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Finished build

Large-format CO2 laser cutter

Designed and built in 2019 from components — frame, motion system, electronics, controls and enclosure — then put to work cutting the laser-cut acrylic bodies for the 2019 DEF CON Car Hacking Village badge.

  • OpenBuilds V-slot aluminum extrusion frame
  • Delrin wheels on V-slot
  • Belts + pulleys
  • Steppers & drivers
  • AWC708C controller
  • CO2 tube
  • Honeycomb bed
  • Enclosure with hinged lid
  • E-stop / operator panel
Bare aluminum extrusion frame on a kitchen floor with the laser gantry installed
Frame and motionOpenBuilds V-slot extrusion frame with the gantry going in, riding on Delrin wheels and driven by belts and pulleys. Assembled on my kitchen floor.
Electronics bay showing four stepper drivers, a controller board, two power supplies and terminal blocks
Electronics bayFour stepper drivers, the AWC708C motion controller, and both switching supplies laid out and wired on a panel inside the frame.
David Bleeke sitting inside the laser cutter frame, showing its size
ScaleFor scale: the frame is big enough to sit inside.
Finished laser cutter with the lid raised and LED strips lit over the honeycomb bed
Finished machineGas-strut lid, LED work lighting, honeycomb bed and an operator panel with E-stop, power switch and controller.
Finished laser cutter on a rolling stand in a workshop beside SMT assembly equipment
In serviceFinished and panelled, on a rolling stand in the shop next to SMT equipment.
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