About
The laser cutter room is part of the Digital Fabrication lab (DFAB) and has six 120W laser cutters and one downdraft table used for sanding. Each laser has a corresponding name and token to help distinguish which laser(s) is/are in use. Students can create a variety of projects with the laser cutters and save a lot of time in comparison to 3D printing. Laser cutting training is the most requested training, and must be done online with an in person check that you can sign up for on the portal. Any engineering student and staff member can use this area for class projects, research, or technical or personal projects as long as the required in-person training has been successfully completed. The laser cutters provide clean, quick and precise cuts on materials such as wood and acrylic. After finishing a project, it can be taken to the downdraft table, sanded to give it a nice finish, and then coated with one of our stains. Projects can be designed in softwares like RetinaEngrave v3.0, Illustrator, Inkscape, SolidWorks, etc. while waiting to laser cut. Texas Inventionworks sells wood and acrylic for your convenience.
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Full Spectrum 120 Watt Lasers Training Required $$$
About
Laser cutters use a high-powered laser to cut 2D vector files and etch pictures into wood, acrylic, and other materials with extreme precision. Laser cutting can be extremely helpful when prototyping ideas or when you want to make your project stand out. The laser room is known for being cold. We recommend you bring a jacket or something to keep you warm if needed.
Access and Training
Training includes an online portion that will take about an hour to complete followed by a in person 15 minute check. The online training contains a series of 4 videos covering safety, designing on RetinaEngrave v3.0, TIW procedures, and how to use the Full Spectrum Lasers. Each part is followed by quiz questions and at the end there is a link to a RetinaEngrave preview in which you will design something to cut in your in person review. Once in person, you will use the machinery and staff will make sure you understood the training.
Here is the link to the online training session
To reserve a laser or sign up for training, visit the TIW Portal
Upon completion of the in person laser cutter training check, your UT EID will be saved on our Texas Inventionworks records to use for confirmation in the future.
If you would like to review what was covered in the training, visit this powerpoint. This is NOT a substitute for training, but can act as a nice refresher. There is always someone stationed in the laser room so PLEASE ask if you have any questions.
Safety Procedures
The laser cutters can cause a lot of issues if they are used improperly or inadequately supervised. You are expected to watch the laser cutter carefully while it is running to check for any signs of fire, malfunction or material disposition at all times--NO exceptions. It is expected that all material rules are followed, since the use of inappropriate materials can cause illness, fire, injury and harm to the machine. You must wear safety glasses found in the laser box at all times while the laser cutter is running.
In case of fire: press the red emergency stop (E-Stop) button, use the fire blanket located next to the laser cutter or the fire extinguisher found in every corner of the laser space. Please alert a staff member immediately.
Material Information
The following materials are approved to use on the laser cutters. Laser cutters cannot cut metal or glass, but they can etch glass. If you need to etch something on a spherical surface, talk with a staff member about using the rotary tool.
Materials | Allowed | Not Allowed | Notes |
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Wood |
| Pressure-treated, stained, or painted wood |
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Paper |
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| If the paper is not listed in ‘allowed’ a MSDS must be presented to Roger Rose or Steve Ferraro. Fire Hazards |
Plastics |
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Foam | None | Fire Hazard | See or email Roger Rose or Steve Ferraro for any requests for foam coating. |
Leather |
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Textiles |
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Other** | Magnetic Sheets |
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**If you bring your own material to laser cut, you must bring the corresponding Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for approval. Please go to the Garage (EER 0.618) and ask to meet with Steve Ferraro for approval. If you are a part of a research group and would like to try laser cutting different materials, please email Steve Ferraro to schedule a time to meet with a trained laser staff member to help.
Cost
Texas Inventionworks offers wood and acrylic of different sizes and widths at inexpensive prices. The following materials are available for purchase via Bevobucks in the Garage (EER 0.618):
Material Type | 12"x 10" | 12"x 20" | 24"x 30" |
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Baltic Birch Plywood |
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1/4" | $0.86 | $1.72 | $5.16 |
1/8" | $0.70 | $1.39 | $4.17 |
Material Type | 12"x 12" | 12"x 24" | 24"x 24" |
Acrylic (Clear and Black) |
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1/4" | $4.37 | $8.73 | $17.45 |
1/8" | $2.43 | $4.89 | $9.77 |
Important things to note: