Laser beam machining leather opens a lot of low volume manufacturing possibilities. You can create various beautiful leather goods using the Laser PRO toolhead on ZMorph VX. Here’s how to do that.
Leather for Laser Cutting and Engraving
This tough and durable material is very versatile and can be used for various leather goods like purses, wallets, cases or belts. Both artificial and genuine leather can be laser cut or engraved.
Leather comes in various shapes, colors, and sizes. It’s up to you how you will use it. Scroll down to see some of our examples.
How to Laser Cut & Engrave Leather with ZMorph VX?
The fast and rewarding process of laser cutting is great for making various ready-to-market leather goods. However, before you start your machine, there are a few things to consider. In the end, it boils down trial & error, but here are our basic guidelines which should help you with your laser works.
Voxelizer Settings
As you can see — there are ready presets for leather cutting and engraving in Voxelizer. Let us know in the comment section below if you can’t find them. You need to bear in mind though, that there are various types of leather found on the market and our presets might not be ideal for all of them.
Workpiece Holding
The ideal solution for workpiece holding when it comes to leather is double-sided foam tape. Make sure you used enough tape to secure the material from sliding off the table. Check if the leather is placed precisely or your project can turn out askew.
Other settings
Burned leather emits an unpleasant smell, even with the closed ZMorph covers. Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area to minimize breathing in the fumes.
Never use ZMorph VX and Laser tool attached without the safety glasses. The laser diode can be dangerous and if the beam reaches your eyes it may damage your eyes.
Leather Applications
The most profitable application of leather cutting & engraving is various leather goods — wallets, purses, cases, etc. You can also use the Laser PRO toolhead on ZMorph VX to sign and customize end products. Here are some examples of leather machined with ZMorph VX.
Samples
Health & Safety
Although cutting leather with laser is a fairly clean and fast process, there are some important health issues you need to remember about.
First and most important — remember to use the laser safety goggles we ship with the laser toolhead or ZMorph VX Full Set. The laser diode is strong enough to damage your eyesight or burn your skin so be extra careful when handling this toolhead.
Secondly, burning leather may emit unpleasant fumes. If it’s possible — avoid working in the same room as the machine and take care of good ventilation.
Last but not least, when the machine is working don’t touch the moving elements. Any loose parts of your clothing or long hair can get tangled into the moving parts. Please, be careful and use ZMorph VX responsibly.
More Materials?
ZMorph VX officially supports 48 engineering materials for subtractive and additive manufacturing. You can learn about the technical properties, applications and features about them all in ZMorph Materials Library.
