I built an adjustable z axis for my ortur using a separate nema 17 stepper on an acme leadscrew. I have cut black open and closed cell foam up to about an inch in as few as 3 -4 passes. (20 watt input). It's all about the focal length.
@@Salguod2k its still a work in progress, I was trying to find some sort of output from lightburn like a pmw signal to integrate the z axis. As for now I'm using upcycled linear bearings and rails form a old DVD burner and a cnc machined aluminum mount the stepper and limit switch. I tried to make it as compact and as light as possible. Currently the z axis uses a stand alone Arduino, shield and driver connected to a small touch screen so the code can be overwritten on the fly without a pc running. I am able to adjust (dwell),(z distance),(amount of passes),(current position or home). The whole cycle starts of with a 5v output from the board that fires the laser. "Let's say the first pass of the laser says 14 seconds in lightburn and I want to make 4 passes. I tell the Arduino upon cycle start (dwell 14 sec) the laser makes its 1st pass. At 15 seconds the z axis goes down .100" At 28 seconds the z moves down another .100" and so on and soforth. At 56 seconds the z will go back to its home position ready for the next cut. Its been a fun project 👍
I cut harbor freight floor mat all the time. I make archery targets with them. 😁 I evacuate the fumes outside and done stay in the room when it is running.
No this is relief mats for standing. They cost around $8.00 for a pack of 3-4. They are Used by the Cosplay types for props. It’s a nice dense Eva foam.
Definitely bad for you to breathe the fumes. That is EVA foam AKA Ethylene-vinyl acetate. I'd love to cut this stuff with lasers if I had the option because it is a common cosplay material but it's hard to get perfect cuts and they go through xacto blades and utility blades like crazy where I'm constantly resharpening the blades.
@@DIY3DTECHcom Yep, I remember you talking about your evac system. I'm just confirming what you were saying about the fumes being dangerous. I'm kind of curious on how the foam handles being laser cut. We typically use a heat gun to thermo-form and seal the closed cells, but it also causes a bit of shrinkage. Have you noticed any shrinkage at the cut edge? or is it precise enough to be unnoticeable?
EVA Foam is considered safe to laser. CO2 laser is preferred, but some use diode with success. Ventilation is important, however, because the chief decomposition products are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
