 How does a CO2 laser CNC machine work? Where does laser radiation originate? And how does it cut the material? Let's talk about the basics that will be useful to the owner of laser equipment. This is Watson. Welcome to the world of CNC equipment. The CO2 laser machine has two main functions, cutting and engraving. The advantages of laser cutting have made it extremely popular among amateurs and professionals. Where does the laser come from? The machine has a laser tube in the back of the case, inside which there are three cavities. In the outer and inner cavity there is a mixture of gases, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and helium. The middle part is filled with water to cool the laser tube. Electricity is supplied to the emitter, which is converted into a laser in reaction with gases. The main gas is carbon dioxide, which is why the machines are called CO2. Energized gas molecules release energy in the form of bright light. The wavelength of the laser lies in the infrared spectrum, so it is invisible. After that, the beam exits the tube and is reflected from a system of movable mirrors that are fixed on the machine. Usually three mirrors are installed on the machine. The first one is static and fixed vertically near the emitter. The other two are located on the moving elements of the machine, both vertically and horizontally, so they move to any given point. At the end of the path, the beam passes through the focusing lens, which is located on the laser head and hits the material. Now you know where the laser comes from and how does the machine understand where to direct it. The numerical control of the CNC is responsible for the movement of the moving parts of the machine, the switching on and off of the laser. The motherboard transmits commands to the electronic components of the machine through the conductors. But the front part of the machine has a control panel with a screen and buttons. On Watson laser machines, the electrics and water supply systems are located in opposite parts of the machine. This increases safety and reduces the likelihood of a short circuit. How do the elements of the laser machine move? The portal of the laser machine moves along the y-axis and the laser head moves along the x-axis. In some configurations of CO2 laser machines, there is a third, z-axis, for vertical movement of the laser head. The z-axis is used for cutting sheet metal to compensate for the unevenness of the sheet. The motherboard sends a signal through the stepper motor driver and drives the stepper motors. The stepper motor driver is a device that tells the motors on which axis, how, where and how much to move the portal and the laser head over the working field. The working field of the machine is a coordinate system that can be compared to a chessboard. Each machine cell has its own unique coordinate. After loading the layout and launching it, the laser machine starts playing chess with itself. It determines which cell to move from and when with what power to turn on the laser to create a product. If the machine slowly moves the laser head with high radiation power, then such an intense impact cuts the material through. Engraving is performed at low power with high speed of movement. The machine moves at a high speed over a distance of one millimeter as if it is making the filling by burning. The speed of movement of the laser head is up to 700 millimeters per second. The control system independently turns on and off the laser at the right moment to get a drawing. Blowing plays an important role in the processing of materials. When cutting most materials, intensive blowing is needed and for engraving, on the contrary, weak. The positioning accuracy of the laser is 0.01 millimeters. So it can easily cut products with a complex pattern and obtain highly detailed images when engraving. Layouts for the machine are first made in programs with vector graphics and then exported to RD Works, where it is decoded into a code understandable for the machine. In RD Works, the settings for cutting or engraving and other parameters are set and then the machine starts working. If you want a video about how to work at RD Works or you have a question, then write about it in the comments. Our engineers are always ready to answer your questions. Watson was with you. Subscribe so as not to miss the new video.