Like other desktop fabrication machines, there’s now a healthy selection in compact laser cutters, making it relatively easy for many hobbyists and enthusiasts to keep one in their homes and personal workshops. Problem is, most desktop cutters and engravers have a limited work area, making them unsuitable for cutting and engraving on objects past a certain size. The Rendyr Optic Portable Laser Cutter circumvents that by coming with a design that allows it to work on any size of object.
Most laser cutters work by having you place any object you want engraved or cut inside its work area. While this works well, it places limitations on the length, width, and thickness of the materials you’re working on. To remove that limitation, this laser cutter can be placed directly on top of whatever you want to cut, making it viable for working on objects of literally any size.
The Rendyr Optic Portable Laser Cutter can work like a conventional laser cutter, with an integrated cutting surface measuring 18 x 12 x 0.5 inches (length x width x thickness) that serves as its effective build area. To engrave or cut a wooden board, just place it inside the cutting surface and send your design to the device to get the whole going. When you want to perform an engraving on a surface much larger than the cutting surface will accommodate, you simply remove the cutting surface and place the machine right on top the object, where you can have it perform the cutting or engraving one 18 x 12 area at a time, placing it on the next 18 x 12 section as soon as an area is done.
It uses a dual diode laser module that combines two solid-state light sources into a single focused 15W beam. Like many laser cutters, this allows it to work on a variety of surfaces, including all types of wood, paper, and fabric, as well as specific types of metals, plastics, and foams.
The Rendyr Optic Portable Laser Cutter is equipped with two fans that actively cool the lasers during operation, allowing it to operate without failing for extended periods. Even better, those fans direct any fumes and harmful particulates towards the built-in air filter. According to the outfit, it’s the first desktop laser cutter with a fully-integrated filtration system. The system can detect, by the way, when the filter requires replacement, sending you an alert so you can get a new filter when it’s no longer safe to operate indoors. In case you prefer venting any fumes outdoors, there’s also an optional exhaust module that can be used to replace the built-in filter.
It’s designed to work with its own software, by the way, called Lightburn, which serves as a layout, editing, and control software for the laser cutter. Software features include direct import of vector and image files, pre-configured settings for different materials and job types, and an advanced menu for full control of the machine’s parameters.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Rendyr Optic Portable Laser Cutter. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $1,995.
