Acrylic Jig
This tutorial will show 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.
Engraving materials are available at Trotec. Browse product line: www.trotec-materials.com
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
We suggest using a measuring caliper for measuring the item that the jig is being created for. If 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
Create your own design or use our template. Send it to the laser with the recommended laser parameters. 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 | - | - |
Tip:
We used standard laser parameters from JobControl.
Step 3: Post-processing
Using glue or a premanufactured material with an adhesive backing adhere the two material together.
Inspirations
- There are so many different products that a jig could be made for, such as dog tags, ink pens, data plates, part marking, etc.
- Laser engraving odd-shaped items can be challenging and time consuming. Using a jig will provide repeatability, accuracy, and interchangeability.