A pulse-width modulation (PWM) LASER power controller for the 3-axis computer numerically-controlled (CNC) LASER machine: Support program for the productivity and competitiveness of the metals and engineering industries

This study presents the development of a LASER power controller using pulse-width modulation (PWM) technique for the 3-axis computer numerically-controlled (CNC) LASER Machine. This includes the use of a graphical-user interface (GUI) and a GizDuino board to produce PWM outputs. The GUI was developed in Microsoft Visual Studio. The PWM code was programmed in the Arduino development environment. In this study, PWM is effective in controlling the LASER power of the Synrad firestar f201. Actual tests were conducted to verify its performance in an acrylic plastic material. PWM is also proven to be cost-efficient since it does not require additional modules for analog converters and signal conditioning process. Other features, like motor errors, LASER and chiller temperature, were also incorporated and created in the controls for the safety of the user and the machine hardware.