Why focus is so important… for CNC lasers!
CNC laser focus is fundamental to getting a job done right, each laser has its own focal length and it depends on the lens so my focus is different from another Trotec Speedy 400 flexx much less across manufacturers or model numbers. So, it begs the question – what happens if you do a job OUT OF FOCUS?
Well, I booted-up the laser to show just that to our customers – looking at the leather case, one looks “sharp” even with image compression and the other dull – I’m sure you can spot it. What happened? Well, remember when you were a kid with a magnifying lens and you burned away ants as they crossed your path? I know… hours of fun!
Do you remember what happened if you didn’t have that perfect focus on that ant? Yep, it didn’t explode in flames… it just walked around, maybe a bit faster than usual but was relatively safe. A CNC laser is nothing more than a glorified magnifying glass…. where you put in expensive metal, plastic and wood instead of ants for fun.
I made a quick video to show you the in vs out of focus effects… filmed right here at CNCROi.com‘s shop!
I know, about as exciting as watching grass grow but hey, now you can be the life of the party next time telling all your friends about how cool CNC lasers are!
What you should notice is the first part, the material isn’t really being removed, more like bubbling away… there is plenty of energy hitting the leather case but the focal point is just above the surface and not on the surface, which means it’s being spread over a wider area. The second part shows the focal point dead-on the surface of the material and it’s quickly and easily vaporized.
Having the right focus is the difference between an awesome result or an awful one – whether you are annealing stainless steel, etching glass, marking iron washers, engraving part numbers in composite widgets or even doing crazy things like me, engraving your business card on the side of your leather business briefcase! Yeah… let’s watch that again shall we?