[Discuss] Question tossed out to everyone.

[pw]

What are you cutting?
The target material can affect the type of cutting system you want
to use.
If it's metal up to 2 inches thick you'd probably be
cheaper to go with 'plasma arc'. That's something that is already
available, proven technology, and has robotic cutting systems designed
for it.

As for lasers, there are numerous older articles regarding
how lasers function.(google...)

Home made lasers:
http://technology.niagarac.on.ca/staff/mcsele/lasers/

LG makes good lasers. Snoop around their site:
http://www.lg-lasertechnologies.com/Menu/Products/Cutting%2c+Engraving%2c+Marking+Systems/Cutting%2fEngraving

Edmund scientific/Edmund optics sell lasers as well.

Important things to note:

#1 Lasers can make you blind. Stray  laser light
will instantly burn a hole in your retina.
***USE LASER FILTER SAFETY GOGGLES APPROVED FOR THE PROPER WAVELENGTH***
Keep the kids out of visual range.

#2 Lenses and lasers can be a bit funny. Some wavelengths will
focus **INSIDE**  lenses made from specific materials. This can be
a tad harrowing if molten glass starts to ooze like lava onto
your flammable house.

I can empathize the renos. It took my wife a full year
to decide on yellow for the dining room and then another
full year to decide 'what type of yellow'. I lost a lot of hair
on that one.
I find it's easier/faster to save a few bucks and send her
somewhere for a couple days/weeks then do renos all in one go
while she's gone. That way I'm allowed to, at least, wear my
work boots in the house while I'm lugging drywall.


Peter


Andrew Burgess wrote:
> sorry for the delay in reply. (wife has me doing f'n  renovations)
> what I was looking for was something similar if not exactly like an 
> industrial cutting laser. or at least the diagram to create a simplified 
> version of one.
> It's just a simple idea I'm trying to run with and see how feasible it 
> is (fun with light and power.)
> 
> pw wrote:
>> Andrew Burgess wrote:
>>> Is anyone in this group a UVic engineering or chemical engineering
>>> student or prof that could answer a question or direct me to a 
>>> person/site that could give me info on materials that LASE under 
>>> certain conditions please?
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>
>> Materials that generate stimulated emissions...(???)
>> Almost everything fluoresces given an adequate
>> excitation energy level. Some just have lower
>> excitation levels than others and don't burst
>> into flames. What's your application?
>>
>> Ruby is nice. Use a xenon flash tube.
>>
>> Peter
>>
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