| Pub. Date | :Feb, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of Mechanical Engineering |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJME21902 |
| Author Name | : Rahul Mehra, Sachin Mohal and B Lonia |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Management |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 10 |
Laser engraving machine is used to mark various pictures and symbols on different materials. The laser engraving setup is advantageous due to its low operational cost, lightweight, portability and easy-to-learn features. The paper fabricates a low cost rapid prototype laser engraving machine. The proposed setup has been applied to Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics (GFRP) composites, plastics, wood, cardboard, etc., to yield desired profile, contour, information and various drawings. Moreover, developed laser engraving setup has high precision and processing efficiency. Laser engraving technique involves color change of the surface due to thermal energy emerged by the laser beam. The 3D modeling and simulation of this machine is done using CREO 2.0 software. A 15 W diode laser is used to engrave the various materials. Various advanced software and hardware like Inkscape, Arduino, GRBL controllers and microcontrollers are assembled together, further leading to the execution of the final engraving. Validity of the machine has been verified by performing dimensional, dependency and co-ordinate tests. Finally, pilot experimentation has been carried out on GFRP composites.
In the current manufacturing scenario, the machining of difficult-to-cut materials like composites, super alloys, ceramics, etc., is a challenging task. So, for machining of these types of materials, various non-conventional machining methods were developed. Among these, laser-based machining methods like laser cutting, welding, cladding, engraving, surface treatment and drilling have wide applications in machining these materials (Angshuman et al., 2018). A few researchers have used different types of lasers for machining purposes. Costa et al. (2013) utilized a high-dynamic 2 kW diode laser and compared the profile of the beam and characteristics of the diode laser with 4 kW CO2 and a 2 kW fiber laser source. Fernandes et al. (2017) explored the feasibility of Nd:YAG laser for welding of steel specimens. Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composites were trimmed using CO2 laser (Fuchs et al., 2013). Hanadi et al. (2008) investigated the effect of various laser engraving process parameters for marking of Vanadis 10 by employing Yb:fiber laser.
CREO 2.0, Modeling, GFRP, Arduino, Laser