Sunday, October 25, 2015
A Closer Look at the Glowforge Laser Cutter
Make:: I had the pleasure of being at the launch of the Glowforge laser cutter (or “3D laser printer” as they are wont to call it) at this year’s MakerCon in New York. I was extremely impressed with what I saw, as were many others at the convention and the ensuing World Maker Faire. It was obviously a prototype and they had their wrenches and soldering irons out more than once, but it was very exciting to see technology this potentially game-changing up close and personal. This device really does represent a significant leap forward, in terms of ease of use, broadening the user base, the available feature set, and of course, the significant reduction in price relative to what’s currently on the market.
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3 comments:
Yay lasers! I’m always a big fan new tech products but this is actually a really cool development for laser cutters. I just recently got certified on my first laser cutter and it has already become an invaluable resource for me. 3d printers are becoming more and more capable every day but laser cutters are still a much faster medium to creating a 3d object from a CAD drawing. The laser cutter seems to do a phenomenal job improving so many tasks that, at least in the theatre, are commonplace. Its ability to support rapid prototyping and accurate modeling are invaluable. I know I can’t wait to see what individuals, schools, and small businesses are able to make with this new technology. Computers have become so intertwined with our daily lives in the last few years and it has changed the way we are able to create, to express, and to contribute to a discussion. Now we are getting the technology to take those computers and create real things from them in our own living rooms.
Damn, this laser cutter seems so versatile and useful! It's just like any other laser cutter really, but the improved interfaces and ease of use are what really seem to separate the Glowforge from the rest of the pack in my mind. For starters the idea to put a camera on the lid of the laser bed is genius. On a conventional laser cutter it is often hard to lay out your material on the bed in a way that you can both cut out your design in its entirety while using the material conservatively. The camera makes this process so much simpler because you can simply see where your design is being cut from on the material rather than having to measure from an origin point. The other amazing feature is the ability for the camera to distinguish a drawing and formulate both raster and vector lines. Although I personally like drafting on the computer I really like this function as it allows for quick cutting for prototyping that you can't otherwise do without going back to the computer, which is annoying when you only need a single extra piece. This function also adds a more artistic friendly capability allowing those who are more comfortable working by hand to have access to the precise cutting capabilities of a laser. Overall I'm very impressed with the Glowforge and would love to get my hands on one.
This product is revolutionizing the laser cutting industry. I am student at CMU where we have access to a laser cutter, and I have had the opportunity to use it. Sometime it can be confusing will all the prep that is required.. This machine seems a lot more user friendly, with the capability to be used by anyone, with any software. My favorite part of this product is the onboard cameras that can be used to take a picture of what is on the table, and then use that to engrave and cut a drawing. While I have never had this problem, I’ve heard from other classmates that it can sometimes be hard to line up the piece being cut. But with this product and the ability to use the image the cameras capture, there’s no need to worry about lining anything up. Finally, the price point of this product puts a smile on my face. If a product like this were to be released sometime last year, I would have expected it to be 10s of thousands of dollars but instead , now its only at $4-8k.
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