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10.02 Laser Cutting

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Laser cutting is a precise method of cutting a design from a material using a digital file as a guide. It uses a high-powered laser to slice materials such as wood, plastic, glass, metal, and paper into custom shapes and designs.

The general steps to create a laser cut design using 3D Modeling software include:

  1. Sketching out design ideas
  2. Selecting 3D Modeling software such as Fusion 360
  3. Model the parts of your design paying attention to joints and how thick the material is
  4. Lay all of the parts flat
  5. Prepare a tool path that takes into account the width or kerf of the laser
  6. Export a DXF file for cutting
  7. Prepare the DXF file according to the instructions of a particular laser cutter.