Fiber Laser Training

Each user should only run one laser at a time and not leave the room during operation. We ask that members not use both lasers at the same time as a courtesy to other members.

Use the Laser Signup Sheet to reserve time on the laser.

Capabilities:

• 60W JPT MOPA EM7 with enclosure
• Cuts thin brass, aluminum.
• Etches or marks aluminum, the anodized coating on aluminum, brass, stainless steel, glass and ceramics.
• Working size: 110x110mm (F160) and 210x210mm (F290) lens

SAFETY WARNINGS

This laser can be dangerous if used improperly: It can cause serious deep burns if the safety interlock is bypassed. It can start a fire if flammable material are in the beam. It can produce toxic fumes with some materials.

Use of this laser is the responsibility of the member, and the member should take note of whether the material being marked is suitable. First, do not mark wood, paper, polystyrene, or any other flammable materials. The Thunder Laser is suitable for some of these, but the fiber laser does not have air assist blowing on the laser beam, so fire is much more likely.

Items that have been etched with the laser may be VERY HOT. Touch your work piece with caution!

Please keep all doors on the laser surround shut properly while the machine is in use, and ensure that all items to be marked can fit within the enclosure.

Exercise special caution when working with conductive materials, as the buildup of their dust and ablated particles may damage electrical components, cause short circuits, or

produce other effects, including reflected laser radiation.

Some items have coatings on them that produce dangerous fumes. One example is galvanized steel: this is most of the steel you find at hardware stores, especially for construction or outdoor

purposes. While the fiber laser is capable of marking these items, the coating on them contains zinc and lead and can cause serious health issues to the people in the area.

Do not place anything in the path of the laser that should not be marked. The laser is not necessarily safe just because it is currently not cutting. Use common sense and precautions, and treat the

laser as if it could spontaneously turn on at any moment.

Do not place reflective items in the path of the laser. The reflected beam can cause damage to the wires and structure of the laser.

Do not place flammable items in the path of the laser.

More items known to be dangerous to laser etch:

• Leather containing Hexavalent Chromium (Cr[VI]). (Vegetable tanned leather is safe but stinky.)
• Astatine
• Beryllium Oxide
• Bromine
• Chlorine, including Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, Vinyl, Sintra, etc.)
• Some fake leather is actually PVC.
• Fluorine, including Polytetrafluoroethylenes (Teflon, PTFE, HDPE etc.) There are plenty of halogen-containing-polymers, so if your item is plastic and you aren't sure it's on the safe plastics list, just avoid it as it can be lethal.
• Iodine
• Phenolic Resins, including various forms of Epoxy
• Galvanized metals, and metals containing zinc, lead, or other toxins.
• Pot-metal may contain any number of hazardous metals.
• Tin-coated steel.

OPERATION

POWER ON

1. Please go back and read the safety warnings above.
2. Power on the mini PC beside the fiber laser (password hackrv@@) and open LightBurn.
3. Turn on the yellow power strip to the right of the laser. Listen to be sure that this engages the ventilation. (It turns on all three fans, because that keeps exhaust from going over to the other laser.)
4. Once the ventilation is running, turn the red emergency stop button clockwise and pull out. This will turn on the laser.

FOCUS

Place you material under the left side of the head. The focus lines for both lenses are on a sticker on the side of the laser head

The focal sticks are hung on the wall behind the laser computer. Open the enclosure door on the side closest to the computer and make sure your focal stick (410mm long for the F160 lens) lines up from the line marked on the laser head to the top of your material to be

marked.

Burn!

Place your material in place underneath the laser head. Open LightBurn and open your prepared file or start a new project.

Select the layer of your graphics.

Search in the Materials Library for presets that best match the project. To do this, find the tab labeled Material

Library at the bottom of the window in LightBurn. Select your material, then the subcategory. For example, Steel, black.

Click Assign. This copies these settings from the library to the chosen layer. If you have one file for cut and engrave, repeat the process with different layers for each.

CTRL-A to select all. Press the P key to center your image in the laser work area.

Select the Laser pallet, and click Frame. The laser will project a red image on the bed. (This is not the work laser and is safe.) There are options in the Frame dialog: It can be a simple outline, the outside shape of your image, or a detailed sketch, with or without inside shapes. You can use the more detailed types to confirm orientation. (Up on Lightburn is towards the gantry on the laser.) For alignment, switch back to Hull. It is much faster.

Move you material to line up with the red framing laser image.

Shut the enclosure door. (The safety switch is at the top left of the enclosure in the front. If LightBurn gives you a door safety switch error, the laser will not start.)

Confirm everything is the way you want it.

Click Start. The laser will immediately start and will mark your material or anything else in its path.