Laser Cutter Training

This page serves as a guide for laser trainers, and as a reminder for laser operators.

Fundamentals of laser

• Laser donated by Southampton university
• Its 1200x900 bed size
• Water Cooled CO2 glass tube laser
• Materials that can be cut/engraved
  • see sign for standard materials, If unlisted or unsure then find a datasheet
• Materials that MUST NEVER be put inside laser (NOTE: Not all banned items listed, see above)
  • ABS, Vinyl, and PVC will emit harmful gasses if burnt, these can cause significant harm to you and the environment!
• Fire safety!
  • ESTOP, Lift and spray… If you fucked up and its raging then use the extinguisher.
  • Small flames that follow the cut are normal, if they persists or start to grow then see above
  • If in doubt, dial 999 and request fire service.

Laser operation

• Turn on laser (inc accessories)
  • The laser and is accessories can be turned on via the socket labelled LASER
• How to stop/estop
  • If something goes wrong, for example you forgot to home and the head has crashed, firmly press the ESTOP button.
• Home laser!
  • The laser MUST be homed each time its powered on or reset, if the position data shown on the screen is 10000 for X,Y and Z then press Menu, press right to select the functions menu, then press enter three times. The laser will now move to the top right home location.
• Insert workpiece
  • Make sure the laser head is out of the way, the bed height is set approximately and then place your piece on the bed
• Load cut file
  • Send your file or load from USB via the side socket
• Inspect lens/mirrors
  • Move the lens into reach using the buttons on the controller, shine a light into the top mirror, and side mirror so see if any particles are stuck to them (clean with isopropanol and cotton bud if needed in a circular motion, do not reuse if dirty!
• Frame and align job
  • Use the focus tool to set the bed height to your work piece. The height should be adjusted such that the blue plastic ring around the laser head is 37mm to the top of the work surface. Press the frame button to check your work is aligned. For accuracy, use scrap to check reddot offset.
• OPTIONAL - Rotary tool
  • This tool needs the bed to be lowered a fair amount, you can install it anywhere on the bed, making sure it’s squared to the slats and stable.
  • Insert the workpiece and level the area to be etched
  • Align the laser red dot
  • Plug in the rotary, this will disable the gantry and allow rotary axis.
  • After you have removed the rotary tool, rehome the laser!

• CHECKLIST!
  • Go through the checklist attached to the laser
• Run job
  • Close the laser lid, check the correct file is selected and press the run button (if unsure, press the green button with the lid open to dry run)
• Clean after
  • After your job is completed, remove all material from the laser, pull out the catch tray and hoover/clean that also.

Software Operation - See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPyIuLlcuIE

• Lightburn
  • This powerful piece of software has many useful features, we will only cover the basics.
• What files you need (vector vs raster)
  • Raster, or engraving, is when the laser head scans across the workpiece, its used to mark a solid fill area, like images. You can import standard JPG/PNG image files.
  • Vector, or Cutting, is where the laser beam cuts through the work like a lightsaber, it requires a line to follow and thus needs a vector format like SVG, you can do this in inkscape or lightburn itself.
• How to import files
  • Select File and Import, you can then select a compatible file.
  • Once imported, make sure the scale is correct
• Settings for cut/engrave
  • See the example settings for your workpeice, if one does not exist you will need to find something similar and adapt (Log your working settings for future reference)
• Sending jobs to laser (USB Cable or Drive)
  • Do not start jobs from lightburn, always send them first!
  • Either save to a USB and plug them in, or you can send to the laser (give it a name so you can ensure its selected at the laser)
• Logging jobs
  • Once complete, log the time and settings in the laserlog, make sure to pay for your jobs so we can afford to replace things when they break!