Epilog Laser Cutter Moira Gannon Denson, MA Allison Steele, MAT What is It? The Epilog laser cutter uses a high powered laser to make precision cuts in a variety of materials, from paper and wood to acrylic and glass. The laser is accurate to 1/100 of an inch (.01 inches), which allows it to cut very complex, intricate designs. The laser can be programmed to either engrave (raster cut) the surface of the material or cut through the material (vector cut). How does it work? Once you send a design to the laser cutter to be cut, the machine creates a graphic map where each point (.02 mm) of the image is given a coordinate that tells the laser exactly where to go and how deep to cut. The CO2 laser is attached to a mechanical arm that allows it to move left and right on the x-axis, much like your printer. The mechanical arm also moves on the y-axis, so the laser can reach the entire 24 w x 12 h surface of the cutting bed. The depth of the cut in the z-axis is determined by the setting for the laser s power, speed, and frequency. There is a specific power, speed, and frequency that is appropriate for each material that can be used in the laser cutter. These settings take into account the thickness of the material and its density. Thinner materials that are easier to cut through, like paper, require less power to cut and must use a slower speed and frequency to ensure the heat of the laser does not cause the material to burn. Thicker, denser materials, like wood, require higher power, speed, and frequency settings and are able to absorb more heat from the laser before burning. When you get to the laser cutter, you will see a list of materials posted that shows the power, speed, and frequency settings that must be used for each material. There are two types of cuts that can be made to any material: raster cuts and vector cuts. Raster cuts are less powerful cuts made to engrave the surface of the material. The laser cutter reads all filled shapes as raster cuts. If the color is uniform, the raster cuts will all be the same depth. If there is a gradient of color from light to dark, the laser will raster deeper as the color becomes darker. This allows for a nice 3D effect.
Vector cuts are the more powerful cuts that completely cut through the material. To create a vector cut, the thickness of the line must be set as hairline. Any line that is not set to hairline will be raster cut. What software can I use? The PC that communicates with the laser cutter currently has Microsoft Word and CorelDRAW installed so either of these programs can be used with the laser cutter. Before entering the Fab Lab, though, you can create your images and text in any two dimensional design program, including Illustrator, PhotoShop, or even AutoCAD. The final images should be saved as image files that can then be imported into Microsoft Word or CorelDRAW when you are ready to send to the laser cutter. What materials can I use? The current laser cutter has a cutting bed that measures 24 w x 12 h. There is no space for oversized materials within the machine, so materials must be cut to this size prior to using the laser cutter. Approved materials include: Cardstock (60 lb weight minimum) Cardboard Matboard/Fiberboard/MDF Wood Glass Acrylic Cork Leather (Note: the thickness of all materials must be less than 1/4 ) Forbidden Materials: PVC Metal How do I reserve time to use the machine? Once you have completed the safety training session, your name will be added to the registry of Fab Lab approved users. You will receive a biweekly schedule of dates and times that the Fab Lab is open, which includes a link to the reservation calendar. You
can reserve up to three (3) consecutive hours in one day on the laser cutter during any of the hours the lab is open. What do I need to do before I come to the Fab Lab? Before arriving at the lab, it is important to obtain the materials you need for your project. Consult the list above to find out what materials you can use and decide which one(s) you need. Make sure the pieces are within the 24 w x 12 h constraints of the laser cutter. Don t forget to bring them with you when you come to the lab! The Fab Lab does not supply materials for the laser cutter. It is also important to bring a USB thumb drive with you to transport files from one computer to another. Whether you prepare your designs at home or at one of the computer stations in the Fab Lab, you will have to transport the files to the PC dedicated to the laser cutter. To make best use of your time, finalize your design before you have scheduled time on the laser cutter. Once you load the design for cutting, it takes time to prepare the file for the appropriate raster and vector cuts. The actual cutting of one piece can take 20-40 minutes depending on the intricacy of the design. If you have multiple pieces or want to make adjustments, it can take a three (3) hour block of time to finish the printing. By preparing your design ahead of time, you will make the most of your time with the laser cutter. How do I work the machine once I m at the Fab Lab? 1. Open CorelDRAW
2. Go to FILE - NEW - BLANK DOCUMENT 3. Set size of document to match size of material. a. Width can be 1-24 b. Height can be 1 to 12 4. Click OK
5. Go to FILE - IMPORT and locate your image file. Highlight the file and click IMPORT. 6. Move the cursor over the blank document in CorelDRAW. The cursor will become an arrow with the name of your image file next to it. Place the cursor where you would like the image to go and left click to drop the image onto the document.
7. Format the size, location, and layout of your design. For more information on how to use CorelDRAW, please see the additional resources provided. 8. Make sure all vector cut lines are listed as hairline as the thickness of the line by clicking on the vector line and changing the thickness in the box shown. If you have imported an image and cannot select an individual line, highlight the image and go to ARRANGE - UNGROUP to make the individual components selectable.
9. Once the design is complete, click on PRINT 10. In the print window, the printer should be listed at Epilogue Engraver Win x64. Click on PREFERENCES.
11. Consult the list of materials and corresponding settings that is posted by the laser printer. If your design will have raster cuts, set the power, and speed for your specific material in the top right section under Raster Setting. If your design will have vector cuts, set the power, speed, and frequency for your specific material in the lower right section under Vector Setting. 12. To the left of the Vector settings is a box that contains the Piece Size settings. Make sure the dimensions match the dimensions of your material. Remember the width (horizontal) is 1-24 and the height (vertical) is 1 x 12.
13. Click OK. This will bring you back to the print screen. Click APPLY and then click PRINT. 14. Turn on the Epilog laser cutter by flipping the switch on the lower left side of the machine. 15. Open the glass door and place the material at the (0,0) coordinate (top left corner of the cutting bed.
16. Place the manual focus attachment on the laser apparatus. 17. Press FOCUS on the laser cutter.
18. Press the DOWN ARROW until the manual focus attachment is no longer touching the material. 19. Slowly press the UP ARROW until the you see the material move the manual focus attachment. Go slowly. If you raise the cutting bed too quickly and the material gets too close to the laser, it will not work correctly. 20. Remove the manual focus attachment and close the glass door.
21. Press RESET on the laser cutter. 22. On the digital readout screen, you will see JOB 1 appear. This shows that your file has been sent from the computer to the laser cutter. 23. Turn on the HEPA filter to the right of the laser cutter by pressing the green button on the front of the machine. Turn on the air pump (on top of the HEPA filter) by flipping the switch on the right side.
24. Press GO on the laser cutter. 25. Stay near the laser cutter and monitor the progress of your work. Make sure the design is being cut properly and that the material is not burning. 26. Once your design is complete, the laser cutter will beep. After the beep, remove your material and any waste that has been generated. 27.Turn off the laser cutter, air pump, and HEPA filter.