Initial Design

To be brutally honest, my first iteration was deeply flawed and was irresponsible considering the class of my laser. However, it did give me a starting point, so it wasn't a total loss. All of the custom parts that can be seen in the images above and in the video were 3D printed on a Leapfrog Creator XL. Unfortunately, I neglected to take an adequate number of pictures of the machine in its early stages, so except for the one image at the top of the page, I have taken the pictures recently, so the advanced machine is visible in some of the footage.

Marking Unit

My first design used a 445 nm 2W blue laser diode. As I performed my intial power tests, I threw together a crude heat-dissipation device made out of a clamp and an old heat sink for my initial tests, but eventually I drew up a proper heat-sink that allowed me to affix the laser to the gantry. To accomplish proper cooling levels for the diode, as heat can reduce the life of a diode, I designed the heat-sink to accept a 12V fan that kept the module well below critical temperatures. Finally, to drive the laser, I purchased an constant voltage stage light driver board that accepted TTL logic input for beam modulation.

Frame And Enclosure

Originally, I was going to construct the main frame out of 80/20 aluminum extrusions, but after quite a bit of phone tag, I ended up ordering a nearly identical product from Misumi.com. Most of the walls and even the rails themselves are affixed via slide in t-nuts that are surprisingly effective at keeping everything together. Unfortunately, due to the fact that you have to take apart the frame to add more slide-in nuts, there are a few cable keepers that am unable to add until I am finished marking a new shipment of plastic.

Motion Control And Mechanics

Main Control System And User Interface

Safety Systems

Regrettably, this first iteration had no safety systems to speak of. I did wear laser safety goggles rated for the wavelength of light whenever I operated the machine, but all in all it was no where near ready for production or even operation by another person.