LASER CUTTING

Welcome to Laser Cutting! As mentioned before, I said that I would like to be well versed in laser cutting! 

Here is my journey on using the Laser Cutter!

Here is the Improved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Start Up:

1. Turn on air compressor (red switch)

2. Turn on fume extractor

3. Switch on the laser cutter (black switch)

4. Wait for laser cutter to finish initialising 

Operation of laser cutter and CorelDraw and Epilog:

1. Import Fusion 360 (dxf) file into CorelDraw. [Note: Import and not open]

2. 

3. Based on what you want to be cut or engraved, different colour and function should be used. 

Cutting should always be red. Engrave should always be green. If you want to set the colour, you can select the colour on the right or indicate R:255 G:0 B:0, that is for cutting. It is similar for engraving just that G:255. Note that the total intensity is 255. Ensure that the total adds up to 255.

4. Click File > Print and Epilog browser will pop up.

5. On the right side of the screen, there will be 2 parts: Engraving and Cutting. Make sure  to turn on auto focus manually for Epilog Fusion M2 (top right)/ Set auto focus to "THICKNESS" for Epilog Fusion Pro.

6. Import material setting from library which is the file icon for each panel on the top right. Both engraving and cutting will have.

7. Select Engrave tab for cutting and select material to be used.

8. Select Vector tab for cutting and select material to be used.

9. Input thickness of material being cut (Vector).

10. Turn on air assist  (for Epilog M2 machine).

11. Add your material of choice and measure the dimensions.

12. Use the x and y axis to guide where you are going to cut/ engrave. Leave 1-2cm for allowance.

13. Proceed to print.

14. Move to the laser cutter and look at the status and ensure that the correct file is selected before pressing Go/ Green button.

15. After cutting is done, wait for a minute before taking the piece out.

Shut down:

1. Switch off the lasers cutter (black switch)

2. Turn off fume extractor

3. Turn off air compressor (red switch)

4. Clean up if there is any lying debris

[Highlighted in yellow are the improved add ons for the SOP]

Precautions:

- Long hairs must be kept neat and tidy to prevent hair from getting caught

- Remove any loose/ hanging object on your body

- Ensure cover of laser cutter is fully open when placing material inside

- Never put your head on the inside of the printer

- Wear appropriate attire (long pants and covered shoes)

- Do no slam the cove when closing it, as it may damage the laser cutter and prevent it from starting

- Do not look directly at the beam during the operation as it will damage your eyes.

- Do not lean on laser cutter cover (Triggers safety interlock and operation will stop)

- Turn on the exhaust to allow the air to escape

- Do not leave the laser cutter unattended when in operation

- Do not use material that contain chlorine or foam

- Do not cut or engrave metal materials

- When the material cannot be cut through, stop using the laser cutter and clean the lens if it is dirty, this is to prevent the lens from cracking.

This is my piece for the competency test!

After the competency test, our group then moved on to laser cut our parametric construction kit! 

Here's our Hero Shot!!

Reflection

At the start of the practical I realise that I was the first few that will be doing it. I felt nervous since my SOP was not 100% complete. Also, we did not have any prior experience using the machine. When the assessor was running through some things like where the switches were, I felt a little stress as it was so real. When my friend first did it, he succeeded within 1 attempt. Which made me slightly relieved. However, the next person did not. This made me really stressed out. Since it means that it is really not that simple. 
When it was my turn, I started following the steps through, but as I did the steps, I misread something and was told to stop and go back to reflect on what I did wrong (I was not told where went wrong). Fortunately, when I went back to my seat, I realized I pressed “open” instead of import. Ideally it is the same, however we were supposed to simulate not having the file in the computer. The next time I went back to try again, I got stuck at the material selection part. Which made me go back and ask my friends. Again, I attempted it, this time I couldn’t determine where the material library is. So, I went back and asked my friends and rewatched the video. Finally, I managed to succeed and printed my very own piece. 
When I failed several times, I really did feel demoralized and was really sad. Why can others do in 1 attempt, but I had to do almost 4-5 times? However, when I succeeded, I really felt a sense of accomplishment, that I now am competent. This really gave me the real feeling of learning. Had I not failed repeatedly I would not have learned as much. They always say it is okay to fail, it is easy to say but when you actually fail you realise that it is really not nice, but the only way is up, and I had to keep trying. Also seeing how I learned, it really showed that it is not the destination but the process that matters. When I took my laser cut piece, I felt great but what was meaningful was how I learned. The piece did not really make me happy to be frank… 
That’s my experience for this practical.