Using the Laser Cutter Prerequisites Befre yu will be allwed t use the laser cutter, yu must cmplete these three steps: 1. Yu must have cmpleted the Laser Cutter training at Cyberia 2. Yu must schedule yur windw f use nline 3. Yu must pay fr the time yu have scheduled Hw D I Get Trained n the Laser Cutter? We make getting trained easy by giving yu tw ptins: #1 Take a Class G t the upcming events page at ur website and lk fr (and register t participate in) the next laser cutter training class. The page can be fund at What s Ging On Upcming Events r directly at https://clubcyberia.rg/events/schedule. #2 Request One n One Training Yu can request a sessin with a trainer fr $5 per ½ hur by ging t ur website and navigating t Membership Hw D I... Get Checked Out n a Machine. Use the big green buttn t request a training time (please give 48 hur ntice prir t yur scheduled training) r by sending an email t helpme@cyberialtd.rg. Hw D I Schedule & Pay fr Time n the Laser Cutter? Scheduling and paying fr time is as easy as scheduling the training, but withut the 48 hur lead time. G t ur website and navigate t Membership Hw D I... Schedule Time n the Laser Cutter r jump there directly at https://clubcyberia.rg/lasercutter. Frm there, use the big green buttn t schedule and pay fr yur time. If yu are using the cutter and yu think yu are ging t need mre time, pp ver t the website and schedule a little mre time Page 1
If smene is using the Cutter and yu want t be next, pp ver t the website and schedule yur time ASAP befre smene else uses it If yur time runs ut, and smene has paid fr the next blck, please mve ut quickly s they d nt lse time. If necessary, ffer t buy them an extra blck f time fr the spt yu are using If smene is running late and it cuts int yur time, please be patient and let them get ut f the way. If necessary, ask them t buy yu an extra blck f time fr yur wrk If there is a prblem with abuses, r a prblem with the scheduling sftware, cntact us at helpme@cyberialtd.rg. Setting Up Yur Cut Jb Setting up yur cut jb starts with a drawing. Yu can use a bit map (jpeg) r vectr (dxf, ai) file fr engraving, but nly a vectr art file can be used t cut lines. The recmmended prgrams fr creating vectr artwrk are Adbe Illustratr r Autdesk Fusin 360. Bth can be fund n the design cmputer, and Fusin 360 is free fr students and adults wh make less than $100,000 per year frm the use it. Hwever, yu may als use free and pen surce sftware like Inkscape, GIMP, Libre Office Draw, and Open SCAD t create drawings, s lng as they are exprted as a dxf r ai file. PRO TIP: If yur exprt ptins ask if yu shuld use plylines, accept that ptin! Yu may als use the drawing functins in RDWrks t create yur drawing frm scratch. Installing and Setting Up RDWrks Sftware It is recmmended that yu set up yur artwrk ahead f time, and bring the saved file frm RDWrks t Cyberia. This way yu d nt have t use the time yu have paid fr messing arund with yur initial set up. The link t dwnlad the latest versin f RDWrks can be fund n ur website by navigating t Membership Hw D I... Schedule Time n the Laser Cutter r jump there directly at https://clubcyberia.rg/lasercutter. A link t the English manual develped by RDWrks Learning Lab is als available n that page. When the installer runs, select the ptin fr LaserWrks t be installed. When setting up the laser, the bed size is 1300 x 900 mm. Set the Origin t be at the Lwer Left. Imprt the Drawing T imprt yur drawing int RDWrks, g t File Imprt and select yur drawing frm the Open File dialg bx. Page 2
When yur drawing is imprted, the lines and filled areas will usually be the same size and clr as when they were saved, but will usually have n thickness. This is because the laser will fllw the center f the line itself when it cuts, leaving part f the kerf (the width f the cut) n either side f that line. Yu will need t adjust yur line psitin t accunt fr the kerf, and the size will vary based n pwer, material, and fcus f the laser. This is ne f the reasns that a test cut is always recmmended. Yu can save time by assigning yur lines clrs that crrespnd t nes used by RDWrks. Assign Cut Layers By Clr The sftware will perfrm the sectin f the cut prgram in an rder that yu specify, and grups similar actins tgether by clr. Because f that, each type f actin that yu use needs t be assigned a unique clr, and each line in the cut is assigned ne f thse clrs. Clicking n the lines that cut thrugh t the ther side f the material, and assigning them the same clr means that the same pririty, speed, and pwer settings will be assigned t thse lines. That als means that if ne line is used fr mre than ne type f peratin, it has t be cpied, and each cpy is assigned a unique clr fr each peratin. Fr example, if yu wanted t etch a bx and then cut the bx ut, yu wuld: 1. Select the bx 2. Make a duplicate f the bx 3. Set ne cpy f the bx t the clr fr the etching 4. Set the clr f the ther bx is set t the clr fr cutting thrugh the bject 5. Align the tw cpies s that they wuld sit n tp f each ther (there is even a buttn in the prgram t make the center pints line up) Assign Pririty fr Each Layer In the upper right hand crner f the prgram is a table listing all f the clrs that yu used, the mde that the laser will act n, and the Minimum and Maximum Pwer fr that actin. Yu can use the muse t drag these int the rder yu wish t have them dne. PRO TIP: After yu cut thrugh the bject, the part is very likely t shift, s d any surface effects first, like etching, dts, etc, and then d the steps t cut thrugh last. PRO TIP: When yu have parts that are nested inside ther parts, make sure yu cut ut the center pieces befre the uter pieces. Adjust the Settings fr Each Layer Once yu have the actins in the crrect rder, yu can duble click n the clrs t bring up the dialg bx fr that clrs actin. Each actin has a bunch f ptins that can be set, s use the manual and frums frm RDWrks Lab t learn abut using these ther ptins. Fr nw, we will just cncentrate n Cut Mde. Page 3
Cut mde needs three settings: Minimum Pwer, Maximum Pwer and Speed. Fr mst cuts and engraved lines, the Minimum and Maximum Pwer wuld be the same. Fr example, t cut thrugh a ¼ inch thick piece f MDF, yu wuld use 70% pwer and a speed f 30 mm/secnd but t etch it, yu wuld use 15% pwer and a speed f 600-900 mm/secnd. PRO TIP: Mving t slwly makes a rugh cut and increases the chance that the material will catch fire. Try cpying the layer and making multiple passes ver the line t cut thrugh. Maximum and Dangerus Settings T keep frm perating utside f the safe bundaries, keep the laser pwer between 15% and 85% and the speed at 900 mm/s r slwer. Failure t d s will shrten the life f the equipment, and may result in damage that is yur respnsibility! What D These Other Optins Mean? This Quick Start Guide will get yu able t cut thrugh materials and etch lines n material like MDF and Acrylic. Hwever, the laser cutter s use des nt end there. Etching Images, making edge lighted signs, and s much mre are cvered in the manual and frums at RDWrks Lab. G t https://rdwrkslab.cm/ fr suggestins and understanding f what else a laser cutter can d! Run a Simulatin T see hw lng it will take fr yur cut prgram t run, use the preview buttn at the tp f the screen in RDWrks. The icn lks like a televisin. Setting Up the Laser Cutter Here is the Checklist fr starting up the laser cutter Make sure the cutting area is empty Verify that the CO 2 fire extinguisher is present and the gauge says that it is charged Retrieve the key frm the laser cutter tlbx in the lwer cmpartment f the kisk Insert the key in the laser cutter, and turn it clckwise t pwer everything n The laser cutter head will autmatically mve t the back left crner, then t the last rigin psitin at start up Check t insure that the chiller is n - If the alarm sunds r the green light des nt cme n, shut everything dwn and reprt the issue t us immediately! Verify that the blwer at the laser and the blwer upstairs are running Lg int the Cmputer (the passwrd is cyberia) Click nce n the red RDWrks lg at the bttm f the screen t start RDWrks Insert yur USB drive with yur prject int the frnt f the cmputer Lad yur prject file int RDWrks Page 4
Send Cut Prgram t the Cutter Press the Dwnlad buttn t send yur file t the laser cutter s cntrller. The Dwnlad buttn can be fund n the right side f the screen in RDWrks. Placing Material Place yur material n the knife bed. It is best t put it in the center f the bed. If yu material is s large that it sticks ut f either end f the laser cutter, use the rller stands frm the wd shp t make sure the piece is level and des nt mve. Select Prgram On the laser cutter, Press the File buttn. The cntrller s display will nw shw a list f files that have been dwnladed t the laser cutter. Nrmally, yur file will be at the tp f the list. Use the Up and Dwn directinal arrw keys t highlight yur file. Press the Enter buttn t select the prgram yu want t cut. A preview will appear n the right side f the cntrller s screen. The preview will appear upside dwn and backwards frm the way yu expect it t cut, but that is OK. Set the Head Psitin Use the fur directinal arrw keys t psitin the head. Press Z/U, then Enter t g t Up/Dwn mde. Use the Left and Right directinal arrw keys t mve it up and dwn, respectively. Place the head just ver the material. There will be a jig t help set the crrect height, but fr nw, just keep it 1-2 mm abve the material. Press ESC t g t the main menu. Press the Origin buttn t set the rigin lcatin in the laser cutter s memry. This will match up with the crner marked by a small green square in the RDWrks prgram. Page 5
Press the Frame buttn n the cntrller, and the head will trace a fast square arund the area the cut will use. Mve the material, and check the psitin again, if needed. Start the Cut Prgram Press the Start/Pause buttn n the laser cutter s cntrller t begin the cut. WARNING: D nt leave the laser cutter unattended during r just after a cut. If yu walk away and the material catches fire, yu will be respnsible fr the damage. If the pwer is t high r air pressure t, the material will be left kindling after yur cut jb is cmplete. It can suddenly flash int an infern 20 minutes after yu are dne. Cleaning Up Fllw this checklist fr shutting dwn and cleaning up: Exit the RD Wrks Prgram G t the web site and reprt any issues Exit and shut dwn Windws n the kisk Remve yur material frm the cutting bed Clear the Debris frm the cllectr pan under the cutting bed Wipe dwn any dust frm the cut Clse the lid ver the cutting head Lg any new material settings in the white binder Turn the key t pwer dwn the cutter, cmputer, blwers, and chiller Return the key t the t the laser tlbx in the bttm sectin f the kisk Making Ntes In rder t help each ther learn new materials and hw t cut and etch them, there is a white binder kept in a tray n the side f the cmputer kisk fr yu t lg yur successful attempts with new materials. Please be sure t check the lg bk t find the mst recent settings that wrk fr yur material. Keeping this up t date will save a lt f trial and errr! Reprting Prblems & Getting Help If yu run int a prblem, r an equipment malfunctin ccurs, ntify us immediately by lgging int ur website and navigating t Membership Hw D I... Reprt a Prblem and use the frm there t let us knw what happened and when, s we can fix it ASAP. If yu need help with a prject, r yu are nt sure hw t get smething dne, send us an email at helpme@cyberialtd.rg letting us knw what yu need, and smene will cntact yu shrtly t help yu srt thrugh the issue. Page 6