I made my small logo b/w for make it on vinyl cutter, with Illustrator. Then I used "invert image" command and converted it from *.png file into *.camm file by Fab Modules, because the software didn't see the white thin line.

My logo have some part very thin, but I wanted to make it, despite everything, because I could see the potentiality of machine.
I had to be careful for to remove the sticker for this very thin parts, but I did it well.

Laser Cutter

This week I used a lot the laser cutter, because I made the assignment for the Fab Academy and a Lamp for FabLab Cascina.

I calculate 0,2 mm of laser cutter's kerf. But I took some precautions for the press fit, I made the upper side of joints more longer than side below, of 0,2 mm per side. Also I made fillet joint edges. In this way you can join pieces easily, thanks to filleted edges, and the corners of joint will not break.
Also you can push with small pressure this pieces for to connect it solidly.

I used Grasshopper for Rhino, but at one moment this was more complicated. Then I tried to use Inkscape, but I didn't have more control of parametric geometry. Finally I tried to use Onshape, this is very interesting program, because is more simply to make some rules and variables for to make a model.

I made a file that you can change all pieces writing and changing parameters of material thickness, kerf, and edge length.

Onshape parametric model from Mario Fullone on Vimeo.

But, after small time, the software crashed, maybe because the file became heavy, about 150 Mb. At finally the program was block, and I had to do it with Rhino, using simple commands.

Then I exported the file in *.dxf, I opened it with Illustrator and changed color in RGB. Finally I modified line width in 0,01 mm and I exported the *.pdf file. I had some problem for to cut the material that I chose. It's a cardboard of 7,2 mm. More times it caught fire.

FabLamp Cascina

(Extra exercise - Laser Cutter)

Instead, for the lamp's project, I used wood's panel, It's more simple for to cut, because it didn't caught fire hardly. I used this parameters:

• 1st pass - Incision: Speed=70 Power=2 Vector Current=70
• 2nd pass - Small internal cut: Speed=40 Power=100 Vector Current=100
• 3rd pass - Long external cut: Speed=30 Power=100 Vector Current=100

But I had more difficulty in the export Rhino to Illustrator. I used *.dxf file for to export the file from Rhino to Illustrator, but I understood that the problem was the explosion of the lines. Some splines, or archs, on the laser cutter's software was all fragmented.

I did a lot of tests to calculate the right kerf, to get a good press fit

Also I understood that doing a parametric model is very convenient, because at last moment I had to modified the all 3D model because, because we didn't have 3 mm wood's panels, but only 6 mm. I made it in more time, because I created eight panel, and the laser cutter machine had work very slowly, because the panel was hight and it was difficult to cut.

Also I saw that the pieces that were down the laser cutter had cut it bad, maybe because the laser have a calibration's problem of mirrors.

Partial assembly of the lamp built.

But I saw that I couldn't finish assembling the lamp, because I had assembled it very quickly and I did an important mistake of assembly order. So, I had to disassemble the lamp, and put the inside parts for first, and then the externals parts. In this way I could assemble all parts.

Finally I could mount to the ceiling.

FabLab Cascina Lamp by mario787 on Sketchfab