Laser Cutting

In this page, I will describe:

  1. The 4 important hazards associated to the operation of laser cutting machine and their respective safety control measures (administrative/engineering control).

  2. The materials that can be cut and can’t be cut using laser cutting machine.

  3. The steps including pictures on the operation of UNIVERSAL laser cutter, that consist of:

  1. Starting the compressor, turning on the laser cutter machine and fume extractor.

  2. Importing a .DXF file to coreldraw and modify the lines/fill for cutting and engraving.

  3. Sending the coreldraw drawing to laser cutter software and setting the laser cutter power, speed, PPI in the software.

  4. Starting the job on the laser cutter machine.

  5. DOs and DONTs when there’s flame/fire on the material being cut.

  1. My Learning reflection on the laser cutter activities.

1. The 4 important hazards and the respective control measures on the operation of laser cutting machine:

Hazards

Safety control measures

Pictures to support the explanation

1. Material can catch on fire and pose as a fire hazard

Engineering control: Fire extinguish present to put out large fires

2. Hazardous fumes and vapors

Engineering control: Fume extractor to remove toxic fumes.

Administrative control: Wait for 1 minute to allow the extractor to remove toxic fumes

3. Debris on materials can catch on fire

Engineering control: Air assist minimize the heat around the laser head, dissipating heat where the laser contacts the workpiece, remove any debris around the contact point to prevent fire

4. Staring at the laser can damage the eye

Administrative control: User are told to glance at the cut and not to stare

2. The materials that can be cut/engraved using laser cutting machine in FabLab.

Material

Photo of material

1. Paper/White card                    
2. Cardboard
               
3. Balsa wood                  
4. Acrylic          
5. Plywood                

The materials that cannot be cut/engraved using laser cutting machine in FabLab.

Material

Photo of material

1. PVC             
2. Metal             
3. Foam             
4. Rubber             

3. The steps on the operation of UNIVERSAL laser cutter machine in FabLab:

a. Starting the compressor, turning on the laser cutting machine and fume extractor.

Steps and description

Photos to support the description

1. Switch on the power for the laser cutter, Air assist and extractor                  

2. Switch on the power for the fume extractor                

b.  Importing a .DXF file to coreldraw and modify the lines/fill for cutting and engraving.

Steps and description

Photos to support the description

1. Click on file > Import > Select DXF file > OK

             

2. Double click on the pen tool on the bottom right corner

             

3.Click on the width drop down menu and change the width to hairline

             

4.Click on colour and change to RGB

           

5. For vector cut, change value to R:255, G:0, B:0

For vector engrave, change value to R:0, G:255, B:0

6. For engrave, double click on the fill tool beside the pen tool

                     

7. Change the colour model to RGB

     

8. Change the value to R:0, G:255, B:0

                  

c. Sending the coreldraw drawing to laser cutter software and setting the laser cutter power, speed, PPI in the software. 

Steps and description

Photos to support the description

1. Click on files > Print

       

2. Click the setting


3. Click on load

4. Select the profile that matches the material that you are cutting/engraving and open


5. Click on apple > OK > print

d. Starting the job on the laser cutting machine.

Steps and description

Photos to support the description

1. Open the UCP (Universal control panel) icon


2. Activate the laser cutter by pressing the red button 


3. Use the focus tool to check if the drawing is on the material

If not, point the laser where the drawing is on the material, click move and to pointer


4.  Shut the lid gently


5. Press the play button on the UPC or on the laser cutter machine


6. Once done, wait for 1 minute to allow the extractor to remove toxic smell & particles


7. Gently lift up the lid and tap on the cut material to see if it is free from the material

If it didn’t cut through, inform staff in charge as the laser cutter lens might be dirty 

Cutting with a dirty lens may cause the lense to crack which will cause the machine to be unusable for the yourself and the next users.


e. DOs and DONTs when there's flame/fire on the on the material being cut.



DOs

Photos to support the description

Any flame MUST DIE OUT within 1-2 seconds. If the flame persists, lift the lid of the laser cutter and stop the cutting operation.


If the fire is negligible, try putting it out by blowing it off


If the fire is unable to blow off, 

a. remove material from the laser cutter 

b. place it on the floor and step on it to put out the fire


If the fire is uncontrollable, go to the closest fire extinguisher and put it out. Get people’s attention by shouting for help.




DONTs

Photos to support the description

Do not use the fire extinguisher when the flame is small as it will damage the laser cutter


Do not run away when there is a fire in the laser cutter without informing the staff


4. My Learning Reflection on the laser cutting activities.

After going through the online materials for the laser cutting and attending the competency test for the laser cutter, I am more confident using the laser cutter and being able to use this skill for future projects.

During the lesson on laser cutting, I was nervous as I though operating the laser cutter was going to be a very difficult and tedious task. However, going through the video and making the SOP, it really help me understand how to use coreldraw and operate laser cutter. Before the competency test, Mr Louis taught us how to operate the laser cutter step by step. However, during the competency test, I was nervous as I had been sitting so long wait for my turn. I made 3 major mistakes while during the test. First was not checking if the line colour was fully green, second was pressing the settings button to continue and lastly not pressing the on button for the laser cutter. This made me realise that my SOP was lacking several steps and not clear enough. This gave me a chance to improve my SOP and work on my mistakes. 

Although making lots of mistake after the test, I felt more confident operating the laser cutter. Overall using the laser cutter was very fun as I did not have to wait several hours unlike using the 3D printer and I was glad that I am able to take up this useful skill and be able to apply and teach it to other people in the future.

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