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Laser cut paper weights

Piece of glass on some sort of block. Laser above it. Computer is loaded up with the image, and then the laser etches it according to the image.
 
Originally posted by: Looney
Piece of glass on some sort of block. Laser above it. Computer is loaded up with the image, and then the laser etches it according to the image.
Click to expand...

But how does the laser etch inside of the block without showing traces on the outside of the block?
 
Originally posted by: alien42
i have always wondered how the laser cuts the glass only in the middle of the block
Click to expand...

I think it heats it up to create a bubble. I could be wrong, of course.
 
Originally posted by: alien42
i have always wondered how the laser cuts the glass only in the middle of the block
Click to expand...

exactly, everyone responding isn't looking.
The "etching" is on the inside of the block, not the exterior.
 
Originally posted by: Hammerhead
Originally posted by: Looney
Piece of glass on some sort of block. Laser above it. Computer is loaded up with the image, and then the laser etches it according to the image.
Click to expand...

But how does the laser etch inside of the block without showing traces on the outside of the block?
Click to expand...

Ah, did not know that.
 
A laser engraving machine is used to etch the glass.

Essentially, a medium power (30-50 W) pulse laser is focused at a point in (or on) the glass. When the laser fires, the energy is concentrated at the focal point - where the heating is intense enough to fracture the glass, leaving that spot opaque.

The beam is quite wide, so the energy concentration is quite low - except at the focal point. A series of lenses are used to change the parallel laser beam into a wide beam which converges to a fine point, some distance from the outlet.

The laser beam is moved in 3 dimensions by computer control, with a pulse issued where a 'pixel' is to be drawn.
 
i always thought they were 2 pieces, then they used the laser to cut a side of each piece then stick them together?

i have no idea, though really
 
Originally posted by: alien42
i have always wondered how the laser cuts the glass only in the middle of the block
Click to expand...

I'm assuming it's the same idea as how some kinds of radioactive therapy - normally the strength need to kill the malignant tissue is too strong, so they use weaker beams from several different angles and make them intersect at the desired points - something like that, I think? 😕

Damn you Mark R, beat me to it!
 
it's usually some piece of acrylic, i thought.

anyways, it's probably like the new eye surgery that'll come out at some point. a couple lasers that intersect and only enough energy to etch/cut/melt/whatever at the intersection.

but that's a guess. My cousin had 100 of them made as party favors at his wedding. Got them made in China and the non-english speaking guy messed up the message. I guess they were cheap or something because the couple still gave them out to the guests.
 
That's big business right now - laser etching is getting cheaper so more people are offering them (that's part of the business I'm in)....

Mark R has it right - the laser is focused at different areas in the acrylic to make a 3D shape appear. Software controlled of course. You may have seen the booths where you can sit and have a huge scanner take a 3D pic/scan of your face, then render it to points in the software, and output it to a laser. Pretty nifty stuff, but expensive.

When you see the ones in stores, they mass produce those so they're more affordable. The last 3D machine I saw in person was in Vegas...
 
Originally posted by: Mark R
A laser engraving machine is used to etch the glass.

Essentially, a medium power (30-50 W) pulse laser is focused at a point in (or on) the glass. When the laser fires, the energy is concentrated at the focal point - where the heating is intense enough to fracture the glass, leaving that spot opaque.

The beam is quite wide, so the energy concentration is quite low - except at the focal point. A series of lenses are used to change the parallel laser beam into a wide beam which converges to a fine point, some distance from the outlet.

The laser beam is moved in 3 dimensions by computer control, with a pulse issued where a 'pixel' is to be drawn.
Click to expand...

But why isn't the surface of the object effected. It is only inside the object.
 
Call Newegg, they know. I got a whole closet full of cheap crystal paper weights from past newegg orders. They're cheap crystal, not glass or plastic.
 
They take a tiny man and inject him into the glass with a big syringe. He works all of his life on making the etching with a tiny hand-held laser. That is how the etching is in the middle of the glass.

The little man dies when he's done.
 
Originally posted by: DVK916
Originally posted by: Mark R
A laser engraving machine is used to etch the glass.

Essentially, a medium power (30-50 W) pulse laser is focused at a point in (or on) the glass. When the laser fires, the energy is concentrated at the focal point - where the heating is intense enough to fracture the glass, leaving that spot opaque.

The beam is quite wide, so the energy concentration is quite low - except at the focal point. A series of lenses are used to change the parallel laser beam into a wide beam which converges to a fine point, some distance from the outlet.

The laser beam is moved in 3 dimensions by computer control, with a pulse issued where a 'pixel' is to be drawn.
Click to expand...

But why isn't the surface of the object effected. It is only inside the object.
Click to expand...

Wide beam, plus multiple beams, as stated if you read what he wrote.
 
Originally posted by: DVK916

But why isn't the surface of the object effected. It is only inside the object.
Click to expand...

The energy density is below the threshold of change at the point of impingement due to the wider divergence created by a series of collimators.
 
Originally posted by: Lonyo
Originally posted by: DVK916
Originally posted by: Mark R
A laser engraving machine is used to etch the glass.

Essentially, a medium power (30-50 W) pulse laser is focused at a point in (or on) the glass. When the laser fires, the energy is concentrated at the focal point - where the heating is intense enough to fracture the glass, leaving that spot opaque.

The beam is quite wide, so the energy concentration is quite low - except at the focal point. A series of lenses are used to change the parallel laser beam into a wide beam which converges to a fine point, some distance from the outlet.

The laser beam is moved in 3 dimensions by computer control, with a pulse issued where a 'pixel' is to be drawn.
Click to expand...

But why isn't the surface of the object effected. It is only inside the object.
Click to expand...

Wide beam, plus multiple beams, as stated if you read what he wrote.
Click to expand...

I think a more layman's explanation is in order here.

Think of it this way; when multiple lasers combine at a point, the power is greatest AT that point. The lasers individually are not powerful enough to make an etching of any kind, they just pass through the glass (like lasers usually do). At the point where they converge, there is enough power to etch.

How was that? It's not precisely what happens, but I think it's a pretty decent explanation for someone probably not interested in all of the gruesome details.
 
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