Laser Cutting

1. Software

If you're new to designing for laser cut parts, this is a very good Fusion 360 tutorial that goes over variable-driven dimensioning and how to export your sketches to DXFs to be used in CorelDraw.
You can design the parts on your own computer, but all steps from exporting the DXF and beyond should be done on the workshop computer.

Design your part, create a sketch, then export as DXF.

Import (Ctrl+I) the DXF.

Automatic scaling usually gets the sizing right, but sometimes this needs to be manually set.

Make sure that the canvas dimensions are correct (default is 24"x18", the dimensions of the laser cutter).

Move your part to the appropriate location.

As of this writing (27 Aug 18), there's approximately a 0.5" dead zone on the left; make sure that your piece does not start before this.

Make sure that all vector lines (to be completely cut through) are set to Hairline and the raster lines (to be engraved) are set to None.

Make sure that the laser cutter is on (the on/off switch is in the back left, close to the air duct).

Print (Ctrl+P) and set Preferences

Check Auto-level
Change dimensions to the canvas dimensions (e.g. 24"x18")
Adjust the raster and vector settings
- Use the manual to look up the (p)ower and (s)peed settings for the specific material and thickness.
  - Frequency is usually left at 2500Hz.
  - The settings given in the manual may not be totally accurate; it's best to overestimate the cutting needed (e.g. lower speed / increase power).
- Click OK
Check the print preview and make sure that the dimensions are appropriate.
Click Apply then Print

Make sure that the vacuum and compressor are on. These are both connected to the power strip on the cutter, so just flip it on.

Check that the job was received by the cutter; it should have the same filename.

Place the workpiece in the cutter, aligned to the top left corner (or wherever it needs to be cut).

Again, make sure that the vacuum and compressor are on.

Press the green Start button.

If the job needs to be stopped, press the red Stop button.
- Lower the cutting bed by swinging open the front panel and reeling the pulley to the right.
  - The bed raises when reset for some reason, so this is to prevent the leveling probe from getting damaged.
- Press Reset.

Never leave the laser cutter unattended while a cutting job is on. This is a huge safety risk since the laser is a fire hazard.

Every week, clean the lenses of the cut head using cotton swabs and acetone.
Small bits fall underneath the cutting bed so these have to be cleaned up periodically.

Open the front panel (it swings down) and reel the pulley to the right to lower the bed.

This is probably due to the probe trying to level in a spot where there's no material.
Carefully lower the bed (instructions above) and fix the probe.