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Large Format Lasers (can be deleted; upper one has been reformatted)

80w CO₂ Laser with Lightburn Control Software

Tool Tutorial

The Setup, Operation, and Cleanup Checklists of this guide are what instructors use to ensure that you can use the equipment according to community expectations.

A laser cutter is used to mark, engrave, or cut a wide variety of materials. They work a lot like printers do, where you send a graphic to print. Instead of ink, the laser uses heat to transfer the image onto the material.

Usage Highlights

Large Format Laser Clearance or Class Equivalent Required Before Use

==== SAFETY ====	==== CARE ====	==== CLEANUP ====
1. Check that your material is safe to use	1. Avoid collisions with the lens carriage	1. Vacuum the interior
2. Listen for the exhaust when the laser powers on	2. Mirrored acrylic must be reflective side down	2. Recycle waste in scrap bins
3. Stay by the laser while it’s running	3. Submit a maintenance request when needed.	3. Empty bins when full

Personal Protective Equipment

Face Masks & Cleaning Kits are required at all times during the Pandemic

Tool Anatomy

LASER ANATOMY

Lid - Absorbs the laser radiation and must be closed when running a job
Exhaust - Allows for the efficient removal of fumes and particulate
Maintenance Tag - Manually tracks the usability status with Green/Yellow/Red cards
Lens Carriage - Houses the mirror, lens, and air assist
Cutting Bed - 1200 x 900mm (~47” x 35”) Consists of a removable, magnetic honeycomb tray. Seated properly, it should feel stable & secure
Emergency Stop - Reserved for emergencies. To deactivate and reset, you must twist the spring-loaded knob.
Power Switch - Key switch turns the machine on and off
Control Panel - LCD interface with commands to operate the laser

CONTROL PANEL

Jog X-axis and Y-axis
Adjust Z-Axis
Exit Menu/Return to main screen
Select menu item
Set Job Origin
Trace the footprint of a job to check its size and placement
Reset machine, Abort Job
Pulse the laser to mark its precise location
Adjust speed (mm/sec)
Adjust power (0-100%) for the areas the laser approaches a node/edge
Adjust power (0-100%) for the areas where the laser is mid-cut/mid line
Retrieve file sent to the machine (job queue)
Start job, pause job, resume job

Tool Safety

COMMON HAZARDS

==== FIRE ====	==== TOXIC FUMES ====	==== LENS COLLISION ====
Listen for the exhaust. It should automatically turn on with the laser	Be mindful of the safety of your cutting material	Load material with care
Vacuum beneath the cutting bed to prevent flammable build-up	Avoid chlorinated plastics and other prohibited material on the list	Be mindful when moving the cutting bed to vacuum
Avoid foam and other prohibited material	Off-gassing dangerous fumes like chlorine and cyanide is always a concern	Ensure material is flat and will not collide with the lens carriage during operation
Always pause the laser if you need to step away from the machine

PROHIBITED MATERIALS

==== MATERIAL ====	==== DANGER ====
Chlorinated plastics (PVC, vinyl, artificial leather, Moleskine notebooks, polymer clay/Sculpey)	Emits chlorine gas
Polycarbonate/Lexan	Cuts poorly, absorbs laser, discolors, may catch fire
ABS	Emits cyanide gas, melts, bursts into flame
HDPE (milk bottle plastic)	Catches fire & melts
Polypropylene foam (foam core, Styrofoam)	Catches fire
Fiberglass	Emits dangerous fumes
Coated carbon fiber	Emits dangerous fumes
Pressure treated wood	Emits dangerous fumes
Galvanized metal	Emits dangerous fumes
Mirrored surfaces, including uncoated metal	Will not cut, reflects laser beam

PERMITTED MATERIALS

==== MATERIALS ====	==== CUT ====	==== ETCH ====	==== MATERIALS ====	==== CUT ====	==== ETCH ====
Solid wood	X	X	Mylar sheet	X	X
Plywood	X	X	Organic Fabrics	X	X
MDF & LDF (fiberboard)	X	X	Leather & suede	X	X
Paper, cardstock, cardboard	X	X	Non-chlorinated rubber	X	X
Cork	X	X	Glass		X
Acrylic	X	X	Ceramic tile		X
Mirrored Acrylic (reflective side down)	X	X	Stone		X
Delrin sheet	X	X	Anodized & surface-treated metals		X

Initial Setup

RASTER VS. VECTOR

Rastered data is an image that is made of pixels. Much like an inkjet printer, the laser will scan the artwork on a scale from black to white. The laser will vary the number of dots it fires depending on the tone of each pixel.

Common file formats like .jpeg, .gif, and .png are all rastered data.

Vectored data is made of paths that form lines and shapes. They contain mathematical data that allows the laser to trace the path like following coordinates on a map. This allows the laser to cut or score a line as well as etch a filled shape.

Common file formats like .ai, .dxf, and .svg are all vectored data.

==== SETUP CHECKLIST ====

- Power on the laser
- Import your file into Lightburn
- Set the job origin in Lightburn
- Check the layer mode
- Adjust the speed and power settings
- Send your file to the Laser

LIGHTBURN SETUP

Lightburn accepts a range of file formats.

Supported vector files:

.ai .pdf .dxf .svg .lbrn

Supported image files:

.jpg .jpeg .png .tif .tiff .bmp

Import your file into Lightburn.

Set the job origin.

Check the layer mode:

fill—fills a vector shape to etch

line—traces along a vector line

images—will only etch and optimize for a rastered photo

Adjust the speed and power settings.

Send the file to the laser, keeping the

filename “LIGHTBRN”. This saves over old job files and helps maintain a manageable memory in the machine’s job queue.

COMMON CUT SETTINGS

==== MATERIAL ====	==== THICKNESS ====	==== POWER (%) ====	==== SPEED (MM/S) ====
Bass Wood	1/8“	50	15
Balsa Wood	1/8”	50	45
Birch Plywood	3/16”	70	10
Acrylic	1/4“	55	12
Leather	1/16”	70	12

COMMON ETCH SETTINGS

==== MATERIAL ====	==== POWER (%) ====	==== SPEED (MM/S) ====	==== DPI ====
Acrylic	55	300	391
Anodized Aluminum	25	325	391
Cermark	50	300	362
Granite	85	150	299
Glass	12	350	462
Leather	45	325	299
Powder Coated Metal	25	325	299
Romark	12	325	254
Wood	14	350	300

Basic Operation

==== OPERATION CHECKLIST ====

- Listen for the exhaust to ensure that it is on
- Check that your material is safe to cut
- Load material
- Focus the lens on your material
- Set the origin on the laser
- Check the footprint of your job
- Start your file
- Monitor the machine until the job is complete and cleanup

FOCUSING THE LENS

	Select on the control panel
	Use to align the lens carriage to the focus gauge
	Select to return to the main menu

SETTING THE ORIGIN

	Use to jog the lens carriage to the desired location
	Optional: to verify the exact location
	Select to set
	Select to check the footprint (framing can also be managed from Lightburn control)

Cleanup

==== CLEANUP CHECKLIST ====

- Power off the Laser
- Reset any modified computer settings to default
- Vacuum the interior so material does not build up beneath the honeycomb
- Note any maintenance needs or concerns on the tag and at protohaven.org/maintenance
- Recycle waste in the single-stream scrap bins
- Empty the bin when full

SCRAP BREAKDOWN

There are two black scrap bins reserved for laser waste. Maintaining these is a shared, communal responsibility.

When you notice the scrap bins are full, it’s time to take it to the dumpster out back. Feel free to enlist a helping hand.

If you notice valuable material while emptying the bins, use your judgement to selectively save a few pieces or take it home for your personal use.

MAINTENANCE REQUESTS

Update the physical Maintenance Tag at the machine

Green can be used without issue
Yellow can be used with caution
Red cannot be used without hazard to either the user or the equipment

<HTML><ol start=“2”></HTML> <HTML><li></HTML>Record issues at protohaven.org/maintenance. This notifies our staff and volunteer maintenance crew of any issues<HTML></li></HTML><HTML></ol></HTML>

Troubleshooting

==== Common Issues ====	==== Possible Causes ====	==== Resolutions ====
Cut does not go through the material	The speed is too fast or the power is too low	Use a scrap piece of the same material to make a series of tests with incremental adjustments until you find the sweet spot
	The lens or mirror is fogged	Alert the staff or volunteer on duty to the issue
Slop in the frame	The origin in Lightburn is not set appropriately	Adjust the origin point in Lightburn
	The artwork is too large for the cutting bed: 1200 x 900mm (~47 x 35”)	Adjust the overall artwork size
Burn marks on the back of the material	Hot debris is scorching the edges of the cut lines	Lay a sheet of paper beneath the material and the bed or line it with a laser-safe vinyl free tape