English

Using Lightburn for CNC router to MARK aluminum

Categories:
Laser
190
1
See translation
2023-07-21

Hi,

new here but using Lightburn for about 2 years now.
I use it to laser logo’s in bamboo.

I now want to engrave text in aluminum but this is not possible with the laser I have so I want to buy a cheap CNC router to try this.

As you can understand marking or engraving is not deep.
It is just important people can read what I engrave (info about Ce-certification and what to connect to the device).

Is it possible to use Lightburn to do this?
I know it can cut plywood in a few runs and goes deeper and deeper every run
so I was wondering if I could engrave text in 1 run.

C
    • Payson

      2023-07-22
      Having a CNC machine, a fibre laser and a CO2 Laser, I can tell you the best way to mark aluminium is a fibre laser. It is possible to use a CNC machine with an engraving tool, but it will be much slower and the engraving will not be dark as with a fibre laser, so less legible. Also, whatever they say in advertising their machines, it is very difficult to work on aluminium with those CNC routers, as aluminium tends to ‘weld’ on the tip of the tool and for this reason it requires the use of coolant, which is seldom an option on the hobby machines. I did some work on aluminium using a spray bottle and making a mess, but if you plan to make any significant quantity it is the wrong tool. As for Lightburn being able to control a CNC machine, I am not sure, but since lasers has no Z axis, I doubt a software that is meant to control lasers outputs the command to move the Z axis (if anyone knows more it would be interesting to know for certain)
        See translation
        Reply
      Collect
      Report