Laser cutters

## What is laser cutting?

Simply put, laser cutting is using a laser to cut materials. Currently, we only have access to 2D laser cutting for acrylic sheets. It is an automated process so all you have to do is provide the 2D drawing and the laser cutter will generate the path for cutting.

We usually do not cut beyond the thickness of 10mm (FabLab has restrictions to 5mm, You may try to cut up to 10mm at Workshop 2). Laser cutting will not give perfectly vertical cuts, usually in thick materials the slant of the cut edges is more noticeable.

## Where are the laser cutters?

In DCP we have access to a few laser cutters, two at Workshop 2 and one at Fabrication Lab .

## Who to contact?

To use the laser cutters in Workshop 2, contact Mr Yip at his office (upstairs of Workshop 2) or via email at <email>.

To use the laser cutters in the Fabrication Lab, request access to said lab according to the post on the lab found here .

Disclaimer:

This post is just a brief introduction to laser cutting, and DOES NOT QUALIFY YOU TO USE THE LASER CUTTER.

LASER CUTTING USES A HIGH POWERED LASER WHICH CAN CAUSE INJURIES AND START FIRES. MOREOVER, FUMES FROM THE PROCESS CAN BE LETHAL.

PLEASE GO THROUGH THE NECESSARY SAFETY BRIEFS AND GET PERMISSION FOR ACCESS BEFORE USING THE LASER CUTTER. CONTACT THE RELEVANT TECHNICIANS WHICH CONTACTS ARE PROVIDED ABOVE.

## How to do it?

Before going:

1. Contact the relevant technician for safety brief and clearance for usage. Give timings which you are available at least a few days in advance.
2. Get ready your designs and store in on a USB. The computer there is not connected to the internet.

	1. The computer connected to the laser cutters use the programme CorelDraw to send the drawings to the laser cutter. The following formats can be read by the software.

		* CorelDraw files (any version older than 2012)

			+ Lines with hairline weights will generate cutting paths
			+ Any other drawings will be etched
		* PDF
		* Image files eg. jpg, gif, png will only appear as etches as there are no cutting paths
	2. Arrange your designs

		* Optimise the materials used. Use the top left side of the material first.
		* Leave large spaces of materials, preferably in rectangles for future usage.
3. Get ready your materials

	1. Acrylic sheets can be bought from Artfriend, Dama trading or any other acrylic sheet supplier.
	2. Be sure that the material is not bigger than <widthxbreath> or the sheet will not fit into the laser cutter.
	3. You may wish to prepare extra materials in case you made a mistake. However, a mistake during cutting is rare, usually it will be a design flaw.

Once you get there:

1. Unless instructed otherwise, WAIT FOR THE TECHNICIAN TO ARRIVE BEFORE STARTING TO CUT. You may start the computer first if this is not the first time you are cutting.
2. Open the Corel Draw, import your design drawing. If you have not orientated your drawings accordingly, do so now.
3. Check that the lines which you want to be cut along are of thickness ‘hairline’ and any etchings have weights and are not hairline.
4. Ensure that the drawing is contained within the material you are cutting.
5. Remove the protective sticker on the top side of the acrylic sheet; place it into the laser cutter. Do take special care to not hit the laser module.
6. Print the drawing by going to File->Print or by pressing Ctrl+P.
7. To set the power, frequency and speed, refer to the table provided at the lab. Interpolation may be necessary if desired thickness is not specified in the table. You may want to ask for the technicians advise if you are cutting a new thickness or material.
8. Turn on the air pump to evacuate fumes created from cutting.
9. Once the job has been sent to the laser cutter, do a final check that everything is correct, and press go.

During the cut:

1. Do not open the laser cutter lid when it is cutting.
2. Do not stare at the laser.
3. Do not leave the laser cutter unattended.
4. In case of emergency, stop the job by pressing the stop button. The laser cutter will continue cutting until it finishes the current line.
5. If there is a lot of smoke and fire, stop the job.

After the cut:
6. Lower the cutting platform by pressing → then the down arrow. Lower the platform pass the ventilation holes. If your job was a long one, let the fumes fully evacuate before opening the lid.
7. Open the lid and take out your pieces and the excess material. Again, take great care to avoid the laser module. Ensure that no small pieces of acrylic are left on the honeycomb platform. Do not worry if the pieces fall through the honeycomb, that is normal.
8. Close the lid.

Before leaving:
9. If there is no other jobs after yours, ensure the equipment is turned off.
10. Remember to note down your job in the log sheet at the lab.
11. Remember to eject and collect your USB. Also collect your laser cut job and leftover material. Dispose of unwanted scrapes outside of the lab.
12. Thank the lab tech and you are done!