Audience: Educators
Answers for teachers bringing a laser cutter into grades 6–12, CTE and college classrooms: lessons, projects, safety and managing a class.
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What is laser kerf?
Kerf is the width of material removed by a cut.
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What do power, speed, frequency, and passes mean on a laser cutter?
Power sets how intense the beam is.
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What is the difference between cutting, engraving, scoring, etching, and marking?
Cutting separates a part by passing through the material.
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What is the difference between CO₂, diode, and fiber laser cutters?
CO₂, diode, and fiber describe different ways of producing laser light, usually at different wavelengths.
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What is the difference between vector and raster artwork for laser cutting?
Vector artwork describes shapes with points, lines, and curves, so it can be resized without becoming pixelated.
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How does a laser cutter work?
A laser cutter directs concentrated light through a focusing system to a small spot on the workpiece.
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Is a laser cutter the same as a laser engraver?
Many laser cutters can also engrave, but the two words describe different processes.
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What is a laser cutter?
A laser cutter is a computer-controlled fabrication machine that focuses a beam of light onto a material to cut through it or change its surface.