Happy December!
TL;DR - I’m trying to laser engrave multiple metallic cards but I cant seem to line them up evenly on the laser grid panel or position them evenly in Bambu Suite. Anyone got any helpful tips?
What I’m Doing:
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Created .SVG File of one card layout and imported into Bambu Suite.
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I place three metal cards inside the H2D on a laser grid panel placed up at the far top side of the laser platform (I’ve no way of ensuring they are horizontally even or evenly spaced out because its just a flat surface (I have the magnetic clips but I’d just be magnetically holding them down on whatever x,y location i haphazardly place them at but they don’t move anyways so i am not using them) and close the door.
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In Bambu Suite, I make three objects of the single card layout, putting them evenly across horizontally and clicking “Prepare”.
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On “Prepare Mode” after setting up material, capturing image and targeted measure, I’m moving one object at a time manually and sizing and placing over top of each because even if i evenly space and horizontally align all three in Bambu Suite, my manual placement of the metal cards on the laser platform are not precise.
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I click “Make” and if i put a mm ruler to the sides of the images lasered on, I can see I’m a little off on each metal card.
What Am I asking (because I’m a newbie):
A) How do you plot your multiple objects and place your laser material(s)?
B) How can I take advantage of “New Plate” or “New Batch” when laser engraving materials?
What I have done is to make a workplate with a 10mmx10mm grid on it starting at 0,0 and going to the max work area. regardless of whatever the camera says, I know based on the lines on the workplate where lining up by each 10mm lies on the work area now compared to the coordinates the software sends the laser head to.
I then put my work on those gridlines and then position in the software to match without trying to make it line up in the birds eye cam.
your mileage may vary.
You could print a frame, that holds the cards in place. Then you only need to reference the frame and all cards are evenly spread out relative to the frame. If you fix the frame to the bed, you only have to align once and then you can swap cards, engraving batch after batch.
So I’ve thought about both responses here, appreciate the feedback.
@shannon.greim, did you print a 10x10 grid workplate with grooves in it to help keep the blank business cards from moving when your setting/pulling/resetting new blank business cards to keep them straight for continuing to batch print without reconfiguring the .svg file placement? Sure would be helpful if someone already did this. I’d probably aim to make one in increments of 5 and 2 for these finer laser engravements that require it. Might be a side project i add to the list.
@Alex_vG , I found a frame 3(x axis) by 4(y Axis) workplate frame that had them spaced 100 by 60. It didn’t fit snug in the Laser Platform with or without the laser supports and/or with the laser grid panels. I’ve seen how there’s laser guides on other types of laser devices, but guessing that not avail on the H2D from what I’ve gathered.
Do you (or anyone reading this) know of any templates out in the forums or boards that have already created a file that etches out 0,0 and out on both axis every 2 and/or 5mm? I’m going to attempt a test one tomorrow on plywood but sure would be cool if someone already made one out; I’d then try to merge them with a workplate printout, and i could do the array printing with better accuracy.
I had the same issue. The air assist blows the alu card out of allignment. Use a jig to hold them and make the more heavy then your issue wil be solved.
Use a jig. Sam Craft has some for aluminnum business cards.