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Some images that the machine has engraved are above. (For the engraved photo and Arduino logo, some image processing was required before sending the bitmap to the C sharp application).
For more images, have a look on my website: http://getburnt.weebly.com/gallery.html
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think this project was worth the time and effort. I gained a lot of knowledge that can be transferred to future projects. Probably the most useful thing I learnt is to make sure all the parts can work together effectively - if there is a weak component, it has the ability to limit the whole machine, due to dependencies between components. For example, the motors have to be strong enough to move the axes, but then the frame has to be strong enough to hold the motors, and so on...
There are also a few future updates that would make the machine better:
- Install a stronger laser to speed up the machine
- Add limit switches on both axes to protect the machine from crashing into itself (haven't had a crash yet, but it is inevitable without limit switches)
- Refine the C sharp program, so that larger images don't take 15min+ to process into instruction files
For more images, have a look on my website: http://getburnt.weebly.com/gallery.html
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think this project was worth the time and effort. I gained a lot of knowledge that can be transferred to future projects. Probably the most useful thing I learnt is to make sure all the parts can work together effectively - if there is a weak component, it has the ability to limit the whole machine, due to dependencies between components. For example, the motors have to be strong enough to move the axes, but then the frame has to be strong enough to hold the motors, and so on...
There are also a few future updates that would make the machine better:
- Install a stronger laser to speed up the machine
- Add limit switches on both axes to protect the machine from crashing into itself (haven't had a crash yet, but it is inevitable without limit switches)
- Refine the C sharp program, so that larger images don't take 15min+ to process into instruction files
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Laser Engraving Tips
Visit the Obrary Blog for some of my laser engraving tips, and other useful info:
http://blog.obrary.com/tips-for-a-diy-laser
From T2 Laser:http://blog.obrary.com/tips-for-a-diy-laser
For Grbl, Benbox and Eleks Maker Laser Engraving systems.
Image to G-Code Conversion. Supports JPEG or BMP import (up to 24-bit color). Greyscale (S-value) and 1-Bit (dithered or threshold) conversion. Resolution is user configurable. Horizontal or diagonal engraving (45 degree engraving makes lines less visible). Skip blank lines (improves engraving speed by eliminating unnecessary moves). Image resize (uses an optimized algorithm to improve quality). Allows basic image adjustment (brightness, contrast, flip and rotation). G-Code can be saved (registered users only).
Image to G-Code Conversion. Supports JPEG or BMP import (up to 24-bit color). Greyscale (S-value) and 1-Bit (dithered or threshold) conversion. Resolution is user configurable. Horizontal or diagonal engraving (45 degree engraving makes lines less visible). Skip blank lines (improves engraving speed by eliminating unnecessary moves). Image resize (uses an optimized algorithm to improve quality). Allows basic image adjustment (brightness, contrast, flip and rotation). G-Code can be saved (registered users only).
Laser Control. Supports Grbl 0.8, 0.9 (J-Tech branch is recommended for optimal performance) and 1.1. Load G-Code files (supports both raster and vector formats). User interface for jogging (8-way) with step distance and set / return home. Laser on, off and pulse (using user configured power and time). Override laser power settings and feed rate in G-Code file. Emergency stop (includes soft reset). Tested with files containing over 7,500,000 lines of G-Code (trial is limited to 10,000 lines). Can be launched directly (registered users only)
G-Code Viewer. Supports S-value laser code for true representation of result. Identify problems before sending to the laser.
What do you need to know about free software?
From T2 Laser:For Grbl, Benbox and Eleks Maker Laser Engraving systems.
Image to G-Code Conversion. Supports JPEG or BMP import (up to 24-bit color). Greyscale (S-value) and 1-Bit (dithered or threshold) conversion. Resolution is user configurable. Horizontal or diagonal engraving (45 degree engraving makes lines less visible). Skip blank lines (improves engraving speed by eliminating unnecessary moves). Image resize (uses an optimized algorithm to improve quality). Allows basic image adjustment (brightness, contrast, flip and rotation). G-Code can be saved (registered users only).
Image to G-Code Conversion. Supports JPEG or BMP import (up to 24-bit color). Greyscale (S-value) and 1-Bit (dithered or threshold) conversion. Resolution is user configurable. Horizontal or diagonal engraving (45 degree engraving makes lines less visible). Skip blank lines (improves engraving speed by eliminating unnecessary moves). Image resize (uses an optimized algorithm to improve quality). Allows basic image adjustment (brightness, contrast, flip and rotation). G-Code can be saved (registered users only).
Benbox Laser Software Download
Laser Control. Supports Grbl 0.8, 0.9 (J-Tech branch is recommended for optimal performance) and 1.1. Load G-Code files (supports both raster and vector formats). User interface for jogging (8-way) with step distance and set / return home. Laser on, off and pulse (using user configured power and time). Override laser power settings and feed rate in G-Code file. Emergency stop (includes soft reset). Tested with files containing over 7,500,000 lines of G-Code (trial is limited to 10,000 lines). Can be launched directly (registered users only)
Free Laser Engraving Software For Windows
G-Code Viewer. Supports S-value laser code for true representation of result. Identify problems before sending to the laser.