought this particular tool partially for production but far more as a tool that inspires our staff to create interesting things. The flexibility and ease of use with their printer drivers should be a lot of fun. I'm in the process of encouraging more creative projects in the office with the various machines (mills, laser cutters, routers, LPKF, Pick&Place). . . the team can use these machines for both personal and professional use once they're trained.
How about this - I'll get a whole thread going with our installation, experiences, and activity around the laser. It arrives next week.
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Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.
Follow me at http://twitter.com/ParallaxKen for some insider news.
i.e. If someone's job is to cut paper, be sure they have·good scissors.
Well you folks are certainly doing this. I predict some·wonderful products will be created in such an environment.
I took note when Phil mentioned that he had purchased an Epilog system some time ago too. The 'homework' I've done shows the same feedback about the company and the support provided after the sale. Looks like you've made a good choice in the larger 36" format. How much laser power (wattage) did you purchase? Power equates to speed when the power isn't required for the job and versatility to handle the greatest range of materials and material thicknesses.
Oh how the Parallax creative juices will stir and flow with these new-found powerful tools at your beck and call... I'm quite envious in all honesty. How great to hear that you make this equipment available for the trained staff's personal use as well... that is a wonderful attitude to work under and I believe is what makes you successful. Keep up the good work!! BTW, I'd love to follow this in it's own thread, good idea.
Thank you,
Tim
Edit:
I may have to get in touch with Phil... I think he and I live pretty close to each other here in the Pacific Northwest.
Post Edited (Tim-M) : 6/10/2010 5:06:12 PM GMT
The size I chose was based on some of the future solar products we are making. 2'x3' seems to be a pretty solid work envelope for anything we'd get into.
Oh, the key to choosing one of these is to get closed-loop servo control - no steppers! And do your best to make sure it is made in the USA. This matters because of future service requirements you may have. Being around these Maker Faires and various expos I've ran into many people who have bought $5-10K machines from eBay and have been entirely unhappy. It's almost like trying to retrofit a Chinese 7x10 mini lathe to cut the way you want it to. I've under-bought a few machines in my early days at Parallax and I'll never do that again. Always buy more than you need - it's really hard to "add power" to a laser or "add precision" to a CNC. You already know this, I'm sure.
Yesterday one of the machinists finally talked me into buying a Miller MIG welder for the office. He spent many hours in his high school welding courses and at the local dealer asking questions. After I got done telling him "we're buying this once - only get the machine you really want for the future" he picked one out. Poor dealer will now have to deal with our Purchasing Manager. . . Anyway we'll pick it up on Monday. This is a tool we've needed for many years at Parallax and such a simple one as well. The only problem with this machine is that we just threw ourselves into a new Workman's Comp classification for this employee.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.
Follow me at http://twitter.com/ParallaxKen for some insider news.
I'm bracing myself for a brief forum outage, along with the momentary dimming of all the lights at Parallax when they
power this beast up. [noparse]:)[/noparse] <SMIRK>
OBC
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Propeller Feature Projects: PropellerPowered.com
Visit the: PROPELLERPOWERED SIG forum kindly hosted by Savage Circuits.
1. The work envelope is a big deal. Mine is 16" x 12", which is way more than big enough for the kind of things I do. But it's an oddball size when it comes to ordering precut material, which typically comes in increments of 12" in both directions (e.g. from McMaster-Carr). Given that, the 24" x 12" model would have been a much better choice. However, I've recently been getting material from Laird Plastics, who will custom cut a 48" width to three 16"-wide pieces for me at no charge. So I'm feeling a little better about my purchase.
2. My experience with Epilog has been 100% positive. The unit I bought was a demo unit, and it came with a vector grid (for cutting stuff all the way through). That's usually an expensive add-on for my machine, but I got the dealer to include it, along with an air-curtain compressor. When I started setting up to cut the Mouse Sensor parts, I noticed that the vector grid wasn't quite level with the laser head from corner to corner (by about 0.01"). So I called Epilog's tech support to inquire about adding leveling screws to it, which they assured me would work fine (and they did). While I was on the phone with them I also mentioned an anomaly with the design of the door that you open to let the crumbs out. (It was just a minor annoyance -- not a big deal.) The techie said it sounded like I had an earlier model of the vector grid and that he'd send me a new one. The next day I had a brand new vector grid and a return tag for the old one. Now that's service!
-Phil
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Lots of propeller based products in stock at affordable prices.
-Phil
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Lots of propeller based products in stock at affordable prices.
LOL!!
That's an exciting-looking machine. I'm sure the guys who work in our lab's machine shop would love to get their hands on that.
Can't wait for more photos.
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OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows
links:
My band's website
Our first album on the iTunes Store
Our second album...
-dan
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(Former) Caterpillar product support technician
I think icepuck worded it perfectly.
I can't wait to see what the Parallax's staff spin's out of the Haas machine.
Does Haas still send out the Q.C. inspection data that resembles a Tampa phone book in size?
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The Truth is out there············___$WMc%___···························· BoogerWoods, FL. USA
want speed?·want·to use the Propeller?·want to stay with BASIC___www.propbasic.com___
You can feel stupid by asking a stupid question or You can be really·stupid by not asking at all.
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