Ateneu de Fabricacio Digital de Gracia

A visit was made to L’Ateneu de Fabricació de Gràcia with a sample to cut a recently drawn design. The process began with registering as a member and completing an introductory course on laser cutter safety, a prerequisite for accessing the equipment. During the session, guidance was provided on using Rhino design software. While the software was new and will require further practice, it offered valuable insights into the workflow.

The laser cutter process introduced important techniques, such as positioning the laser correctly and using a specialized metal piece to measure the depth. When the metal piece falls and touches the material, it signals that the machine is properly calibrated. On the first attempt to cut the 8mm-thick material—which is the maximum thickness the laser cutter can handle—it did not cut through entirely. As a workaround, efforts will be made to pop out the design using a cutter. For future attempts, the material may need to be pressed thinner to achieve a cleaner cut. Despite this initial challenge, the design shows great promise.