FORGE:// SUBTRACTIVE_SHAPING

LASER METALLURGY ▸ CNC SHAPING ▸ MATERIAL REMOVAL

> LASER_CUTTING

D600 Dual-Source — 1200W Fiber + 60W Diode ▸ INCOMING
Senfeng Tools D-Series. Single chassis, two laser sources. Fiber: cuts thick sheet metal, deep engraving, high-speed ablation (304SS, mild steel, aluminum). Diode: coated-metal engraving, wood, dark acrylics, deep raster on organics. Bed: 600×600mm (23.6×23.6").

CO₂ Laser — 100W ▸ OPERATIONAL
Acrylic, wood, leather, paper, glass. Up to 0.5" (12.7mm) acrylic in single pass. Bed: 20×28" (508×711mm). Flame-polished edges.

Shaper Origin CNC ▸ OPERATIONAL
Handheld precision CNC router. Tape-tracked positioning. On-tool design + cut. Ideal for inlay, joinery, and custom routing beyond the laser bed. No fixturing needed. Mobile — we bring it on-site.
Shaper ecosystem: Plate · Trace · Workstation · BenchPilot · Studio · AutoPass

Laser Safety Glasses — OD6+ ▸ OPERATIONAL
Wavelength-specific. Fiber (1064nm), diode (455nm), CO₂ (10600nm). Full shop set.

> MATERIALS

304 Stainless Steel — cutting & deep engraving (fiber)
Mild Steel — cutting, marking, surface prep
Aluminum — engraving, CNC shaping, anodized marking
Cast Acrylic — flame-polish edge, crystal clear (CO₂)
Extruded Acrylic — cost-effective, consistent gauge
Plywood / Hardwood — raster engraving, precision inlay
Delrin / Acetal — CNC only (do not laser — formaldehyde)
Polycarbonate — CNC only (do not laser — burns, melts, toxic)
PVC — CNC only (do not laser — chlorine gas, lethal, corrosive to machine)

> WORKFLOW

1. Submit SVG/STEP — we review for manufacturability
2. Material selection & toolpath planning
3. Fixture setup — laser bed or CNC vise
4. Cut/engrave — single pass or multi-pass as needed
5. Deburr, clean, inspect — photo QC standard

> CO₂_LASER_101 // THE_FUNDAMENTALS

What it is: A gas laser using CO₂ (carbon dioxide) as the lasing medium. The 10,600nm wavelength is absorbed by organic materials — it vaporizes, burns, or melts the surface. Think of it as a highly controlled thermal beam.
Best for: Acrylic (cuts + flame-polishes edges), wood/plywood (engraves + cuts), leather, paper/cardboard, glass (frosted engraving), anodized aluminum (marks the coating). Not for metals — metals reflect the wavelength.
Kerf: The width of material removed by the laser beam. Ours is ~0.008" (0.20mm). This matters for interlocking parts — you compensate for it in the design (LightBurn handles this).
Power vs Speed: Higher power = deeper cut/faster. Lower speed = more dwell time = deeper cut. The relationship is a curve, not linear. Start with manufacturer-recommended settings and test on scrap.
Vector vs Raster: Vector = the head follows a path (cutting lines, scoring). Raster = the head sweeps back-and-forth like a printer (engraving filled areas). Most jobs use both in sequence.
Air assist: Compressed air blows through the nozzle during cutting. It clears debris from the cut path, reduces charring, and prevents flare-ups. Never cut wood or acrylic without air assist on.
Focus: The lens focuses the beam to a pinpoint. Focus distance must be set for the material thickness. Out of focus = wide, weak cut. Auto-focus or manual gauge block — check every material change.
DO NOT cut: PVC (chlorine gas — lethal + destroys optics), polycarbonate (toxic smoke, catches fire), ABS (cyanide), fiberglass (toxic resin fumes), anything with PTFE/Teflon coating (neurotoxin). When in doubt about a material, do not laser it. Ask David.
Ventilation is mandatory: Fumes from cutting are toxic. The exhaust fan must be on and vented outside before the laser fires. No exceptions — even "safe" materials like wood produce carcinogenic smoke.
Fire watch: Never leave a running laser unattended. Keep the lid closed during operation. Know where the fire extinguisher is. Small flash-ups are normal in wood — the air assist handles most. If a flame persists, pause and check.

> CNC_BASICS_101 // THE_FUNDAMENTALS

What it is: CNC (Computer Numerical Control) uses a spinning cutting tool to remove material — the opposite of 3D printing. Our Shaper Origin is a handheld CNC router: you guide it within the cutting area, it auto-corrects position to stay on the toolpath.
Shaper Origin specifically: It uses a camera + fiducial tape on the workpiece to track position in real-time. You place dominos of ShaperTape on the surface, the camera reads them, and the router corrects its position 1,000+ times per second. You move the tool — it stays on the line.
Subtractive, not additive: You start with stock material and remove what you don't want. Think of it like sculpting — you're carving out the negative space. The waste material becomes chips and dust.
Router bits are consumables: Different bits for different cuts: straight (general), spiral upcut (chip clearing), spiral downcut (clean top edge), compression (clean both edges), V-bits (engraving/chamfer). Bits dull over time — a dull bit burns instead of cuts.
Speed (RPM) vs Feed Rate: RPM = how fast the bit spins. Feed = how fast you move the tool. Too slow feed with high RPM = burning. Too fast feed with low RPM = chattering, rough cuts, broken bits. Shaper Origin auto-adjusts — but you need to move at a steady pace.
Depth per pass: Don't try to cut full depth in one pass. Multiple shallow passes = cleaner cut, longer bit life, less strain on the tool. Rule of thumb: pass depth ≤ bit diameter for wood, ≤ half bit diameter for aluminum.
Workholding: The material must not move during cutting. Double-sided tape, clamps, or vacuum. The Shaper tape is your reference — if the tape shifts relative to the workpiece, the whole cut shifts. Check tape adhesion before starting.
Dust collection is not optional: CNC routing produces massive amounts of fine dust. The AnyDust 2K2 collector must be on. Fine wood dust is carcinogenic and explosive in high concentrations. Metal chips are sharp and hot — let them cool before handling.
DO NOT CNC: PVC (chlorine), materials that shatter (cast iron, some ceramics), anything with embedded metal (nails, screws — destroys bits instantly), tempered glass (explodes into fragments).
CAD to cut workflow: Design in Fusion 360/Illustrator → export SVG → load into Shaper Studio → place on-tool → apply tape → zero the tool → cut. The design-to-cut pipeline is fast — minutes, not hours — once you know the workflow.

> TOLERANCES

CO₂ laser kerf: ~0.008" / 0.20mm (compensated in toolpath)
Fiber engraving depth: 0.001–0.020" (0.025–0.51mm) per pass
CNC positioning: ±0.002" / 0.05mm typical, ±0.001" / 0.025mm achievable
Sheet size limit: 600×600mm / 23.6×23.6" (fiber/diode) / 20×28" / 508×711mm (CO₂)

> PRECISION_TOOLING

SPESYN Tool 3 × 2 — INCOMING (shared)
Drill-press precision in a handheld drill. Complete drill/tap/drive bit kit. Portable precision — large parts that can't go under a drill press, field work, on-site fabrication. 3-year warranty.

> SHOP_INFRASTRUCTURE

AnyDust 2K2-L — Dust Collector — LATE
80-gallon dust-bin capacity. Variable speed motor, remote control. No-filter exhaust option. Ground cleaner + spare filters. Whole-shop particulate management — laser fume, CNC chip, general dust.

ALORAIR HEPA 550 Air Scrubber ▸ OPERATIONAL
3-stage filtration: MERV-10 pre-filter + HEPA + activated carbon. Stackable, heavy-duty industrial/commercial. Paired with O₃ generator — after-hours ozone cycling for odor elimination and deep sanitization. Captures airborne particulates, VOCs, and residuals from laser cutting, resin printing, and finishing.

> QUALITY_STANDARDS // AMERICAN QUALITY

🇺🇸 AMERICAN QUALITY — THE STACK
Quality isn't a slogan. It's the infrastructure. Every part leaves a shop that meets hospital-grade air and sanitation standards.

AIR — 3-Layer Filtration Source capture (AnyDust 80-gal) → ambient HEPA + carbon (ALORAIR 550) → O₃ after-hours cycling. No particulate, no VOCs, no residual odors. Your parts are made in medically-clean air.

WATER — Aqueous O₃ Sanitization Ozone-treated cold water for parts degreasing and component cleaning. Zero chemical residue, zero disposal cost. O₃ → O₂: leaves nothing behind but clean.

TRACEABILITY — Metrology Chain POP4 3D scanning (±0.04mm) → Starrett Webber A1 gauge blocks → ISO-calibrated granite surface plate → Mitutoyo reference standards → verified Shars/Fowler/SPI instruments. Every measurement ties to a known standard. See QC lab →

CLEAN — O₃ Laundry Line Cold-water ozone laundry. Zero detergent residue, hypoallergenic, hospital-grade sanitization. Parts packaging, shop linens, and finishing materials — no chemical cross-contamination.

▸ This is the layer most shops skip. Air scrubbers, ozone generators, metrology traceability, sanitized workflow. It costs more to build. It shows in every part.

> MACHINE_TIME_RATES

D600 — 1200W Fiber	$2.50 / min
CO₂ Laser — 100W	$1.00 / min
D600 — 60W Diode	$0.60 / min
Shaper Origin CNC	$125 / hr + $0.50 / min
▸ Shaper Origin is mobile — on-site routing available. Travel: first 25 mi included, mileage surcharge 25–100 mi, premium 100+ mi. Fly-out available (client covers expenses). ▸ See /resurrection for laser cleaning + 3D scanning — book on-site services together and save.
▸ Travel policy applies to all on-site services ▸ Shop labor rate: $75/hr (2× rush: $150/hr) — assembly, finishing, manual post-processing. ▸ Rates based on estimated job time from your file. Setup + programming included in Proto tier pricing. Overage billed in 1-min increments. ▸ Creation video: raw footage or timelapse +$20 / edited reel +$45 / 4K custom +$150 — Raw is unedited machine POV. Timelapse condenses the run. Edited reel with highlights. 4K custom multi-angle cinematic. Sent with your order.

> SHARED_EQUIPMENT // SHOP-WIDE

SPESYN Tool 3 × 2 ▸ INCOMING
Drill-press precision in a handheld drill. Complete drill/tap/drive bit kit. Mobile — moves where the work is.

Aqua-6 Water O₃ Generator ▸ INCOMING
120 mg/hr aqueous ozone. Parts degreasing, component cleaning, zero chemical residue.

Portable Smoke Extractor ▸ INCOMING
Welding fume, soldering smoke, laser plume overflow. Rolling — position at the source.

Predator 3500 Generator ▸ OPERATIONAL
3500W peak / 3000W running inverter. Quiet, portable, pure sine. Mobile power for on-site jobs.

Shop PPE Kit ▸ OPERATIONAL
3M 65021 P100/OV respirators, face shields, gloves. Full shop set.

SUBMIT A FORGE PROJECT →

▸ All generated toolpaths, fixtures, and design derivatives remain property of Inspire Applied. Want to own your files? Inquire about rights. We'll work with you to transfer them.

> TRAINING

FULL TRAINING MATRIX — self-serve fundamentals for every machine in the shop
LightBurn Tutorials — laser control software basics (start here)
Shaper Origin Academy — CNC training from the manufacturer
Laser Safety Guide — class system, enclosures, PPE