Air Assist

This is a small video showing the difference of having air assist with your laser set up. As you can see, for a low powered laser, it is absolutely vital to have it to blow out the flame and stop the lens from being covered in soot and sticky residue from whatever you are cutting. Some plastics are worse than wood for smoke like Polycarbonate which also has a tremendous odor which takes your breath away.
A more powerful laser, say 60 watt and up, wouldn't have quite the same problems as it cuts quicker and with more energy and vaporizes the material faster and doesn't allow the heat to build up in the surrounding material.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• BrokenHill
• laser
• homemade
• homebuilt
• hobby
• CNC
• DIY
• selfbuilt
• engraving
• cutting
• lasing

[romerodolorosa]

is this just air? so I don´t need to use co2 as non burnable gas?

[baccus61]

That's right. It's just low volume compressed air from a electrostatic aquarium pump. It just blows out the flame. Nothing too complicated.

;-)

[baccus61]

Thanks.  Have a good Xmas.

[romerodolorosa]

thanks!! in the next weeks I will build my own table, I am very curious:-)

[uploadJ]

Very instructive; 5 bars again!