Development Of A Low Cost 3-Dof Desktop Laser Cutter Using 3d Printer Hardware

This paper presents the development of a compact, desktop laser-cutting system capable of cutting materials such as wood, metal and plastic. A re-commissioned beheaded MakerBot (R) Replicator 2X is turned into a 3-DOF laser cutter by way of integration with 800W (peak power) fiber laser. Special attention is paid to tear-down, modification and integration of the objective lens in place of the print head. Example cuts in wood and metal will be presented, as well as design of an exhaust system.