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What Is a Laser Cutter? And How Does It Work?
Laser cutters are extremely precise cutting machines. We have CO2 laser cutters which means that they use a laser beam to melt, burn, or vaporize the material in order to engrave or cut the material.
Laser cutters work by firing a very high intensity beam of light in a laser chamber. CO2 laser cutters typically use infrared light. The beam is then directed and focused with mirrors and lenses until it reaches the material. When it reaches the material, it is extremely narrow and can cut with extreme precision.
LASER Cutter First TimeRotary Attachment
JCCC Lab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OF6mijYqQc
LaserCutterGuide.pdfH - Laser Cutter GuideLaser_Cutter_Certification_Class.pdfFAB Laser Cutter SettingsTo learn more…
http://www.cutlasercut.com/getting-started/what-is-laser-cutting-laser-cutting-process
https://www.esabna.com/us/en/education/blog/how-does-laser-cutting-work.cfm
Parts of a Laser Cutter Open Laser Cutter Diagram
Speed vs Power
Speed settings relate to how fast the carriage (laser) goes back and forth, whereas the power settings adjust the intensity of the laser beam. Both settings will determine how deep the engraving or cut is in the material. The speed and power settings change depending on the material being used, as well as the machine’s power. Decreasing the speed or increasing the power will create a deeper engraving or cut.
Raster vs Vector
When it comes to laser cutters, raster deals with the engraving process and vector tends to deal with the (profile) cutting process. Raster engraving will use the laser cutter in normal printer-like capacity, using the beam to etch/ engrave designs on the surface of the material. Vector cutting will use the laser beam to follow vector lines and cut out the profiles of designs.
How To Use the Laser Cutter
1) Create a new document using Adobe Illustrator.
Document size must fit the dimensions of your material
Typically, 24" x 12" or 24" x 18" will work
Orientation should be landscape
2) Design something!
- (Raster) Etching is lines or shapes using gray scale
- Opaquer/ darker color = darker etch
- MUST be > 0.1 pt
Hairline lines are (vector) cuts
MUST be RED and 0.01 pt thick
3) Turn on laser
Helix (50W) = power strip to left
Fusion (120W) = halfway down the right side on the front of the machine
4) Choose Print under the File menu
5) Choose the correct laser
Helix = \\gmps1\GM-FABLAB-LASER-RIGHTY
Fusion = \\gmps\GM-FABLAB-LASER-FUSION
6) Select Setup button
7) Double check printer name
8) Set page range to current page (if multiple files are open)
9) Select Preferences button
10) Enter correct settings
Resolution = 600 DPI
Options = Send to Laser & Send to Manage
Job Type = Combined
Focus = MANUAL FOCUS ONLY
Piece Size = document size
Raster Settings = check material specifics
Vector Settings = check material specifics
Fusion specific
CO2 should be selected
11) Hit OK, then PRINT
12) Make sure it looks correct in the print preview
13) Hit PRINT
14) Place material in bed
Should be against upper left-hand corner
15) Screen on laser should show job number and name
Job number should change.
Name should match your file.
16) Manual focus the laser
17) Turn on exhaust BLOWER and AIR AS
SIST
18) Make sure Data/Printer Icon light stop blinking
19) Press GO
MUST be within arm’s reach during cut for emergency stop
20) Turn off BLOWER and AIR ASSIST
You should now have a nicely etched and/or cut design!
Double check that the cut went all the way through, clear the bed of any scrap bits, save and close your file.
Quick Guides
Helix (50W) Manual Focus Open Helix (50W) Manual Focus
Fusion (120W) Manual Focus Open Fusion (120W) Manual Focus
Manual XY Home Helix (50W) Open Manual XY Home Helix (50W)
Manual XY Home Fusion (120W) Open Manual XY Home Fusion (120W)
Helpful Reminders
1) When creating a new document in Adobe Illustrator, make sure the document size fit the dimensions of the material you’re using.
2) If your design doesn’t cut out properly, check the RED lines are 0.01 pt thick.
3) Make sure to save any designs created on your computer to the Student Share (I:) Drive so it can be accessed on the laser cutters’ computers.
4) When in Illustrator’s Print Menu, if the “Media Size” doesn’t change, go back into the “Setup” menu and hit print again.
(Also check that "Piece Size" dimensions in the preferences menu are correct!)
5) If document size and media size are correct but the orientation is still wrong un-check auto-rotate, select the first orientation, and then go back into setup and preferences to re-enter the dimensions.
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