ULS Laser Cutter Manual College of Design Computer Labs

Transcription

1 ULS Laser Cutter Manual College of Design Computer Labs Safety Information Please read carefully before using the cutter! The laser cutters can be very dangerous if used improperly, or inadequately supervised. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have completed laser cutter training, and fire extinguisher training before you attempt to use the cutter on your own. You are expected to monitor the cutter closely while the laser is active, watching your material carefully for any signs of fire or malfunction. It is also expected that you follow all materials rules diligently, as the use of improper materials can cause illness, fire, or serious injury. Failure to follow these rules will result in the loss of laser cutter privileges for the rest of the semester. You will be required to retake laser cutter training before regaining access to the cutters. In case of fire: 1. Notify the lab monitor, and other cutter users immediately. 2. Shut off the exhaust. 3. The monitor will cut power to BOTH cutters. 4. The fire extinguisher is located on the wall next to cutter #2. It is a CO2 extinguisher. 5. The back-up extinguisher is located to the left of the door. An additional extinguisher is located near the stairwell (go out the door, turn right, and it will be right in front of you). 6. If you are unable to extinguish the fire, pull the fire alarm located next to the fire extinguisher near the stairwell, while the lab monitor begins evacuations. Call 911 from a safe location. 7. The lab manager, Jennifer Nieland, must be notified immediately after any fire, no matter how small. The lab monitors have the necessary contact information. 8. The effected cutter cannot be used until EH&S has evaluated the cutter to make sure that it is still safe to use, and that equipment malfunction was not the cause of the fire. p. 1

2 Before Your Session File Setup Instructions Please use the lasercutter-template.ait template to setup files to cut. The template is available for download at our Resource Site: Note: All files must be setup prior to your session. This will help you make the best use of your time on the cutter. If you are using AutoCAD to create the objects, use the following instructions to convert the file to a format that can be used in Illustrator. If you are using Illustrator to setup your file, skip to step 11. AutoCAD For best results, work using 1:1 scale in AutoCAD. This is the simplest method of getting your file into a format that Illustrator can use, and ensuring that the objects are cut to the correct size. This method will also preserve line colors set in AutoCAD. 1. Open your AutoCAD file. Select Save as > Other formats from the AutoCAD menu. 2. Set the file type to AutoCAD R12/LT2 DXF, and click SAVE. 3. If you get a Version Conflict error, click the CLOSE button. This has no effect on the file you just saved. 4. Repeat the process for each file that you need to cut. 5. Close AutoCAD, clicking the NO button on the dialog asking if you want to resave the file as an AutoCAD drawing. p. 2

3 6. Open Illustrator, then chose New from template from the FILE menu. Chose lasercutter-template. ait from the list. 7. Go to the FILE menu and choose Place. Select your DXF file, and click the Place button. 8. The DXF/DWG Options dialog will appear. In the Artwork Size section, select Scale, and set the scale to 1 units to 1 inches. You can also choose a layout from your document to use, or just use model space. 9. Click OK. 10. Go to step 14. Using Illustrator 11. Open Illustrator, then chose New from template from the File menu. Chose lasercutter-template. ait from the list. You can either work directly in this file, saving as you go, or you can work in a separate file, and copy items into the template when finished. 12. Open your working file. Select everything that you wish to cut or engrave, and select Copy from the Edit menu. 13. Switch to the template. Select Paste from the Edit menu. 14. Your objects should appear in the template window. 15. The template has basic instructions for color assignment and line weight values for each of the types of cutting or engraving available. Color swatches have been set up for your convenience. p. 3

4 16. Move your objects to the top left-hand corner of the template, using the rectangles as guides. The magenta rectangle indicates the size of the basswood available from the labs. The black rectangle shows the size of all of our other materials. Make sure any objects you wish to cut or engrave are within this window. Use the rulers to position items as needed. 17. Set lines to be cut to Global Red, with a line weight of.01 pts. 18. Set lines to be vector engraved to Global Yellow, with a line weight of.01 pts. 19. Set lines or objects to be raster engraved to Global Green, with a minimum line weight of.75 pts. Raster engraving should be used sparingly, as it takes significantly longer than cutting or vector engraving. 20. Set lines to be scored to Global Blue, with a line weight of.01 pts. This is useful for scoring chipboard or cardboard in preparation for bending. 21. All other line colors are ignored by default. 22. Save your file. For organizational purposes, you may want to have a separate file for each sheet of material you plan to cut. p. 4

5 Checking In Note: If you are 15+ minutes late for your session, you will lose your entire session. If this is a training session, and you are more than 5 minutes late, you will lose your session, and must reschedule your session for another day. The training schedule is set by 8am each morning, and will not be changed. 1. When you arrive for your session, you must check in with the lab monitor on duty. If this is a scheduled training session, please let the monitor know, so the monitor can contact the trainer if she is not already present. 2. You will need your student ID in order to use the cutter. You may purchase materials if needed at this time. We will hold your ID until the end of your session, when we will check that the area is cleaned, then deduct the session charge from your available CyCash ($.10/minute). Please remember that you cannot add CyCash between 10pm and 3am daily. It is a good idea to check your balance before your session, as we do not allow IOUs. 3. Login to the computer using your net-id and password (this is the first part of your ISU address). Login is restricted to those who have already been trained to use the laser cutter. 4. If this is a training session, the trainer will login to a special account, and will authorize your net-id for login after you have successfully completed training. Special note for training sessions: You MUST have a file setup for the cutter PRIOR to your training session. This way, the trainer can evaluate if you have learned to setup the file correctly, and can help with any questions. If you do not have a file ready, you will not be allowed to train. You will have to reschedule your session for another day. p. 5

6 Printing to the ULS Laser Cutter 1. Open your file in Illustrator. 2. Go to the FILE menu and choose PRINT. 3. Click the SETUP button (under the Preview window). 4. Click the PROPERTIES button. 5. The control panel for the cutter will open. You will use this to select the type of material to be cut. It is very important that you choose the appropriate settings file for the type of material you are using. Failure to do so will result in scorched and discolored materials, or fires. 6. Click the LOAD button in the Settings area. You will find the Laser Power Settings folder on the Desktop. Select the file for the type of material you are using. For example, if you are cutting 1/8 th inch thick acrylic, you will need to choose the 8 th acrylic.lis file. p. 6

7 7. Click the Engraving Field tab, and make sure that the width and height are set to 32 x 32 inches. This is required when using the cutter with Illustrator. 8. Click OK to get back to the Print dialog. Change the orientation to Portrait, and make sure that the file is in the correct orientation in the Preview window. We are now ready to move on, and setup the cutter. Setting up the ULS Laser Cutter Important: Before doing anything else, ask the lab monitor if the lens has been cleaned. Failure to have the lens checked before cutting can result in the lens being damaged. Replacement lenses are $ Ask the lab monitor to turn on power to the cutter, and ask if the lens has been cleaned. 2. Once the cutter has finished initializing, and the LED reads Ready, lift the lid, and place your material on the honeycomb table. The upper left-hand corner is origin. 3. Tape down the edges of all lighter materials. This will help keep the material from shifting or lifting due to the exhaust. 4. The next step is to focus the laser. Take the focusing tool from the left hand side of the cutter. 5. Press the Z button on the front panel of the cutter. This will move the lens assembly (or, hood), to the correct area for focusing. This will also enable the table up/down controls, and the hood controls. Make sure that the hood is over your material. If not, use the hood controls to move the hood to an area where material is present. Z-button 6. The default up/down setting tenth inch increments. If you need finer control, press the Select button to move to be able to move the table by hundredths of an inch. 7. Move the table down two notches. 8. Place the focusing tool on the material, making sure that it does not slip under the hood. The flat part of the tool should be sitting flush with the front of the hood as shown. 9. Move the table up slightly, until the tool is just bumped away from the hood. 10. Remove the focusing tool, and place it back in the correct area (it s marked). p. 7

8 11. Press the Z button to return the hood to the home position, and close the cutter lid. 12. Turn on the Exhaust. The switch is located on the wall between the two cutters. Never operate the cutters without turning on the exhaust. Never turn off the exhaust if either cutter is in use. Sending the file to the cutter 1. Go back to the computer. 2. Click the PRINT button. This will send the file to the cutter. 3. Check the LED screen on the cutter to make sure that the file has been received, and that the material data is correct. The numbers listed for the Power, Speed, and PPI (pulses per inch) should be real numbers, not 0,0,0. If If any of the values are 0.00, you have a potential error in line weight or line color. You will want to go back to your document and double-check for errors. 4. If you are ready to cut, double-check that the exhaust is on. If so, press the Start button. The laser will begin cutting or engraving your material. ***Important: You are expected to watch your cut the entire time that the cutter is in operation. If your material should start to burn, you will need to notify the lab monitor immediately, shut down the exhaust and both cutters, and use the fire extinguisher to put out the fire. If you cannot put out the fire, call 911, and the lab monitor will begin evacuation procedures. More complete instructions and protocols for emergencies are given in the Safety section of this document, on page Leaving the cutter unattended while in use will result in a $50 fine for the first offense. If it happens again, you will lose cutter privileges for the rest of the semester. To regain access, you will have to be retrained the following semester. Cutter safety must be taken seriously if we are to prevent fires. 6. Once your cut has finished, the cutter will beep to alert you that the laser has been disengaged. Wait a minute before opening the lid, to allow the exhaust to remove remaining fumes. 7. Before removing your cut pieces, check that the pieces have cut all the way through the material. Be careful not to move the sheet, or you will have to start over again if the items have not cut through. If another pass is necessary, and the sheet has been moved, you will not be able to line up the sheet exactly, and it will be ruined. 8. If the items are cut through, remove all items and debris from the cutter chamber, and prepare to cut any additional sheets of material. 9. If the items are not cut through, you will have to do an additional cut pass. This is easy to do if you have only cut lines, as you can just press the Start button again. 10. If you have cut and engrave or score lines, you will need to turn off those options in the Engraver Settings screen, or remove those objects from your file before resending the file to the cutter. Note: Do NOT increase the laser power settings! It is better to repeat the cut line if your objects are not completely cut out than to increase power settings and chance discoloring, charring, or burning your material. 11. After removing your cut items and all scraps, have the lab monitor check the lens. This needs to be done after every cut, or after every 20 minutes if your sheet takes longer to cut. You can pause your cut at any time by pressing the Pause button on the cutter panel. p. 8

9 Cleaning up & Checking Out 1. When you are finished with your session, ask the lab monitor to turn off power to the cutter. The monitor will note the length of time the cutter had power, and will deduct the appropriate amount of CyCash from your ISU card. The monitor will return your card once you have cleaned your work area, and removed any debris from the cutter chamber and the area around the cutter. 2. Please use the shop vac to vacuum stray pieces from the chamber. 3. Scraps should be placed in the appropriate bins. Acrylic must be separated from all other debris, as it cannot go to the landfill. Do not place other garbage in the acrylic bin. 4. Restart the computer. 5. Make sure that you haven t forgotten your usb drive or ISU card! p. 9

10 Materials Information The following materials are available for purchase through the labs, and are approved for use with the cutters: 1. Basswood measures 28.5 in x 6 in, and is available in 1/8 th and 1/16 th inch thicknesses. 2. Cardboard is currently available in 28.5 x 17 in dimension. * 3. Brown chipboard measures 28.5 x 17in*, and is 1/16 th inch thick. 4. Acrylic is available in black, white, or clear, and is available in 1/8 th and 1/16 th inch thicknesses, and measures 28x17 inches.* 5. We do have a limited number of acrylic scraps in smaller sizes available if desired. Please ask the lab monitor if you wish to purchase smaller sizes. 6. You may cut mat board, museum board, or task board, as long as it is no thicker than 1/16 th of an inch. * We will be changing the size of our larger materials as we reorder. It is far more efficient to have sheets cut to 24x18 inches. This reduces waste dramatically (NO waste!), as the standard sheet size is 4x8 feet. *** The following materials are forbidden: 1. Metal The cutters are not powerful enough. 2. Reflective materials 3. Glass Tends to shatter, causing potential damage to the lens. 4. PVC Produces harmful, toxic fumes 5. Lexan Produces harmful, toxic fumes 6. Polycarbonate Produces harmful, toxic fumes 7. Styrene Produces harmful, toxic fumes 8. Vinyl Melts and smells bad 9. Rubber Melts and smells bad 10. Paper The exhaust moves paper, and charring will occur. Flammable. 11. Plywood The adhesive between the layers vaporizes and coats the lens. In addition, plywood is often treated with formaldehyde, which is toxic when burned. 12. Foamcore Extremely flammable!!!! The inner layer of foam superheats, causing the top layer of paper to combust across a large surface area. 13. Be cautious! Some materials on this list look very similar to our approved materials, but will release toxic fumes when cut or engraved. You must be absolutely certain that your material is appropriate to use on the cutter, BEFORE you arrive for your session. When ordering colored acrylic from other sources, please specify to your supplier that you need acrylic safe to cut on a laser cutter. Do not take chances! p. 10