How to Adapt 3D Design to Material Thickness

This article explains how to adjust the joint sizes in 3D design files according to material thickness, enabling accurate 3D model production on Longer Laser Engravers. By setting the correct scaling points and joint sizes in LightBurn, different material thicknesses can be easily accommodated, ensuring model integrity and assembly accuracy.

Material Dependence of 3D Models

However, unlike other types of creations, 3D models are highly dependent on the thickness of the material used. In fact, in drawing software, such as Lightburn, it is necessary to define a fixed size for the joints, but this is valid as long as the thickness of the material corresponds to that size.

However, unlike other types of creations, 3D models are highly dependent on the thickness of the material used. In fact, in drawing software, such as Lightburn, it is necessary to define a fixed size for the joints, but this is valid as long as the thickness of the material corresponds to that size.

Adjusting Joint Sizes

For example, in the image shown here, the thickness set for the joints is 4.1 mm, i.e. suitable for materials with a thickness of 4 mm.

To understand which other pieces are about the joints, you can evaluate each size identical to the previous one, in the 4.1 mm example.

At this point, suppose you want to use a material with a thickness of 5mm; then, the joints must be set to 5.1mm. To do this, avoiding deforming the 3D model, you need to set the center as the scaling point, then set 5.1 mm.

As for the other component, having a different type of joint, it is necessary to set the lower edge as the resize point, then set 5.1mm.

However, this can result in a shifting of the drawing, as shown in the figure.

In this case, it is sufficient to move the segment manually, so as to align it with the new thickness set; if necessary, add the missing parts via the LightBurn editor.

Complete Adjustment

Following this logic, all joint sizes in the drawing can be adjusted to match the new material thickness (e.g., 5 mm), producing a LightBurn file ready for the new material. This method allows any LightBurn design to be modified simply and effectively while maintaining joint and model integrity.

Processing and Assembly

Once the joint sizes are correctly set, the design can be processed on the Longer Laser Engraver via LightBurn. After processing, a quick assembly produces the final 3D model.

Conclusion

By correctly setting scaling points and joint sizes in LightBurn, users can easily adapt 3D design files to different material thicknesses, achieving precise engraving and assembly. This provides an efficient and reliable solution for producing 3D models on Longer Laser Engravers.