Overview

Taiwan Tech Digital Atelier (TTDA) offers a range of CO2 and fiber laser machines, with power levels from 50W to 150W, capable of cutting, scoring, and engraving a wide variety of materials.

Note

TTDA does not provide or sell materials for laser cutting.
Users are responsible for bringing their own materials that are appropriate and safe for use with the laser machines.

Danger

Some materials are prohibited due to health and safety risks (e.g. PVC). Always check material guidelines before use.

Safety Warning

Invisible laser beam	Loose hair and clothing may become trapped in machinery*	Hands may be caught in moving parts	Risk of fire**

* Loose hair needs to be tied up; avoid wearing loose clothing and accessories that hang.
** Material may catch fire due to heat.

Access and Reservation

Laser cutters are available by reservation only. Walk-ins are not accepted.

• Reservation Link: Book a laser cutter
• Location: RB910A
• Operation: Machines are to be operated only by TAs. TAs will only be present if a reservation is made.

Info

Reservations must be made according to the TA shift schedule. Bookings outside of scheduled shifts are generally not permitted, unless explicitly arranged with a TA in advance.

TAs are students from the department and are compensated by the user based on the duration of usage.
For full details on pricing and usage policies, refer to the official Regulations.

flowchart
    A["User preps the files"]-->B["User books a machine"]
    B-."On the booked date<br>User brings files and material".->C("TA confirms file and material")
    C-->D{"TA starts the job"}
    D--"Have more jobs"-->C
    D--"Jobs Finished"-->G
    D--"Time's up<br>but jobs not finished"-->E{"Are there<br>other reservations?"}
    E--"Yes"-->G
    E--"No"-->F{"TA agrees<br>to overtime?"}
    F--"Yes"-->C
    F--"No"-->G["Ends usage"]
    G--"Cleanup"-->H("User pays TA")

Available Machines

Each machine differs in work area, wattage, and operating software:

Machine	Wattage	Work Area (mm)	Software
VLS 3.60	60W	600 x 300	UCP
VLS 6.60	60W	800 x 450	UCP
R5000	50W	800 x 600	-
LS6090	80W	900 x 600	RDWorksV8
JQ13090	150W	1200 x 900	PowerCut

Download Software: Laser Cutter Software Download

Cutting Parameters

Different machines require different speed and power settings depending on their wattage and the material being used.

Use the Parameter Chart as a reference for baseline settings:
View Parameter Chart

File Preparation

While TAs are able to assist with file preparation, it's strongly recommended that you prepare your file in advance. Any time spent preparing or editing your file will count toward your booked machine usage.

1. Fit Your File to Material or Machine Size

Organize your design to fit either your material size or the machine’s work area, whichever is smaller.

Machine Work Area Reference Frames

Info

Design unit for laser cutting should be in millimeters (mm).
Remember to delete any frame or reference box once you've finalized your layout.

2. Use Standardized RGB Colors

For consistency and maximum compatibility across different machines, use the following RGB color codes:

Colour	Order	Red	Green	Blue
■ Black	1 (First)	0	0	0
■ Red	2	255	0	0
■ Green	3	0	255	0
■ Yellow	4	255	255	0
■ Blue	5	0	0	255
■ Magenta	6	255	0	255
■ Cyan	7	0	255	255
■ Orange	8 (Last)	255	102	0

Tip

Assign colors and line weights using layers for easier editing and better organization.

3. Set Line Weights for Cutting and Scoring

All cutting and scoring lines should be set to:

• 0 mm, or
• Hairline

4. Clean Up Your File (AutoCAD)

Before exporting, use the AutoCAD command overkill to merge overlapping or duplicate lines. This can significantly reduce processing time during cutting, especially if your design includes many overlapping lines.

Example

The example CAD file below is properly prepared for laser cutting:

• Cutting lines and non-cutting lines are clearly distinguished by color.
• The scoring operations are placed before cutting in the color order. This ensures that the material remains stable during detailed operations like scoring.

Choosing the Right Machine

When selecting a machine, always compare the machine bed size with the size of your material. In the example above, the CAD file fits on all available machines. However, the material itself is too large for the 60W 3.60 work area.

You have two options in this case:

1. Use a larger machine, such as the 60W 6.60, which can accommodate the full material size without modification.

2. Resize your material by cutting it down or purchasing a smaller piece, which would then allow you to use the 60W 3.60 machine.

Laser Engraving

In addition to vector cutting and scoring, laser machines also support a technique called raster engraving—sometimes referred to as engrave scan or etching.
You can think of raster engraving as the laser "printing" an image onto the material, similar to how an inkjet printer prints on paper.

The machine scans in horizontal/vertical lines, dynamically adjusting its power output based on the darkness of each pixel it passes over. Multiple scan lines are used to complete the full image.

Note

Raster (engrave scan) and vector (cut and score) operations must use different colours or layers.

Engraving Depth

While laser engraving can create some 3D texture, the depth is generally shallow.
You can increase the depth slightly by running multiple passes, but do not expect more than half a millimeter of depth variation at most.