3. Computer controlled cutting¶

Group assignment:

Do your lab’s safety training
Characterize your lasercutter’s focus, power, speed, rate, kerf, joint clearance and types.
Document your work to the group work page and reflect on your individual page what you learned.

This week, we worked with two machines: a vinyl cutter and a laser cutter.

Laser Cutter¶

In our lab, the primary laser cutter is a Chinese CO2 laser cutter with CNC, with 80 Watts of power and a working area of 600x400mm.

laser cutter

Feature	Specification
Country	China
Model	Kimian 6040
Controller	RDC6445GZ
Laser Type	CO₂
Laser Power	80W
Work Area	600mm x 400mm
Max Cutting Depth	8mm-9mm
Supported Materials	Wood, Acrylic, Leather, etc.
Max Speed	500mm/s
Cooling System	Water
Software Compatibility	RDWorks, Lightburn
File Formats	SVG, DXF, AI, PDF, etc.
Connectivity	USB, Ethernet
Power Supply	220V

Safety Measures¶

In our lab, we use a Chinese 80W CNC CO2 laser cutter with a working area of 600x400mm. This machine is an important tool for precise cutting and engraving, but it requires strict adherence to safety protocols to prevent potential hazards.

Safety Precautions and Training All students have been trained in the safety precautions and proper use of the laser cutter. During training sessions, we discussed the basic rules to avoid dangerous situations and respond to potential problems. Basic recommendations include:

Supervision: Never leave the laser cutter unattended while it is operating.
Fire extinguisher: Make sure a properly maintained and tested fire extinguisher is easily accessible.
Air supply system: Always turn on the air supply system to reduce the risk of material combustion and improve the cutting quality.
Air Filtration: Use air filters to minimize harmful fumes.
Water cooling system: Turn on the water cooling system before starting the laser. The water temperature should not exceed 35 °C to prevent overheating.

We also decided to create special safety icons for these rules. As a group project, we plan to cut these icons out of vinyl cutter and place them directly on the body of the laser cutter so that they are always visible and serve as a constant reminder of basic safety precautions.

What can go wrong and how to deal with it During training, we discussed possible problems and how to respond to them:

Material fire: Stop the laser immediately and put out the flame with a fire extinguisher. Never blow on the flame, as this can make the situation worse.

Cooling system failure: If the water temperature exceeds 35 °C or the cooling system stops working, turn off the laser and allow the system to cool before restarting.

Laser misalignment: If the cut quality deteriorates, check the alignment of the mirrors and recalibrate them if necessary.

Clogged filter: Reduced air flow indicates clogged filters. Clean or replace them to ensure proper ventilation.

When discussing these situations, we came to the conclusion that following these rules not only increases safety, but also ensures stable and efficient operation of the equipment.

Technical Maintenance¶

After completing the safety training, we began the procedure of cleaning filters, mirrors, and lenses before starting work.

Understanding the components of a laser cutter and its maintenance requirements is essential to ensure long-term trouble-free operation. Working with cutting and engraving materials causes dust and smoke to accumulate inside the machine. This accumulation especially affects the laser beam, which passes through the mirrors and is focused by the lens. Dirt on the mirrors and lenses causes the laser to malfunction, reducing accuracy and efficiency.

Focusing¶

Focusing the laser on this laser cutter is done manually.

There’s a specific button, the Laser Switch, to turn on the laser.

cut test

In normal mode, if the button is activated, a regular red beam is emitted, which aids in laser focusing.

Focusing

On the side of the laser cutter, there are two buttons for raising and lowering the table. Focusing

Using these buttons, the table should be adjusted so that the red beam is centered:

Speed and Power for Cut¶

To determine the force and speed for each material, we designed a simple table with vertical speed notations and horizontal force notations in percentage.