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Introduction

The laser, first patented in 1960, is an artificially produced light source. Unlike light from other sources, which may contain many different types of lightwaves that vary in wavelength (color), shape, and direction, a laser is made up of one continuous or coherent beam of photons of the same wavelength and intensity. This uniformity of the laser beam's wavelength makes it possible to focus and direct its energy with a high degree of accuracy. The laser cutter uses a powerful CO2 laser to cut or engrave flat material up to .25 in thick.

Laser cutters are widely used in science labs, art studios, manufacturing and prototyping facilities, as well as many home workshops.

Suitable materials include:

• Plywood & other wood-based products
• Cardboard, chipboard, and other paper products
• Some textiles (talk to staff)
• Some plastics such as acrylic (”Plexiglass”) — talk to staff first!
• Always ask staff before laser cutting scraps from the woodshop, or if you have any other questions </aside>

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Safety

Hazards

• Respiratory

  • Proper ventilation
  • Make sure air assist is turned on.
  • Only use approved materials in the Laser Cutter.

  Some materials are banned from the lasers because they will release toxic fumes. See below for a list of those materials

• Fire

  • If a flame larger than the birthday candle is produced when cutting with the laser cutter, please notify the staff.

Precautions

• Do not open the lid while in use.
  • Possible injury to skin or eyes from the Laser
• You are required to stay with the laser and pay attention as it is running. In the event of an emergency, press the emergency stop button and contact a staff member immediately.
• Don’t use the laser cutter when you’re tired, distracted, dizzy, sick, or otherwise not fully functional.
• If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with a staff member before proceeding. There are no stupid questions where safety is concerned!

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How to reserve

Fimbel Lab has three laser cutters capable of cutting and engraving a wide variety of materials. Each has a slightly different bed size and therefore a different limit on material size.

• Appa = Fusion M2 120 watt, (bed size) 40 x 28 inches
• Naga = Fusion Pro 120 watt, (bed size) 48 x 36 inches
• Momo = Fusion M2 60 watt, (bed size) 32 x 20 inches

You can reserve a laser cutter here. Please have your file fully prepared before making your reservation.

• After 5 pm Monday - Friday
• Starting at 1 pm on Saturdays
• Starting at 3 pm on Sundays.

Large prints can take many hours, so we recommend reserving the printer for more time than you think you need.

Please note that you are responsible for monitoring your print job. You are required to be present for the entire print. You may not start the print and leave (outside of using the restroom).

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Laser Cutter parts

Control Panel

• **Start & Pause buttons -**Laser Cut jobs can be started, paused or stopped using the green arrow button or the red pause button.
• Up and Down arrows allow you to scroll through the menu of control options.
• Joystick- moves the laser cutter bed up and down, or moves the laser cutter head
• Emergency Stop Button- Stops the laser cutter immediately when pressed.

Laser Head The laser beam is directed by four different mirrors through the lens in the laser head and onto the material to be cut/engraved.

• Lens - The lens is located inside the Laser Head. It has a curved surface that focuses the laser beam into an hourglass shape. For optimum cutting and engraving, materials should be placed at the narrowest point of the hourglass shape.

  

• Mirrors- Multiple mirrors direct the laser beam from the back of the laser cutter to the front.

Bed-The surface which holds the material to be cut/engraved.

Laser Tube- Generates the laser beam.

Cameras- (Naga only) Naga has three cameras. One in the laser head and two on the inside of the lid, overlooking the bed. The lid cameras provide users with a view of the laser cutter bed and the position of their material in Epilog Dashboard.

Air Assist Tube - The air assist tube, located at the laser head, supplies a “concentrated source of airflow between the laser beam and the material being cut or engraved.” The air serves as a cooling system for the laser head and material, while also helping to prevent fires. If air assist is not turned on, there is a greater risk of fires, and a likelihood that the material will char.

Source: Full Spectrum Laser

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Operating Principles

Hardware

• The laser cutter features a powerful CO2 laser that moves across the surface of your workpiece, making precise cuts by burning through the material.

• The laser cutter can also engrave images and text by burning away a very small amount of material from the surface.

• Light from the laser core is bounced through a series of mirrors to the lens, which focuses the beam into a tiny point (about .001“ in diameter).

  

Cameras ( Naga only)

Naga is the newest and largest of our three laser cutters; it is also our only laser cutter with cameras. Naga’s cameras are located on the inside of the lid and provide a view of the laser cutter bed when the lid is shut.

The cameras make it easier to align files with material on the laser cutter bed. Users can see the bed and the material within the Epilog Dashboard and adjust the placement of files accordingly.

Materials

Only use Fimbel-approved materials in the Laser Cutter. Fimbel sells a variety of materials that can be used in the laser cutter, including Cardboard, Fabric, Birch Plywood, Paper, and Acrylic. If you have your own material for the laser cutter that you would like to bring to Fimbel, please check with staff before using it.

Banned Materials

Certain materials are banned and may not be used because they either create toxic gases when cut/engraved or generate dust that can damage the laser cutter and void the warranty.

When using new material, check in with a staff member beforehand. Material that cannot be identified cannot be used in the laser cutter.

Banned materials include (but are not limited to):

• ABS plastic
• Mirrored glass (contains mercury)
• Chrome Tanned Leather (vegetable tanned leather is ok)
• Carbon fibers (Carbon)
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Polyvinyl butyral (PVB)
• Polytetrafluoroethylenes (PTFE /Teflon)
• Beryllium oxide
• Vinyl (contains PVC)
• Any material containing halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine), epoxy or phenolic resins

Software

At Fimbel, we use Adobe Illustrator to create vector files for the Laser Cutter. Vector files from other programs, such as Fusion 360 or Rhino, can also be used, provided they are in .svg or .dxf format. For more information on preparing files in Illustrator, read through Adobe Illustrator Basic Skills.

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