Laser Cutting Documentation Blog Entry

hi everyone!!!  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.

4. My Learning reflection on the laser cutter activities.

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

Hazards	Safety control measures	Pictures to support the explanation
1. Fire Hazard caused by materials being lit on fire by the laser cutter.	- Fire Extinguisher is placed nearby laser cutter in any case of uncontrollable fire (Engineering Control) - Students are briefed on how to use a fire extinguisher, as well as where they are located in the lab. (Administrative Controls)
2. Damage to eyes caused by looking directly at laser cutter when it is in operation	- Sign to remind users to not stare directly at the laser cutter (Administrative Control) - Students are told not to look directly at the laser when it is in use (Administrative Controls)	i didn't take a picture 😔
3. Accumulation of smoke and gases in the laser cutter when it is in use might cause smoke accumulation	- A smoke extractor is used to ensure dangerous gases do not accumulate as material is being cut. (Engineering Control) - Students are told to ensure the smoke extractor is turned on before operating the laser cutter (Administrative Controls)
4. If the focus lens of the laser cutter is dirty, the lens could crack.	- Students are informed to check the lens before using the laser cutter to ensure that the lens is not dirty or cracked.	(clean lens) (cracked lens)

2. Below are the materials that can be cut/engraved using laser cutting machine in FabLab.

Material	Photo of material
1. Acrylic (up to 5mm)
2. Plywood (up to 6mm)
3. Cardboard

Below are the materials that can’t be cut/engraved using laser cutting machine in Fablab.

Material	Photo of material
1. Foam
2. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
3. Metal

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

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

Steps and description	Photos to support the description
Locate and turn on the fume extractor and the air compressor.
Turn on the power for the laser printer.

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

Steps and description	Photos to support the description
Select File > Import >  Select your .DXF file and press import.
Set the line colour and width to make either a vector cut, engrave or vector engrave. Ensure color model is RGB. (Red - R:255 G:0 B:0) (Green - R:0 G:255 B:0)
Add in the fill colour.

3. 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
Click on File > Print, then click on the cogwheel to access settings.
Click on LOAD to change material settings, and select the material preset that matches the material type and thickness and select OPEN
Adjust the Power, Speed, PPI and Z-Axis. Once all the settings are set, Click OK.	Note: POWER: describes the output power of the laser. For thicker materials, higher power is needed, whereas low values are used for materials such as paper. SPEED: describes the movement of the laser head. Fast speeds lead to short exposure times, slow speeds lead to long exposure times. PPI: a way to control how many times the laser pulses over a given distance during the cutting process. The higher the frequency the more pulses you have and the more they will overlap resulting in a smoother cut, however the higher the frequency the more heat it creates while cutting which can cause melting or charring on certain materials. Z-Axis: set as the material height for optimal focus point

4. Starting the job on the laser cutter machine.

Steps and description	Photos to support the description
Check the horizontal and vertical sides of the built-in ruler of the laser cutter and use the move tool to move the object to the empty space, and click the focus tool with the lid still open.
Use the laser dot as a guide, and click on all the corners of the file to see if it is within the safe cutting region.
If everything is ready and set, shut the lid gently and press either the green button on the laser cutter or the green button on the Universal Control Panel.

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

DOs and DON'Ts	Photos to support the description
DOs: - Turn off the power of the laser cutter, and open the cover of the laser cutter. - Notify staff immediately. - Try to blow the fire out or remove the material from the laser cutter if there is a small flame. - Use the fire extinguisher if the flame is too severe and uncontrollable.
DON'T:  - Leave the fire unattended, and keep the job running.

4. Below is my Learning Reflection on the laser cutter activities.

When we were first told that we would be making use of the laser cutter in this module, I was very excited and could not wait to get started using it, as in our previous semester module CP5065 Introduction to Chemical Product Design (ICPD), we were also told very early in the module that we would be making use of a new machine, being the 3D printer, and I had a blast using that for the first time.

Upon first going through the process of creating our own laser cutting Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), my friends and I were initially confused about which steps were important in the procedure and which steps we could afford to not include. In the end, I felt that my SOP that I created was lacking in some key areas, and when the time came to perform the laser cutting itself, I found that out very quickly.

Upon going into the FabLab to perform our laser cutting practical test, I felt quite uneasy, as I felt that I was underprepared for the test. However, when the time came for my briefing with the laser cutter usage, I realised that the SOP that I has created was sufficient to complete the test, and the test itself was relatively simple. 

Through this experience with the practical test, and by taking in the feedback that the in-charge at the FabLab, Mr Louis, had for not just me, but for my whole class, I learnt that I should be more confident in my work, as I was second-guessing myself throughout the entire practical, but I should not be too complacent, as my classmates who also sat for the test made some careless mistakes that I did not, so I should take the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. I feel that even though I was able to complete the practical test and pass, I find that my understanding of the deep intricacies of the laser cutter is still not as deep as I would like, as compared to the 3D printer from last semester, I am still not very familiar with the usage of the laser cutter. I really look forward to making use of the laser cutter for the rest of this semester, and learning everything there is to making use of it!