Author: Santiago Ricoy Email: ricoys1@unlv.nevada.edu
Date: Last modified on 2/4/17
Keywords: laser cutter engraving etching burning cutting vector raster

The photo above depicts the completed laser etch on a HydroFlask water bottle. This was done using the rotary attachment in conjunction with our Full Spectrum Laser Pro Series laser cutter.

This tutorial's motivation is to teach a student new to the laser cutter how to expand their knowledge of using the laser cutter that can be gained from the precursor of this tutorial. The tutorial assumes the reader has the following background:

* Know how to manipulate size of images
* Ability to measure a curved surface
* Full understanding of material covered in previous tutorial: PREVIOUS TUTORIAL

The rest of this tutorial is presented as follows:

• Items Required
• WARNINGS
• Rotary Setup
• Engraving
• Final Words

To complete this tutorial, you'll need the following items:

• Computer running Windows 7 or higher with RetinaEngrave3D installed and ethernet connection to laser
• FSL Laser Cutter rotary attachment (friction type)
• Material of choice to cut/engrave
• Laser Cutter Manual
• RetinaEngrave Manual
• Nearby fire extinguisher (there are a few placed about the lab; know the nearest one)

PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY

• Please keep in mind that the friction rotary attachment is intended for cylindrical and generally round objects; rotary engraving will likely never work on our machine for something partly rounded like a whiskey flask without some kind of chuck or other solution
• NEVER leave the system unattended during operation
• Keep the area around the machine clutter free
• ALWAYS use air assist while cutting
• MONITOR all vector cuts, as rapid ignition occurs most often while vector cutting.
• CHECK AND CLEAN the laser system before each use (i.e. remove honeycomb, check vent, wipe up dust/debris) as lasers pose a fire hazard in themselves; do not allow the danger to compound
• DO NOT OPERATE the machine with panels removed; it has a Class 4 laser system inside
• The laser produces INVISIBLE radiation; you will not know there will be a problem before there is one

With the machine completely turned off, and the x-axis pushed to the top of the machine, place the rotary attachment, pictured above, on the cutting table.

The side of the rotary attachment with the cable and motor should be facing the side of the machine that has the control panel on it.

What we are doing is essentially replacing the y-axis of the machine with our rotary cutter. On the side of the machine that has the control panel, behind the belt for the y-axis is the plug for the y-axis motor controller. Unscrew and unplug that, and replace it with the plug for the rotary cutter motor controller.

Aligning:

We need to now be sure that our laser cutter's axes are not skewed. Yes, that can be done for some artistic effect, but you may be better off skewing your image in software, and engraving that instead.

To do this, lower the cutting table until the laser head is clear of the rotary attachment.

We check the alignment of our rotary attachment by simply running our red laser across the track. If it distances from the edge of the track, then we adjust so that it no longer happens.

This tutorial's objective was to get a student up and running with the FSL Pro 36×24 Laser Cutter.

Speculating future work derived from this tutorial, you may want to consider reviewing 3D projects created using a laser cutter, and an alternate post discussing engraving and cutting a variety of materials. In the big picture, the problem of disseminating knowledge about the laser cutter can be solved with this tutorial.

For questions, clarifications, etc, Email: ricoys1@unlv.nevada.edu