Homemade laser engraver. A different approach to design. Making a CNC machine from a CD-ROM with your own hands How to make a laser engraver with your own hands

Many of those home craftsmen who in their workshop are engaged in the manufacture and decorative design products made of wood and other materials, you have probably thought about how to make a laser engraver with your own hands. The presence of such equipment, the serial models of which are quite expensive, allows not only to apply the most complex drawings With high accuracy and detailing, but also to carry out laser cutting of various materials.

A homemade laser engraver, which will cost significantly less than a serial model, can be made even if you do not have deep knowledge in electronics and mechanics. Laser engraver The proposed design is assembled on the Arduino hardware platform and has a power of 3 W, whereas industrial models this parameter is at least 400 W. However, even such low power allows you to use this device for cutting products made of polystyrene foam, cork sheets, plastic and cardboard, as well as perform high-quality laser engraving.

Necessary materials

In order to make your own laser engraver using Arduino, you will need the following: Consumables, mechanisms and tools:

• hardware platform Arduino R3;
• Proto Board equipped with a display;
• stepper motors, which can be used as electric motors from a printer or DVD player;
• laser with a power of 3 W;
• laser cooling device;
• voltage regulator direct current DC-DC;
• MOSFET transistor;
• electronic boards that control the laser engraver motors;
• limit switches;
• a housing in which you can place all the structural elements of a homemade engraver;
• timing belts and pulleys for their installation;
• ball bearings of various sizes;
• four wooden boards(two of them with dimensions 135x10x2 cm, and the other two – 125x10x2 cm);
• four metal rods round section, the diameter of which is 10 mm;
• bolts, nuts and screws;
• lubricant;
• clamps;
• computer;
• drill various diameters;
• a circular saw;
• sandpaper;
• vice;
• standard set locksmith tools.

Electrical part of a homemade laser engraver

The main element of the electrical circuit of the presented device is a laser emitter, the input of which must be supplied with a constant voltage with a value not exceeding the permissible parameters. If this requirement is not met, the laser may simply burn out. The laser emitter used in the engraving installation of the presented design is designed for a voltage of 5 V and a current not exceeding 2.4 A, therefore the DC-DC regulator must be configured for a current of 2 A and a voltage of up to 5 V.

The MOSFET transistor, which is the most important element of the electrical part of a laser engraver, is necessary in order to turn the laser emitter on and off when receiving a signal from the Arduino controller. The electrical signal generated by the controller is very weak, so only a MOSFET transistor can sense it and then unlock and close the laser power circuit. IN electrical diagram For a laser engraver, such a transistor is installed between the positive contact of the laser and the negative contact of the DC regulator.

The stepper motors of the laser engraver are connected through one electronic board control, which ensures the synchronization of their work. Thanks to this connection, timing belts driven by multiple motors do not sag and maintain a stable tension during operation, which ensures the quality and accuracy of the processing performed.

It should be kept in mind that the laser diode used in a homemade engraving machine should not overheat.

To do this, it is necessary to ensure its effective cooling. This problem can be solved quite simply: a regular computer fan is installed next to the diode. To prevent overheating of stepper motor control boards, computer coolers are also placed next to them, since conventional radiators cannot cope with this task.

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Build process

The homemade engraving machine of the proposed design is a shuttle-type device, one of the moving elements of which is responsible for movement along the Y axis, and the other two, paired, for movement along the X axis. For the Z axis, which is also specified in the parameters of such a 3D printer, the depth to which the material being processed is burned is taken. The depth of the holes into which the elements of the shuttle mechanism of the laser engraver are installed must be at least 12 mm.

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Aluminum rods with a diameter of at least 10 mm can act as guide elements along which the working head of a laser engraving device will move. If it is not possible to find aluminum rods, steel guides of the same diameter can be used for these purposes. The need to use rods of exactly this diameter is explained by the fact that in this case the working head of the laser engraving device will not sag.

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The surface of the rods that will be used as guide elements for the laser engraving device must be cleaned of factory grease and carefully ground to perfect smoothness. Then they should be coated with a lubricant based on white lithium, which will improve the sliding process.

Installation of stepper motors on the body of a homemade engraving device is carried out using brackets made of sheet metal. To make such a bracket, a sheet of metal, the width of which approximately corresponds to the width of the engine itself, and the length of which is twice the length of its base, is bent at a right angle. On the surface of such a bracket, where the base of the electric motor will be located, 6 holes are drilled, 4 of which are necessary for fixing the engine itself, and the remaining two are for attaching the bracket to the body using ordinary self-tapping screws.

To install a drive mechanism consisting of two pulleys, a washer and a bolt on the electric motor shaft, a piece of metal sheet appropriate size. To mount such a unit, a U-shaped profile is formed from a metal sheet, in which holes are drilled for attaching it to the engraver body and for the output of the electric motor shaft. The pulleys on which the timing belts will be placed are mounted on the shaft of the drive electric motor and placed in the inner part of the U-shaped profile. Toothed belts mounted on pulleys, which should drive the shuttles of the engraving device, are connected to their wooden bases using self-tapping screws.

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Software installation

Your laser grower, which must operate in automatic mode, will require not only installation, but also configuration of special software. The most important element Such software is a program that allows you to create the contours of the desired design and convert them into an extension that is understandable to the control elements of the laser engraver. This program is freely available and can be downloaded to your computer without any problems.

The program downloaded to the computer controlling the engraving device is unpacked from the archive and installed. In addition, you will need a library of contours, as well as a program that will send data on the created drawing or inscription to the Arduino controller. Such a library (as well as a program for transferring data to the controller) can also be found in the public domain. In order for your laser homemade product to work correctly, and for the engraving performed with its help to be of high quality, you will need to configure the controller itself to the parameters of the engraving device.

Features of using contours

If you have already figured out the question of how to make a hand-held laser engraver, then it is necessary to clarify the question of the parameters of the contours that can be applied using such a device. Such contours inner part which are not filled even if the original drawing is painted over, must be transferred to the engraver controller as files not in pixel (jpeg), but in vector format. This means that the image or inscription applied to the surface of the processed product using such an engraver will not consist of pixels, but of dots. Such images and inscriptions can be scaled as desired, focusing on the surface area on which they should be applied.

Using a laser engraver, almost any design and inscription can be applied to the surface of the workpiece, but to do this, their computer layouts must be converted into vector format. It is not difficult to carry out this procedure: for this you use special programs Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator. A file that has already been converted to vector format must be converted again so that it can be correctly processed by the engraving machine controller. For this conversion, the Inkscape Laserengraver program is used.

Final setup and preparation for work

Having made a laser engraving machine with your own hands and uploaded the necessary information into its control computer software, do not start work right away: the equipment needs final setup and adjustment. What is this adjustment? First of all, you need to make sure that the maximum movements of the machine's laser head along the X and Y axes coincide with the values ​​​​obtained when converting the vector file. In addition, depending on the thickness of the material from which the workpiece is made, it is necessary to adjust the parameters of the current supplied to the laser head. This should be done in order not to burn through the product on the surface of which you want to engrave.

Good time everyone!

In this post I want to share with you the process of creating a laser engraver based on a diode laser from China.

A few years ago I had a desire to buy myself ready-made option engraver from Aliexpress with a budget of 15 thousand, but after a long search I came to the conclusion that all the presented options are too simple and are essentially toys. But I wanted something tabletop and at the same time quite serious. After a month of research, it was decided to make this device with our own hands, and away we go...

At that moment I did not yet have a 3D printer and 3D modeling experience, but everything was fine with drawing)

Here is actually one of those ready-made engravers from China.

Having looked at the options possible designs mechanics, the first sketches of the future machine were made on a piece of paper..))

It was decided that the engraving area should not be less sheet A3.

Myself laser module was one of the first to be purchased. Power 2W, since it was the most the best option for reasonable money.

Here is the laser module itself.

At this stage, sketches no longer appeared on notebook paper; everything was drawn and invented in the Compass.

Having bought 2 meters of a square profile 40x40 mm to build the frame of the machine, in the end only the carriage itself was made from it..))

Engines, linear bearings, belts, shafts and all the electronics were ordered from Aliexpress during the development process and plans for how the motors would be mounted and what the control board would be changed along the way.

After a few days of drawing in Compass, a more or less clear version of the machine design was determined.

And so the X axis was born..))

Sidewalls of the Y axis (sorry for the photo quality).

Fitting.

And finally the first launch!

A simple 3D model of the general appearance of the machine was built in order to accurately determine its appearance and sizes.

And off we go... Plexiglas... Painting, wiring and other little things.

And finally, when everything was adjusted and the last part was painted black, the finish line came!

Now some beautiful photos))

Our ancestors were engaged in stone processing in ancient times. This culture has survived to this day, but working with this material has become much easier and more convenient, thanks to innovations and modern machines. A desktop laser engraver for stone makes your work easier and allows you to make clear drawings on any type of stone.

A laser machine is a convenient and quick way apply any image to the stone, thanks to which you can make a pattern of any complexity, even those that you cannot create with your own hands. With the help of an engraving printer you can open your own profitable business. But how much does such a machine cost, and what models are popular?

Stone engraving machine

Today many companies produce good quality laser machines. Each of them has its pros and cons. The table describes the models the best manufacturers and prices.

These are the most popular models, which allow you to start your own business providing services related to stone engraving. But not everyone has the opportunity to purchase such equipment right away; in this case, you can start your own business with a machine made by yourself. A laser engraver made from a printer with your own hands is The best way start a business with minimal investment.

How to make an engraver from a printer?

Making an engraving machine from an old printer is not difficult at all. detailed instructions will help you figure everything out. But first you need to prepare all the necessary details:

• 3 studs from a hardware store;
• aluminum U-profile;
• 2 bearings;
• a piece of plexiglass;
• nuts of regular size and long;
• 3 stepper motor, they can be borrowed from an old printer.

In addition to this, you need to have the following tools on hand: a hacksaw, drill, jigsaw, bolts, screws, screwdrivers and other tools. The only thing that will need to be done outside the house is to weld the base for the machine, although bolted you can also make it. Instructions on how to make laser printer at home with your own hands, is described in the table below.

So your DIY desktop laser engraving machine is ready. Now all that remains is to connect it using limit switches. This homemade device allows you to carve stone at home, but does not allow you to cut it.

What stones can be engraved on?

Not every stone can be processed engraving machine, dark colors are best for engraving natural materials, such as:

• granite;
• marble;
• white marble.

Engraving on snow-white marble looks especially beautiful, since the machine is capable of producing a continuous white stone inscription or pattern, and the result is very beautiful. Laser engraving can be compared to glass frosting. After all, using such a machine it will not be possible to make a deep inscription, since the beam is capable of melting the material, and in the end result the work is almost invisible. The best effect of the machine is obtained on surfaces in shades of gray.

But as soon as you manage to earn money good machine, it’s worth purchasing it if there is a prospect of continuing to work in this area. Professional machines allow you to create an image quickly, accurately and accurately, this applies to even the smallest details. Thanks to the laser engraver professional level it is possible to achieve excellent resemblance to the photographic source. A professional machine, even a desktop one, is capable of applying an inscription of any font and size, so it is convenient and practical.

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Starting your own business with a homemade engraver is convenient and inexpensive, but in the future, in order to satisfy all the needs and desires of your clients, you will still have to purchase modern model engraver, albeit inexpensive. Thus, your business will flourish in short time will pay off. By learning to create masterpieces on stone with your own hands, you will make a good reputation for yourself, and clients will come to you with orders.

Engravers are widely used in various industries not only for engraving various materials, but also for drilling miniature holes, polishing, grinding, and milling. The same operations can be performed at home with their help. If this is required only occasionally, or you just need to save money on buying a tool, then you can make a mini-drill yourself from unnecessary equipment, which often lies unused in garages or storage rooms. With the help of homemade drills, you can perform the same operations as with a factory tool of similar power, you just need to use the appropriate attachments.

Based on the features of their functioning, engravers are divided into milling and laser. In the first, the material is processed with various attachments. In laser models, all the work is done by the laser beam - this contactless engraving method. Moreover, such a device belongs to the category of high-tech equipment. But a homemade engraver can be made at home.

To create a laser engraver with your own hands, you will need the following parts, tools and materials:

• stepper motors from a DVD drive;
• Arduino computing platform;
• Proto Board with display;
• limit switches for motors;
• laser module (for example, 3 W power);
• device for adjusting the constant voltage value;
• laser cooling system;
• MOSFET (transistor);
• boards for assembling electric motor control elements;
• frame;
• toothed pulleys and belts for them;
• bearings of various sizes;
• wooden boards: 2 pieces measuring 135x10x2 cm and two more - 125x10x2 cm;
• 4 round metal rods with a cross section of 10 mm;
• lubricant;
• clamps, bolts with washers and nuts;
• vice;
• locksmith tools;
• drill;
• jigsaw or circular saw;
• files or sandpaper;
• computer or laptop.

Stepper motors can be taken not only from a DVD, but also from a printer that is practically not used.

The machine is assembled according to the following algorithm:

• create a foundation;
• install guides with movable carriages;
• assemble an electrical circuit;
• install necessary programs on computer;
• carry out adjustment (tuning) of the laser head;
• check the functionality of the machine.

Connection diagram Stepper electric motors taken from an inkjet printer or DVD are shown in the photo below.

The entire sequence of actions that allows you to assemble a laser engraver using Arduino is demonstrated in detail in the video below.

The created CNC engraver will cost much cheaper than any factory-produced laser models. It can be used for making stamps, for photoresist, for working with wood, plywood, plastic, cardboard, polystyrene foam and cork sheets. Metal engraving is also possible.

Assembling an electric engraver with a tripod and flexible shaft

An electric engraver is the most common type of this type of tool at home. To make a functionally complete device yourself, capable of competing with analogues industrial production, you will need an electric motor that runs on alternating current 220 V. Such electric motors can be taken from the following equipment:

• Soviet-style reel-to-reel tape recorders;
• DVD players;
• washing machines;
• angle grinders;
• electric sewing machines.

The last option is optimal because it is possible to adjust the speed over a fairly wide range using the built-in rheostat.

For household use a drill with an engine rotation speed of Idling up to 6 thousand rpm.

Holding an electric motor from any of the listed types of equipment in one hand is inconvenient, and in most cases it is simply impossible. Therefore you will need flexible shaft for engraver. Wherein general form The future device will turn out approximately as in the photo below.

The functionality of the created engraving device will depend on the materials and mechanisms used during assembly. The motor can be placed on the table, but it is more convenient to do it tripod for engraver, or rather its likeness.

Manufacturing of flexible shaft

With a flexible shaft everything is relatively simple. It can be done in several ways:

• from an old drive shaft, for example, from a dental drill;
• using the speedometer cable of a motorcycle or car.

The working shaft attachment can also be used from a drill or make your own from different materials, for example, from wood, textolite, plastic pipes. From textolite The device (handle) for holding the equipment is made like this:

• cut 2 textolite platinums (sheet thickness should be about 1 cm) measuring approximately 2 by 10 cm;
• connect them together and grind them with a file or emery from the outside to form a cylinder;
• grind with inside grooves;
• metal rings secure the parts to each other;
• a tube is inserted into the front part of the handle, under a cartridge consisting of two separate halves connected with a bolt.

The end result will be a handle like the one in the photo below.

The internal hole made between the textolite plates should be of such a cross-section as not to interfere with the free rotation of the cable. It will be possible to insert nozzles with shank diameters from 2 to 5 mm into the chuck.

Assembling the engraving unit

It’s very easy to make a tripod (a base for installing an electric motor) from plywood or the same PCB. To do this, do this:

• cut out several pieces (4 are enough) from a sheet of material corresponding to the size of the electric motor;
• a motor is attached to one of the fragments using clamps;
• assemble the box;
• A hole is drilled in the front part for the flexible shaft.

The created structure is hung on the wall.

Convenient to use factory holder with clamps for the engraver, if the dimensions of the electric motor allow. The mount connects to any table. But such a device will need to be purchased additionally.

Further assembly of the engraving device is carried out in the following sequence:

• using a coupling made from a drilled bolt, connect the cable to the electric motor shaft;

• put a rubber hose of the appropriate diameter on the cable and attach a handle made to it;

• install a start button;
• connect equipment to the network;

• check the functionality of the device made.

A homemade drill will allow you to process wood, bone, metal, glass, plastic, ceramic workpieces, as well as different metals, natural and artificial stone.

You can also use electric motors when creating homemade straight grinders, designed for 380 V, but if they can be adjusted to 220. In such cases, you will need to tinker a little more. Information on this issue a lot both on the Internet and in books on electrical engineering.

Making a mini drill from a motor

It happens that at home you need to make small holes in wood or plastic, and drill bits are not suitable. In such cases, a homemade mini-drill made from a motor will help. It can also be used to perform wood engraving. And if you are interested in amateur radio, then using the created tool you can drill and cut boards.

To create homemade device, you will need to take a miniature electric motor from an old tape recorder. They will even fit various models motors from children's toys. If you use a mini-motor from a 12 V tape recorder as a drive, you will also need the following materials and parts:

• power supply or several batteries (battery) with 12 V output;
• a piece of plastic pipe (about 10 cm long) with such a cross-section that a miniature electric motor can be inserted inside;
• heat-resistant glue;
• power button;
• wiring for electrical connections.

You can assemble a mini-drill yourself using the following algorithm:

• using an electric drill or knife, make a hole in the tube for the switch;
• lubricate the motor with glue to fix it inside the future housing;

• insert the electric motor into the tube;
• any of the wires through which the motor is powered is inserted into a hole previously drilled in the housing, and the other end is left on the back side of the housing;

• one wire from the power supply is inserted into the hole under the button;
• solder the switch to the protruding ends using a soldering iron, carefully insulating the contacts;

• The two remaining wires from the end of the tube (from the button and the motor) are connected to the connector for connecting the power supply;

• cut off the neck of any plastic bottle;
• make a hole in the center of the lid for the connector and glue these parts together;
• glue the neck to the tube;

• connect the assembled mini drill to the power supply;

• By pressing a button, they check the functionality of the homemade product.

Power supply voltage should be selected so that it matches the operating voltage of the electric motor used.

To make a mini drill autonomous, you just need to attach batteries to it.

Homemade Dremel from a drill and blender

If you have an old or unnecessary blender, then it is also easy to make a mini-drill from it. This one has household appliance there is already a comfortable handle. In addition to the blender itself, you will also need the following devices and additional parts:

• tools to disassemble the device (screwdrivers with different tips, pliers);
• caliper or ruler;
• collet;
• soldering iron with soldering kit;
• file for finishing, sandpaper;
• switch.

You can do without last detail, but then you will need to constantly press the power button with your hand while working with the straight grinder.

An engraver from a blender is created like this:

• carefully disassemble household appliances;
• take out the internal parts: the electric motor and printed circuit board, which controls the operation of the device;
• using a caliper, measure the diameter of the spindle in order to purchase a collet chuck suitable for it;
• if the electric motor is contaminated with something, for example, rust, then it is thoroughly cleaned, with care not to damage the windings;
• fix the purchased collet chuck (or one made independently) on the spindle;
• the power button already on the blender is replaced with a switch: the wire contacts are soldered;
• adapt a hole in the body of the household appliance for a new switch;
• install the electric motor with the board in its place inside the housing;
• collect the tool.

Depending on the model of the blender you are converting, you may need to do additional holes in its body, or expand existing ones using a file. There will be no problem doing this

The entire described process of assembling a Dremel from a blender is demonstrated in detail in the video below.

You don’t have to remake the blender, but simply connect to it a flexible shaft for a factory-made engraver. The docking method is shown in the video below.

You can also make an engraver from a drill. The assembly of options with and without a flexible shaft is shown in the following videos.

Making an engraver from a 3D printer

An ordinary 3D printer is a good basis for creating an engraver with which you can cut various materials, do crafts and perform other operations. To upgrade an existing device, you will need additional install board, which will power the operational circuits of the equipment and the laser module.

An engraving machine created from a 3D printer is demonstrated in the following video.

In addition to the simplest methods considered for creating a homemade engraving machine from a 3D printer, a small electric motor, a small electric motor, a blender and a drill, there are also other options. In this case, they use as a basis this technique, as well as other power tools. Craftsmen constantly come up with new modifications, showing design imagination. When implementing any of the above options or independent development in practice, you should provide security created homemade product. To do this you need to be well insulated. electrical contacts and reliably assemble equipment.

Everyone has probably already heard that from the writer DVD drive You can get a semiconductor laser and use it to light matches and burn through thin paper.

But the author of this video went further and made it quite like this handy tool for engraving on organic surfaces. And this idea immediately played out differently. It should be noted that the video instructions for making a laser engraver are very detailed. The author explains in detail all the steps and why, what is needed. The only thing the author did not say is that even such a low-power laser should be handled very carefully and avoid getting the beam reflected from any surface into your eyes. Otherwise, you may seriously damage your eye. There is a way to increase the laser power. You just need to use several semiconductor lasers and focus their rays to one point. But this will seriously complicate the design and require more powerful source nutrition.

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