Laser cutting competency test

Heyo. 

On Thursday 27th October 2022, I took the Laser cutter competency test to in order to ensure that I knew how to operate the machine and that I knew the proper safety precautions to take while doing so. The experience was very fruitful and interesting as this was my first time really looking at a laser cutter.

Thankfully, the test was easier than expected and it was really fun to get my small acrylic dog cutout. I was surprised at how seemingly simple the process was and watching the videos turned out to be a great help in helping me visualize what steps I had to take to pass the test. The test was held at Makerspace@Library and it was on the Universal Laser Cutter.

Fun fact: Did you know that Laser is actually an acronym? It stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Pretty cool nugget of info.




Getting into the more technical takeaways from the experience, here are some important information about the Laser cutters.

From the picture, the laser beam is created in the yellow tube that is filled with CO2. Next, with the help of mirrors and lenses, the laser beam is directed to the laser head and focused on the material surface.


Electronical motors move the laser head to cut or engrave the desired shape into the material in the carriage. The assist gas comes from the compressor, blowing compressed air at the area being laser cut to help prevent flare ups and keep the area clean by directing vaporized material downward and away from the cut, and away from the machine’s lenses and mirrors.



There are 4 important hazards of operating the laser cutting machine which are:

1. Poisonous fumes are produced when cutting. The existing safety control is the fume extractor which is connected to the laser cutter to remove these fumes.

2. Laser cutting acrylic without removing the paper layer on the top side. This is a fire hazard as the adhesive layer between the paper and acrylic is flammable and has a high risk of starting a fire. The existing safety control measure is a poster behind the computer next to the laser cutter with a reminder to remove the paper before cutting.

3. Possibility of the material igniting. The existing safety control measure is a fire extinguisher at the back of the laser cutting room.

4. Continuation of laser cutting after the cover is opened. The existing safety control measure is an engineering control coded into the laser cutter such that when the lid is opened, the laser cutting will continue, but there will not be any laser. Of course, not all materials are safe to be cut with the laser cutter.

The materials that can and can't be cut are as follows:


Paper, Cardboard, Balsa wood, Acrylic (See hazard 2) and Plywood CAN BE CUT with the Laser cutter.


PVC, Metal and Rubber CANNOT BE CUT with the Laser cutter as they can produce toxic fumes.


The steps taken to operate the laser cutter:

Step	Desc	Extra
Start-up	1. Switch on power for laser cutter, air assist and extractor 2. Switch on fume extractor
1	Importing the file from Fusion to Corel Draw (Select File > Import > Select your .DXF file and press import)
2	Select whether to Vector cut, Engrave or Vector Engrave  Vector Cut - red, hairline line width Vector Engrave - green Engrave - green, hairline line width
3	Changing Fill color (Double click fill tool at bottom right, Select solid color icon, Change to RGB Green)
4	Change line color by double clicking pen tool at bottom right, selecting with drop-down menu, change width to hairline
5	Design what you want to cut or engrave
6	File>Print>Settings
7	Click on LOAD and select presets that match material
8	Check Power, Speed, PPI and Z-axis Higher power for thicker materials, higher speed for lower exposure time, higher PPI for smoother cuts but can cause overheating, and Z-axis sets the height of the material
9	Switch on the laser cutter with the power button Play/pause buttons to start/stop cutting respectively Zoom, Focus, Move and Estimated Time
10	Switch ON button to activate the laser.	1 3 2 4 Quadrant 4 usually has less power than 1, focus most of cut in 1 and 2 Monitor cut at all times, if you need to step away, tell a certified friend or pause and inform staff
Shut down	1) When cut is complete, wait for extraction to be complete
	2) Gently lift the lid and tap the cut-out
	3) Remove any unwanted materials and dispose them
	4) Deactivate the laser cutter
	5)Switch off the necessary switches

Do's and don'ts when cutting

• DO stay by the Laser cutter as the cut is on-going, this is so that you can keep an eye on the operation and in the case of an emergency, there is a trained personnel ready to act quickly.

• DO inform a staff or get a friend who is certified to watch if you absolutely have to leave the room for any reason.

• DO not look directly at the laser as you're doing your cutting. This is because the laser can be very bright and prolonged staring can cause eye damage.

• DO occasionally glance at the laser to ensure that there are no fires.

• DO NOT for any reason leave the laser cutter unattended if it is in operation.

• DO NOT immediately open the laser cutter when it is finished as there are still fumes that have yet to be removed and can be toxic to inhale. Wait for 30s to 1 min after it is done to open the Laser cutter.