Acrylic Jig
In today's tutorial, we will demonstrate to you how we used 3mm thick TroGlass to create a custom jig for marking on data plates. Creating a custom jig can be very useful, helping you to provide repeatability, accuracy and interchangeability during mass production of laser engraved products.
A wide variety of engraving materials are available at Trotec for multiple uses. Browse product line: www.engraving-supplies.co.za
Preparation
Required Material
- TroGlass 3 mm, but you can use any material to produce this jig.
Machine used
- Speedy 360 80 watt with a 2" lens
For this application sample you can use any laser machine from the Speedy laser engraver series.
Tip
It's always a good idea to make use of a measuring caliper for accurately measuring the items that the jig is being created for. When working with acrylic make sure your bed is complete sealed off to create a nice clean edge.
Step by step
Step 1: Import file design into Software
Feel free to get creative and create your own design or simply use our provided template. Upload it to the laser with the recommended laser parameters provided below. The parameters might vary depending on the machine used and the available laser power.
Print settings:
Process mode | Resolution | Cut line |
---|---|---|
Standard | 500dpi | None |
Halftone | Others |
---|---|
Color | None |
Step 2: Laser process
Depending on the material that you are planning to use for laser processing to create a jig, make sure you are processing it accordingly. Such as masking off your bed, activate the exhaust system or select the laser table.
Laser Parameters:
Color | Process | Power (%) | Speed (%) | ppi/Hz |
---|---|---|---|---|
Red | Cut | 90 | 0.40 | 5000 |
Passes | Air Assist | Z-Offset | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ON | - | - |
Step 3: Post-processing
Using glue or a premanufactured material with an adhesive backing adhere the two material together.
Inspirations
- The multitude of products that a jig could be made for are endless! You could use them for items such as dog tags, ink pens, data plates, part marking, etc.
- Laser engraving complex shaped items can sometimes prove challanging and time consuming. Using a jig will help provide repeatability, accuracy, and interchangeability.