Rabbit Laser

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General

LVL1 has three Ender 3 printers available for general use.

  • Owner/Loaner: LVL1
  • Serial Number: MISC
  • Make/Model: Standard/Pro
  • Arrival Date: 1/12/24
  • Usability: Yes
  • Contact: Matt, Kevin, Paul
  • Where: 3D Printing
Ender 3 Printers


Firmware

Matt has compiled a firmware for our Ender 3s:

One drive link to .bin files

About

  • 80 Watt Laser
  • 1200 mm x 900 mm cutting area (~4'x3')
  • Currently configured with a Standard 55mm Focal Depth lens.
    • This is a "Compromise" lens: Okay at cutting, okay at engraving, but great at neither.
    • We have a "Premium" 55mm lens in stock also.

Manual

Laser Odor

VERY EXTREMELY IMPORTANT LASER ODOR GUIDELINES

The laser cutter fumes are filtered by an activated carbon filter before being dumped outside. This carbon filter keeps any fumes from possibly disturbing the neighbor's smoking area. When the carbon filter is used-up, there is a nearly-100% blockage of airflow through the filter. This results in laser fumes filling the space, and LVL1 receiving complaints from other tenants in the building.

Some signs the laser filter is not operating properly:

  • Cutting is taking much longer than normal
  • The laser is filling with smoke (Normally, ALL SMOKE should exit rapidly)
  • The space is filling with fumes

There is an airflow switch installed on the filter which will cause the laser to stop operating if the filter is sufficiently clogged. Although this provides some level of safety, please be aware of the signs of laser filter failure. If you notice laser fumes filling the space, DISCONTINUE the use of the laser, or tell the operator of the laser to discontinue use.

Important Laser Guidelines

  • Do not use the laser without being trained. Ask questions. If you have any doubts, refrain from lasering.
  • If the laser is moved, it must be recalibrated. Laser calibration is a long and difficult process.
  • Install the laser tube with the water outlet facing up.
  • The laser is intentionally pulled a couple feet from the wall for access.
  • The laser control software will not work without the USB dongle installed. This dongle is a $250 device.
  • Do not set power higher than 85% or lower than 10%. Higher power simply saturates the power supply and results in no benefit. Lower power does not lase.
  • If a fire begins, open the laser lid immediately. This interrupts power to the laser.

Where to find information

Acceptable File Formats

  • DXF (Autocad 2002 or 2004 format)
  • BMP
  • JPG
  • Others
  • NOT SVG. SVG is NOT usable.

How to use the Laser in Table mode

  1. Check the laser bed for any obstructions (abandoned material, objects left by previous users such as magnets, etc) and remove them. Also, check the area of the print bed where you will be placing your material - if there are small bits of material left from previous cuts, your material will not sit level and will not cut or engrave cleanly!
  2. Power on the laser by turning the key on the front of the display panel. The water chiller (on the floor, lower right) should turn on with a red LCD displaying the water temperature, and you should be able to hear the fans and pump start up. If the chiller's green "normal" light does not come on, or if the red "alarm" light is lit, do not use the laser.
  3. Home the X and Y Axes by pressing the "X-Y 0" button. If the laser doesn't home by moving to the back-right corner, ensure that the machine is not in "Jog" mode. If any menu item is highlighted to the right, the machine is not in "Jog" mode. Hit "Esc" on the display several times until the LCD menu shows entires for "File/Speed/Power" then press "Esc" until no menu items are highlighted. Then attempt to home the X and Y axes again.
  4. Jog the Z Axis until your material will fit under the laser head by pressing the up and down arrows to raise or lower the print bed.
  5. Jog the home switch of the laser head over your material using the up/down/left/right arrows above the "X-Y 0" button. Ensure that the small limit switch/plunger to the left of the laser head is over the material to be lased; therwise, the depth for the laser focus point will not be correct, and the head or plunger could impact the material when the head assembly is moving during the lasing process.
  6. Home the Z Axis by pressing the "Z 0" button. The Z axis will automatically back off to the correct focus point. Verify that the plunger did contact the material to be lased!
  7. Open the "Laser Cut" software on the laser PC (snowflake icon).
  8. Import your project, or draw a test shape. (It is HIGHLY recommended that you test your cut settings on scrap material before attempting a real cut).
  9. In the upper right-hand corner, set the laser power and speed settings. Use the settings in the manual as a guideline.
  10. Click "Calculate" to generate G-Code.
  11. Click "Download" to send G-Code to the laser.
  12. On the "Download" menu, press, "Delete All," followed by "Download Current." This ensures that your project is the only one loaded on the laser.
  13. Jog the laser head to the upper-left corner of your intended cut area.
  14. Press "Esc" then "Anchor". The LCD should display "SET LOGIC ORG". Press "Enter" then "Esc".
  15. Press the "Test" button to see the area that will be cut by the laser. Ensure that your material is lined up correctly.
  16. Close the lid of the laser.
  17. Press "Start" to begin cutting. DO NOT LEAVE THE LASER UNATTENDED WHILE IT IS OPERATING!
  18. When your laser operation is complete, PLEASE leave the lid of the cutter closed for a few minutes to extract as much of the smoke or fumes from the space as possible.
  19. When you remove your material, please take a moment and remove any small bits of excised material from the print bed - Try to leave the bed in better shape than you fouund it!

How to use the Laser in Rotary Mode

Future DIY Upgrades

  • High pressure air assist using shop air
    • Design instructions in manual
  • Rotary Enlongening
    • A custom aluminum bottom plate for the rotary would easily add length.

Troubleshooting

  • If "Immediate" mode doesn't seem to work properly, try downloading the config again.
    • From the "Download" menu, press the "Download Config" button. The laser will be unresponsive for a few moments. Wait until the menu responds to input before uploading your laser file.

Maintenance Log

  • 8/23/2014 - Received Laser
  • 9/8/2014 - Cleaned lens, inspected lens mirror.
  • 9/27/2014 - Installed carbon filter, exterior venting.
  • 11/04/2014 - Cleaned main lens. Not particularly dirty.
  • 2/06/2015 - Changed carbon in the filter.
  • 3/21/2015 - completely picked the bed clean of any excised material, emptied crumb tray

Maintenance Schedule

  • Based on observation, this schedule is 3x the length of the "estimated" schedule recommended for full-time laser shops.
  • Every three weeks - Clean the main lens.
  • Every three months - Clean the lens mirror.
  • Every six months - Clean the X-axis gantry mirror.
  • Every nine months - Clean the Y-axis mirror.
  • Every year - Clean the laser output lens/mirror assembly.
  • As needed - Lubricate the linear slides with 3-in-1 oil (or similar light machine oil).
  • As needed - Clean crumbs out of crumb tray and the bed (on top of the support rails where crumbs can't fall freely)
  • As Needed - Replace coolant water (use distilled water only).

Maintenance Tips

  • Add a couple of tablespoons of roundup to the coolant, and it won't need changed as often.