Laser engraving and cutting

What color it will be?

2008-07-28T15:46:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

The most frequent question from peoples when we attend exhibitions are : "After engraved, what color it will be ?"

Ok, I will go back a little to make the same perspective. Engraving is not the same with printing. In printing, we put pigmented ink to media's surface, but in engraving, we scratch the surface.

If there is some colors produced, it's not because of inks, it's because of burnt effects, or, in surface-coated media, we only remove the coating layer and show the original color of media.

Hope it won't make you confuse.

Regards,

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Power oh power (part 2)

2008-07-28T15:30:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

There are something to remember, that adding protections means additional costs, without adding quantity nor quality in your production line. But, the costs you pay will be paid back plus some benefit, that can be saving in energy used until lifetime of your machine.

So, please consider it.

Regards,

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Power oh power (part 1)

2008-07-24T09:49:00.000+07:00

Dear readers,

Most of us think that every electronic equipments can work well if we can supply power to it.

Hold on a second, is it true? Perhaps the answer is yes 20 years ago, where the power supply made from transformer. The size of the transformer depends on the current we need to supply the equipment. For 30 Amperes, then you will get a big an heavy transformer and with power factor of 75% or less.

Confuse ? I'll try to made it simple, The bigger "watt" we need for our equipment means the bigger wire we use to make transformer and the bigger and heavier iron core we use for transformer. It will make the machine more heavier, hot, and unfortunately, with the power factor 75%, it means that we can only use 75% of power that have been transformed for our machine. If we measure the machine will consume 1000 Watts, actually the machine only consume 750 Watts, where are the rest of consumed watts? It will transformed to heat on the iron core of transformer and in the wire.

That is the minus effects of conventional power supply. The plus side is, it can reduce surge (a sudden change in voltage that happens only in short period), because of magnetic coupling it used to transform electricity power to the value suitable for our machine, or, with other words, magnetic coupling will respons slowly to the voltage change that happened in short periods.

Nowadays, all the electronic industries using Switch Mode Power Supply. It use electronic switching technology to provide certain value of power to supply our machine. It has better power factor, less weight, cheap, large range of voltage variations that can handled and so on.

But one of the critical disadvantage is they are very very influenced with the quality of electricity we supplied. I know that from electricity company, they never shut the power down, this is not the quality that I mean.

Many factors can affect the quality of power in our workshop. Automatic start and stop of air conditioning machine, running drill machine, loosen connectivity in the wire, etc. This will add all kind of noise and irregular effects on the electricity we supplied to the machine.

All these effects many times can be handled by filter in the power supply circuitry, but remember, every electronics component have a certain maximum value and they also have degradation because of extreme conditions. It means that you can say your machine running well until someday, without any previous sign, your machine stop working and it has fatal damages. Imagine your kidney, it will continue to work until it's damage reach certain value then you will feel that's a problem with your kidney, and usually it's critical. It's almost the same with electronic components.

I found a good resources from reputable company that sold many electricity protection system all over the world, take a visit to http://www.apcc.com/power/power_event.cfm

Dust, dusty and dust maker

2008-07-24T09:17:00.000+07:00

Dear readers,

Laser engraving will produce dust, with very small particle that can harm your health if not handled properly. During engraving and cutting process, dust (and fumes) will spreaded all over the machine. That's why we need good suction pump and filter.

A good filter, not only for eliminate dust, but also to eliminate odor that produced in engraving / cutting process. This is to ensure that we work with care to our environment, to save the earth that we borrow from our children.

Basically, laser tube must be handled in the isolated dust-proof room to prevent damage. On the contrary, this machine produced a lot of dust while in working progress. That's why we need to check and clean all optics often.

A dusty machine, not only became trouble maker, but it can brings you to loose your valuable investments. A simple yet regular proper cleaning and maintenance will help you out of these.

Hope you're doing well with your machine.

Regards,

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

High Watts = The Best ?

2008-04-14T13:28:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

Many times people assume that, if they buy a high watts of laser power, it means they will get faster machine and better machine. This false perception is completely wrong. How many watts does not correspond with cutting or engraving speed, nor, the fine results.

Imagine that you will weld 2 metal plates together, should you use welding machine for welding steel bar at building constructions? The plates will melt.

So does the "watts" of the lasertube. If you only need to engrave and cut 5 mm thick of acrylics, you don't need laser power more than 60 Watts.

For general, higher power of laser can cut 'thru thicker material, but it will lacks the details for engraving.

So, choose the power wisely before you sign a deal with laser dealer.

Regards,

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Different Inch, what's the difference?

2008-03-27T15:31:00.002+07:00

Dear Readers,

By dealing with lenses, we must face to the focal-length, what afftected by the focal length?

Explanations below might be can give a better understanding for you, why peoples creating different focal length, of course with it's minus and plus side. For the short, choosing lenses must be synchronized with the applications will be done.

The picture above shows beam-path from the lights, in this case are laser beam, which pass thru the lenses and the focused results. Pay attention to the crossing sections. The larger focal-length, the more steep at crossing section, as physics law told us.

If this applied to the material being cut :

The results are not straight, remember, we are dealing with lights, not knife ! If you enlarge the result will be as follows :

Lens with larger focal-length will give cutting track almost perfect. It will never perfect, unless you have time to spend for abrasing the excess parts.

There is another way to make it "looks like" straight, by shifting focus point to the middle of material thickness :

There is another things to be consider, the larger focal length of lens, the larger spot-point they have.

So, we need to choose which lens should use for certain applications.

Vesi Bahasa Indonesia

Regards,

Font Designer

2008-02-15T10:21:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

Sometimes you like to design your own fonts. There are so many font editor right now, but if you only need it for single use, you don't have to buy it. Windows XP has built in font editor, which never publish yet.

Click on Start-Run and type 'eudcedit' (without quotes) and press enter.

C' ya...

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

OOT: What blind persons can do ?

2008-02-15T08:25:00.002+07:00

Dear Readers,

Last night I 'm watching local TV programme that called Kick Andy, one of the TV programme which I think should be watch, because the contents often motivated ourself with the way they invite peoples with disabilities, but can walk 'thru it, so they never ask for financial help because of their disabilities.

Some of them has incomplete body, but they don't beg for their life. Yesterday TV programme is blind peoples, but they can design their own web, and even to became sound engineer of computer games company. I do even feel unsafe with some of the young guys that carry guitar without knowing how to play it, and sing along in the trafiic light with their unpleasant voice, or door to door only for some coins, and sometimes they force to ask for money. If they strong enough to fight, then should be strong enough to work! For me it's a different form of beggar or more accurate term is robbery if they force to ask money.

Have a visit on these web address, hope it can motivated you too.....

http://www.kartunet.com/ (Made by a group of vision disabled peoples))
http://www.ramaditya.com/ (private web page of Eko Ramaditya Adikara, games company's sound engineer )

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Marking Used Zippo

2008-02-15T07:57:00.001+07:00

Dear Readers,

The first time customer see the result of laser engraving, usually they're very impressed (even more if they look at the machine while the machine still working), and sometimes they like to see on their goods. I have similar experience too. A customer ask to mark his zippo lighter. This can be dangerous since the lighter has been used and filled with a highly flammable liquids that can possibly lead to fire if you firing laser beam on it. Basically, for you who never see the laser, laserbeam is like fire. If you ever try to use magnifier to focus sunlight on a paper to burn it, it's the same things, unless you can control how 'big' the fire being used, when should it firing, and some other parameters.

At that case, I use wet napkins to be filled at the opening hole in it (the lighter mechanism should be pull out) and start marking with no fire at all.

I do hope that you can do your job safely.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

The easiest way to do multiple job

2008-02-12T12:05:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

The easiest way to do multiple same job, in this example, engraving pens, is to use it's case.
The picture below will tell you a lot about it.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Gift and Souvenir

2008-02-12T08:09:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

Gift, trophy and souvenirs is the most usual ideas that came to everybody who decided to invest laser machine at the first time. This is not bad at all. OK, I know, this seems like not an interesting field for you who expected mass productions for your new machine. But, I will bring this topic this time with one reason, practice, practice and practice to make you perfect. And this field will make you think, so your creativity and ideas will develop.

Why? Because you will find that this not as easy as you think. For example, you must engrave some circular logo and text on a center of plate, hold on a second, first you setting up the design on coreldraw, after that you send to the job control software, put a plate on the machine, and ? From which point should you place the red dot of laser pointer? Can you ? After thinking sometime, you will find it, the next problem is, can you sure that the logo you engraved placed correctly at the center of the plate?

Other example, a trophy, you asked to engraved text on trophy, it's so simple, but after you see the trophy, you realized that if you put the trophy on the table, the area being engraved is not flat, so you must put something that can hold the trophy with some elevation relative to the table to make the area being engraved flat, but, you now realized that because of the height of the trophy, your laser head will bump it.

I hope this two example can give you perspectives about what you will learn from this field. It's not as easy as it looks like. Especially when customer comes with no spare material, it will make your heart beat even faster, trust me.

So, learning from this field of job will force you to dig and use all of your knowledge, creativity and learn something new, that very interesting actually, because of limitation of all varians of the laser engraving machines with flat bed table. But after passing this step of learning, you can see that you're more than ready to face every chalenges that possibly done by your machine. From this point, you will force to understand how to use almost every functional functions of your job control, knowing the material characteristics, laser characteristic, what can easily done by coreldraw, or better you use other software, like Adobe Illustrator ?

Why don't you find out ?

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Rubber Stamp

2008-02-11T16:01:00.001+07:00

Dear Readers,

Stamps are one of the tools that human used it to identify the originality of documents, or even goods.

There are many ways you can create stamps, from the complicated one to the easiest one. If you own laser engraving machine, from the right company, of course, you can make rubber stamps in the easy way. No need to expose, no film, no ink mess, and of course it will broaden your business.

It begin from the design that customer want you to make stamps, and it can be in the form of old stamps they have, electronic document format, print out document, or sometimes customer arrived with no idea what kind of design should they use.

The design process (if it not from electronic document format), you need to scan the design and then trace it with coreldraw, for example, then send the job to the machine to be engraved to the rubber and glued the result to stamp case, put the ink on the pad, test it, and write invoice to customer. It's so easy. If you seriously interest in this field, Speedy MCO will help you a lot to make colorful stamp automatically.

Minus aspect is, usually one design for one stamp, so you need more time in the design side and it only produced for one time, but, who cares as long as it brings more money to you?

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Unused acrylics, what should do ?

2008-02-11T15:48:00.001+07:00

Dear Readers,

After some times receiving acrylics order, I'm sure that you will have some sort of unused acrylics, which you like it to throw away because of working space you have.

With a little bit of effort, this unused things can convert to something you can sell, like key chain, for example, or something useful, even though you'll get cheap prices for this, but it helps you to use your spare time better than just watching TV.

How about it?

Versi Bhasa Indonesia

Architectural applications from Seoul

2008-02-11T12:47:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

Although the previous posts describe some sort of applications, perhaps you think that these are not serious work to be done. May I introduce you to more detailed and seriously application that laser cutting can do. Of course you need to invest some other machines too to make it work.

Architectural design is the most complicated things to do, you must translate ideas from pictures to somewhat easy to understand, imagine and feel by customer. The more detailed you work, the more customer can grab the ideas, and it will end in closing transaction of the property being sold.

Bringing ideas, imagination, calculation, design and make it real is the long processes, in the middle, you must sell the idea and plans to real customer before the real building built. This is why you need miniature that will tell customer what they will get, the locations, the design, how it looks like, is it beautiful, and so on.

I ever see my sister making the maquette (miniature of the buildings) using paper and plastics, and it's a very time consuming job. Also, you must cut very carefully. One millimeter cutting over, you must start it from the beginning again.

By using laser machine, the cutting process can be done faster and more accurately. This will speeding up the process a lot. The engraving capability adds capabilities to you to add ornament, or simply textures or some pattern.

I have seen a real serious-job of maquette-maker company, named Hansung Design Model, located at 101-13, Shin Gil Dong, YeongDeungPo - Gu, Seoul, which I haven't imagine it in the past. They build an extraordinary building's miniature, including the details, very detailed result, it's awesome. After asking permission from them, here is one photograph of their incredible work, a truly traditional design of Korean house, Mireuksaji Main Building miniature, have a look at the details they made, it represent the same details like the building itself. Lately, I have visited Seoul Stadium, and see one of their miniature work of these Stadium in the main entry of stadium. So, if you're a developer, and like to sell your products in more effective way, I will recommend to contact them.

Acrylics is the main materials, besides plastics and some supporting materials. Of course you must have crews that have similar background too, and taste of the arts is the most. A good and inspirative environment for work is needed too.

Not only for architectural applications, you can made a miniature of big machine, car, for examples, or anything you want. The limitations is your imagination and creativities.

So, have you decide to buy this apartment yet? It beautifully located in the heart of the city, and it has a beautiful view of the river .............

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

OOT: Travelling to Seoul - South Korea

2008-02-11T11:00:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

After back from Korea last December, which is very cold for me there, I found very interesting work from the company I visited. They built maquette, building's miniature, with very beautiful result.

I ever get worried because I visit the country that use Hangul character, which I don't understand nor know at all, besides the daily temperature at that time pretty cold for me, since I came from near equator country, which don't have 4 seasons. The hottest temperature when summer is not so hot for me, but in winter ? OMG !

After around 9 hours traveling time, I landed on Incheon International Airport, the immigration process run very smoothly, seems like they already have a very good computerized systems and regulations for regular visitor like me. I must wait at the very long queue because of volume of the travelers at that time, but the immigration open as many gate for the returning Koreans citizen first, which only reporting their return, after that they open the gate for foreigners and groups, it's more effective. Also they have one person who directed the queue of visitors.

I have been told that my mobile phone won't work in Korea because of different system they used, so I rent a mobile phone there, which cheaper compared to roam my SIM card.

I've got confused with the bus system there (they called it airport limousine). So when a person offered me a cab and he show that he had license from government, I take it. Alas, I take the wrong cab, big car with cigarette smell (I am smokers too, but I don't like to make my car messy with dust and smell from cigarette), and I must pay twice compared to ordinary cab. But it happened everywhere if you have lack of knowledge about new places you visited.

Lucky me, I take a cab, if I take airport limousine, I don't know where should I go to my hotel (which 10 minutes walk from bus stop). I stay at Best Western Niagara hotel at Gangseo Gu, near artificial waterfall (but with no water falling at that time, I don't know that there is a waterfall until someone told me).

I got 6th floor room, with famous Han River view, a small yet very clean room. I try the compliment tea (which taste like corn for me, but I enjoy it, no offense, I just like the ordinary natural tea leaves taste).

Generally, Koreans have white skin, but not like caucasians, whiter than chinese, or japanese, they have very good body posture. I think I saw Kim Sa-rang everywhere :-O. Many of them have high cheek, which make them cute, I like it.

In my experience, Korean women so shy, but over all, Koreans are friendly peoples you have to meet.

They introduced me to traditional foods, kimchi is a must on every foods served, and this one belongs to one of the healthiest food in the world. I agree with that.
Bulgogi is the famous food there, and beef is very expensive. I have tried it, so does fried fish served with horse raddish paste similar like japanese wasabi, and korean ramen, barbecued pork and some sort of soup which I don't know the name. This is much better than international foods for breakfast at hotel, which taste poor, as long as you don't have problem with it's spicy taste.

They are workaholic, usually they start to work at 9 am until 6 pm, but actually they work even longer, until 11 pm, so I must set my biological rhytmn to follow them. Humidifier is a must in the winter to prevent skin crack because of chilled temperature, and it can be found in every rooms they worked.

Unfortunately, I don't have a chance to do sight seeing, even though I want it, I only have chance to visit National Stadium where world cup soccer 2002 done there, which Koreans proud of, and some window shopping at the mall for about 2 hours.

만나서 반갑습니다 -- man na suh ban gap seum ni da (nice to meet you)

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Kiss Cutting

2008-02-08T11:17:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

If you have background from offset printing, perhaps this term 'kiss cutting' is familiar to you, but if it's not, perhaps there are similar terms. This terms mean if you ever know how the cutting sticker machine do, it cut the upper layer without cut the bottom layer, that what I mean with kiss cutting.

There are many plus and minus for using laser machine done that job. The main reason why we use laser, is because no physical contacts with material, so it can do very high detailed job easily without possibility to tear off materials, which can't do it with cuting sticker machine that use blades.

Minus side is, not every sticker material can be processed, especially with PVC material that will melt if processed by laser (besides, PVC fumes have corrosive factor to metal and poisonous to our lungs).

Now it's your turn to show your own design ....

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Help from cheap stickers

2008-02-08T11:15:00.000+07:00

Paper stickers, not only for putting it on glass, walls etc, you can use it for prevent brownish burnt effects while cutting woods, plastics, acrylics, or, engraving heat-sensitive materials.

Preventing color change and other undesired effects is somewhat tricky things to do, and cheap stickers are one of this purpose. Simply cover the surface being engraved / cut with stickers before engraving / cutting job done.

Also, you can put stickers before engraving, spray paint, wait 'till dry and remove it. Try to use it on acrylic, use designs with very thin lines (somewhat like wire mesh) then engrave or cut (set your power and speed so the laser beam only scratch the surface, not cutting it through, this will save you time compared to engraved). After finishing this, spray with paint with very contrast color, I like to use clear acrylic with black paint, wait 'till dry and remove the sticker carefully.

One reason why using this technique is you can't loose the paint even though you touch it everyday.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Look, there's something in my Coke !!!

2008-02-08T10:12:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

If you have cafe, restaurant, discotheque, hotel, and you have concern about your brand image can lead you to success, you actually have logo for this purpose. And you like it placed everywhere, so peoples can always look at it. The more they look will burn deeply to their memories, and it will goes up in micro seconds if they need to have some coffee, for example, the first time it pops out from brain is the most-looking brand they saw.

We have printing techniques to put it on plate, glass, cups, etc, like we found it on china-ware. But, have you considered that some of these techniques will poisoned the person who used this ? The dead customer won't give you no more business ! Or may bring you troubles with resposibilities.

Engraving by laser is removing some part of the surface of the material being engraved, with certain pattern, so it will not add paint nor chemical formula that may possible contain harmful effects to human. By using laser, there are no physical contact with the material, even the material is cheese or bread that we consume safely after engraved.

By using rotary attachment, we can engrave glass on it's side, as well as other tube-shaped material, like pipe, bamboos, etc.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Mirror Mirror Hangin' on The Wall

2008-02-08T09:29:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

'mirror mirror hangin' on the wall......' as sang by M2M, is a beautiful song. Have you count howmany times you look at the mirror in your lifetime? Sometimes you don't even noticed when you starred at this apparatus.

Mirror can make a small room feels more wide, more depth, not only for looking how beautiful or handsome you are. Or maybe there's an acne at your face? :-) How, if, I offer you to put some beautiful ornament at it's corner? Will it make your bathroom more elegant ? Or will it make you starred at mirror a little bit longer, with no more paying attention to your acne ?

Some of the people have habits to give mirror to somebody that move in new house, with some good wishes paint it on the surface, or just say congratulations. After some time, this paint will cracked and the wishes will gone. You can make it permanent if you like.

With CO2 laser, the best result is by engraving on painted side with mirroring the image / letter. After engraving, you can spray paint just to make it more visible or just left it as is.

We must do it opposite by using YAG laser, because of YAG characteristic that don't affect glass, you must marking it with the reflective side facing upward, the shiny layer will be marked without affecting the glass surface, nor the painted back.

Below is the result using CO2 Laser, left image is the back side of mirror after engraved and sprayed with paint, and the right image is the result we see.

And below is the result if we using Finemarker - YAG laser :

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Tracing paper (calquer), is it good for engraved?

2008-02-08T09:04:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

As I told you on previous post, we can work on almost every material. This time I like to show you how it works on tracing paper, and it's beautiful. Combine it with printing technology, and you'll get the awesome artwork. Trust me !

With the right engraving parameters you'll get a very interesting result, which unable to do it with printers. The key point is, right engraving / cutting parameters.

As we know, this paper can easily curl with excess heat, so you must set up the fast speed with lowest power possible.

Usually I use tracing paper for middle part of invitation cards. It gives a classy design yet elegance, but of course, you can use it everywhere you want.

Imagination is yours !

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Marking on metal using CO2 laser

2008-02-08T07:55:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

Sometimes we need to mark on metal surface. This technique can be used for labelling (like in the back of the machine), a gift to remember (on a pen, for example), put some information on case (like serial number, product number), etc.

By using CO2 laser, not every metal can be marked. If you have anodized surface, yes, it can be engraved easily, if not, you can spray paint on the surface first, then engraved it after dry.

For some material, like stainless steel, there is a way to mark it by using special formulated chemical liquid for this purposes, called Metal Fix. But, if you have a lot of jobs in this applications, consider to have Finemarker machine, a YAG-laser machine, which can be marking on every plain metal surface without adding any chemical.

This is the result of YAG Laser on stainless-steel surface.

For using metal fix, the most important factor is to clean up the surface and put the metal fix evenly on a clean surface, you can spray it as well. And then engraved it. Then clean the excess metalfix with water. The good news, you can collect the excess metalfix to use it again and again.

PS: It won't work on white alumunium surface. I suggest to use anodized alumunium for it. Below is the result of anodized alumunium.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

HP Deskjet Pickup Pad

2008-02-08T07:40:00.001+07:00

Dear Reader,

If you have old HP Deskjet like me, maybe you've found that this printer cannot pickup paper smoothly like before. Throwing away this printer while it still can be used won't be a nice decission, besides, old series of HP deskjet has a better mechanism than the new ones. The problem caused by pick up pad and separation pad that have been wear after long time used. The problem, sometimes we can't find the replacement part for it.

Pickup pad is the black rubber for picking up paper from paper tray. After a period of time this printer can't pick paper smoothly because of this pad loosing it's texture and became smooth in it's surface, so the papers being picked up are slipped away.

I'm facing this troubles too, so I try to use Trodat's 1.5 mm stamp's rubber and create an engraved pattern in it, then cut it and glued by using double tape.

For separator pad, I use a piece of cork-sheets. And it works. I don't have to buy a new printer then.

It's an alternative if you difficult to find the original spareparts.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

MDF Boards

2008-02-05T16:09:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

MDF particle boards are interesting materials to engrave. Usually we are not satisfied with burnt effects after engraving or cutting, when it comes art work, many times the burnt effect will be a good factor to give overall performance to what we engraved / cut on materials. We can arrange which side will have brownish burnt effect by mentioning to which way the air flows, and place the materials to follow the air flow. Sometimes you need to rotate the job to get the desired effects.

Have a try, and you won't be dissapointed after you see the result.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

The power of Cutting

2008-02-05T15:49:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

Cutting is one of CO2 lasers machine can done very easily. Don't trapped on basic form, like box and circle, try to make something different. If you lucky for having Trotec Speedy machines, yes, it can do very detail and finest job for you. Dare to be different is the key.

Love, marriage and social events are something that can be one of your considerations for working field you choose. If you are an artist, consider this field of business, because peoples love and dare to be different from other.

Talking about wedding, which one you like, old style photograph that make picture of you like statues with photographer set your styles, arranged your smile and so on, or, a contemporary photographs with candid snapshot that will bring true emotions from peoples being photographed ? Just tell me which one can bring beautiful memories after years ? Personally, I like the second option.

And what makes people pay attention to your invitation card? The place of the event? time ? perhaps ! But, the first impressions comes from beautifuly designed cards.

I'm not talking about social status here, because of the higher prices you must pay for these invitation cards. I'm talking about give a proper attention to the persons you invited. A beautiful invitation card reflects your honour to the persons who received it. It means that you're inviting someone special for your life, that you want to share happiness with them, so why don't you show it beautifully?

Cheers,

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Shadow effect on acrylics

2008-02-05T15:38:00.001+07:00

Dear readers,

Acrylics in one of the frequently used material in laser engraving / cutting applications. Not only for sign purposes, you can use acrylic for cover of your photo album, or creating unusual and unique key chain from this material.

For anybody who uses acrylic, sometimes you need to make shadow effects on the text you engrave. This can be done easily by 2 times engraving process.

First, engrave as usual, I will suggest you to engrave deeper by using more power or slower speed, or combination of both parameters, after done, do not touch the material on the table, set the focus to be out of focus, by moving table upward or downward, say about 2 - 3 millimeters away. Then restart the engraving job (thanks to "enter" button on speedy machines, just a single button click and all be done).

Special thanks to Mrs. Wimmer Esin for sharing this techniques.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Virus Attack

2008-02-05T15:24:00.000+07:00

Dear Readers,

For you who own a laser engraving machine, the most important factor you must take care of is computer 's virus attack. It will slow down the computer, doing unbelievable things and so on, depends on what virus infecting your computer, so, it will be a great help for yourself if you understand how to handle the virus.

Virus attack can be troublesome when you operate machines. Some abnormalities I found are :

- After sending (printing) job to job control software, the engraver directly operate to engrave or cut material.

- Engraver operated normally, until finish, but, when laser head back to it's home position, the laser beam still on and diagonally cut the material.

- USB connection terminated with no specific reason, and we can't connect it again before restarting the computer. Sometimes it won't happen when using RS-232 serial port (some motherboard have permanent problem like these, I suspect the chipset and board architecture causing this, I will suggest you to use a 'known good brand' for mother board, and proper chipset which listed in 'Mainstream' sections at Intel website. All you need is stable computer, NOT fast computer)

For Desktop chipset go here and for Laptop chipset go here

So, if you found any abnormalities with your machines, try to perform virus check (use another "known clean from viruses" computer for checking your "suspect infected" hard disk) before calling technical support.

I will suggest to reinstall the operating systems and the other applications since some viruses destroy system files.

More to come.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Who I am

2008-02-05T14:49:00.000+07:00

Dear reader,

Currently, I am working as technical service for laser engraving machine, one of the best brand in the world, Trotec !

During my journey of life of being technician, I must interact with many peoples, especially my beloved customers, the persons who bought the machines and give me and my company where I worked in, a continuing job to be done.

I also give my highest appreciations to our principal, who educate and give me many information and point of view (a lot) and also chances to dig interesting work using lasers technology (which I only knew laser technology as laser printer in the past).

I have background from electronics discipline, but, rather than developing electronic projects, I must turn to became a printer-repair technician as my first job after school. It's a sad things actually, since I have 4 partners before (while we're in college) to do some electronics designing jobs. It didn't work out at that time, so we decided to split and seek for a better future.

From a printer technician, I learn about PC, which I still remember the first 'high end' PC at that time is Intel 486 DX2. Not for long time, I must speeding up to learn about servers and network operating system (Windows NT 4). But then my boss ask me to handle hospital equipments such as defibrillator, patient monitors, washing machine, sterilizer and so on. This is a risky job, since I can contaminated to bacterial or viruses or even worse thing (like exposed to radio active), since my boss don't give me proper protection equipments to handle all of these stuff, so, after 2 years, I move out and go back to old job, handling computer's matter, which has lower risk factors.

After 4 years in computer's world, one and other conditions forced me to leave the company where I worked for, and I try to set up my own business, a small one, which, sadly, didn't work because of lack of capital and limited knowledges I had.

So, here I am, back to technical service again, the field which I know better than the others.

PS: I am really sorry if, in my posts, there are syntax errors, non standard english grammatical, wrong tenses, incorrect vocabulary, or any mistake I made. This blog is one of my media to learn english, because I am a lazy student while at school before.

Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Why lasing.blogspot.com ?

2008-02-05T14:37:00.000+07:00

So, why I decided to use this service?

Because I have create my blog at friendster, but cannot updating it, it always fail to connect to blog service and after 4th time trying I give up. Performing report to support don't have any follow up.

So, here I am, using another "famous" free service for my blog, and I hope this blog will be informative for readers.

Here we go,