Short guide to the use of laser cutting machines

This is a very short guide that explains how to use of laser cutting machines.

Laser cutting machines allow users to instruct through software the designs that it will follows to cut a material, these includes size, height, shapes, etc.

Introduction

The process start creating a vector graphic, that is a scalable image that follow a defined function, this able the user and system to resize the image holding the form or function if desired. Once the graphic is created it can be opened with the software that controls the laser cutter.

Time: Many works last seconds to be completed, others with more instructions or different settings can last from minutes to hours.

Tools and equipment required

Laser cutting machine

It consist in a bed or grill where the material is placed and a shield to protect users, also a cover. (Max size of material 12x24 inches). It also can include an air filter, this allow to extract any toxic material generated during the cutting process.

The laser cutting machine that we will working with is made by the company: Universal Laser Systems.

Model: VLS 3.5

Software used to control the laser cutting machine: UCP (Universal Laser System Control Panel) V 5.38.58

Material maximum thickness for cutting: 1/4 inches (0.25 inches).

Other tools

Computer connected to the laser cutting machine with a version of its control software installed.

Level peg: Its allow to level the position of the bed in the machine, this allows precise cutting when using the machine.

Other used tools include:

Calipers: Tool used to measure the thickness of the material.

A material to cut: Some laser cutting machines have a limit in the thickness of the material or in the types of materials that can cut. In some cases 1/4 0.125 or less

Auxiliary software

Auxiliary software for vector drawing: Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape and others.

A vector graphics editor software such as Illustrator or Inkscape, they are used to generate scalable image files.

Time

The time required to complete the cutting can range from seconds to hours, depending on the complexity of the project.

Observations:

• Sometimes the used software can operates only with inches measure and not centimeters, mm, etc.
• Sometimes the used software can operates only with RGB color model (Red, green and blue) and not with CMYK color mode (cyan, magenta, yellow, and key).
• Unfinished wood could be preferred, since it is not coated with flammable or odor materials.

1.- Design a vector graphic file

Create the desired cut or design in the vector graphic editor. Some laser cutter machines works only with RGB colors and not with CYMK colors.

Create a new file

Create a new file with distance measured in inches and color in RGB format, for this:

When using Adobe illustrator create a new file, choose a preset (letter 8.5x11 or any other option), in color mode change CMYK to RGB and change the units of measure from points to inches, then click the option create to start the new file.

When using Inkscape the color mode can be changed RGB in the color palette of the files during anytime of the work. To change measure unit in Inkscape select the options file, document properties and change the display units from mm to inches.

Draw an object to be cut

Create an object: If using illustrator choose the 5th icon from the left panel (the option with a square icon). When learning to use the cutter use a small image around 1 inch long or wide... change units to inches if the cutters operates with inches.

This object can be bigger than other object place inside to attain a raster object inside a cut object.

Stroke

The stroke of the object refers to the wide of the line, it is measured in points and in some cases in inches.

For cutting objects it is used a 0.072 points (pts) stroke, which is the same than 0.001" (inches) or 0.254 mm (millimiters). Lines or objects with a stroke of 0.072 pts (0.001" or 0.254 mm) will cut the material. Smaller strokes may not cut the pieces.

Strokes can be seen as the thickness of a pen, a line written with a 0.8 mm pen is thicker than a line written with a 0.1 mm pen, and the thicken of the lines of 0.1 mm pens are thicker than a 0.072 laser cutter stroke. If the thickness is to big may show black areas in the material when wood or plywood is used.

Save file to a memory file when creating the file in other computer, when printing to see the file in the UCP software should be black and uniform, if is dotted or not uniformed, the stroke and color should be reviewed.

Draw an object to be edged

Create a new object inside the bigger object.

Use color black (number 000000) for this object to edge it but not cut it. Another option is to filled with black color to attain a edge of the whole object and not only its shape.

Use of the ruler

The position of the objects in the design can also be calculated using the ruler, for this press at the same time the keys Ctrl and R. The ruler will appear in the superior and lateral sides of the page.

Changing the color of the lines or shapes

Some cutters works only with RGB colors, RGB color model uses a system of 6 number and letters. To change the color of a line or an object, click on the object, then in the properties window, appearance section, click on the square beside the fill option and in the filling space beside #, type the color number. The three more used colors in laser cutting to indicate what type of task will be done with the line or object are the following:

Color	RGB number	Function
Black	000000	Raster etching
Blue	0000FF	Vector etching
Red	FF0000	To cut (Cutting)

Choose the color palette icon and type ff0000, this will create a red color, this will indicate the printer that the line or object will be cut, or 000000 to raster etch, or 0000ff to vector etch.

Cutting, vector etching and raster etching

Once you have designed an object use the color numbers to complete the desired task.

Cutting

To cut objects a stroke with a width of 0.072 must be used and the color must be red (ff0000), the shape of object created will be cut in the wood or material that is being used.

Raster etching

Use black color, 00000, this will vector etch the design.

Vector etching

Use blue color, 0000FF, this will vector etch the design.

Review the file with the vector graphics editor

Insert a USB memory stick in computer that controls the cutter.

Open illustrator, open the file,

Zoom the to see lines they should be marked black and marked red they are marked in gray color, adjust the file to correct color. If color is not rf0000 it will not cut the material.

For this view, material.

Red is cutting lines black is raster lines

Zoom to see all the lines are properly marked or complete if not modify the file.

If everything is fine, then select preview cpu so gets the file ready... if not done may not cut properly the object.

Ctrl p to print (to laser cut)

Remember, if color is not red (ff0000, with 4 0s), and the stroke does not have a width of 0.072 points the object will not be cut.

Printing the object or design with the vector drawing software (Illustrator, Inkscape or other), select for the printer the Universal Laser Systems machine , this will send it to de UCP software that controls the laser cutting machine.

Open UCP, you will see the objects and lines to be raster or edge in black and the lines or objects to be cut in red.

2.- Measure and write the thickness of the material

Measure and write the thickness of the wood with caliper. close it, zero it, and measure, then write while still holding the piece.

3.- Cut the object with the laser cutting machine

The process of using the cutting machine can be summarized in the following steps:

• 1.- Open the laser cutter machine.
• 2.- Place the wood in the bed (first measure the thickness of the wood and calibrate the machine)
• 3.- Use the pointer to see if the object will be cut in the right section of the wood or material.
• 4.- Close the laser cutting machine,
• 5.- Choose the type of material and type the thickness of the material,
• 6.- Turn on the air filter
• 7.- Press the green (play) to start the cutting.
• 8.- Turn off the filters a few seconds after the cutting process finish.
• 9.- Turn off the laser cutting software.
• 10.- Clean area or continue with the next object to be cut.

ULS (user defined landscape): Change media to user defined landscape.modasue

Preparing the laser cutting machine

Level the print bed

The leveling peg is kept in its own box, since only works for that particular laser cutting machine and no other nor similar model, even when where produced by the same maker, or is the same model, or was produced the same year. The piece is made for that machine only.

The box that holds the box was made to open it just from the upper corner, keep the level in when is not being used to prevent losing the peg.

Open the laser cutting machine cover.

Lift the metallic cover or shield of the laser header.

The controls in the left area of the laser cut will work to operate the material bed, to move the bed up or down, it will not move the laser header.

Put the leveling peg beside the laser red box area and the bed and hold it with the left hand.

Press the up to maker until the leveling peg is close or in front of the red box.

Caution: Do not put the leveling peg under the red box, it should be positioned just beside it, in order to avoid that the red box touch press the top of the leveling peg against the bed. It should just touch the side of he leveling peg.

At this point raise one button at the time the leveling peg, until it gets exactly aligned with the beginning of the diagonal line in the middle of the leveling peg.

The leveling peg will be located besides the laser cutting area, nor to the sides, not under, just besides to it, touching it with its borders. From this point one button at the time one movement is the correct level... one movement up is to high, one movement down is to low.

With one hand hold the leveling piece while with other hand control the height of the material bed up and down.

In this position the diagonal area of the leveling peg and the red box will be aligned, this means that the cut of the laser will be precise as required and cut the designs as intended from the top of the layer of the material until the dept of the raster or cut.

Once the machine is leveled, close the metal shield and close the metallic cover.

This step will allow the machine to know at what level is located the surface of the material to be cut, at the same time will allow a precise cut using this information.

Take the leveling peg and put it back inside of its box.

Place the material in the cutting bed

After measuring the thickness of the material, place the material into the bed.

Use of the UCP software

Open the UCP software, it can be open from the menu or form small the icons beside the clock. It may show the last printed design used.

Controls

Controls: zoom (in and out), second , third and forth button

Zoom in or out to move or see the object

click focus view to see if the red light is marked over the material

if not move the object on the software to an area near the material

or focus view in an area with material and then click in point level button it will take the object to the area,

then focus view the whole object points or borders are in the material area... leave some space far from material border.

The laser machine can be turned on or off with the control in the software installed in the computer.

Other options: Material selection, material thickness, laser power, raster power, level the print bed.

Reviewing the file

After printing the file in the Laser cutting machine software, you can see if the color of the object is red (to cut) or it has defined lines. This will allow you to know if your job is viable. You can zoom the object to see more details.

Material selection

Select the material that is being used: Settings, material,s database... In the case of plywood, choose: Natural, wood, medium wood, birch.

Start at zero

apply ok and close the laser cutter.

Change media file... using defined landscape. On illustrator or laser cutter software.

Raster first

Turn on the filter, close the lid.

Note for rastering/etichng: #00000

Use raster color for the objects:: #000000, 0.072 pt stroke.

Select the material: Natural, wood, medium, birch and use the thickness of the material measured: For example: 0.124

Select the option apply, then press ok.

Once the instructions are correct press the green button in order to run your job.

With the menu in the laser cutting machine computer program click the fifth button (beside the control bottom, zoom, view, move, go to, then square)

The raster will start and last for a few seconds, in some cases it can take minutes or hours. Time can be saved with modifications of the file.

Hold the the material and press the cut area down to see if it will not be separated from the material because a complete (deep) cut was not done since it was a raster cut, repeat it with a cutting length

Turn on the air filter

Press red button on the filter to turn filter on. (It is a big gray metallic box located besides the laser cutter).

Cut the material

Repeat the process, but this time the bigger object will be black and will be cut.

Change the lines or objects to color red (FF0000) since this is the color for cutting, and the stroke must be 0.072 pt (not 0.72 nor other width) since this is the stroke width for cutting.

This time repeat, the process but click skip raster and increase vector 2 % vector cort.

Select the material, and us the thickness: For example 0.127 brw

This second process the material will be completely cut with the bigger object shape and the inner object will be just rastered.

Press the green button (play) on software on computer to star the cutting. It will take a few seconds or minutes until is completed.

When laser cut is completed, turn off the filter,

Leave the material to cool a few seconds.

Press the cut section down while pressing the material up to release the cut segment. Hold the the material and press the cut area down, this will separate the cut piece with from the rest of the material.

Other options of UCP software

Zoom: To zoom into the image, also the image can be restored to its complete size.

Pointer: To see in the printer where a selected point is located in the material bed.

Go to, to go to a particular area or move the object to another area, or relocate the object to another area of the canvas or part of the material bed.

Other controls are

• Laser power
• Raster power

Cut the material

The material cutting process will be executed from the control software installed in the computer connected to the cutting machine. Initially you will do first a test cut or raster, after it, apply more depth to complete work.

Always run a test cut/raster on the material.

Rastering engraving, vector engraving and cutting objects with laser cutting machines

Add a object or draw a line or object, click the option fill (white box) and choose a color to fill the object with a color.

Raster engraving

Rastering is the translation of a "non vector" image into a workpiece, there for the outcome is not as clear as a vector engraving.

Caption text

Object	External stroke and color	Inner stroke and color
A hand made object using the pen tool	Stroke: 0.072, Stroke color: FF0000 (Red for cutting)	Filling color : 000000 (Black for raster etching)
A Picture in .bmp format	Stroke: 0.072, Stroke color: FF0000 (Red for cutting)	Filling color : 000000 (Black for raster etching)

Vector engraving

Vector engraving is is the translation of a "vector image" into a workpiece, there for the outcome is not as clear as a vector engraving.

Caption text

Object	External stroke and color	Inner stroke and color
Square	Stroke: 0.072, Stroke color: FF0000 (Red for cutting)	Filling color : 0000FF (Blue, to vector etching)
Elipse	Stroke: 0.072, Stroke color: FF0000 (Red for cutting)	Filling color : 0000FF (Blue, to vector etching)

Cutting objects

Caption text

Object	External stroke and color	Inner stroke and color
Hand made object with the pen tool	Stroke: 0.072, Stroke color: FF0000 (Red for cutting)	Filling color : 000000 (Black for raster etching)
Elipse	Stroke: 0.072, Stroke color: FF0000 (Red for cutting)	Filling color : 0000FF (Blue, to vector etching)
Star	Stroke: 0.072, Color of the stroke: 000000 (Black for raster etching)	Filling color : 0000FF (Blue, to vector etching)
Cone	Stroke: 0.072, Color of the stroke: 0000FF (Blue, to vector etching)	Filling color : FF0000 (Red)

When selecting a object, the border of the object can be etched to avoid square angles in the corner of the objects.

Rastering, engraving and cutting texts with laser cutting machines

The stroke refers to the wide of the lines not to the deep of the cut.

Select the option T (Type), type a text and change the stroke and filling colors.

Caption text

Text example	External stroke and color	Inner stroke and color
A	Stroke: 0.072, Stroke color: FF0000 (Red for cutting)	Filling color : 0000FF (Blue, to vector etching)
B	Stroke: 0.072, Stroke color: FF0000 (Red for cutting)	Filling color : 000000 (Black for raster etching)
C	Stroke: 0.072, Color of the stroke: 000000 (Black for raster etching)	Filling color : 0000FF (Blue, to vector etching)
D	Stroke: 0.072, Color of the stroke: 0000FF (Blue, to vector etching)	Filling color : FF0000 (Red for cutting)

The text or objects will be cut when a red line appears in ULS Control Panel software. Another option for practice is the use of 3d texts and make effects with inkscape adding gradients of the object.

Final steps

Turn off the equipment.

Put the used materials in their correspondent area.

Clean the area.

Safety measures

• Never stare at the laser light directly nor with binoculars, microscopes, etc. The intense light during laser engraving or cutting can permanently the eye sight, it can cause cataracts and burns (retinal burn). To monitor the engraving can be used cellphones camera along there is not direct eye seeing of the laser beam.

Some other safety measures can be implemented such as the follow:

• An air filter will be used (BOFA AD-500 iQ Laser Fume & Dust extraction system): It will be turned on before start the cutting. It will extract all the gas and particles produced during the cutting process.

• Illumination and emergency illumination controls to properly see the environment.

• Motion detection to detect movement in the laser cutting room.

• Supervision of the cutting during the cutting process.

• Installation of alarm buttons to use in case of accidents, that can be connected with emergency response services.

• Instructions about what to do in case if an accident occurs, such as contact personal.

• Some installations include a kill switch that turn off all the equipment, including the laser cutting machine, the computers and monitors connected to the laser cutting machine, this avoid to turn off each component, but should be used just in emergencies.

Use of Adobe Illustrator for Laser Cutting and Inkscape for Laser Cutting

Many applications can be use to "print" vectorial files in laser cutters, among them are the following:

Short guide to the use of laser cutting machines/Use of Adobe Illustrator for Laser Cutting

Short guide to the use of laser cutting machines/Use of Inkscape for Laser Cutting

Laboratory

Short guide to the use of laser cutting machines/Laboratory

See also

Short introduction to the use of cutting plotter machines

Short guide to printing objects using 3D printers

Short introduction to the use of sewing machines