Laser cutting machine Mr Beam II

Many users of 3D printers need to complement their production with different machines to cover their entire market and offer a service that stands out from the rest. One of those machines is the laser cutter, a tool that complements the work that can be done by a 3D printer, with which you can cut and burn a large amount of materials.

The conventional laser cutter is usually a machine of industrial use, high price and with a complex software that makes difficult its use to the personnel that is not specialized in this type of machinery. For these reasons, a German company has developed the laser cutter Mr Beam II, an alternative to traditional laser cutters, applicable to a wide variety of jobs and materials, but, in turn, very easy to use.

Image 1: Mr Beam II laser cutter- Source: Mr Beam

This laser cutter has a short wave laser of 5W (450 nm) and class 1, free of danger for the user, a work surface of 500 mm x 390 mm, metal housing with a transparent safety cover covered with a foil protective, integrated camera, air filtering system (optional) and CE certificate.

The Mr Beam II laser cutting machine is delivered virtually ready for use, only the laser head and air filter system need to be connected.

One of the advantages of the Mr Beam II laser cutting machine is that the designs or shapes to be cut or engraved can be made using any programme or application. Once the design is finished, it must be exported with one of the following extensions: dxf, svg, g, gcode, gif, jpg, jpeg, bmp, nc, pcx, png and webp.

After exporting the file, it must be loaded into the web application "Mr Beam Laser bench". Thanks to the integrated WLAN of the Mr Beam II laser cutting machine, the connection to the machine will be fast and uninterrupted from anywhere.

Image 2: Laser head. Source: Mr Beam

To make the Mr Beam II laser cutting machine easier to use, it has a camera on the safety cover that makes it easier to align the design to be cut or engraved with the sheet of material. When the lid is open, the camera takes a picture of the work surface every few seconds and transmits the image directly to the web application, which directly adjusts the position and size of the design, something new for this type of machine. In addition, this allows you to record exactly the desired area or make the most of the material to be cut, avoiding pieces of material that cannot be reused.

This latest version of the Mr Beam II laser cutting machine includes an improved camera to increase the accuracy of placing the designs over the area to be engraved or cut.

Image 3: Mr Beam software. Source: Mr Beam

Inevitably while Mr Beam II is cutting and recording smoke is produced. For this reason it is recommended to acquire the air filtering system, which keeps the interior air clean of the space where the cutter is located, without odors or smoke. The air filtering system has a combined HEPA filter and activated carbon, which cleans the exhaust air perfectly. This type of filter is also widely used in industrial 3D printers, in which pieces are made with advanced materials that release smoke and odors that are harmful to people. Each hose cutter is supplied with a hose that connects directly to the filtering system. Although not recommended, the Mr Beam II can be used indoors without the air filtering system, placing the smoke outlet hose in an open window.

The Mr Beam II laser cutter has been proven to work (cut and engraved) with more than 15 different materials obtaining fantastic results. It must be taken into account that each material behaves in a particular way before the laser, which forces to vary the configuration. The following table shows the main materials that can be used with this laser cutter and if it is possible to cut and engrave them:

Material		Cut	Recorded
	Plywood	Up to 3 mm	Yes
	Boat wood	Up to 5 mm	Yes
	Leather	Up to 1 mm	Yes
	Kraftplex	Up to 3 mm	Yes
	Paper	Yes	Yes
	Felt	Up to 6 mm	Yes
	Cloth	Up to 3 mm	Yes
	Gray cardboard	Up to 1 mm	Yes
	Foamboard	Up to 6 mm	No
	Acrylic (Except transparent, white or blue)	No	Yes
	Cardboard	Up to 5 mm	Yes
	Latex	Up to 1 mm	No
	Anodized aluminum	No	Yes
	Foam rubber	Up to 20 mm	No
	Mirror	No	Yes
	Basalt fabric	Up to 1 mm	No
	PVC	No	No
	Polypropylene (except transparent)	Up to 3 mm	Yes
	PET (Except transparent)	Up to 3 mm	Yes
	PLA (Except transparent)	Up to 1 mm	Yes
	ABS (Except transparent)	Up to 1 mm	Yes

Table 1: Compatible materials. Source: Mr Beam

Mr Beam II is the laser cutter that many professionals, from people dedicated to the industrial sector (architects, designers or engineers) to people who make models, artistic pieces or final products, need to get the most out of their work.