Owner`s manual

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Laser Cutters: Tips and Techniques

Using Microsoft Office Visio with the Universal Laser Systems M-

300 Laser Cutting System

Important Information and Disclaimers

Microsoft Corporation, through its Microsoft Research division, is providing this information as

a courtesy to end users to assist you with using and interfacing Visio with your use of laser

cutters. Microsoft is not a manufacturer of laser cutters or other materials described in this

manual and assumes no responsibility for your use of any laser cutter or any materials you use

with the laser cutter, regardless of whether you are applying this information. YOU USE THIS

INFORMATION AT YOUR OWN RISK. MICROSOFT AND ITS AFFILIATES DISCLAIM

ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HARM OR DAMAGE TO YOU, YOUR MATERIALS,

SURROUNDINGS AND/OR YOUR USE OF YOUR LASER CUTTER.

Familiarize yourself with the owner’s manual for your laser cutter before using it. Refer often to

the owner’s manual when using your laser cutter.

THIS DOCUMENT IS BASED ON A SPECIFIC LASER WE USE: In Microsoft Research, we

have a Universal Laser Systems model M-300, which is equipped with a 50-watt carbon-dioxide

laser and energy wavelength output of 10.6 microns. This laser has a 2.0” fl lens. The M-300 has a

low-power, visible red laser, when enabled and the higher-power carbon-dioxide laser is disabled,

for safely indicating the cutting or etching path. The laser cutter also has an aluminum honeycomb

floor as its cutting platform. Whether your configuration is similar or not, you are advised to adjust

the information in this document to match your specific configuration. ALL LASERS AND LASER

SYSTEMS ARE DIFFERENT. USE CARE WHEN USING THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR

LASER CUTTER.

Familiarize yourself with the locations of nearby fire extinguishers.

The laser-cutting system should be used only in well-ventilated areas. Make sure the exhaust

system and air assist are on.

Background

This document describes how we use the laser cutter and Microsoft Office Visio

with our Universal Laser

Systems laser cutter to engrave and cut some plastics, ceramics, woods, coated metals, and other materials.

a. Plexiglas (acrylic): One of the best, least-expensive plastics and the easiest to cut. Tends to be

brittle in small or thin features. Comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Durability varies with

type; some acrylics are less brittle than others.

b. Delrin (acetal): Structurally, perhaps the best plastic. It is extremely strong, durable, more

flexible than acrylic, and naturally lubricated. It also is one of the most expensive plastics.

Comes in black or off-white only. Delrin is a little harder to cut than acrylic Do not use glues

Summary of content (14 pages)

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Laser Cutters: Tips and Techniques + Using Microsoft Office Visio with the Universal Laser Systems M300 Laser Cutting System Important Information and Disclaimers Microsoft Corporation, through its Microsoft Research division, is providing this information as a courtesy to end users to assist you with using and interfacing Visio with your use of laser cutters.
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c. d. e. f. g. or any other kind of adhesive on Delrin – few things stick to it. It can be welded with heat or fastened with screws. Be very careful with Delrin. The vapors are very flammable, bordering on explosive, and can catch fire with an almost invisible blue flame. Avoid cutting very thin sections as these can catch fire. Lexan (polycarbonate): Much stronger, more durable, and more flexible than acrylic, but harder to cut.
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Exaggerated cut relief, side view Berm Berm is the material build-up near cut edges, top and bottom. There might be a noticeable lip or berm at the cut edges. Check with your fingernail. You might have to remove this with a file or scrape with a sharp metal edge, such as a razor blade, a knife or a pair of scissors, if this is an issue when stacking multiple layers or gluing. Some acrylics (cast) will produce less of a berm than other types (extruded). PREPARING THE LASER CUTTER: 1.
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1. CUTTING WITH THE LASER CUTTER: There are two modes of operation, vector and raster. In raster mode, the head sweeps back and forth, ―filling in‖ the shape, a (fat line, a filled polygon, or a bitmap image). In vector mode, which creates thin lines, the head traces the vector path. Use raster for engraving and vector for cutting.
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ii. iii. iv. b. c. d. e. f. In Print Setup, choose Landscape and adjust to 100 percent. In Page Setup, choose Same as Paper Setup. In Drawing Setup, choose 1:1. Make sure the above is correct and do not proceed until this is correct! Use different colors for lines and engraving fills to designate different power, speed, and PPI settings. Power, speed, and PPI for each of eight preselected colors can be set in File>Print->Properties->LaserSettings.
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iii. The Vect operation will only cut thin lines. Fat lines or filled areas will be ignored for a Vect operation. iv. Rast will raster/engrave fat lines and filled areas. It also will try to raster/engrave any thin lines in that color. I usually use only Rast for engraving only and Vect for cutting only and use separate colors for engraving and cutting to keep these operations separate. 8. Engraving will produce a rough surface.
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l. Xerox transparency film: P=20, S=20. Use two passes at P=10, S=20 for intricate features. Anchor the film with small weights well outside cutting boundaries to prevent warping and moving from air currents. m. Aluminum tape: Cut from the non-aluminum side at P=100, S=3. n. Aluminized Mylar film: P=40, S=30. You can use this material to make flexible printed circuits. Cut from the non-aluminum side, which is slightly duller than the aluminum side, at P=40, S=30.
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b. c. d. e. Edit ->CAD Drawing Object->Convert->OK to convert to the Visio format. Select and Ungroup all objects. Delete the drawing frame (the rectangle around the drawing). Select the rest of the objects, which might have invisible lines, and choose an appropriate line color. f. Check for correct scale and correct if necessary. 2. Vector Cuts: Zero-width lines cause the laser to trace the line (cut) when in the vector cut mode. Use Format->Line->Weight->Custom = 0. 3.
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Tap holes: subtract .002‖ from the desired radius and subtract 0.004‖ from the desired diameter for the kerf. Tapping is a handy, strong, and quick way to fasten two pieces of laser-cut material together and to enable later disassembly. Using our fast tapping tool or a tap in a portable drill, apply light pressure on the tap in the tap hole, and the rotating tap will pull itself into the hole. When at the required depth, quickly reverse the direction to back the tap out.
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d. Move these new vectors in X and Y on your drawing, up .01‖ and to the left by 0.015‖ (add 0.015 to X and +0.01 in Y in the SIZE-POSITION window). This accounts for this machine‘s AZ/EL (L/R) offset per 1.0‖ out-of-focus for our printer. e. Vector-cut only that unique color at 2x to 4x speed, same power or a half to a quarter of total power. f. Return the floor back to the normal focus height. 13.
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line, select it and the line, and choose Shape/Operations/Trim. Then remove the square and the 0.015‖ line to produce the uncut tag. 0.015‖ void 16. Vacuum forming: Molds and a vacuum-forming jig can be made quickly for 3-D heatmolding thin materials such as thin polycarbonate and acetate. Material Hold Down Plate Material to be molded Mold Vacuum Plate Vacuum Cut the material hold down and vacuum plates out of acrylic. The mold can be out of acrylic but will depend on what‘s being molded.
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Blind-Hole splines in 1/8" DELRIN. Use 24-tooth gear as spline geometry: Type Large servo Spline Radius .133" Medium servo .123" Use These Numbers in Visio Screw radius Power Speed 100 45 .048" 50 2 .047" 100 50 45 2 Power Speed Remarks raster (filled gear), 2 passes. .bmp image=.276" Cut vector (.047" radius screw hole), 1 pass raster (filled gear), 2 passes. .bmp image=.254" Cut vector (.047" radius screw hole), 1 pass Through-Hole splines, 24 tooth: Type Gear Diam.
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drawn race feature to the upper left. It‘s important to make all measurements with regard to the desired center. a. Draw a desired race-diameter circle (use a non-cutting color) line for non-cutting) where you want the bearing race to be. b. Draw two additional race-diameter circles (solid lines), one 0.015‖ to the left and one 0.015‖ to the right of the original race circle. Group these two, and make them a separate color from the other cuts. You now have two circles, 0.03‖ apart in X.
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Additional information: Plastic Instructional Videos by TAP Plastics: http://www.tapplastics.com/info/video.php TAP Plastics has a store in Bellevue, WA, at 12021 Northup Way, (near 20th Street), 425-861-0940. There is also a TAP Plastics in Seattle near Westlake: 710 9th Ave. N, 206-3895900.