Category: Laser User Guides

The Cutting Process

The cutting process described in this post is what I use from an operator’s perspective on the average project. Some project might have a different process and other operators may have a different way of working. It is not something that needs to be memorized from a certification and safe use perspective but may help …

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Design to Cutting Course notes

This 3 part course is designed for beginners to laser cutting.  Beginners are folks who will benefit from end-to-end instruction in order to meaningfully qualify as a “certified operator” and more importantly have a successful cutting experience that won’t wreck the machine. Some familiarity with design software is best for this course. This is a combination of …

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User Cleaning of Laser Cutter

Steps for cleaning up after EVERY use This page provides instructions on how to clean up after you’ve finished using the laser, assuming normal laser functioning. Log how much time you used on the current filter using “/asset” in slack. If the filter is exhausted be sure to remove it and throw it away before …

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Safety and Training

Laser Cutter 101 Class Regular classes are scheduled for training on the laser cutter, check ACE Calendar for the next one; if there appear to be none currently scheduled, please post a request on the discuss mailing list! Here are the notes from the class. IMPORTANT: Just reading the notes is not a replacement for …

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Power Settings

Ideal values for cutting various materials are dependent on the material and the scope and scale of the art. These settings are just a starting point. Always complete a test-cutting series. The laser power range is from 11% to 87%. Anything below 11% will not fire the laser (and you’ll still be billed for it). …

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Materials

Safe Materials Note on plastics: Unless you have a label, it’s almost impossible to tell what kind of plastic it is once it’s formed. The $1/pound bin at TAP is great IF THE PLASTIC HAS A LABEL ON IT. See below on why you should not laser random plastic. Paper/matte board/cardboard/pressboard/cork (cardstock could have additives …

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Manuals

PDF manuals for laser cutter and software: LightObject LO-1600W Chiller Barracuda Laser Cutter Manual Old/Out of Date Links: [[File:Laser Manual1280.pdf|RTENOTITLE]] – Manual for EXLAS 1280 laser. Out of Date – We no longer use this software [[File:Lasercut5.3 Manual.pdf|RTENOTITLE]] – Software manual for the laser cutting software LaserCut 5.3 which is included with XYZ-Tech’s machines Out …

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Laser billing

The laser costs 50ȼ per minute of firing time. This is just time that the laser is firing, not time spent setting up or moving things around. You can see the laser counting up firing time on the screen above the keypad.  The laser fees are used to keep the machine running and replace parts …

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