Large Laser Cutter Vote

Sponsors

• Andrew Camardella

History

• Mailing List Announcement:
• Officially Proposed:
• To be Voted on:

Background

The Epilog laser is one of the most used machines at PS1. Long wait times and high usage rates suggest that a second laser would be a welcome addition to the CNC capabilites as PS1. The Epilog laser while accurate, suffers from:

• Low wattage - It's only 35 watts
• Small cutting area - 12"x24"
• High replacement cost - spare parts are expensive

This proposal seeks funding for a new laser cutting/engraving system to accomplish the following:

• bridge the gap between current cnc and laser capabilites at PS1
• improve throughput of laser jobs - less wait time from 2 machines and overall faster cutting
• more wattage - means being able to cut/engrave faster and through thicker materials
• larger cut area

Current options for the laser include:

• FSLaser
• Boss
• Gwieke
• Universal

As a new fundraising method we will be running a crowdfunding campaign to help solicit donations towards the machine. We expect to cover 50% of the machine's cost through this method. Items considered for rewards are here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q36xlIE4CP1IkoupsClIS6KpbWwV2rTeweRk11R2isw/edit

Language

Authorize the Board of Directors to spend up to $7,500 on a laser cutter/engraver and accessories. Also authorize the CNC Area Host to start a fundraising campaign to purchase a service plans, upgrades and replacement parts, as part of the CNC budget. Authorization expires 6 months after the vote is accepted.