Laser Cutter (Hoshiguma)

Laser cutter overview

A laser cutter. It cuts stuff using a laser.

Essential Information

  • Location: Ground Floor Corridor
  • Responsible Person(s): Dan Nixon
  • Induction Required: Yes

Usage notes

It is not permitted under any circumstances to leave this machine running unattended!

A list of compatible materials can be found here. A list of known good settings is here.

To the left of the machine there is a small table. This can be used for material preparation, finishing and sorting of machined pieces. If you have machined anything particularly smelly, as a courtesy to other members, please do your finishing/sorting on this table and do not bring it into the main workshop.

In front of the machine/around the corner, on the black table (under the PC shelf) is a waste bin for scraps that are no longer wanted but still potentially useful along with some 6mm birth plywood that is available to use. On the floor underneath this table is a bin for waste wood scraps that are not feasibly useful any longer. See waste streams for more details.

Troubleshooting

If the machine does any of the following, immediately stop using it, turn off both switched sockets on the wall behind the machine and let Dan know:

  • illuminates all three status lamps at once
  • leaks cooling water

Induction checklist

  • Turning on machine with fob, requirement for empty bed, emergency stop
    • the requirement to operate emergency stop when sustained fire occurs
  • Panel controls
    • X/Y/Z axis motion
    • motion mode (central d-pad button)
    • pause/resume
    • stop
    • focus
    • pulse
    • escape
    • fume extraction mode
  • Note the fact that no other panel controls should be required under normal operation
  • General PC use, mention that LightBurn is also available on the CAD PC
  • LightBurn
    • loading files
    • assigning layers
    • setting layer mode, speed, power, etc.
    • layer order
    • preview
    • origin selection/settings
    • frame
  • Workpiece alignment and focusing
  • Start/during/end of job processes, the requirement to attend the machine
  • Turning off machine and PC
  • Available materials and waste streams in vicinity of machine
  • The need to keep the machine tidy

Statistics

For those who are curious, the following dashboards are available to show telemetry data from the laser cutter: