Makespace - User contributions [en]

Equipment/Laser Cutter

2018-09-09T11:41:40Z

Miguel: Add test sheet

{{RedTool}}

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / Laser Cutter

[[File:Makespace-laser-cutter.JPG|thumb|460px|right|Our LS6090 PRO Laser Cutter]]

= Summary =

We have two LS 6090 PRO Laser Cutters. Each has a working area of 900mm by 600mm, and is powered by a 60w CO2 Water Cooled Laser Tube that can engrave and cut through materials such as wood, plastic, card, leather, fabrics, up to about 10-15mm thick (note, it can not cut metal). The laser cut is approximately 0.15mm wide, and a job can take a few seconds through to tens of minutes depending on material thickness and design complexity.

We have dedicated PCs running LaserCut 5.3 software to import, prepare and download jobs to the Laser Cutter. It can import various formats, with DXF being the most commonly used, so various software packages can be used to create your designs.

Here are some examples of laser jobs we've run (please add a photo of yours any time you do a job!)

<gallery>
File:Laser-cut-focus-tool.JPG
File:Laser-cut-front-panels.JPG
File:Laser-cut-lizards.JPG
File:Laser-cut-m-and-s.JPG
File:Laser-cut-model-building.JPG
File:Laser-cut-ply-m.JPG
File:Laser_output_-_makespace_arrow.JPG
File:Laser_box.jpg
File:Croc-small.jpg
File:LaserCutter_Jobs_1.jpg
File:LaserCutterGallery_20130328.jpg
File:LasercutSettlers.jpg
File:Wolfstock1.jpg
File:Mug-holder.jpg
File:2013-10-21 20.10.06.jpg
File:Indy jigster.png
</gallery>

= Using the Laser Cutters =

The laser cutters are a great way to easily produce accurate and complex 2D forms in various materials, and can be designed for with limited experience in various drawing or CAD applications. At the same time, it is an expensive tool with real risk of injury and fire, so is very important you know how to use it to avoid damaging yourself and the machine. '''You must only use the laser cutter if you have been trained, and if you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask for assistance.'''

== Owners ==

The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the laser cutter, organising maintenance, responding to technical issues and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the Laser Cutter are:

* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:DianaProbst|Diana Probst]]

== Trainers ==

The Trainers are those who have volunteered to teach others to use the laser cutter and to promote good working practice. The current Trainers for the Laser Cutter are:

* Brian Starkey
* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
* Katy Marshall

If you have any questions, problems or concerns around the laser cutter, please use the forum page:
* [http://makespace.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45 Laser Cutter Log]

For the old mailing list thread see here:
* [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/Tmce2iKVzD8/discussion Log : Laser Cutter]

== Training ==

<div style="background:#FADADD; border:1px solid #FFC0CB; padding:5px">
<b>YOU CAN ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED</b><br>
and have been added to the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training#Trained_Users|Trained Users]] list by one of the Owners
</div>

To get trained on the laser cutter and be added to the qualified user list, you will need to arrange for a training session with one of the Laser Cutter Owners.

If you'd like to arrange training, please see:
* [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training|Laser Cutter Training]]

== Health and Safety ==

The laser cutter is a potentially dangerous piece of equipment which must only be operated by members who have received appropriate training and who take due care. The top things to always remember when using the laser cutter are:
* '''ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU ARE ON THE LIST OF TRAINED USERS'''
* '''NEVER LEAVE THE LASER CUTTER RUNNING UNATTENDED'''
* '''KNOW WHAT TO DO IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT'''
* '''NEVER CUT MATERIALS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ARE SAFE'''

As a trained user, you should be very aware of the following risks and how to deal with them:

'''FIRE (under normal operation)''' - Cutting at the wrong speed or the wrong power can result in the material igniting
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* Small flashes of flame that don't hang around for a fraction of a second are acceptable, but any more is rare and not acceptable
* If a fire does take, this is the process you should follow (from minor to major):
** Press "pause" (the same button you started the job with) - This will turn the laser off so no more heat enters, and assuming the flame goes out, you can press "start" for the job to continue where it left off
** Open the lid - With the job paused, you can open the lid to blow out the flame. Again, it is possible to re-close the lid and continue where you left off
** Move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics; alternatively send the laser to home/datum), and smother with a spare sheet of material or blow out
** Use the workshop CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FIRE (abnormal operation)''' - If the head gets stuck or something else goes wrong, ignition could happen much more suddenly or intensely
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* If the head gets trapped (e.g. tomb-stoning of a piece, mechanical failure) or any other problem occurs that causes or could cause fire, this is the process you should follow:
** Hit the emergency stop
** Open the lid and move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics)
** Blow out, smother with a spare sheet of material, or use the CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame as appropriate
* Ensure a Maintainer looks at the machine before it is brought back in to action if it is not obvious what went wrong and all is ok
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FUMES''' - The laser cutting process will release different smoke and fumes depending on the material.
* Never cut PVC or a material you are not sure is safe. When PVC is heated it releases chlorine gas, this mixes with the moisture in the air and the result is hydrochloric acid which is toxic to humans and corrosive to machines.
* Ensure the filter is on and the cutter lid stays closed for a while after a job to allow the fumes to clear.
* If you are feeling strange, think the fume build up is too much, or for any other reason you are unsure, stop the job.

'''TRAPPING''' - The head and bed of the cutter can be moved by the front panel menu or programs in the machines memory.
* Be careful when working inside the cutting area or with the lid open not to trap hands, hair, clothing or anything else.
* Always check the machine for unexpected items that may have fallen in before closing the lid.
* Do not attempt to climb into the machine!

'''LASER BURNS/LIGHT''' - A 60W laser can do real damage.
* The laser should be safe within the confines of the machine, and cut-off automatically when the lid is open (although this should not be relied upon). The top window is safe to look through during a job, but do not attempt to interfere with these windows or the laser or in any way invent some way to look at the laser.
* Do not tamper with the laser cutter, or any interlocks. All side panels of the laser should always be closed and locked whilst the machine is plugged in.
* Do not put metal in the laser cutter.

== Can I cut it? ==

If it's not on this list, the answer is "NO YOU CAN'T CUT IT AT MAKESPACE". Even if other people say it's ok. Bear in mind that we can't ventilate externally like other people can.

If it's something that isn't covered here, do ask on the forums and we'll look into it :)

*Woody things
** Wood: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Plywood: yes if it is "laser ply". Normal plywood has non-laser compatible glue
** MDF: no. Clogs up our filters and smells bad.
** LaserMDF: no. It produces perhaps 50% the gunk of MDF but still too much.
** Cork: yes, but it with a badly charred edge, and won't cut very deeply --- try cutting from the back of your sheet and using the cut to guide a craft knife / scalpel to make a neat cut through to the front.

*Plasticy things
** Acrylic / Perspex: yes!
** PVC/Vinyl: absolutely not. Produces chlorine.
** Silicone: we tried it with very limited success. A mm or two perhaps, anything else chars and doesn't cut.
** White Delrin/Acetal: yes with great care. Make sure filters running well. Don't open lid too quickly. Check for fumes and fire.
** Black Delrin/Acetal: no. contains carbon black which can be toxic.
** Teflon: no (it is toxic)
** Nylon: no (consult an owner)
** Polythene/polyethylene: no (consult an owner)
** Lexan/Polycarbonate: no (consult an owner)
** Polypropylene: yes just. You must clean the bed. It will cut up to about 2mm. It's not a great quality cut, but just about doable. Fire risk.
** GPPS / Polystyrene / HIPS in thin solid sheet form: maybe. ask owner to help. NO FOAM (it's highly flammable)

*Papery things
** Card/Paper: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Tissue: yes if super super really careful (be REALLY careful of fire, have emergency procedure in place before you start)

*Metally things
** Metal of any thickness doesn't cut. The surface can be engraved with a paint application. LMM6000 Surmark/Thermark has been tested and is suggested for use, but expensive. The owners suggest a speed of 800 and maximum power.

*Exotics
** Fibre glass: no (unknown resin, glass particles)
** Carbon Fibre: no
** Slate: engravable for good effect

Good list of info here: http://inventionstudio.gatech.edu/wiki/Laser_cutter (page disappeared, some time before 2016-12-12)

Very detailed cutting properties here: http://microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/tools/Trotec_laser_cutter/Synrad%20LaserProcessingGuide_Plastics.pdf

== Instructions ==

To use the laser cutter, you must have been trained and have had your name added to the trained user list; these instructions are not a substitute for this training. See the training section to understand how you can become qualified to use the laser cutter.

Although not a requirement, it is recommended someone else trained is also present when using the laser cutter. Having two pairs of eyes helps avoid forgotten steps, allows for double checking, clarifications and discussions, and ensures a greater pool of experience is both present and being built up as the laser is used.

'''Power Up'''

Give the machine a quick visual check. Make sure that there is nothing left on the bed, the water reservoir of the chiller looks normal, and that the equipment has no obvious damage or signs of being out-of-action. If the bed looks like it has residue on it, give it a wipe with IPA and a cloth.

Turn on primary switch on the trunking marked 'Laser'. The air filter system to the right of the laser cutter should start as should the air pump and the chiller. It should power up, make a decent amount of noise, and the lights should indicate the filter is in good condition (i.e. no need for replacement).

Make sure the lid is closed. Turn on the laser using the key on the right hand side. The inspection lamp should come on, a satisfying hum start up, and the cutter go into doing its self-checks.

Before doing any job, the laser should be left to warm up for 4-5 mins. While the machine warms up, power on the adjacent PC and start the LaserCut application from the desktop. During this time the water temperature shown on the chiller should drop from ambient temperature to the usual setting of 18C.

'''LaserCut 5.3 tips'''
If you're stuck in "draw a box" mode, etc you can right click and hit "pick" to get your pointer back

'''Load your Design'''

The PC software has an import facility ('''file > import''') which seems to be happy taking AutoCAD 2004 DXF files and other formats. The workspace of the laser bed is represented as the workarea in the LaserCut software. If the import doesn't do what you want size-wise, you can select the whole image and then use the 'size' command from the drop down menu to set the dimension you want. Clicking on the three dots ... symbol will adjust the other axis in the same proportion (keeping the aspect ratio fixed). Selecting the 'centre on bed' option will locate your imported drawing on the centre of the machine's cutting bed.

'''Prep'''

Select all (mouse-drag around all, or ctrl-a) and Tools -> Unite Lines. You always want to do this. Without it, many things won't work (will take longer, you'll get gaps, it won't do inner-before-outer, etching areas won't work, etc).

Make sure all your design fits within the bed. Even in immediate (relative) mode, you still need to do this.

'''Assign Settings to Colours'''

Each part of your drawing that is assigned a different colour can have a different cut action assigned. Each colour will appear on the menu on the right hand side of the screen with numbers related to power and speed of the laser which will be used for the colour.

The main options are to Cut (line) or Engrave (raster fill). A marking on the material is a Cut. For each material and cutting depth required, a corresponding speed and power must be entered. The handbook provided with the machine gives suggested values for various materials but these should be considered as a starting point for a test. See the '''Power and Speed Settings''' section for our guidelines and experiences for these settings.

Parts are cut "inside out" within a colour, so if you have a hole cutout in a small piece you don't need to give this a separate colour.

'''Download to the Cutter'''

Your drawing will feature a blue dot which represents the starting point of the laser; this is by default on the top right corner (can be changed in the menu). In general, you will want to use "immediate" mode, which means this point represents wherever the laser is positioned when you start the job. You can also run the job in absolute mode by unchecking the box, making the job use absolute positioning on the workspace.

To download, select Download and Download Current; the download option will by default call the file on the laser cutter 'LASER'.

'''Set the Focus'''

Before each job, the focus needs to be checked and set by adjusting the height of the bed, and thus the work piece, from the lens. The critical dimension here is 41mm and several gauges made of perspex will be left around the machine. This gauge needs to be a fit between the top surface of the material you intend to cut and the white plastic 'flap' on the lens piece. The height of the table is adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons. Failure to set the distance correctly will result in an out of focus laser and much bigger (but lower powered) cut line. Always ensure there is clearance between the material and laser head before the head moves.

'''Aligning and Testing the Job'''

The cutter's menu will show the most recent downloaded file highlighted. Pressing the 'test' button will make the head travel along the square maximum extends of the cuts. This shows you that you have the material in the right place, and you have enough of it! You can do this repeatedly, moving the work piece by hand or the laser head using the arrow keys (after hitting ESC), until you are confident you have things where you want them.

'''Cut the Job'''

When happy with the location of the material, close the lid and press 'start' to start the cutter. Watch the head and at least at first be prepared to press the 'stop' button immediately if you find you are burning massive holes in your work piece! This goes back to doing some tests on a sample of your material and making sure you are happy with the cut speeds and power you have selected. You should stay near the cutter at all times and be prepared to pause it or stop it in the event of fire.

<span style="color:red">'''DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE CUTTER UNATTENDED'''</span>

'''Finishing'''

The end of the job is signified by a beep. Waiting a few moments for the exhaust pump to clear any remaining smoke is a good idea, especially with wood, and will limit the build up of smells in the rest of the workshop. Remove your work piece, ensuring that all parts are cleared from the bed of the machine.

'''Power Down'''

The cutter is turned off using the key switch, then the air filtering system with the green rocker switch. Shut down the PC and double check that everything is left in a safe state for the next user.

'''Clean the bed of debris using the soft brush, then wipe down the bed using IPA and a cloth.'''

If you have been cutting particularly 'dirty' materials, most notable MDF and Ply which leave a sticky residue then you will need to use the course side of one of the oven pads and lots of 'elbow grease'. Residue on the bed can impact the next persons' job so please make the effort to clean up and leave the cutter as you would wish to find it.

Go away excited by what you can make and come back with lots more drawings!

== Power and Speed Settings ==

In due time we will try to build up a large sample stock of materials and record the values which work best. Here are the sample material tests we have so far:

<gallery>
File:Laser-schmoo-3mm-acrylic.JPG|3mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-10mm-acrylic.JPG|10mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-9mm-mdf.JPG|9mm MDF (note: do not cut MDF - see above!)
</gallery>

Settings to get you started:
*3mm Acrylic: Speed 12, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Acrylic: Speed 6, Power 100, Corner power 100
*Acrylic shallow cut: Speed 30, power 50, corner power 50
*Etching acrylic: Speed 400, Power 50, Spacing 0.05

To make your own material test, a test grid can be downloaded here: [[Media:Test grid.zip]]

*3mm Delrin: Speed 10, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Delrin: Speed 4, Power 100, Corner power 100
*6mm Delrin: speed 3, Power 100, Corner power 100

=== Test sheet ===

One member designed this test sheet: [[Media:Laser_cutter_test_sheet.pdf]]

The LaserCut software has too few colours for all the settings, so if you want to cut again, you need to assign settings by batches, e.g. by assigning all items to the colour black, turning off that colour ("Output" checkbox unchecked), and giving the squares one colour at a time with the right settings.

== Tips & Tricks ==

* If the laser cutter's user interface does not seem to respond/do what you want, hit "ESC" to return to 'normal mode'.
* The opaque white acrylic needs slightly stronger settings for surface cuts as they are not as visible as in the transparent acrylic (i.e., for similar effect you need a deeper cut). Otherwise seems to cut equivalently to transparent acrylics.
* If you want a tight fit of pieces or very accurate sizing, keep in mind that the laser beam has a width of just over 0.1 mm (maybe 0.11 or 0.12 mm). So all exterior cut lines should be offset by 0.05 mm; you can do this very easily in the LaserCutter Software with the "Offset" tool (units are in mm, so enter '0.05' and select 'Outer').
* The DXF file format stores values only (not values and units). The internal units in the LaserCutter are in mm. If you set your document's units to mm in the exporting CAD system it should work fine, but generally it is a good idea to have a piece of geometry of known length, e.g. a line 100mm long, or a box of known size around your design. This makes adjusting the scaling a lot easier.
* If you want to export a DXF from Inkscape (which is a great, free vector drawing package), then make sure you do "Object to path" from the Path menu for the whole object and then during the export stage, untick both options for type of export. Choose mm as your unit.
* There's now a page to help with Inkscape and our laser at [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Inkscape]]
* If the jog buttons (arrow keys moving the laser head around) are only moving the head in small single steps rather than moving it continuously, make sure that the jog step size is set to 0.0mm in the Jog Settings section of the menu.

=== Material Usage ===
You want to use as little material as possible to save money, we want you to use as little material as possible to reduce re-stocking burden and wastage.
There's a neat tool you can use for packing SVG files into small spaces, find it here: http://svgnest.com/

== Fixing up a job that went wrong ==

If you messed up a job and, for example, some cut lines weren't cut, you might try to run the job again after recolouring all of the lines except the ones that didn't cut. You can then deselect those lines for output in the Cut/Engrave window on the top right of the Lasercut Interface, and this will keep your positioning.

If your head has moved, you can try setting some lines to power 1, which should not cut anything, but allows you to see where the head is travelling.

== Fixing strange issues ==

''Jaws has a FAQ on the desktop of her PC, with more useful hints, tricks, and solutions.''

* Etching doesn't work
** Lines are not closed. LaserCut usually warns you about this. Ctrl-a to select all, then Tools->Unite Lines (0.001 should be fine).
** Two copies on top of each other. Copies on top of each other "cancel out" any etching. Delete one copy.
** Test with Menu->Laser->Simulate

* LaserCut will not download to the laser cutter
** Check laser cutter isn't in a paused state
** Restart LaserCut on the PC. (We've not had any usb issues nor needed to restart the laser since upgrading the PC summer 2014).

* Laser cuts things out 2+ times
** Check you don't have two copies loaded on top of each other
** Check it's not set to cut multiple times in LaserCut (this setting is right of the Cut/Engrave/Speed/Power settings)
** Check the laser front panel says "001" at the bottom. If not, press right arrow until the number is highlighted, then down to adjust back to 1, then press return.

* Laser will only cut at the top right of the bed
** Download again with Immediate Mode ticked
** On laser panel, press return (I think?) then right twice (should select the bottom left option), then press return (I think).

*You Hit Emergency stop
** E-M button needs twisting to re-activate
** If that fails - check the circuit breaker inside. From the back of the machine, you want to open the lower flap on the left side, which should be unlocked. Near to the back, there is a breaker board. Flip the flippy bit.

== Material Stock ==
For the stock we hold, please see the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Stock|Laser cutter stock]] page.

= Maintenance =

The maintenance of the Laser Cutter is carried out by the Owners, with some basic maintenance being carried out by Users on every job.

== Maintenance Schedule ==

Continuous Maintenance ('''Every job, done by all Laser Cutter Users''')
* Clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth or Swarfega wipes
* Clean any debris off laser bed and surround using soft brush

Basic Maintenance (Every week, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Clean the laser lens with IPA and cotton buds
* Oil the 3 runners with 3-in-one light oil
* Thoroughly clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth
* Check the water level in the cooling tank
* Clean and remove debris from the machine base and catchment drawer

Full Maintenance (Every 4 weeks, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Check the water is clean in the cooling tank (i.e. no contamination/organic build up)
* Check filter unit for filter renewal
* Oil the 4 rise and fall lead screws with 3-in-one light oil
* Check mirrors and clean with a disposable sachet lens cleaner cloth (only if needed, mirror coatings are delicate)
* Work through mirror alignment procedure to check alignment of mirrors

== Maintenance Log ==

''For full log, see laser cutter wall sheet''

For specific instructions and owner hints and tips see [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Owner_Tips|Owner Hints and Tricks]].

'''Filter Changes'''
* Jaws: 10 Feb to 22 June 2016, slightly under 5 months, and falling
* Betsy: Freshest data currently in filter unit, gave up on 24th of June

'''Reactive Maintenance'''
* 15th Jan 2013, Simon Ford: Laser cutter not powering up, with switching on via key gives no activity whatsoever. No recollection of it cutting out during a job (Alexis), so assume it just stopped turning on at some point. Filter box and power sockets confirmed OK. Diagnosis: RCD in right back panel of Laser reset to off, no obvious reason why. Switching back on brought everything back to life OK.
* 22nd, Simon Ford; 29th, Nicholas - same again.

* Apr 2014, Mat Cook and Diana Probst: after previous changing of chiller water (Roger et al) the pump was complaining of lack of flow. Changed water and filtered, removed small blockage from rubber hose on laser tube.

* 16 Apr 2014, Toby and Diana: changed laser tube, refilled chiller. Laser cutter fully working.

* 25 Oct 2014, Mat and Diana mended lid spring brace. Cutter working fully.

'''Regular Maintenance'''
* Week Number, Date, Type, Owner (Notes)

2013
* January 7, Full, Chris @ HPCLaser'''
* January 14, Basic, Simon Ford
* January 21, Full, Simon Ford (running better than new :)'''
* ...various maintenance events happened...
* April 5th, Full, Simon Ford
* July 1st, Full, David Barham (realigned mirrors)
* July 15th, installed chiller

2014
* 16 Apr 2014, mirror alignment and optics checked after re-installation of tube. All fine. Toby and Diana.
* 19 May 2014, mirrors cleaned, earthing wire on lid tightened. Diana (and Mat's screwdriver)
* 21 May 2014, cleaned lens with Mat Cook. Diana
* 02 Jun 2014, removed and cleaned laser bed
* 14 Sep 2014, cleaned lens and mirrors, realigned. Diana and Brian Starkey

* 30 Jun 2014 Fitted microswitches in series with the magnetic "lid closed" detector.
* ??? 2014 "Jaws" Second laser cutter acquired
* ??? 2014 Fitted microswitch to Jaws

== Maintenance Shopping List ==

* 3-in-one light oil
* Cotton Buds
* Lens cleaner sachets
* Soft paint/cleaning brush
* Thermometer for water tank
* Hand held CO2 extinguisher

= Further Information =

* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser Product Page]
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&chapter=2 HPCLaser Technical Info]
* [http://www.laserscript.co.uk/phpBB3/ Laserscript Forum]

LaserCut 5.3
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/sale/35.html Homepage]
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/down/LaserCut5.3%20Manual%20V1.6.pdf Manual]

[[BitmapLaserEngraving]]

== Installation ==

<gallery>
File:Laser_-_van.JPG
File:Makespace-laser-install-02.JPG
File:Laser_-_building_2.JPG
File:Laser_-_building.JPG
</gallery>

== Purchase ==

Full Purchase, Delivery and Installation (£6865.00+vat = £8238.00)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser engraving and cutting machine, 600mm by 900mm 60W] (£5250.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=34 Laser Fume Filter] (£1250.00+vat)
* Delivery (£190+vat)
* Installation/Training (£175+vat)

== Repairs ==

We expect to have to change the following parts for general maintenance:
* The laser tube (guess every 6-12 months)
* The filter (guess every 3-6 months)
* The optics (guess every 6-12 months)

Maintenance and Spares:
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=3 60 watt C02 laser tube] (£275.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12 50 mm Focus Meniscus Lens] (£75.00+vat)
* Estimate for Call Out (£200.00)

File:Laser cutter test sheet.pdf

2018-09-09T11:39:41Z

Miguel: Laser cutter test sheet. Our wiki disallows SVG and DXF as formats but this PDF file was saved in Adobe Illustrator with "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" checked.

Laser cutter test sheet. Our wiki disallows SVG and DXF as formats but this PDF file was saved in Adobe Illustrator with "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" checked.

LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ)

2018-07-08T16:00:46Z

Miguel: format link properly

== Failure in "Download current" ==

If it appears to talk to the laser, but "Download Current" does not work, it's because LaserCut cannot write to a couple of files in C:\ root. Temp workaround: run as admin. Full workaround: update permissions for these files.

== Unable to change power of Engrave ==

If you can change the speed in engrave mode and every other setting in cut mode, but not the power in engrave mode (e.g., it's stuck at 15), then change **both** the power and the speed, which unlocks the setting of power.

== "We have finded overlap data,please checd data and ouptu" ==

This means that some of your engraving paths overlap, and so the laser will turn on when it finds the outermost path and off when it finds an overlap. If you have the same shape twice, the laser will do the engraving passes without turning on and look like the laser is out of power. See also [https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/111461/laser-cutter-is-not-engraving-and-saying-we-have-finded-overlap-data/111462#111462 this StackExchange thread].

LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ)

2018-07-08T15:59:46Z

Miguel: Add cryptic error message with overlap data

== Failure in "Download current" ==

If it appears to talk to the laser, but "Download Current" does not work, it's because LaserCut cannot write to a couple of files in C:\ root. Temp workaround: run as admin. Full workaround: update permissions for these files.

== Unable to change power of Engrave ==

If you can change the speed in engrave mode and every other setting in cut mode, but not the power in engrave mode (e.g., it's stuck at 15), then change **both** the power and the speed, which unlocks the setting of power.

== "We have finded overlap data,please checd data and ouptu" ==

This means that some of your engraving paths overlap, and so the laser will turn on when it finds the outermost path and off when it finds an overlap. If you have the same shape twice, the laser will do the engraving passes without turning on and look like the laser is out of power. See also [this StackExchange thread](https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/111461/laser-cutter-is-not-engraving-and-saying-we-have-finded-overlap-data/111462#111462).

LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ)

2018-07-08T15:57:07Z

Miguel: Miguel moved page LaserCut53Notes to LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ): unable to find this page when searching for "laser cutter"

LaserCut53Notes

2018-07-08T15:57:07Z

Miguel: Miguel moved page LaserCut53Notes to LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ): unable to find this page when searching for "laser cutter"

#REDIRECT [[LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ)]]

LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ)

2018-07-01T19:37:59Z

Miguel: Fix formatting

LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ)

2018-07-01T19:37:09Z

Miguel: Fix formatting

##Failure in "Download current"##

If it appears to talk to the laser, but "Download Current" does not work, it's because LaserCut cannot write to a couple of files in C:\ root. Temp workaround: run as admin. Full workaround: update permissions for these files.

##Unable to change power of Engrave##

If you can change the speed in engrave mode and every other setting in cut mode, but not the power in engrave mode (e.g., it's stuck at 15), then change **both** the power and the speed, which unlocks the setting of power.

LaserCut53Notes (Laser Cutter Notes and FAQ)

2018-07-01T19:36:45Z

Miguel: Add problem and solution in changing engrave power

# Failure in "Download current" #

If it appears to talk to the laser, but "Download Current" does not work, it's because LaserCut cannot write to a couple of files in C:\ root. Temp workaround: run as admin. Full workaround: update permissions for these files.

# Unable to change power of Engrave #

If you can change the speed in engrave mode and every other setting in cut mode, but not the power in engrave mode (e.g., it's stuck at 15), then change **both** the power and the speed, which unlocks the setting of power.

File:Dell 3100 color printer.jpeg

2017-12-28T20:13:12Z

Miguel:

BitmapLaserEngraving

2017-12-17T13:43:51Z

Miguel:

Miguel Morin (this author) tried to reproduce the bitmap engraving on display at MakeSpace, which the creator no longer remembered. I used ImageMagick's convert function with some settings.

First, I decided to use scan gap 0.05, or 20 pixels per mm, or 508 pixels per inch. That is the density. Then I divided the size of the piece I wanted to engrave by the density to obtain the size of the image in pixels. In my case, it was 1920x2560. I added "^" at the end so ImageMagick adjusts the size of the image to be higher than either of the dimensions, possibly adding a bleed:

convert /path/to/input/file -resize 1920x2560^ -density 5080 /path/to/output/file

The next command converts this resized image to a 1-bit bitmap, either black or white, i.e. either on or off:

convert /path/to/output/file/from/above -colors 2 +dither -type bilevel /path/to/final/output/file

This file is ready for LaserCut 5.3.

I tried both commands at once and LaserCut interpreted the output file as a grayscale and engraved only the darkest pixels. Doing it in two steps seemed to work.

I also tried half-toning the image and got different results, with more grain, but also a better overall resolution. The picture below shows the half-tone engraving on the left (made with Illustrator) and a dither engraving with the above details. Both pieces are stained with Tru-Oil 3 times. The staining compressed much of the contrast between black and white on the piece to the right.
[[File:LaserBitmapEngraving.JPG]]

File:LaserBitmapEngraving.JPG

2017-12-17T13:43:00Z

Miguel: Laser bitmap engraving with half-tone and dither commands

Laser bitmap engraving with half-tone and dither commands

BitmapLaserEngraving

2017-12-17T13:41:21Z

Miguel:

Equipment/Laser Cutter

2017-12-10T21:18:26Z

Miguel:

{{RedTool}}

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / Laser Cutter

[[File:Makespace-laser-cutter.JPG|thumb|460px|right|Our LS6090 PRO Laser Cutter]]

= Summary =

We have two LS 6090 PRO Laser Cutters. Each has a working area of 900mm by 600mm, and is powered by a 60w CO2 Water Cooled Laser Tube that can engrave and cut through materials such as wood, plastic, card, leather, fabrics, up to about 10-15mm thick (note, it can not cut metal). The laser cut is approximately 0.15mm wide, and a job can take a few seconds through to tens of minutes depending on material thickness and design complexity.

We have dedicated PCs running LaserCut 5.3 software to import, prepare and download jobs to the Laser Cutter. It can import various formats, with DXF being the most commonly used, so various software packages can be used to create your designs.

Here are some examples of laser jobs we've run (please add a photo of yours any time you do a job!)

<gallery>
File:Laser-cut-focus-tool.JPG
File:Laser-cut-front-panels.JPG
File:Laser-cut-lizards.JPG
File:Laser-cut-m-and-s.JPG
File:Laser-cut-model-building.JPG
File:Laser-cut-ply-m.JPG
File:Laser_output_-_makespace_arrow.JPG
File:Laser_box.jpg
File:Croc-small.jpg
File:LaserCutter_Jobs_1.jpg
File:LaserCutterGallery_20130328.jpg
File:LasercutSettlers.jpg
File:Wolfstock1.jpg
File:Mug-holder.jpg
File:2013-10-21 20.10.06.jpg
File:Indy jigster.png
</gallery>

= Using the Laser Cutter =

The laser cutter is a great way to easily produce accurate and complex 2D forms in various materials, and can be designed for with limited experience in various drawing or CAD applications. At the same time, it is an expensive tool with real risk of injury and fire, so is very important you know how to use it to avoid damaging yourself and the machine. '''You must only use the laser cutter if you have been trained, and if you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask for assistance.'''

== Owners ==

The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the laser cutter, organising maintenance, responding to technical issues and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the Laser Cutter are:

* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:DianaProbst|Diana Probst]]
* Owners who are a little less current, but may still be able to help:
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]

== Trainers ==

The Trainers are those who have volunteered to teach others to use the laser cutter and to promote good working practice. The current Trainers for the Laser Cutter are:

* Brian Starkey
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]
* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Miguel Morin
* [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
* Katy Marshall
* Currently slightly less frequent trainers are:
** Martin de Selincourt
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]
** [[User:Tmonca|Toby Moncaster]]

If you have any questions, problems or concerns around the laser cutter, please use the forum page:
* [http://makespace.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45 Laser Cutter Log]

For the old mailing list thread see here:
* [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/Tmce2iKVzD8/discussion Log : Laser Cutter]

== Training ==

<div style="background:#FADADD; border:1px solid #FFC0CB; padding:5px">
<b>YOU CAN ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED</b><br>
and have been added to the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training#Trained_Users|Trained Users]] list by one of the Owners
</div>

To get trained on the laser cutter and be added to the qualified user list, you will need to arrange for a training session with one of the Laser Cutter Owners.

If you'd like to arrange training, please see:
* [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training|Laser Cutter Training]]

== Health and Safety ==

The laser cutter is a potentially dangerous piece of equipment which must only be operated by members who have received appropriate training and who take due care. The top things to always remember when using the laser cutter are:
* '''ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU ARE ON THE LIST OF TRAINED USERS'''
* '''NEVER LEAVE THE LASER CUTTER RUNNING UNATTENDED'''
* '''KNOW WHAT TO DO IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT'''
* '''NEVER CUT MATERIALS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ARE SAFE'''

As a trained user, you should be very aware of the following risks and how to deal with them:

'''FIRE (under normal operation)''' - Cutting at the wrong speed or the wrong power can result in the material igniting
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* Small flashes of flame that don't hang around for a fraction of a second are acceptable, but any more is rare and not acceptable
* If a fire does take, this is the process you should follow (from minor to major):
** Press "pause" (the same button you started the job with) - This will turn the laser off so no more heat enters, and assuming the flame goes out, you can press "start" for the job to continue where it left off
** Open the lid - With the job paused, you can open the lid to blow out the flame. Again, it is possible to re-close the lid and continue where you left off
** Move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics; alternatively send the laser to home/datum), and smother with a spare sheet of material or blow out
** Use the workshop CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FIRE (abnormal operation)''' - If the head gets stuck or something else goes wrong, ignition could happen much more suddenly or intensely
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* If the head gets trapped (e.g. tomb-stoning of a piece, mechanical failure) or any other problem occurs that causes or could cause fire, this is the process you should follow:
** Hit the emergency stop
** Open the lid and move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics)
** Blow out, smother with a spare sheet of material, or use the CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame as appropriate
* Ensure a Maintainer looks at the machine before it is brought back in to action if it is not obvious what went wrong and all is ok
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FUMES''' - The laser cutting process will release different smoke and fumes depending on the material.
* Never cut PVC or a material you are not sure is safe. When PVC is heated it releases chlorine gas, this mixes with the moisture in the air and the result is hydrochloric acid which is toxic to humans and corrosive to machines.
* Ensure the filter is on and the cutter lid stays closed for a while after a job to allow the fumes to clear.
* If you are feeling strange, think the fume build up is too much, or for any other reason you are unsure, stop the job.

'''TRAPPING''' - The head and bed of the cutter can be moved by the front panel menu or programs in the machines memory.
* Be careful when working inside the cutting area or with the lid open not to trap hands, hair, clothing or anything else.
* Always check the machine for unexpected items that may have fallen in before closing the lid.
* Do not attempt to climb into the machine!

'''LASER BURNS/LIGHT''' - A 60W laser can do real damage.
* The laser should be safe within the confines of the machine, and cut-off automatically when the lid is open (although this should not be relied upon). The top window is safe to look through during a job, but do not attempt to interfere with these windows or the laser or in any way invent some way to look at the laser.
* Do not tamper with the laser cutter, or any interlocks. All side panels of the laser should always be closed and locked whilst the machine is plugged in.
* Do not put metal in the laser cutter.

== Can I cut it? ==

If it's not on this list, the answer is "NO YOU CAN'T CUT IT AT MAKESPACE". Even if other people say it's ok. Bear in mind that we can't ventilate externally like other people can.

If it's something that isn't covered here, do ask on the forums and we'll look into it :)

*Woody things
** Wood: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Plywood: yes if it is "laser ply". Normal plywood has non-laser compatible glue
** MDF: no. Clogs up our filters and smells bad.
** LaserMDF: no. It produces perhaps 50% the gunk of MDF but still too much.
** Cork: yes, but it with a badly charred edge, and won't cut very deeply --- try cutting from the back of your sheet and using the cut to guide a craft knife / scalpel to make a neat cut through to the front.

*Plasticy things
** Acrylic / Perspex: yes!
** PVC/Vinyl: absolutely not. Produces chlorine.
** Silicone: we tried it with very limited success. A mm or two perhaps, anything else chars and doesn't cut.
** White Delrin/Acetal: yes with great care. Make sure filters running well. Don't open lid too quickly. Check for fumes and fire.
** Black Delrin/Acetal: no. contains carbon black which can be toxic.
** Teflon: no (it is toxic)
** Nylon: no (consult an owner)
** Polythene/polyethylene: no (consult an owner)
** Lexan/Polycarbonate: no (consult an owner)
** Polypropylene: yes just. You must clean the bed. It will cut up to about 2mm. It's not a great quality cut, but just about doable. Fire risk.
** GPPS / Polystyrene / HIPS in thin solid sheet form: maybe. ask owner to help. NO FOAM (it's highly flammable)

*Papery things
** Card/Paper: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Tissue: yes if super super really careful (be REALLY careful of fire, have emergency procedure in place before you start)

*Metally things
** Metal of any thickness doesn't cut. The surface can be engraved with a paint application. LMM6000 Surmark/Thermark has been tested and is suggested for use, but expensive. The owners suggest a speed of 800 and maximum power.

*Exotics
** Fibre glass: no (unknown resin, glass particles)
** Carbon Fibre: no
** Slate: engravable for good effect

Good list of info here: http://inventionstudio.gatech.edu/wiki/Laser_cutter (page disappeared, some time before 2016-12-12)

Very detailed cutting properties here: http://microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/tools/Trotec_laser_cutter/Synrad%20LaserProcessingGuide_Plastics.pdf

== Instructions ==

To use the laser cutter, you must have been trained and have had your name added to the trained user list; these instructions are not a substitute for this training. See the training section to understand how you can become qualified to use the laser cutter.

Although not a requirement, it is recommended someone else trained is also present when using the laser cutter. Having two pairs of eyes helps avoid forgotten steps, allows for double checking, clarifications and discussions, and ensures a greater pool of experience is both present and being built up as the laser is used.

'''Power Up'''

Give the machine a quick visual check. Make sure that there is nothing left on the bed, the water reservoir of the chiller looks normal, and that the equipment has no obvious damage or signs of being out-of-action. If the bed looks like it has residue on it, give it a wipe with IPA and a cloth.

Turn on primary switch on the trunking marked 'Laser'. The air filter system to the right of the laser cutter should start as should the air pump and the chiller. It should power up, make a decent amount of noise, and the lights should indicate the filter is in good condition (i.e. no need for replacement).

Make sure the lid is closed. Turn on the laser using the key on the right hand side. The inspection lamp should come on, a satisfying hum start up, and the cutter go into doing its self-checks.

Before doing any job, the laser should be left to warm up for 4-5 mins. While the machine warms up, power on the adjacent PC and start the LaserCut application from the desktop. During this time the water temperature shown on the chiller should drop from ambient temperature to the usual setting of 18C.

'''Load your Design'''

The PC software has an import facility ('''file > import''') which seems to be happy taking AutoCAD 2004 DXF files and other formats. The workspace of the laser bed is represented as the workarea in the LaserCut software. If the import doesn't do what you want size-wise, you can select the whole image and then use the 'size' command from the drop down menu to set the dimension you want. Clicking on the three dots ... symbol will adjust the other axis in the same proportion (keeping the aspect ratio fixed). Selecting the 'centre on bed' option will locate your imported drawing on the centre of the machine's cutting bed.

'''Assign Settings to Colours'''

Each part of your drawing that is assigned a different colour can have a different cut action assigned. Each colour will appear on the menu on the right hand side of the screen with numbers related to power and speed of the laser which will be used for the colour.

The main options are to Cut (line) or Engrave (raster fill). A marking on the material is a Cut. For each material and cutting depth required, a corresponding speed and power must be entered. The handbook provided with the machine gives suggested values for various materials but these should be considered as a starting point for a test. See the '''Power and Speed Settings''' section for our guidelines and experiences for these settings.

'''Download to the Cutter'''

Your drawing will feature a blue dot which represents the starting point of the laser; this is by default on the top right corner. In general, you will want to use "immediate" mode, which means this point represents wherever the laser is positioned when you start the job. You can also run the job in absolute mode by unchecking the box, making the job use absolute positioning on the workspace.

To download, select Download and Download Current; the download option will by default call the file on the laser cutter 'LASER'.

'''Set the Focus'''

Before each job, the focus needs to be checked and set by adjusting the height of the bed, and thus the work piece, from the lens. The critical dimension here is 41mm and several gauges made of perspex will be left around the machine. This gauge needs to be a fit between the top surface of the material you intend to cut and the white plastic 'flap' on the lens piece. The height of the table is adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons. Failure to set the distance correctly will result in an out of focus laser and much bigger (but lower powered) cut line. Always ensure there is clearance between the material and laser head before the head moves.

'''Aligning and Testing the Job'''

The cutter's menu will show the most recent downloaded file highlighted. Pressing the 'test' button will make the head travel along the square maximum extends of the cuts. This shows you that you have the material in the right place, and you have enough of it! You can do this repeatedly, moving the work piece by hand or the laser head using the arrow keys (after hitting ESC), until you are confident you have things where you want them.

'''Cut the Job'''

When happy with the location of the material, close the lid and press 'start' to start the cutter. Watch the head and at least at first be prepared to press the 'stop' button immediately if you find you are burning massive holes in your work piece! This goes back to doing some tests on a sample of your material and making sure you are happy with the cut speeds and power you have selected. You should stay near the cutter at all times and be prepared to pause it or stop it in the event of fire.

<span style="color:red">'''DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE CUTTER UNATTENDED'''</span>

'''Finishing'''

The end of the job is signified by a beep. Waiting a few moments for the exhaust pump to clear any remaining smoke is a good idea, especially with wood, and will limit the build up of smells in the rest of the workshop. Remove your work piece, ensuring that all parts are cleared from the bed of the machine.

'''Power Down'''

The cutter is turned off using the key switch, then the air filtering system with the green rocker switch. Shut down the PC and double check that everything is left in a safe state for the next user.

'''Clean the bed of debris using the soft brush, then wipe down the bed using IPA and a cloth.'''

If you have been cutting particularly 'dirty' materials, most notable MDF and Ply which leave a sticky residue then you will need to use the course side of one of the oven pads and lots of 'elbow grease'. Residue on the bed can impact the next persons' job so please make the effort to clean up and leave the cutter as you would wish to find it.

Go away excited by what you can make and come back with lots more drawings!

== Power and Speed Settings ==

In due time we will try to build up a large sample stock of materials and record the values which work best. Here are the sample material tests we have so far:

<gallery>
File:Laser-schmoo-3mm-acrylic.JPG|3mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-10mm-acrylic.JPG|10mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-9mm-mdf.JPG|9mm MDF (note: do not cut MDF - see above!)
</gallery>

Settings to get you started:
*3mm Acrylic: Speed 12, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Acrylic: Speed 6, Power 100, Corner power 100
*Acrylic shallow cut: Speed 30, power 50, corner power 50
*Etching acrylic: Speed 400, Power 50, Spacing 0.05

To make your own material test, a test grid can be downloaded here: [[Media:Test grid.zip]]

*3mm Delrin: Speed 10, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Delrin: Speed 4, Power 100, Corner power 100
*6mm Delrin: speed 3, Power 100, Corner power 100

== Tips & Tricks ==

* If the laser cutter's user interface does not seem to respond/do what you want, hit "ESC" to return to 'normal mode'.
* The opaque white acrylic needs slightly stronger settings for surface cuts as they are not as visible as in the transparent acrylic (i.e., for similar effect you need a deeper cut). Otherwise seems to cut equivalently to transparent acrylics.
* If you want a tight fit of pieces or very accurate sizing, keep in mind that the laser beam has a width of just over 0.1 mm (maybe 0.11 or 0.12 mm). So all exterior cut lines should be offset by 0.05 mm; you can do this very easily in the LaserCutter Software with the "Offset" tool (units are in mm, so enter '0.05' and select 'Outer').
* The DXF file format stores values only (not values and units). The internal units in the LaserCutter are in mm. If you set your document's units to mm in the exporting CAD system it should work fine, but generally it is a good idea to have a piece of geometry of known length, e.g. a line 100mm long, or a box of known size around your design. This makes adjusting the scaling a lot easier.
* If you want to export a DXF from Inkscape (which is a great, free vector drawing package), then make sure you do "Object to path" from the Path menu for the whole object and then during the export stage, untick both options for type of export. Choose mm as your unit.
* There's now a page to help with Inkscape and our laser at [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Inkscape]]
* If the jog buttons (arrow keys moving the laser head around) are only moving the head in small single steps rather than moving it continuously, make sure that the jog step size is set to 0.0mm in the Jog Settings section of the menu.

=== Material Usage ===
You want to use as little material as possible to save money, we want you to use as little material as possible to reduce re-stocking burden and wastage.
There's a neat tool you can use for packing SVG files into small spaces, find it here: http://svgnest.com/

== Fixing up a job that went wrong ==

If you messed up a job and, for example, some cut lines weren't cut, you might try to run the job again after recolouring all of the lines except the ones that didn't cut. You can then deselect those lines for output in the Cut/Engrave window on the top right of the Lasercut Interface, and this will keep your positioning.

If your head has moved, you can try setting some lines to power 1, which should not cut anything, but allows you to see where the head is travelling.

== Fixing strange issues ==

''Jaws has a FAQ on the desktop of her PC, with more useful hints, tricks, and solutions.''

* Etching doesn't work
** Lines are not closed. LaserCut usually warns you about this. Ctrl-a to select all, then Tools->Unite Lines (0.001 should be fine).
** Two copies on top of each other. Copies on top of each other "cancel out" any etching. Delete one copy.
** Test with Menu->Laser->Simulate

* LaserCut will not download to the laser cutter
** Check laser cutter isn't in a paused state
** Restart LaserCut on the PC. (We've not had any usb issues nor needed to restart the laser since upgrading the PC summer 2014).

* Laser cuts things out 2+ times
** Check you don't have two copies loaded on top of each other
** Check it's not set to cut multiple times in LaserCut (this setting is right of the Cut/Engrave/Speed/Power settings)
** Check the laser front panel says "001" at the bottom. If not, press right arrow until the number is highlighted, then down to adjust back to 1, then press return.

* Laser will only cut at the top right of the bed
** Download again with Immediate Mode ticked
** On laser panel, press return (I think?) then right twice (should select the bottom left option), then press return (I think).

*You Hit Emergency stop
** E-M button needs twisting to re-activate
** If that fails - check the circuit breaker inside. From the back of the machine, you want to open the lower flap on the left side, which should be unlocked. Near to the back, there is a breaker board. Flip the flippy bit.

== Material Stock ==
For the stock we hold, please see the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Stock|Laser cutter stock]] page.

= Maintenance =

The maintenance of the Laser Cutter is carried out by the Owners, with some basic maintenance being carried out by Users on every job.

== Maintenance Schedule ==

Continuous Maintenance ('''Every job, done by all Laser Cutter Users''')
* Clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth or Swarfega wipes
* Clean any debris off laser bed and surround using soft brush

Basic Maintenance (Every week, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Clean the laser lens with IPA and cotton buds
* Oil the 3 runners with 3-in-one light oil
* Thoroughly clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth
* Check the water level in the cooling tank
* Clean and remove debris from the machine base and catchment drawer

Full Maintenance (Every 4 weeks, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Check the water is clean in the cooling tank (i.e. no contamination/organic build up)
* Check filter unit for filter renewal
* Oil the 4 rise and fall lead screws with 3-in-one light oil
* Check mirrors and clean with a disposable sachet lens cleaner cloth (only if needed, mirror coatings are delicate)
* Work through mirror alignment procedure to check alignment of mirrors

== Maintenance Log ==

''For full log, see laser cutter wall sheet''

For specific instructions and owner hints and tips see [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Owner_Tips|Owner Hints and Tricks]].

'''Filter Changes'''
* Jaws: 10 Feb to 22 June 2016, slightly under 5 months, and falling
* Betsy: Freshest data currently in filter unit, gave up on 24th of June

'''Reactive Maintenance'''
* 15th Jan 2013, Simon Ford: Laser cutter not powering up, with switching on via key gives no activity whatsoever. No recollection of it cutting out during a job (Alexis), so assume it just stopped turning on at some point. Filter box and power sockets confirmed OK. Diagnosis: RCD in right back panel of Laser reset to off, no obvious reason why. Switching back on brought everything back to life OK.
* 22nd, Simon Ford; 29th, Nicholas - same again.

* Apr 2014, Mat Cook and Diana Probst: after previous changing of chiller water (Roger et al) the pump was complaining of lack of flow. Changed water and filtered, removed small blockage from rubber hose on laser tube.

* 16 Apr 2014, Toby and Diana: changed laser tube, refilled chiller. Laser cutter fully working.

* 25 Oct 2014, Mat and Diana mended lid spring brace. Cutter working fully.

'''Regular Maintenance'''
* Week Number, Date, Type, Owner (Notes)

2013
* January 7, Full, Chris @ HPCLaser'''
* January 14, Basic, Simon Ford
* January 21, Full, Simon Ford (running better than new :)'''
* ...various maintenance events happened...
* April 5th, Full, Simon Ford
* July 1st, Full, David Barham (realigned mirrors)
* July 15th, installed chiller

2014
* 16 Apr 2014, mirror alignment and optics checked after re-installation of tube. All fine. Toby and Diana.
* 19 May 2014, mirrors cleaned, earthing wire on lid tightened. Diana (and Mat's screwdriver)
* 21 May 2014, cleaned lens with Mat Cook. Diana
* 02 Jun 2014, removed and cleaned laser bed
* 14 Sep 2014, cleaned lens and mirrors, realigned. Diana and Brian Starkey

* 30 Jun 2014 Fitted microswitches in series with the magnetic "lid closed" detector.
* ??? 2014 "Jaws" Second laser cutter acquired
* ??? 2014 Fitted microswitch to Jaws

== Maintenance Shopping List ==

* 3-in-one light oil
* Cotton Buds
* Lens cleaner sachets
* Soft paint/cleaning brush
* Thermometer for water tank
* Hand held CO2 extinguisher

= Further Information =

* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser Product Page]
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&chapter=2 HPCLaser Technical Info]
* [http://www.laserscript.co.uk/phpBB3/ Laserscript Forum]

LaserCut 5.3
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/sale/35.html Homepage]
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/down/LaserCut5.3%20Manual%20V1.6.pdf Manual]

[[BitmapLaserEngraving]]

== Installation ==

<gallery>
File:Laser_-_van.JPG
File:Makespace-laser-install-02.JPG
File:Laser_-_building_2.JPG
File:Laser_-_building.JPG
</gallery>

== Purchase ==

Full Purchase, Delivery and Installation (£6865.00+vat = £8238.00)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser engraving and cutting machine, 600mm by 900mm 60W] (£5250.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=34 Laser Fume Filter] (£1250.00+vat)
* Delivery (£190+vat)
* Installation/Training (£175+vat)

== Repairs ==

We expect to have to change the following parts for general maintenance:
* The laser tube (guess every 6-12 months)
* The filter (guess every 3-6 months)
* The optics (guess every 6-12 months)

Maintenance and Spares:
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=3 60 watt C02 laser tube] (£275.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12 50 mm Focus Meniscus Lens] (£75.00+vat)
* Estimate for Call Out (£200.00)

/BitmapLaserEngraving

2017-12-10T21:17:50Z

Miguel: Created page with "Miguel Morin (this author) tried to reproduce the bitmap engraving on display at MakeSpace, which the creator no longer remembered. I used ImageMagick's convert function with ..."

Equipment/Laser Cutter

2017-12-10T21:17:38Z

Miguel:

{{RedTool}}

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / Laser Cutter

[[File:Makespace-laser-cutter.JPG|thumb|460px|right|Our LS6090 PRO Laser Cutter]]

= Summary =

We have two LS 6090 PRO Laser Cutters. Each has a working area of 900mm by 600mm, and is powered by a 60w CO2 Water Cooled Laser Tube that can engrave and cut through materials such as wood, plastic, card, leather, fabrics, up to about 10-15mm thick (note, it can not cut metal). The laser cut is approximately 0.15mm wide, and a job can take a few seconds through to tens of minutes depending on material thickness and design complexity.

We have dedicated PCs running LaserCut 5.3 software to import, prepare and download jobs to the Laser Cutter. It can import various formats, with DXF being the most commonly used, so various software packages can be used to create your designs.

Here are some examples of laser jobs we've run (please add a photo of yours any time you do a job!)

<gallery>
File:Laser-cut-focus-tool.JPG
File:Laser-cut-front-panels.JPG
File:Laser-cut-lizards.JPG
File:Laser-cut-m-and-s.JPG
File:Laser-cut-model-building.JPG
File:Laser-cut-ply-m.JPG
File:Laser_output_-_makespace_arrow.JPG
File:Laser_box.jpg
File:Croc-small.jpg
File:LaserCutter_Jobs_1.jpg
File:LaserCutterGallery_20130328.jpg
File:LasercutSettlers.jpg
File:Wolfstock1.jpg
File:Mug-holder.jpg
File:2013-10-21 20.10.06.jpg
File:Indy jigster.png
</gallery>

= Using the Laser Cutter =

The laser cutter is a great way to easily produce accurate and complex 2D forms in various materials, and can be designed for with limited experience in various drawing or CAD applications. At the same time, it is an expensive tool with real risk of injury and fire, so is very important you know how to use it to avoid damaging yourself and the machine. '''You must only use the laser cutter if you have been trained, and if you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask for assistance.'''

== Owners ==

The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the laser cutter, organising maintenance, responding to technical issues and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the Laser Cutter are:

* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:DianaProbst|Diana Probst]]
* Owners who are a little less current, but may still be able to help:
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]

== Trainers ==

The Trainers are those who have volunteered to teach others to use the laser cutter and to promote good working practice. The current Trainers for the Laser Cutter are:

* Brian Starkey
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]
* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Miguel Morin
* [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
* Katy Marshall
* Currently slightly less frequent trainers are:
** Martin de Selincourt
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]
** [[User:Tmonca|Toby Moncaster]]

If you have any questions, problems or concerns around the laser cutter, please use the forum page:
* [http://makespace.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45 Laser Cutter Log]

For the old mailing list thread see here:
* [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/Tmce2iKVzD8/discussion Log : Laser Cutter]

== Training ==

<div style="background:#FADADD; border:1px solid #FFC0CB; padding:5px">
<b>YOU CAN ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED</b><br>
and have been added to the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training#Trained_Users|Trained Users]] list by one of the Owners
</div>

To get trained on the laser cutter and be added to the qualified user list, you will need to arrange for a training session with one of the Laser Cutter Owners.

If you'd like to arrange training, please see:
* [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training|Laser Cutter Training]]

== Health and Safety ==

The laser cutter is a potentially dangerous piece of equipment which must only be operated by members who have received appropriate training and who take due care. The top things to always remember when using the laser cutter are:
* '''ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU ARE ON THE LIST OF TRAINED USERS'''
* '''NEVER LEAVE THE LASER CUTTER RUNNING UNATTENDED'''
* '''KNOW WHAT TO DO IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT'''
* '''NEVER CUT MATERIALS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ARE SAFE'''

As a trained user, you should be very aware of the following risks and how to deal with them:

'''FIRE (under normal operation)''' - Cutting at the wrong speed or the wrong power can result in the material igniting
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* Small flashes of flame that don't hang around for a fraction of a second are acceptable, but any more is rare and not acceptable
* If a fire does take, this is the process you should follow (from minor to major):
** Press "pause" (the same button you started the job with) - This will turn the laser off so no more heat enters, and assuming the flame goes out, you can press "start" for the job to continue where it left off
** Open the lid - With the job paused, you can open the lid to blow out the flame. Again, it is possible to re-close the lid and continue where you left off
** Move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics; alternatively send the laser to home/datum), and smother with a spare sheet of material or blow out
** Use the workshop CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FIRE (abnormal operation)''' - If the head gets stuck or something else goes wrong, ignition could happen much more suddenly or intensely
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* If the head gets trapped (e.g. tomb-stoning of a piece, mechanical failure) or any other problem occurs that causes or could cause fire, this is the process you should follow:
** Hit the emergency stop
** Open the lid and move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics)
** Blow out, smother with a spare sheet of material, or use the CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame as appropriate
* Ensure a Maintainer looks at the machine before it is brought back in to action if it is not obvious what went wrong and all is ok
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FUMES''' - The laser cutting process will release different smoke and fumes depending on the material.
* Never cut PVC or a material you are not sure is safe. When PVC is heated it releases chlorine gas, this mixes with the moisture in the air and the result is hydrochloric acid which is toxic to humans and corrosive to machines.
* Ensure the filter is on and the cutter lid stays closed for a while after a job to allow the fumes to clear.
* If you are feeling strange, think the fume build up is too much, or for any other reason you are unsure, stop the job.

'''TRAPPING''' - The head and bed of the cutter can be moved by the front panel menu or programs in the machines memory.
* Be careful when working inside the cutting area or with the lid open not to trap hands, hair, clothing or anything else.
* Always check the machine for unexpected items that may have fallen in before closing the lid.
* Do not attempt to climb into the machine!

'''LASER BURNS/LIGHT''' - A 60W laser can do real damage.
* The laser should be safe within the confines of the machine, and cut-off automatically when the lid is open (although this should not be relied upon). The top window is safe to look through during a job, but do not attempt to interfere with these windows or the laser or in any way invent some way to look at the laser.
* Do not tamper with the laser cutter, or any interlocks. All side panels of the laser should always be closed and locked whilst the machine is plugged in.
* Do not put metal in the laser cutter.

== Can I cut it? ==

If it's not on this list, the answer is "NO YOU CAN'T CUT IT AT MAKESPACE". Even if other people say it's ok. Bear in mind that we can't ventilate externally like other people can.

If it's something that isn't covered here, do ask on the forums and we'll look into it :)

*Woody things
** Wood: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Plywood: yes if it is "laser ply". Normal plywood has non-laser compatible glue
** MDF: no. Clogs up our filters and smells bad.
** LaserMDF: no. It produces perhaps 50% the gunk of MDF but still too much.
** Cork: yes, but it with a badly charred edge, and won't cut very deeply --- try cutting from the back of your sheet and using the cut to guide a craft knife / scalpel to make a neat cut through to the front.

*Plasticy things
** Acrylic / Perspex: yes!
** PVC/Vinyl: absolutely not. Produces chlorine.
** Silicone: we tried it with very limited success. A mm or two perhaps, anything else chars and doesn't cut.
** White Delrin/Acetal: yes with great care. Make sure filters running well. Don't open lid too quickly. Check for fumes and fire.
** Black Delrin/Acetal: no. contains carbon black which can be toxic.
** Teflon: no (it is toxic)
** Nylon: no (consult an owner)
** Polythene/polyethylene: no (consult an owner)
** Lexan/Polycarbonate: no (consult an owner)
** Polypropylene: yes just. You must clean the bed. It will cut up to about 2mm. It's not a great quality cut, but just about doable. Fire risk.
** GPPS / Polystyrene / HIPS in thin solid sheet form: maybe. ask owner to help. NO FOAM (it's highly flammable)

*Papery things
** Card/Paper: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Tissue: yes if super super really careful (be REALLY careful of fire, have emergency procedure in place before you start)

*Metally things
** Metal of any thickness doesn't cut. The surface can be engraved with a paint application. LMM6000 Surmark/Thermark has been tested and is suggested for use, but expensive. The owners suggest a speed of 800 and maximum power.

*Exotics
** Fibre glass: no (unknown resin, glass particles)
** Carbon Fibre: no
** Slate: engravable for good effect

Good list of info here: http://inventionstudio.gatech.edu/wiki/Laser_cutter (page disappeared, some time before 2016-12-12)

Very detailed cutting properties here: http://microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/tools/Trotec_laser_cutter/Synrad%20LaserProcessingGuide_Plastics.pdf

== Instructions ==

To use the laser cutter, you must have been trained and have had your name added to the trained user list; these instructions are not a substitute for this training. See the training section to understand how you can become qualified to use the laser cutter.

Although not a requirement, it is recommended someone else trained is also present when using the laser cutter. Having two pairs of eyes helps avoid forgotten steps, allows for double checking, clarifications and discussions, and ensures a greater pool of experience is both present and being built up as the laser is used.

'''Power Up'''

Give the machine a quick visual check. Make sure that there is nothing left on the bed, the water reservoir of the chiller looks normal, and that the equipment has no obvious damage or signs of being out-of-action. If the bed looks like it has residue on it, give it a wipe with IPA and a cloth.

Turn on primary switch on the trunking marked 'Laser'. The air filter system to the right of the laser cutter should start as should the air pump and the chiller. It should power up, make a decent amount of noise, and the lights should indicate the filter is in good condition (i.e. no need for replacement).

Make sure the lid is closed. Turn on the laser using the key on the right hand side. The inspection lamp should come on, a satisfying hum start up, and the cutter go into doing its self-checks.

Before doing any job, the laser should be left to warm up for 4-5 mins. While the machine warms up, power on the adjacent PC and start the LaserCut application from the desktop. During this time the water temperature shown on the chiller should drop from ambient temperature to the usual setting of 18C.

'''Load your Design'''

The PC software has an import facility ('''file > import''') which seems to be happy taking AutoCAD 2004 DXF files and other formats. The workspace of the laser bed is represented as the workarea in the LaserCut software. If the import doesn't do what you want size-wise, you can select the whole image and then use the 'size' command from the drop down menu to set the dimension you want. Clicking on the three dots ... symbol will adjust the other axis in the same proportion (keeping the aspect ratio fixed). Selecting the 'centre on bed' option will locate your imported drawing on the centre of the machine's cutting bed.

'''Assign Settings to Colours'''

Each part of your drawing that is assigned a different colour can have a different cut action assigned. Each colour will appear on the menu on the right hand side of the screen with numbers related to power and speed of the laser which will be used for the colour.

The main options are to Cut (line) or Engrave (raster fill). A marking on the material is a Cut. For each material and cutting depth required, a corresponding speed and power must be entered. The handbook provided with the machine gives suggested values for various materials but these should be considered as a starting point for a test. See the '''Power and Speed Settings''' section for our guidelines and experiences for these settings.

'''Download to the Cutter'''

Your drawing will feature a blue dot which represents the starting point of the laser; this is by default on the top right corner. In general, you will want to use "immediate" mode, which means this point represents wherever the laser is positioned when you start the job. You can also run the job in absolute mode by unchecking the box, making the job use absolute positioning on the workspace.

To download, select Download and Download Current; the download option will by default call the file on the laser cutter 'LASER'.

'''Set the Focus'''

Before each job, the focus needs to be checked and set by adjusting the height of the bed, and thus the work piece, from the lens. The critical dimension here is 41mm and several gauges made of perspex will be left around the machine. This gauge needs to be a fit between the top surface of the material you intend to cut and the white plastic 'flap' on the lens piece. The height of the table is adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons. Failure to set the distance correctly will result in an out of focus laser and much bigger (but lower powered) cut line. Always ensure there is clearance between the material and laser head before the head moves.

'''Aligning and Testing the Job'''

The cutter's menu will show the most recent downloaded file highlighted. Pressing the 'test' button will make the head travel along the square maximum extends of the cuts. This shows you that you have the material in the right place, and you have enough of it! You can do this repeatedly, moving the work piece by hand or the laser head using the arrow keys (after hitting ESC), until you are confident you have things where you want them.

'''Cut the Job'''

When happy with the location of the material, close the lid and press 'start' to start the cutter. Watch the head and at least at first be prepared to press the 'stop' button immediately if you find you are burning massive holes in your work piece! This goes back to doing some tests on a sample of your material and making sure you are happy with the cut speeds and power you have selected. You should stay near the cutter at all times and be prepared to pause it or stop it in the event of fire.

<span style="color:red">'''DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE CUTTER UNATTENDED'''</span>

'''Finishing'''

The end of the job is signified by a beep. Waiting a few moments for the exhaust pump to clear any remaining smoke is a good idea, especially with wood, and will limit the build up of smells in the rest of the workshop. Remove your work piece, ensuring that all parts are cleared from the bed of the machine.

'''Power Down'''

The cutter is turned off using the key switch, then the air filtering system with the green rocker switch. Shut down the PC and double check that everything is left in a safe state for the next user.

'''Clean the bed of debris using the soft brush, then wipe down the bed using IPA and a cloth.'''

If you have been cutting particularly 'dirty' materials, most notable MDF and Ply which leave a sticky residue then you will need to use the course side of one of the oven pads and lots of 'elbow grease'. Residue on the bed can impact the next persons' job so please make the effort to clean up and leave the cutter as you would wish to find it.

Go away excited by what you can make and come back with lots more drawings!

== Power and Speed Settings ==

In due time we will try to build up a large sample stock of materials and record the values which work best. Here are the sample material tests we have so far:

<gallery>
File:Laser-schmoo-3mm-acrylic.JPG|3mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-10mm-acrylic.JPG|10mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-9mm-mdf.JPG|9mm MDF (note: do not cut MDF - see above!)
</gallery>

Settings to get you started:
*3mm Acrylic: Speed 12, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Acrylic: Speed 6, Power 100, Corner power 100
*Acrylic shallow cut: Speed 30, power 50, corner power 50
*Etching acrylic: Speed 400, Power 50, Spacing 0.05

To make your own material test, a test grid can be downloaded here: [[Media:Test grid.zip]]

*3mm Delrin: Speed 10, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Delrin: Speed 4, Power 100, Corner power 100
*6mm Delrin: speed 3, Power 100, Corner power 100

== Tips & Tricks ==

* If the laser cutter's user interface does not seem to respond/do what you want, hit "ESC" to return to 'normal mode'.
* The opaque white acrylic needs slightly stronger settings for surface cuts as they are not as visible as in the transparent acrylic (i.e., for similar effect you need a deeper cut). Otherwise seems to cut equivalently to transparent acrylics.
* If you want a tight fit of pieces or very accurate sizing, keep in mind that the laser beam has a width of just over 0.1 mm (maybe 0.11 or 0.12 mm). So all exterior cut lines should be offset by 0.05 mm; you can do this very easily in the LaserCutter Software with the "Offset" tool (units are in mm, so enter '0.05' and select 'Outer').
* The DXF file format stores values only (not values and units). The internal units in the LaserCutter are in mm. If you set your document's units to mm in the exporting CAD system it should work fine, but generally it is a good idea to have a piece of geometry of known length, e.g. a line 100mm long, or a box of known size around your design. This makes adjusting the scaling a lot easier.
* If you want to export a DXF from Inkscape (which is a great, free vector drawing package), then make sure you do "Object to path" from the Path menu for the whole object and then during the export stage, untick both options for type of export. Choose mm as your unit.
* There's now a page to help with Inkscape and our laser at [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Inkscape]]
* If the jog buttons (arrow keys moving the laser head around) are only moving the head in small single steps rather than moving it continuously, make sure that the jog step size is set to 0.0mm in the Jog Settings section of the menu.

=== Material Usage ===
You want to use as little material as possible to save money, we want you to use as little material as possible to reduce re-stocking burden and wastage.
There's a neat tool you can use for packing SVG files into small spaces, find it here: http://svgnest.com/

== Fixing up a job that went wrong ==

If you messed up a job and, for example, some cut lines weren't cut, you might try to run the job again after recolouring all of the lines except the ones that didn't cut. You can then deselect those lines for output in the Cut/Engrave window on the top right of the Lasercut Interface, and this will keep your positioning.

If your head has moved, you can try setting some lines to power 1, which should not cut anything, but allows you to see where the head is travelling.

== Fixing strange issues ==

''Jaws has a FAQ on the desktop of her PC, with more useful hints, tricks, and solutions.''

* Etching doesn't work
** Lines are not closed. LaserCut usually warns you about this. Ctrl-a to select all, then Tools->Unite Lines (0.001 should be fine).
** Two copies on top of each other. Copies on top of each other "cancel out" any etching. Delete one copy.
** Test with Menu->Laser->Simulate

* LaserCut will not download to the laser cutter
** Check laser cutter isn't in a paused state
** Restart LaserCut on the PC. (We've not had any usb issues nor needed to restart the laser since upgrading the PC summer 2014).

* Laser cuts things out 2+ times
** Check you don't have two copies loaded on top of each other
** Check it's not set to cut multiple times in LaserCut (this setting is right of the Cut/Engrave/Speed/Power settings)
** Check the laser front panel says "001" at the bottom. If not, press right arrow until the number is highlighted, then down to adjust back to 1, then press return.

* Laser will only cut at the top right of the bed
** Download again with Immediate Mode ticked
** On laser panel, press return (I think?) then right twice (should select the bottom left option), then press return (I think).

*You Hit Emergency stop
** E-M button needs twisting to re-activate
** If that fails - check the circuit breaker inside. From the back of the machine, you want to open the lower flap on the left side, which should be unlocked. Near to the back, there is a breaker board. Flip the flippy bit.

== Material Stock ==
For the stock we hold, please see the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Stock|Laser cutter stock]] page.

= Maintenance =

The maintenance of the Laser Cutter is carried out by the Owners, with some basic maintenance being carried out by Users on every job.

== Maintenance Schedule ==

Continuous Maintenance ('''Every job, done by all Laser Cutter Users''')
* Clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth or Swarfega wipes
* Clean any debris off laser bed and surround using soft brush

Basic Maintenance (Every week, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Clean the laser lens with IPA and cotton buds
* Oil the 3 runners with 3-in-one light oil
* Thoroughly clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth
* Check the water level in the cooling tank
* Clean and remove debris from the machine base and catchment drawer

Full Maintenance (Every 4 weeks, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Check the water is clean in the cooling tank (i.e. no contamination/organic build up)
* Check filter unit for filter renewal
* Oil the 4 rise and fall lead screws with 3-in-one light oil
* Check mirrors and clean with a disposable sachet lens cleaner cloth (only if needed, mirror coatings are delicate)
* Work through mirror alignment procedure to check alignment of mirrors

== Maintenance Log ==

''For full log, see laser cutter wall sheet''

For specific instructions and owner hints and tips see [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Owner_Tips|Owner Hints and Tricks]].

'''Filter Changes'''
* Jaws: 10 Feb to 22 June 2016, slightly under 5 months, and falling
* Betsy: Freshest data currently in filter unit, gave up on 24th of June

'''Reactive Maintenance'''
* 15th Jan 2013, Simon Ford: Laser cutter not powering up, with switching on via key gives no activity whatsoever. No recollection of it cutting out during a job (Alexis), so assume it just stopped turning on at some point. Filter box and power sockets confirmed OK. Diagnosis: RCD in right back panel of Laser reset to off, no obvious reason why. Switching back on brought everything back to life OK.
* 22nd, Simon Ford; 29th, Nicholas - same again.

* Apr 2014, Mat Cook and Diana Probst: after previous changing of chiller water (Roger et al) the pump was complaining of lack of flow. Changed water and filtered, removed small blockage from rubber hose on laser tube.

* 16 Apr 2014, Toby and Diana: changed laser tube, refilled chiller. Laser cutter fully working.

* 25 Oct 2014, Mat and Diana mended lid spring brace. Cutter working fully.

'''Regular Maintenance'''
* Week Number, Date, Type, Owner (Notes)

2013
* January 7, Full, Chris @ HPCLaser'''
* January 14, Basic, Simon Ford
* January 21, Full, Simon Ford (running better than new :)'''
* ...various maintenance events happened...
* April 5th, Full, Simon Ford
* July 1st, Full, David Barham (realigned mirrors)
* July 15th, installed chiller

2014
* 16 Apr 2014, mirror alignment and optics checked after re-installation of tube. All fine. Toby and Diana.
* 19 May 2014, mirrors cleaned, earthing wire on lid tightened. Diana (and Mat's screwdriver)
* 21 May 2014, cleaned lens with Mat Cook. Diana
* 02 Jun 2014, removed and cleaned laser bed
* 14 Sep 2014, cleaned lens and mirrors, realigned. Diana and Brian Starkey

* 30 Jun 2014 Fitted microswitches in series with the magnetic "lid closed" detector.
* ??? 2014 "Jaws" Second laser cutter acquired
* ??? 2014 Fitted microswitch to Jaws

== Maintenance Shopping List ==

* 3-in-one light oil
* Cotton Buds
* Lens cleaner sachets
* Soft paint/cleaning brush
* Thermometer for water tank
* Hand held CO2 extinguisher

= Further Information =

* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser Product Page]
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&chapter=2 HPCLaser Technical Info]
* [http://www.laserscript.co.uk/phpBB3/ Laserscript Forum]

LaserCut 5.3
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/sale/35.html Homepage]
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/down/LaserCut5.3%20Manual%20V1.6.pdf Manual]

[[/BitmapLaserEngraving]]

== Installation ==

<gallery>
File:Laser_-_van.JPG
File:Makespace-laser-install-02.JPG
File:Laser_-_building_2.JPG
File:Laser_-_building.JPG
</gallery>

== Purchase ==

Full Purchase, Delivery and Installation (£6865.00+vat = £8238.00)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser engraving and cutting machine, 600mm by 900mm 60W] (£5250.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=34 Laser Fume Filter] (£1250.00+vat)
* Delivery (£190+vat)
* Installation/Training (£175+vat)

== Repairs ==

We expect to have to change the following parts for general maintenance:
* The laser tube (guess every 6-12 months)
* The filter (guess every 3-6 months)
* The optics (guess every 6-12 months)

Maintenance and Spares:
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=3 60 watt C02 laser tube] (£275.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12 50 mm Focus Meniscus Lens] (£75.00+vat)
* Estimate for Call Out (£200.00)

/BitmapLaserEngraving Bitmap engraving on the laser cutter

2017-12-10T21:16:46Z

Equipment/Laser Cutter

2017-12-10T21:16:17Z

Miguel:

{{RedTool}}

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / Laser Cutter

[[File:Makespace-laser-cutter.JPG|thumb|460px|right|Our LS6090 PRO Laser Cutter]]

= Summary =

We have two LS 6090 PRO Laser Cutters. Each has a working area of 900mm by 600mm, and is powered by a 60w CO2 Water Cooled Laser Tube that can engrave and cut through materials such as wood, plastic, card, leather, fabrics, up to about 10-15mm thick (note, it can not cut metal). The laser cut is approximately 0.15mm wide, and a job can take a few seconds through to tens of minutes depending on material thickness and design complexity.

We have dedicated PCs running LaserCut 5.3 software to import, prepare and download jobs to the Laser Cutter. It can import various formats, with DXF being the most commonly used, so various software packages can be used to create your designs.

Here are some examples of laser jobs we've run (please add a photo of yours any time you do a job!)

<gallery>
File:Laser-cut-focus-tool.JPG
File:Laser-cut-front-panels.JPG
File:Laser-cut-lizards.JPG
File:Laser-cut-m-and-s.JPG
File:Laser-cut-model-building.JPG
File:Laser-cut-ply-m.JPG
File:Laser_output_-_makespace_arrow.JPG
File:Laser_box.jpg
File:Croc-small.jpg
File:LaserCutter_Jobs_1.jpg
File:LaserCutterGallery_20130328.jpg
File:LasercutSettlers.jpg
File:Wolfstock1.jpg
File:Mug-holder.jpg
File:2013-10-21 20.10.06.jpg
File:Indy jigster.png
</gallery>

= Using the Laser Cutter =

The laser cutter is a great way to easily produce accurate and complex 2D forms in various materials, and can be designed for with limited experience in various drawing or CAD applications. At the same time, it is an expensive tool with real risk of injury and fire, so is very important you know how to use it to avoid damaging yourself and the machine. '''You must only use the laser cutter if you have been trained, and if you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask for assistance.'''

== Owners ==

The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the laser cutter, organising maintenance, responding to technical issues and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the Laser Cutter are:

* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:DianaProbst|Diana Probst]]
* Owners who are a little less current, but may still be able to help:
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]

== Trainers ==

The Trainers are those who have volunteered to teach others to use the laser cutter and to promote good working practice. The current Trainers for the Laser Cutter are:

* Brian Starkey
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]
* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Miguel Morin
* [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
* Katy Marshall
* Currently slightly less frequent trainers are:
** Martin de Selincourt
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]
** [[User:Tmonca|Toby Moncaster]]

If you have any questions, problems or concerns around the laser cutter, please use the forum page:
* [http://makespace.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45 Laser Cutter Log]

For the old mailing list thread see here:
* [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/Tmce2iKVzD8/discussion Log : Laser Cutter]

== Training ==

<div style="background:#FADADD; border:1px solid #FFC0CB; padding:5px">
<b>YOU CAN ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED</b><br>
and have been added to the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training#Trained_Users|Trained Users]] list by one of the Owners
</div>

To get trained on the laser cutter and be added to the qualified user list, you will need to arrange for a training session with one of the Laser Cutter Owners.

If you'd like to arrange training, please see:
* [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training|Laser Cutter Training]]

== Health and Safety ==

The laser cutter is a potentially dangerous piece of equipment which must only be operated by members who have received appropriate training and who take due care. The top things to always remember when using the laser cutter are:
* '''ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU ARE ON THE LIST OF TRAINED USERS'''
* '''NEVER LEAVE THE LASER CUTTER RUNNING UNATTENDED'''
* '''KNOW WHAT TO DO IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT'''
* '''NEVER CUT MATERIALS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ARE SAFE'''

As a trained user, you should be very aware of the following risks and how to deal with them:

'''FIRE (under normal operation)''' - Cutting at the wrong speed or the wrong power can result in the material igniting
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* Small flashes of flame that don't hang around for a fraction of a second are acceptable, but any more is rare and not acceptable
* If a fire does take, this is the process you should follow (from minor to major):
** Press "pause" (the same button you started the job with) - This will turn the laser off so no more heat enters, and assuming the flame goes out, you can press "start" for the job to continue where it left off
** Open the lid - With the job paused, you can open the lid to blow out the flame. Again, it is possible to re-close the lid and continue where you left off
** Move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics; alternatively send the laser to home/datum), and smother with a spare sheet of material or blow out
** Use the workshop CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FIRE (abnormal operation)''' - If the head gets stuck or something else goes wrong, ignition could happen much more suddenly or intensely
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* If the head gets trapped (e.g. tomb-stoning of a piece, mechanical failure) or any other problem occurs that causes or could cause fire, this is the process you should follow:
** Hit the emergency stop
** Open the lid and move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics)
** Blow out, smother with a spare sheet of material, or use the CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame as appropriate
* Ensure a Maintainer looks at the machine before it is brought back in to action if it is not obvious what went wrong and all is ok
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FUMES''' - The laser cutting process will release different smoke and fumes depending on the material.
* Never cut PVC or a material you are not sure is safe. When PVC is heated it releases chlorine gas, this mixes with the moisture in the air and the result is hydrochloric acid which is toxic to humans and corrosive to machines.
* Ensure the filter is on and the cutter lid stays closed for a while after a job to allow the fumes to clear.
* If you are feeling strange, think the fume build up is too much, or for any other reason you are unsure, stop the job.

'''TRAPPING''' - The head and bed of the cutter can be moved by the front panel menu or programs in the machines memory.
* Be careful when working inside the cutting area or with the lid open not to trap hands, hair, clothing or anything else.
* Always check the machine for unexpected items that may have fallen in before closing the lid.
* Do not attempt to climb into the machine!

'''LASER BURNS/LIGHT''' - A 60W laser can do real damage.
* The laser should be safe within the confines of the machine, and cut-off automatically when the lid is open (although this should not be relied upon). The top window is safe to look through during a job, but do not attempt to interfere with these windows or the laser or in any way invent some way to look at the laser.
* Do not tamper with the laser cutter, or any interlocks. All side panels of the laser should always be closed and locked whilst the machine is plugged in.
* Do not put metal in the laser cutter.

== Can I cut it? ==

If it's not on this list, the answer is "NO YOU CAN'T CUT IT AT MAKESPACE". Even if other people say it's ok. Bear in mind that we can't ventilate externally like other people can.

If it's something that isn't covered here, do ask on the forums and we'll look into it :)

*Woody things
** Wood: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Plywood: yes if it is "laser ply". Normal plywood has non-laser compatible glue
** MDF: no. Clogs up our filters and smells bad.
** LaserMDF: no. It produces perhaps 50% the gunk of MDF but still too much.
** Cork: yes, but it with a badly charred edge, and won't cut very deeply --- try cutting from the back of your sheet and using the cut to guide a craft knife / scalpel to make a neat cut through to the front.

*Plasticy things
** Acrylic / Perspex: yes!
** PVC/Vinyl: absolutely not. Produces chlorine.
** Silicone: we tried it with very limited success. A mm or two perhaps, anything else chars and doesn't cut.
** White Delrin/Acetal: yes with great care. Make sure filters running well. Don't open lid too quickly. Check for fumes and fire.
** Black Delrin/Acetal: no. contains carbon black which can be toxic.
** Teflon: no (it is toxic)
** Nylon: no (consult an owner)
** Polythene/polyethylene: no (consult an owner)
** Lexan/Polycarbonate: no (consult an owner)
** Polypropylene: yes just. You must clean the bed. It will cut up to about 2mm. It's not a great quality cut, but just about doable. Fire risk.
** GPPS / Polystyrene / HIPS in thin solid sheet form: maybe. ask owner to help. NO FOAM (it's highly flammable)

*Papery things
** Card/Paper: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Tissue: yes if super super really careful (be REALLY careful of fire, have emergency procedure in place before you start)

*Metally things
** Metal of any thickness doesn't cut. The surface can be engraved with a paint application. LMM6000 Surmark/Thermark has been tested and is suggested for use, but expensive. The owners suggest a speed of 800 and maximum power.

*Exotics
** Fibre glass: no (unknown resin, glass particles)
** Carbon Fibre: no
** Slate: engravable for good effect

Good list of info here: http://inventionstudio.gatech.edu/wiki/Laser_cutter (page disappeared, some time before 2016-12-12)

Very detailed cutting properties here: http://microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/tools/Trotec_laser_cutter/Synrad%20LaserProcessingGuide_Plastics.pdf

== Instructions ==

To use the laser cutter, you must have been trained and have had your name added to the trained user list; these instructions are not a substitute for this training. See the training section to understand how you can become qualified to use the laser cutter.

Although not a requirement, it is recommended someone else trained is also present when using the laser cutter. Having two pairs of eyes helps avoid forgotten steps, allows for double checking, clarifications and discussions, and ensures a greater pool of experience is both present and being built up as the laser is used.

'''Power Up'''

Give the machine a quick visual check. Make sure that there is nothing left on the bed, the water reservoir of the chiller looks normal, and that the equipment has no obvious damage or signs of being out-of-action. If the bed looks like it has residue on it, give it a wipe with IPA and a cloth.

Turn on primary switch on the trunking marked 'Laser'. The air filter system to the right of the laser cutter should start as should the air pump and the chiller. It should power up, make a decent amount of noise, and the lights should indicate the filter is in good condition (i.e. no need for replacement).

Make sure the lid is closed. Turn on the laser using the key on the right hand side. The inspection lamp should come on, a satisfying hum start up, and the cutter go into doing its self-checks.

Before doing any job, the laser should be left to warm up for 4-5 mins. While the machine warms up, power on the adjacent PC and start the LaserCut application from the desktop. During this time the water temperature shown on the chiller should drop from ambient temperature to the usual setting of 18C.

'''Load your Design'''

The PC software has an import facility ('''file > import''') which seems to be happy taking AutoCAD 2004 DXF files and other formats. The workspace of the laser bed is represented as the workarea in the LaserCut software. If the import doesn't do what you want size-wise, you can select the whole image and then use the 'size' command from the drop down menu to set the dimension you want. Clicking on the three dots ... symbol will adjust the other axis in the same proportion (keeping the aspect ratio fixed). Selecting the 'centre on bed' option will locate your imported drawing on the centre of the machine's cutting bed.

'''Assign Settings to Colours'''

Each part of your drawing that is assigned a different colour can have a different cut action assigned. Each colour will appear on the menu on the right hand side of the screen with numbers related to power and speed of the laser which will be used for the colour.

The main options are to Cut (line) or Engrave (raster fill). A marking on the material is a Cut. For each material and cutting depth required, a corresponding speed and power must be entered. The handbook provided with the machine gives suggested values for various materials but these should be considered as a starting point for a test. See the '''Power and Speed Settings''' section for our guidelines and experiences for these settings.

'''Download to the Cutter'''

Your drawing will feature a blue dot which represents the starting point of the laser; this is by default on the top right corner. In general, you will want to use "immediate" mode, which means this point represents wherever the laser is positioned when you start the job. You can also run the job in absolute mode by unchecking the box, making the job use absolute positioning on the workspace.

To download, select Download and Download Current; the download option will by default call the file on the laser cutter 'LASER'.

'''Set the Focus'''

Before each job, the focus needs to be checked and set by adjusting the height of the bed, and thus the work piece, from the lens. The critical dimension here is 41mm and several gauges made of perspex will be left around the machine. This gauge needs to be a fit between the top surface of the material you intend to cut and the white plastic 'flap' on the lens piece. The height of the table is adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons. Failure to set the distance correctly will result in an out of focus laser and much bigger (but lower powered) cut line. Always ensure there is clearance between the material and laser head before the head moves.

'''Aligning and Testing the Job'''

The cutter's menu will show the most recent downloaded file highlighted. Pressing the 'test' button will make the head travel along the square maximum extends of the cuts. This shows you that you have the material in the right place, and you have enough of it! You can do this repeatedly, moving the work piece by hand or the laser head using the arrow keys (after hitting ESC), until you are confident you have things where you want them.

'''Cut the Job'''

When happy with the location of the material, close the lid and press 'start' to start the cutter. Watch the head and at least at first be prepared to press the 'stop' button immediately if you find you are burning massive holes in your work piece! This goes back to doing some tests on a sample of your material and making sure you are happy with the cut speeds and power you have selected. You should stay near the cutter at all times and be prepared to pause it or stop it in the event of fire.

<span style="color:red">'''DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE CUTTER UNATTENDED'''</span>

'''Finishing'''

The end of the job is signified by a beep. Waiting a few moments for the exhaust pump to clear any remaining smoke is a good idea, especially with wood, and will limit the build up of smells in the rest of the workshop. Remove your work piece, ensuring that all parts are cleared from the bed of the machine.

'''Power Down'''

The cutter is turned off using the key switch, then the air filtering system with the green rocker switch. Shut down the PC and double check that everything is left in a safe state for the next user.

'''Clean the bed of debris using the soft brush, then wipe down the bed using IPA and a cloth.'''

If you have been cutting particularly 'dirty' materials, most notable MDF and Ply which leave a sticky residue then you will need to use the course side of one of the oven pads and lots of 'elbow grease'. Residue on the bed can impact the next persons' job so please make the effort to clean up and leave the cutter as you would wish to find it.

Go away excited by what you can make and come back with lots more drawings!

== Power and Speed Settings ==

In due time we will try to build up a large sample stock of materials and record the values which work best. Here are the sample material tests we have so far:

<gallery>
File:Laser-schmoo-3mm-acrylic.JPG|3mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-10mm-acrylic.JPG|10mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-9mm-mdf.JPG|9mm MDF (note: do not cut MDF - see above!)
</gallery>

Settings to get you started:
*3mm Acrylic: Speed 12, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Acrylic: Speed 6, Power 100, Corner power 100
*Acrylic shallow cut: Speed 30, power 50, corner power 50
*Etching acrylic: Speed 400, Power 50, Spacing 0.05

To make your own material test, a test grid can be downloaded here: [[Media:Test grid.zip]]

*3mm Delrin: Speed 10, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Delrin: Speed 4, Power 100, Corner power 100
*6mm Delrin: speed 3, Power 100, Corner power 100

== Tips & Tricks ==

* If the laser cutter's user interface does not seem to respond/do what you want, hit "ESC" to return to 'normal mode'.
* The opaque white acrylic needs slightly stronger settings for surface cuts as they are not as visible as in the transparent acrylic (i.e., for similar effect you need a deeper cut). Otherwise seems to cut equivalently to transparent acrylics.
* If you want a tight fit of pieces or very accurate sizing, keep in mind that the laser beam has a width of just over 0.1 mm (maybe 0.11 or 0.12 mm). So all exterior cut lines should be offset by 0.05 mm; you can do this very easily in the LaserCutter Software with the "Offset" tool (units are in mm, so enter '0.05' and select 'Outer').
* The DXF file format stores values only (not values and units). The internal units in the LaserCutter are in mm. If you set your document's units to mm in the exporting CAD system it should work fine, but generally it is a good idea to have a piece of geometry of known length, e.g. a line 100mm long, or a box of known size around your design. This makes adjusting the scaling a lot easier.
* If you want to export a DXF from Inkscape (which is a great, free vector drawing package), then make sure you do "Object to path" from the Path menu for the whole object and then during the export stage, untick both options for type of export. Choose mm as your unit.
* There's now a page to help with Inkscape and our laser at [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Inkscape]]
* If the jog buttons (arrow keys moving the laser head around) are only moving the head in small single steps rather than moving it continuously, make sure that the jog step size is set to 0.0mm in the Jog Settings section of the menu.

=== Material Usage ===
You want to use as little material as possible to save money, we want you to use as little material as possible to reduce re-stocking burden and wastage.
There's a neat tool you can use for packing SVG files into small spaces, find it here: http://svgnest.com/

== Fixing up a job that went wrong ==

If you messed up a job and, for example, some cut lines weren't cut, you might try to run the job again after recolouring all of the lines except the ones that didn't cut. You can then deselect those lines for output in the Cut/Engrave window on the top right of the Lasercut Interface, and this will keep your positioning.

If your head has moved, you can try setting some lines to power 1, which should not cut anything, but allows you to see where the head is travelling.

== Fixing strange issues ==

''Jaws has a FAQ on the desktop of her PC, with more useful hints, tricks, and solutions.''

* Etching doesn't work
** Lines are not closed. LaserCut usually warns you about this. Ctrl-a to select all, then Tools->Unite Lines (0.001 should be fine).
** Two copies on top of each other. Copies on top of each other "cancel out" any etching. Delete one copy.
** Test with Menu->Laser->Simulate

* LaserCut will not download to the laser cutter
** Check laser cutter isn't in a paused state
** Restart LaserCut on the PC. (We've not had any usb issues nor needed to restart the laser since upgrading the PC summer 2014).

* Laser cuts things out 2+ times
** Check you don't have two copies loaded on top of each other
** Check it's not set to cut multiple times in LaserCut (this setting is right of the Cut/Engrave/Speed/Power settings)
** Check the laser front panel says "001" at the bottom. If not, press right arrow until the number is highlighted, then down to adjust back to 1, then press return.

* Laser will only cut at the top right of the bed
** Download again with Immediate Mode ticked
** On laser panel, press return (I think?) then right twice (should select the bottom left option), then press return (I think).

*You Hit Emergency stop
** E-M button needs twisting to re-activate
** If that fails - check the circuit breaker inside. From the back of the machine, you want to open the lower flap on the left side, which should be unlocked. Near to the back, there is a breaker board. Flip the flippy bit.

== Material Stock ==
For the stock we hold, please see the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Stock|Laser cutter stock]] page.

= Maintenance =

The maintenance of the Laser Cutter is carried out by the Owners, with some basic maintenance being carried out by Users on every job.

== Maintenance Schedule ==

Continuous Maintenance ('''Every job, done by all Laser Cutter Users''')
* Clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth or Swarfega wipes
* Clean any debris off laser bed and surround using soft brush

Basic Maintenance (Every week, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Clean the laser lens with IPA and cotton buds
* Oil the 3 runners with 3-in-one light oil
* Thoroughly clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth
* Check the water level in the cooling tank
* Clean and remove debris from the machine base and catchment drawer

Full Maintenance (Every 4 weeks, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Check the water is clean in the cooling tank (i.e. no contamination/organic build up)
* Check filter unit for filter renewal
* Oil the 4 rise and fall lead screws with 3-in-one light oil
* Check mirrors and clean with a disposable sachet lens cleaner cloth (only if needed, mirror coatings are delicate)
* Work through mirror alignment procedure to check alignment of mirrors

== Maintenance Log ==

''For full log, see laser cutter wall sheet''

For specific instructions and owner hints and tips see [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Owner_Tips|Owner Hints and Tricks]].

'''Filter Changes'''
* Jaws: 10 Feb to 22 June 2016, slightly under 5 months, and falling
* Betsy: Freshest data currently in filter unit, gave up on 24th of June

'''Reactive Maintenance'''
* 15th Jan 2013, Simon Ford: Laser cutter not powering up, with switching on via key gives no activity whatsoever. No recollection of it cutting out during a job (Alexis), so assume it just stopped turning on at some point. Filter box and power sockets confirmed OK. Diagnosis: RCD in right back panel of Laser reset to off, no obvious reason why. Switching back on brought everything back to life OK.
* 22nd, Simon Ford; 29th, Nicholas - same again.

* Apr 2014, Mat Cook and Diana Probst: after previous changing of chiller water (Roger et al) the pump was complaining of lack of flow. Changed water and filtered, removed small blockage from rubber hose on laser tube.

* 16 Apr 2014, Toby and Diana: changed laser tube, refilled chiller. Laser cutter fully working.

* 25 Oct 2014, Mat and Diana mended lid spring brace. Cutter working fully.

'''Regular Maintenance'''
* Week Number, Date, Type, Owner (Notes)

2013
* January 7, Full, Chris @ HPCLaser'''
* January 14, Basic, Simon Ford
* January 21, Full, Simon Ford (running better than new :)'''
* ...various maintenance events happened...
* April 5th, Full, Simon Ford
* July 1st, Full, David Barham (realigned mirrors)
* July 15th, installed chiller

2014
* 16 Apr 2014, mirror alignment and optics checked after re-installation of tube. All fine. Toby and Diana.
* 19 May 2014, mirrors cleaned, earthing wire on lid tightened. Diana (and Mat's screwdriver)
* 21 May 2014, cleaned lens with Mat Cook. Diana
* 02 Jun 2014, removed and cleaned laser bed
* 14 Sep 2014, cleaned lens and mirrors, realigned. Diana and Brian Starkey

* 30 Jun 2014 Fitted microswitches in series with the magnetic "lid closed" detector.
* ??? 2014 "Jaws" Second laser cutter acquired
* ??? 2014 Fitted microswitch to Jaws

== Maintenance Shopping List ==

* 3-in-one light oil
* Cotton Buds
* Lens cleaner sachets
* Soft paint/cleaning brush
* Thermometer for water tank
* Hand held CO2 extinguisher

= Further Information =

* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser Product Page]
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&chapter=2 HPCLaser Technical Info]
* [http://www.laserscript.co.uk/phpBB3/ Laserscript Forum]

LaserCut 5.3
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/sale/35.html Homepage]
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/down/LaserCut5.3%20Manual%20V1.6.pdf Manual]

[[/BitmapLaserEngraving Bitmap engraving on the laser cutter]]

== Installation ==

<gallery>
File:Laser_-_van.JPG
File:Makespace-laser-install-02.JPG
File:Laser_-_building_2.JPG
File:Laser_-_building.JPG
</gallery>

== Purchase ==

Full Purchase, Delivery and Installation (£6865.00+vat = £8238.00)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser engraving and cutting machine, 600mm by 900mm 60W] (£5250.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=34 Laser Fume Filter] (£1250.00+vat)
* Delivery (£190+vat)
* Installation/Training (£175+vat)

== Repairs ==

We expect to have to change the following parts for general maintenance:
* The laser tube (guess every 6-12 months)
* The filter (guess every 3-6 months)
* The optics (guess every 6-12 months)

Maintenance and Spares:
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=3 60 watt C02 laser tube] (£275.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12 50 mm Focus Meniscus Lens] (£75.00+vat)
* Estimate for Call Out (£200.00)

Equipment/Laser Cutter

2017-12-10T21:15:44Z

Miguel:

{{RedTool}}

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / Laser Cutter

[[File:Makespace-laser-cutter.JPG|thumb|460px|right|Our LS6090 PRO Laser Cutter]]

= Summary =

We have two LS 6090 PRO Laser Cutters. Each has a working area of 900mm by 600mm, and is powered by a 60w CO2 Water Cooled Laser Tube that can engrave and cut through materials such as wood, plastic, card, leather, fabrics, up to about 10-15mm thick (note, it can not cut metal). The laser cut is approximately 0.15mm wide, and a job can take a few seconds through to tens of minutes depending on material thickness and design complexity.

We have dedicated PCs running LaserCut 5.3 software to import, prepare and download jobs to the Laser Cutter. It can import various formats, with DXF being the most commonly used, so various software packages can be used to create your designs.

Here are some examples of laser jobs we've run (please add a photo of yours any time you do a job!)

<gallery>
File:Laser-cut-focus-tool.JPG
File:Laser-cut-front-panels.JPG
File:Laser-cut-lizards.JPG
File:Laser-cut-m-and-s.JPG
File:Laser-cut-model-building.JPG
File:Laser-cut-ply-m.JPG
File:Laser_output_-_makespace_arrow.JPG
File:Laser_box.jpg
File:Croc-small.jpg
File:LaserCutter_Jobs_1.jpg
File:LaserCutterGallery_20130328.jpg
File:LasercutSettlers.jpg
File:Wolfstock1.jpg
File:Mug-holder.jpg
File:2013-10-21 20.10.06.jpg
File:Indy jigster.png
</gallery>

= Using the Laser Cutter =

The laser cutter is a great way to easily produce accurate and complex 2D forms in various materials, and can be designed for with limited experience in various drawing or CAD applications. At the same time, it is an expensive tool with real risk of injury and fire, so is very important you know how to use it to avoid damaging yourself and the machine. '''You must only use the laser cutter if you have been trained, and if you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask for assistance.'''

== Owners ==

The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the laser cutter, organising maintenance, responding to technical issues and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the Laser Cutter are:

* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:DianaProbst|Diana Probst]]
* Owners who are a little less current, but may still be able to help:
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]

== Trainers ==

The Trainers are those who have volunteered to teach others to use the laser cutter and to promote good working practice. The current Trainers for the Laser Cutter are:

* Brian Starkey
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]
* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Miguel Morin
* [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
* Katy Marshall
* Currently slightly less frequent trainers are:
** Martin de Selincourt
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]
** [[User:Tmonca|Toby Moncaster]]

If you have any questions, problems or concerns around the laser cutter, please use the forum page:
* [http://makespace.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45 Laser Cutter Log]

For the old mailing list thread see here:
* [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/Tmce2iKVzD8/discussion Log : Laser Cutter]

== Training ==

<div style="background:#FADADD; border:1px solid #FFC0CB; padding:5px">
<b>YOU CAN ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED</b><br>
and have been added to the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training#Trained_Users|Trained Users]] list by one of the Owners
</div>

To get trained on the laser cutter and be added to the qualified user list, you will need to arrange for a training session with one of the Laser Cutter Owners.

If you'd like to arrange training, please see:
* [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training|Laser Cutter Training]]

== Health and Safety ==

The laser cutter is a potentially dangerous piece of equipment which must only be operated by members who have received appropriate training and who take due care. The top things to always remember when using the laser cutter are:
* '''ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU ARE ON THE LIST OF TRAINED USERS'''
* '''NEVER LEAVE THE LASER CUTTER RUNNING UNATTENDED'''
* '''KNOW WHAT TO DO IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT'''
* '''NEVER CUT MATERIALS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ARE SAFE'''

As a trained user, you should be very aware of the following risks and how to deal with them:

'''FIRE (under normal operation)''' - Cutting at the wrong speed or the wrong power can result in the material igniting
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* Small flashes of flame that don't hang around for a fraction of a second are acceptable, but any more is rare and not acceptable
* If a fire does take, this is the process you should follow (from minor to major):
** Press "pause" (the same button you started the job with) - This will turn the laser off so no more heat enters, and assuming the flame goes out, you can press "start" for the job to continue where it left off
** Open the lid - With the job paused, you can open the lid to blow out the flame. Again, it is possible to re-close the lid and continue where you left off
** Move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics; alternatively send the laser to home/datum), and smother with a spare sheet of material or blow out
** Use the workshop CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FIRE (abnormal operation)''' - If the head gets stuck or something else goes wrong, ignition could happen much more suddenly or intensely
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* If the head gets trapped (e.g. tomb-stoning of a piece, mechanical failure) or any other problem occurs that causes or could cause fire, this is the process you should follow:
** Hit the emergency stop
** Open the lid and move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics)
** Blow out, smother with a spare sheet of material, or use the CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame as appropriate
* Ensure a Maintainer looks at the machine before it is brought back in to action if it is not obvious what went wrong and all is ok
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FUMES''' - The laser cutting process will release different smoke and fumes depending on the material.
* Never cut PVC or a material you are not sure is safe. When PVC is heated it releases chlorine gas, this mixes with the moisture in the air and the result is hydrochloric acid which is toxic to humans and corrosive to machines.
* Ensure the filter is on and the cutter lid stays closed for a while after a job to allow the fumes to clear.
* If you are feeling strange, think the fume build up is too much, or for any other reason you are unsure, stop the job.

'''TRAPPING''' - The head and bed of the cutter can be moved by the front panel menu or programs in the machines memory.
* Be careful when working inside the cutting area or with the lid open not to trap hands, hair, clothing or anything else.
* Always check the machine for unexpected items that may have fallen in before closing the lid.
* Do not attempt to climb into the machine!

'''LASER BURNS/LIGHT''' - A 60W laser can do real damage.
* The laser should be safe within the confines of the machine, and cut-off automatically when the lid is open (although this should not be relied upon). The top window is safe to look through during a job, but do not attempt to interfere with these windows or the laser or in any way invent some way to look at the laser.
* Do not tamper with the laser cutter, or any interlocks. All side panels of the laser should always be closed and locked whilst the machine is plugged in.
* Do not put metal in the laser cutter.

== Can I cut it? ==

If it's not on this list, the answer is "NO YOU CAN'T CUT IT AT MAKESPACE". Even if other people say it's ok. Bear in mind that we can't ventilate externally like other people can.

If it's something that isn't covered here, do ask on the forums and we'll look into it :)

*Woody things
** Wood: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Plywood: yes if it is "laser ply". Normal plywood has non-laser compatible glue
** MDF: no. Clogs up our filters and smells bad.
** LaserMDF: no. It produces perhaps 50% the gunk of MDF but still too much.
** Cork: yes, but it with a badly charred edge, and won't cut very deeply --- try cutting from the back of your sheet and using the cut to guide a craft knife / scalpel to make a neat cut through to the front.

*Plasticy things
** Acrylic / Perspex: yes!
** PVC/Vinyl: absolutely not. Produces chlorine.
** Silicone: we tried it with very limited success. A mm or two perhaps, anything else chars and doesn't cut.
** White Delrin/Acetal: yes with great care. Make sure filters running well. Don't open lid too quickly. Check for fumes and fire.
** Black Delrin/Acetal: no. contains carbon black which can be toxic.
** Teflon: no (it is toxic)
** Nylon: no (consult an owner)
** Polythene/polyethylene: no (consult an owner)
** Lexan/Polycarbonate: no (consult an owner)
** Polypropylene: yes just. You must clean the bed. It will cut up to about 2mm. It's not a great quality cut, but just about doable. Fire risk.
** GPPS / Polystyrene / HIPS in thin solid sheet form: maybe. ask owner to help. NO FOAM (it's highly flammable)

*Papery things
** Card/Paper: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Tissue: yes if super super really careful (be REALLY careful of fire, have emergency procedure in place before you start)

*Metally things
** Metal of any thickness doesn't cut. The surface can be engraved with a paint application. LMM6000 Surmark/Thermark has been tested and is suggested for use, but expensive. The owners suggest a speed of 800 and maximum power.

*Exotics
** Fibre glass: no (unknown resin, glass particles)
** Carbon Fibre: no
** Slate: engravable for good effect

Good list of info here: http://inventionstudio.gatech.edu/wiki/Laser_cutter (page disappeared, some time before 2016-12-12)

Very detailed cutting properties here: http://microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/tools/Trotec_laser_cutter/Synrad%20LaserProcessingGuide_Plastics.pdf

== Instructions ==

To use the laser cutter, you must have been trained and have had your name added to the trained user list; these instructions are not a substitute for this training. See the training section to understand how you can become qualified to use the laser cutter.

Although not a requirement, it is recommended someone else trained is also present when using the laser cutter. Having two pairs of eyes helps avoid forgotten steps, allows for double checking, clarifications and discussions, and ensures a greater pool of experience is both present and being built up as the laser is used.

'''Power Up'''

Give the machine a quick visual check. Make sure that there is nothing left on the bed, the water reservoir of the chiller looks normal, and that the equipment has no obvious damage or signs of being out-of-action. If the bed looks like it has residue on it, give it a wipe with IPA and a cloth.

Turn on primary switch on the trunking marked 'Laser'. The air filter system to the right of the laser cutter should start as should the air pump and the chiller. It should power up, make a decent amount of noise, and the lights should indicate the filter is in good condition (i.e. no need for replacement).

Make sure the lid is closed. Turn on the laser using the key on the right hand side. The inspection lamp should come on, a satisfying hum start up, and the cutter go into doing its self-checks.

Before doing any job, the laser should be left to warm up for 4-5 mins. While the machine warms up, power on the adjacent PC and start the LaserCut application from the desktop. During this time the water temperature shown on the chiller should drop from ambient temperature to the usual setting of 18C.

'''Load your Design'''

The PC software has an import facility ('''file > import''') which seems to be happy taking AutoCAD 2004 DXF files and other formats. The workspace of the laser bed is represented as the workarea in the LaserCut software. If the import doesn't do what you want size-wise, you can select the whole image and then use the 'size' command from the drop down menu to set the dimension you want. Clicking on the three dots ... symbol will adjust the other axis in the same proportion (keeping the aspect ratio fixed). Selecting the 'centre on bed' option will locate your imported drawing on the centre of the machine's cutting bed.

'''Assign Settings to Colours'''

Each part of your drawing that is assigned a different colour can have a different cut action assigned. Each colour will appear on the menu on the right hand side of the screen with numbers related to power and speed of the laser which will be used for the colour.

The main options are to Cut (line) or Engrave (raster fill). A marking on the material is a Cut. For each material and cutting depth required, a corresponding speed and power must be entered. The handbook provided with the machine gives suggested values for various materials but these should be considered as a starting point for a test. See the '''Power and Speed Settings''' section for our guidelines and experiences for these settings.

'''Download to the Cutter'''

Your drawing will feature a blue dot which represents the starting point of the laser; this is by default on the top right corner. In general, you will want to use "immediate" mode, which means this point represents wherever the laser is positioned when you start the job. You can also run the job in absolute mode by unchecking the box, making the job use absolute positioning on the workspace.

To download, select Download and Download Current; the download option will by default call the file on the laser cutter 'LASER'.

'''Set the Focus'''

Before each job, the focus needs to be checked and set by adjusting the height of the bed, and thus the work piece, from the lens. The critical dimension here is 41mm and several gauges made of perspex will be left around the machine. This gauge needs to be a fit between the top surface of the material you intend to cut and the white plastic 'flap' on the lens piece. The height of the table is adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons. Failure to set the distance correctly will result in an out of focus laser and much bigger (but lower powered) cut line. Always ensure there is clearance between the material and laser head before the head moves.

'''Aligning and Testing the Job'''

The cutter's menu will show the most recent downloaded file highlighted. Pressing the 'test' button will make the head travel along the square maximum extends of the cuts. This shows you that you have the material in the right place, and you have enough of it! You can do this repeatedly, moving the work piece by hand or the laser head using the arrow keys (after hitting ESC), until you are confident you have things where you want them.

'''Cut the Job'''

When happy with the location of the material, close the lid and press 'start' to start the cutter. Watch the head and at least at first be prepared to press the 'stop' button immediately if you find you are burning massive holes in your work piece! This goes back to doing some tests on a sample of your material and making sure you are happy with the cut speeds and power you have selected. You should stay near the cutter at all times and be prepared to pause it or stop it in the event of fire.

<span style="color:red">'''DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE CUTTER UNATTENDED'''</span>

'''Finishing'''

The end of the job is signified by a beep. Waiting a few moments for the exhaust pump to clear any remaining smoke is a good idea, especially with wood, and will limit the build up of smells in the rest of the workshop. Remove your work piece, ensuring that all parts are cleared from the bed of the machine.

'''Power Down'''

The cutter is turned off using the key switch, then the air filtering system with the green rocker switch. Shut down the PC and double check that everything is left in a safe state for the next user.

'''Clean the bed of debris using the soft brush, then wipe down the bed using IPA and a cloth.'''

If you have been cutting particularly 'dirty' materials, most notable MDF and Ply which leave a sticky residue then you will need to use the course side of one of the oven pads and lots of 'elbow grease'. Residue on the bed can impact the next persons' job so please make the effort to clean up and leave the cutter as you would wish to find it.

Go away excited by what you can make and come back with lots more drawings!

== Power and Speed Settings ==

In due time we will try to build up a large sample stock of materials and record the values which work best. Here are the sample material tests we have so far:

<gallery>
File:Laser-schmoo-3mm-acrylic.JPG|3mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-10mm-acrylic.JPG|10mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-9mm-mdf.JPG|9mm MDF (note: do not cut MDF - see above!)
</gallery>

Settings to get you started:
*3mm Acrylic: Speed 12, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Acrylic: Speed 6, Power 100, Corner power 100
*Acrylic shallow cut: Speed 30, power 50, corner power 50
*Etching acrylic: Speed 400, Power 50, Spacing 0.05

To make your own material test, a test grid can be downloaded here: [[Media:Test grid.zip]]

*3mm Delrin: Speed 10, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Delrin: Speed 4, Power 100, Corner power 100
*6mm Delrin: speed 3, Power 100, Corner power 100

== Tips & Tricks ==

* If the laser cutter's user interface does not seem to respond/do what you want, hit "ESC" to return to 'normal mode'.
* The opaque white acrylic needs slightly stronger settings for surface cuts as they are not as visible as in the transparent acrylic (i.e., for similar effect you need a deeper cut). Otherwise seems to cut equivalently to transparent acrylics.
* If you want a tight fit of pieces or very accurate sizing, keep in mind that the laser beam has a width of just over 0.1 mm (maybe 0.11 or 0.12 mm). So all exterior cut lines should be offset by 0.05 mm; you can do this very easily in the LaserCutter Software with the "Offset" tool (units are in mm, so enter '0.05' and select 'Outer').
* The DXF file format stores values only (not values and units). The internal units in the LaserCutter are in mm. If you set your document's units to mm in the exporting CAD system it should work fine, but generally it is a good idea to have a piece of geometry of known length, e.g. a line 100mm long, or a box of known size around your design. This makes adjusting the scaling a lot easier.
* If you want to export a DXF from Inkscape (which is a great, free vector drawing package), then make sure you do "Object to path" from the Path menu for the whole object and then during the export stage, untick both options for type of export. Choose mm as your unit.
* There's now a page to help with Inkscape and our laser at [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Inkscape]]
* If the jog buttons (arrow keys moving the laser head around) are only moving the head in small single steps rather than moving it continuously, make sure that the jog step size is set to 0.0mm in the Jog Settings section of the menu.

=== Material Usage ===
You want to use as little material as possible to save money, we want you to use as little material as possible to reduce re-stocking burden and wastage.
There's a neat tool you can use for packing SVG files into small spaces, find it here: http://svgnest.com/

== Fixing up a job that went wrong ==

If you messed up a job and, for example, some cut lines weren't cut, you might try to run the job again after recolouring all of the lines except the ones that didn't cut. You can then deselect those lines for output in the Cut/Engrave window on the top right of the Lasercut Interface, and this will keep your positioning.

If your head has moved, you can try setting some lines to power 1, which should not cut anything, but allows you to see where the head is travelling.

== Fixing strange issues ==

''Jaws has a FAQ on the desktop of her PC, with more useful hints, tricks, and solutions.''

* Etching doesn't work
** Lines are not closed. LaserCut usually warns you about this. Ctrl-a to select all, then Tools->Unite Lines (0.001 should be fine).
** Two copies on top of each other. Copies on top of each other "cancel out" any etching. Delete one copy.
** Test with Menu->Laser->Simulate

* LaserCut will not download to the laser cutter
** Check laser cutter isn't in a paused state
** Restart LaserCut on the PC. (We've not had any usb issues nor needed to restart the laser since upgrading the PC summer 2014).

* Laser cuts things out 2+ times
** Check you don't have two copies loaded on top of each other
** Check it's not set to cut multiple times in LaserCut (this setting is right of the Cut/Engrave/Speed/Power settings)
** Check the laser front panel says "001" at the bottom. If not, press right arrow until the number is highlighted, then down to adjust back to 1, then press return.

* Laser will only cut at the top right of the bed
** Download again with Immediate Mode ticked
** On laser panel, press return (I think?) then right twice (should select the bottom left option), then press return (I think).

*You Hit Emergency stop
** E-M button needs twisting to re-activate
** If that fails - check the circuit breaker inside. From the back of the machine, you want to open the lower flap on the left side, which should be unlocked. Near to the back, there is a breaker board. Flip the flippy bit.

== Material Stock ==
For the stock we hold, please see the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Stock|Laser cutter stock]] page.

= Maintenance =

The maintenance of the Laser Cutter is carried out by the Owners, with some basic maintenance being carried out by Users on every job.

== Maintenance Schedule ==

Continuous Maintenance ('''Every job, done by all Laser Cutter Users''')
* Clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth or Swarfega wipes
* Clean any debris off laser bed and surround using soft brush

Basic Maintenance (Every week, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Clean the laser lens with IPA and cotton buds
* Oil the 3 runners with 3-in-one light oil
* Thoroughly clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth
* Check the water level in the cooling tank
* Clean and remove debris from the machine base and catchment drawer

Full Maintenance (Every 4 weeks, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Check the water is clean in the cooling tank (i.e. no contamination/organic build up)
* Check filter unit for filter renewal
* Oil the 4 rise and fall lead screws with 3-in-one light oil
* Check mirrors and clean with a disposable sachet lens cleaner cloth (only if needed, mirror coatings are delicate)
* Work through mirror alignment procedure to check alignment of mirrors

== Maintenance Log ==

''For full log, see laser cutter wall sheet''

For specific instructions and owner hints and tips see [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Owner_Tips|Owner Hints and Tricks]].

'''Filter Changes'''
* Jaws: 10 Feb to 22 June 2016, slightly under 5 months, and falling
* Betsy: Freshest data currently in filter unit, gave up on 24th of June

'''Reactive Maintenance'''
* 15th Jan 2013, Simon Ford: Laser cutter not powering up, with switching on via key gives no activity whatsoever. No recollection of it cutting out during a job (Alexis), so assume it just stopped turning on at some point. Filter box and power sockets confirmed OK. Diagnosis: RCD in right back panel of Laser reset to off, no obvious reason why. Switching back on brought everything back to life OK.
* 22nd, Simon Ford; 29th, Nicholas - same again.

* Apr 2014, Mat Cook and Diana Probst: after previous changing of chiller water (Roger et al) the pump was complaining of lack of flow. Changed water and filtered, removed small blockage from rubber hose on laser tube.

* 16 Apr 2014, Toby and Diana: changed laser tube, refilled chiller. Laser cutter fully working.

* 25 Oct 2014, Mat and Diana mended lid spring brace. Cutter working fully.

'''Regular Maintenance'''
* Week Number, Date, Type, Owner (Notes)

2013
* January 7, Full, Chris @ HPCLaser'''
* January 14, Basic, Simon Ford
* January 21, Full, Simon Ford (running better than new :)'''
* ...various maintenance events happened...
* April 5th, Full, Simon Ford
* July 1st, Full, David Barham (realigned mirrors)
* July 15th, installed chiller

2014
* 16 Apr 2014, mirror alignment and optics checked after re-installation of tube. All fine. Toby and Diana.
* 19 May 2014, mirrors cleaned, earthing wire on lid tightened. Diana (and Mat's screwdriver)
* 21 May 2014, cleaned lens with Mat Cook. Diana
* 02 Jun 2014, removed and cleaned laser bed
* 14 Sep 2014, cleaned lens and mirrors, realigned. Diana and Brian Starkey

* 30 Jun 2014 Fitted microswitches in series with the magnetic "lid closed" detector.
* ??? 2014 "Jaws" Second laser cutter acquired
* ??? 2014 Fitted microswitch to Jaws

== Maintenance Shopping List ==

* 3-in-one light oil
* Cotton Buds
* Lens cleaner sachets
* Soft paint/cleaning brush
* Thermometer for water tank
* Hand held CO2 extinguisher

= Further Information =

* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser Product Page]
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&chapter=2 HPCLaser Technical Info]
* [http://www.laserscript.co.uk/phpBB3/ Laserscript Forum]

LaserCut 5.3
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/sale/35.html Homepage]
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/down/LaserCut5.3%20Manual%20V1.6.pdf Manual]

[[/BitmapLaserEngraving.html Bitmap engraving on the laser cutter]]

== Installation ==

<gallery>
File:Laser_-_van.JPG
File:Makespace-laser-install-02.JPG
File:Laser_-_building_2.JPG
File:Laser_-_building.JPG
</gallery>

== Purchase ==

Full Purchase, Delivery and Installation (£6865.00+vat = £8238.00)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser engraving and cutting machine, 600mm by 900mm 60W] (£5250.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=34 Laser Fume Filter] (£1250.00+vat)
* Delivery (£190+vat)
* Installation/Training (£175+vat)

== Repairs ==

We expect to have to change the following parts for general maintenance:
* The laser tube (guess every 6-12 months)
* The filter (guess every 3-6 months)
* The optics (guess every 6-12 months)

Maintenance and Spares:
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=3 60 watt C02 laser tube] (£275.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12 50 mm Focus Meniscus Lens] (£75.00+vat)
* Estimate for Call Out (£200.00)

Equipment/Laser Cutter

2017-12-10T21:15:24Z

Miguel: Add link to bitmap engraving

{{RedTool}}

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / Laser Cutter

[[File:Makespace-laser-cutter.JPG|thumb|460px|right|Our LS6090 PRO Laser Cutter]]

= Summary =

We have two LS 6090 PRO Laser Cutters. Each has a working area of 900mm by 600mm, and is powered by a 60w CO2 Water Cooled Laser Tube that can engrave and cut through materials such as wood, plastic, card, leather, fabrics, up to about 10-15mm thick (note, it can not cut metal). The laser cut is approximately 0.15mm wide, and a job can take a few seconds through to tens of minutes depending on material thickness and design complexity.

We have dedicated PCs running LaserCut 5.3 software to import, prepare and download jobs to the Laser Cutter. It can import various formats, with DXF being the most commonly used, so various software packages can be used to create your designs.

Here are some examples of laser jobs we've run (please add a photo of yours any time you do a job!)

<gallery>
File:Laser-cut-focus-tool.JPG
File:Laser-cut-front-panels.JPG
File:Laser-cut-lizards.JPG
File:Laser-cut-m-and-s.JPG
File:Laser-cut-model-building.JPG
File:Laser-cut-ply-m.JPG
File:Laser_output_-_makespace_arrow.JPG
File:Laser_box.jpg
File:Croc-small.jpg
File:LaserCutter_Jobs_1.jpg
File:LaserCutterGallery_20130328.jpg
File:LasercutSettlers.jpg
File:Wolfstock1.jpg
File:Mug-holder.jpg
File:2013-10-21 20.10.06.jpg
File:Indy jigster.png
</gallery>

= Using the Laser Cutter =

The laser cutter is a great way to easily produce accurate and complex 2D forms in various materials, and can be designed for with limited experience in various drawing or CAD applications. At the same time, it is an expensive tool with real risk of injury and fire, so is very important you know how to use it to avoid damaging yourself and the machine. '''You must only use the laser cutter if you have been trained, and if you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask for assistance.'''

== Owners ==

The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the laser cutter, organising maintenance, responding to technical issues and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the Laser Cutter are:

* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:DianaProbst|Diana Probst]]
* Owners who are a little less current, but may still be able to help:
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]

== Trainers ==

The Trainers are those who have volunteered to teach others to use the laser cutter and to promote good working practice. The current Trainers for the Laser Cutter are:

* Brian Starkey
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]
* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Miguel Morin
* [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
* Katy Marshall
* Currently slightly less frequent trainers are:
** Martin de Selincourt
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]
** [[User:Tmonca|Toby Moncaster]]

If you have any questions, problems or concerns around the laser cutter, please use the forum page:
* [http://makespace.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45 Laser Cutter Log]

For the old mailing list thread see here:
* [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/Tmce2iKVzD8/discussion Log : Laser Cutter]

== Training ==

<div style="background:#FADADD; border:1px solid #FFC0CB; padding:5px">
<b>YOU CAN ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED</b><br>
and have been added to the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training#Trained_Users|Trained Users]] list by one of the Owners
</div>

To get trained on the laser cutter and be added to the qualified user list, you will need to arrange for a training session with one of the Laser Cutter Owners.

If you'd like to arrange training, please see:
* [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training|Laser Cutter Training]]

== Health and Safety ==

The laser cutter is a potentially dangerous piece of equipment which must only be operated by members who have received appropriate training and who take due care. The top things to always remember when using the laser cutter are:
* '''ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU ARE ON THE LIST OF TRAINED USERS'''
* '''NEVER LEAVE THE LASER CUTTER RUNNING UNATTENDED'''
* '''KNOW WHAT TO DO IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT'''
* '''NEVER CUT MATERIALS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ARE SAFE'''

As a trained user, you should be very aware of the following risks and how to deal with them:

'''FIRE (under normal operation)''' - Cutting at the wrong speed or the wrong power can result in the material igniting
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* Small flashes of flame that don't hang around for a fraction of a second are acceptable, but any more is rare and not acceptable
* If a fire does take, this is the process you should follow (from minor to major):
** Press "pause" (the same button you started the job with) - This will turn the laser off so no more heat enters, and assuming the flame goes out, you can press "start" for the job to continue where it left off
** Open the lid - With the job paused, you can open the lid to blow out the flame. Again, it is possible to re-close the lid and continue where you left off
** Move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics; alternatively send the laser to home/datum), and smother with a spare sheet of material or blow out
** Use the workshop CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FIRE (abnormal operation)''' - If the head gets stuck or something else goes wrong, ignition could happen much more suddenly or intensely
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* If the head gets trapped (e.g. tomb-stoning of a piece, mechanical failure) or any other problem occurs that causes or could cause fire, this is the process you should follow:
** Hit the emergency stop
** Open the lid and move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics)
** Blow out, smother with a spare sheet of material, or use the CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame as appropriate
* Ensure a Maintainer looks at the machine before it is brought back in to action if it is not obvious what went wrong and all is ok
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FUMES''' - The laser cutting process will release different smoke and fumes depending on the material.
* Never cut PVC or a material you are not sure is safe. When PVC is heated it releases chlorine gas, this mixes with the moisture in the air and the result is hydrochloric acid which is toxic to humans and corrosive to machines.
* Ensure the filter is on and the cutter lid stays closed for a while after a job to allow the fumes to clear.
* If you are feeling strange, think the fume build up is too much, or for any other reason you are unsure, stop the job.

'''TRAPPING''' - The head and bed of the cutter can be moved by the front panel menu or programs in the machines memory.
* Be careful when working inside the cutting area or with the lid open not to trap hands, hair, clothing or anything else.
* Always check the machine for unexpected items that may have fallen in before closing the lid.
* Do not attempt to climb into the machine!

'''LASER BURNS/LIGHT''' - A 60W laser can do real damage.
* The laser should be safe within the confines of the machine, and cut-off automatically when the lid is open (although this should not be relied upon). The top window is safe to look through during a job, but do not attempt to interfere with these windows or the laser or in any way invent some way to look at the laser.
* Do not tamper with the laser cutter, or any interlocks. All side panels of the laser should always be closed and locked whilst the machine is plugged in.
* Do not put metal in the laser cutter.

== Can I cut it? ==

If it's not on this list, the answer is "NO YOU CAN'T CUT IT AT MAKESPACE". Even if other people say it's ok. Bear in mind that we can't ventilate externally like other people can.

If it's something that isn't covered here, do ask on the forums and we'll look into it :)

*Woody things
** Wood: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Plywood: yes if it is "laser ply". Normal plywood has non-laser compatible glue
** MDF: no. Clogs up our filters and smells bad.
** LaserMDF: no. It produces perhaps 50% the gunk of MDF but still too much.
** Cork: yes, but it with a badly charred edge, and won't cut very deeply --- try cutting from the back of your sheet and using the cut to guide a craft knife / scalpel to make a neat cut through to the front.

*Plasticy things
** Acrylic / Perspex: yes!
** PVC/Vinyl: absolutely not. Produces chlorine.
** Silicone: we tried it with very limited success. A mm or two perhaps, anything else chars and doesn't cut.
** White Delrin/Acetal: yes with great care. Make sure filters running well. Don't open lid too quickly. Check for fumes and fire.
** Black Delrin/Acetal: no. contains carbon black which can be toxic.
** Teflon: no (it is toxic)
** Nylon: no (consult an owner)
** Polythene/polyethylene: no (consult an owner)
** Lexan/Polycarbonate: no (consult an owner)
** Polypropylene: yes just. You must clean the bed. It will cut up to about 2mm. It's not a great quality cut, but just about doable. Fire risk.
** GPPS / Polystyrene / HIPS in thin solid sheet form: maybe. ask owner to help. NO FOAM (it's highly flammable)

*Papery things
** Card/Paper: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Tissue: yes if super super really careful (be REALLY careful of fire, have emergency procedure in place before you start)

*Metally things
** Metal of any thickness doesn't cut. The surface can be engraved with a paint application. LMM6000 Surmark/Thermark has been tested and is suggested for use, but expensive. The owners suggest a speed of 800 and maximum power.

*Exotics
** Fibre glass: no (unknown resin, glass particles)
** Carbon Fibre: no
** Slate: engravable for good effect

Good list of info here: http://inventionstudio.gatech.edu/wiki/Laser_cutter (page disappeared, some time before 2016-12-12)

Very detailed cutting properties here: http://microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/tools/Trotec_laser_cutter/Synrad%20LaserProcessingGuide_Plastics.pdf

== Instructions ==

To use the laser cutter, you must have been trained and have had your name added to the trained user list; these instructions are not a substitute for this training. See the training section to understand how you can become qualified to use the laser cutter.

Although not a requirement, it is recommended someone else trained is also present when using the laser cutter. Having two pairs of eyes helps avoid forgotten steps, allows for double checking, clarifications and discussions, and ensures a greater pool of experience is both present and being built up as the laser is used.

'''Power Up'''

Give the machine a quick visual check. Make sure that there is nothing left on the bed, the water reservoir of the chiller looks normal, and that the equipment has no obvious damage or signs of being out-of-action. If the bed looks like it has residue on it, give it a wipe with IPA and a cloth.

Turn on primary switch on the trunking marked 'Laser'. The air filter system to the right of the laser cutter should start as should the air pump and the chiller. It should power up, make a decent amount of noise, and the lights should indicate the filter is in good condition (i.e. no need for replacement).

Make sure the lid is closed. Turn on the laser using the key on the right hand side. The inspection lamp should come on, a satisfying hum start up, and the cutter go into doing its self-checks.

Before doing any job, the laser should be left to warm up for 4-5 mins. While the machine warms up, power on the adjacent PC and start the LaserCut application from the desktop. During this time the water temperature shown on the chiller should drop from ambient temperature to the usual setting of 18C.

'''Load your Design'''

The PC software has an import facility ('''file > import''') which seems to be happy taking AutoCAD 2004 DXF files and other formats. The workspace of the laser bed is represented as the workarea in the LaserCut software. If the import doesn't do what you want size-wise, you can select the whole image and then use the 'size' command from the drop down menu to set the dimension you want. Clicking on the three dots ... symbol will adjust the other axis in the same proportion (keeping the aspect ratio fixed). Selecting the 'centre on bed' option will locate your imported drawing on the centre of the machine's cutting bed.

'''Assign Settings to Colours'''

Each part of your drawing that is assigned a different colour can have a different cut action assigned. Each colour will appear on the menu on the right hand side of the screen with numbers related to power and speed of the laser which will be used for the colour.

The main options are to Cut (line) or Engrave (raster fill). A marking on the material is a Cut. For each material and cutting depth required, a corresponding speed and power must be entered. The handbook provided with the machine gives suggested values for various materials but these should be considered as a starting point for a test. See the '''Power and Speed Settings''' section for our guidelines and experiences for these settings.

'''Download to the Cutter'''

Your drawing will feature a blue dot which represents the starting point of the laser; this is by default on the top right corner. In general, you will want to use "immediate" mode, which means this point represents wherever the laser is positioned when you start the job. You can also run the job in absolute mode by unchecking the box, making the job use absolute positioning on the workspace.

To download, select Download and Download Current; the download option will by default call the file on the laser cutter 'LASER'.

'''Set the Focus'''

Before each job, the focus needs to be checked and set by adjusting the height of the bed, and thus the work piece, from the lens. The critical dimension here is 41mm and several gauges made of perspex will be left around the machine. This gauge needs to be a fit between the top surface of the material you intend to cut and the white plastic 'flap' on the lens piece. The height of the table is adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons. Failure to set the distance correctly will result in an out of focus laser and much bigger (but lower powered) cut line. Always ensure there is clearance between the material and laser head before the head moves.

'''Aligning and Testing the Job'''

The cutter's menu will show the most recent downloaded file highlighted. Pressing the 'test' button will make the head travel along the square maximum extends of the cuts. This shows you that you have the material in the right place, and you have enough of it! You can do this repeatedly, moving the work piece by hand or the laser head using the arrow keys (after hitting ESC), until you are confident you have things where you want them.

'''Cut the Job'''

When happy with the location of the material, close the lid and press 'start' to start the cutter. Watch the head and at least at first be prepared to press the 'stop' button immediately if you find you are burning massive holes in your work piece! This goes back to doing some tests on a sample of your material and making sure you are happy with the cut speeds and power you have selected. You should stay near the cutter at all times and be prepared to pause it or stop it in the event of fire.

<span style="color:red">'''DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE CUTTER UNATTENDED'''</span>

'''Finishing'''

The end of the job is signified by a beep. Waiting a few moments for the exhaust pump to clear any remaining smoke is a good idea, especially with wood, and will limit the build up of smells in the rest of the workshop. Remove your work piece, ensuring that all parts are cleared from the bed of the machine.

'''Power Down'''

The cutter is turned off using the key switch, then the air filtering system with the green rocker switch. Shut down the PC and double check that everything is left in a safe state for the next user.

'''Clean the bed of debris using the soft brush, then wipe down the bed using IPA and a cloth.'''

If you have been cutting particularly 'dirty' materials, most notable MDF and Ply which leave a sticky residue then you will need to use the course side of one of the oven pads and lots of 'elbow grease'. Residue on the bed can impact the next persons' job so please make the effort to clean up and leave the cutter as you would wish to find it.

Go away excited by what you can make and come back with lots more drawings!

== Power and Speed Settings ==

In due time we will try to build up a large sample stock of materials and record the values which work best. Here are the sample material tests we have so far:

<gallery>
File:Laser-schmoo-3mm-acrylic.JPG|3mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-10mm-acrylic.JPG|10mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-9mm-mdf.JPG|9mm MDF (note: do not cut MDF - see above!)
</gallery>

Settings to get you started:
*3mm Acrylic: Speed 12, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Acrylic: Speed 6, Power 100, Corner power 100
*Acrylic shallow cut: Speed 30, power 50, corner power 50
*Etching acrylic: Speed 400, Power 50, Spacing 0.05

To make your own material test, a test grid can be downloaded here: [[Media:Test grid.zip]]

*3mm Delrin: Speed 10, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Delrin: Speed 4, Power 100, Corner power 100
*6mm Delrin: speed 3, Power 100, Corner power 100

== Tips & Tricks ==

* If the laser cutter's user interface does not seem to respond/do what you want, hit "ESC" to return to 'normal mode'.
* The opaque white acrylic needs slightly stronger settings for surface cuts as they are not as visible as in the transparent acrylic (i.e., for similar effect you need a deeper cut). Otherwise seems to cut equivalently to transparent acrylics.
* If you want a tight fit of pieces or very accurate sizing, keep in mind that the laser beam has a width of just over 0.1 mm (maybe 0.11 or 0.12 mm). So all exterior cut lines should be offset by 0.05 mm; you can do this very easily in the LaserCutter Software with the "Offset" tool (units are in mm, so enter '0.05' and select 'Outer').
* The DXF file format stores values only (not values and units). The internal units in the LaserCutter are in mm. If you set your document's units to mm in the exporting CAD system it should work fine, but generally it is a good idea to have a piece of geometry of known length, e.g. a line 100mm long, or a box of known size around your design. This makes adjusting the scaling a lot easier.
* If you want to export a DXF from Inkscape (which is a great, free vector drawing package), then make sure you do "Object to path" from the Path menu for the whole object and then during the export stage, untick both options for type of export. Choose mm as your unit.
* There's now a page to help with Inkscape and our laser at [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Inkscape]]
* If the jog buttons (arrow keys moving the laser head around) are only moving the head in small single steps rather than moving it continuously, make sure that the jog step size is set to 0.0mm in the Jog Settings section of the menu.

=== Material Usage ===
You want to use as little material as possible to save money, we want you to use as little material as possible to reduce re-stocking burden and wastage.
There's a neat tool you can use for packing SVG files into small spaces, find it here: http://svgnest.com/

== Fixing up a job that went wrong ==

If you messed up a job and, for example, some cut lines weren't cut, you might try to run the job again after recolouring all of the lines except the ones that didn't cut. You can then deselect those lines for output in the Cut/Engrave window on the top right of the Lasercut Interface, and this will keep your positioning.

If your head has moved, you can try setting some lines to power 1, which should not cut anything, but allows you to see where the head is travelling.

== Fixing strange issues ==

''Jaws has a FAQ on the desktop of her PC, with more useful hints, tricks, and solutions.''

* Etching doesn't work
** Lines are not closed. LaserCut usually warns you about this. Ctrl-a to select all, then Tools->Unite Lines (0.001 should be fine).
** Two copies on top of each other. Copies on top of each other "cancel out" any etching. Delete one copy.
** Test with Menu->Laser->Simulate

* LaserCut will not download to the laser cutter
** Check laser cutter isn't in a paused state
** Restart LaserCut on the PC. (We've not had any usb issues nor needed to restart the laser since upgrading the PC summer 2014).

* Laser cuts things out 2+ times
** Check you don't have two copies loaded on top of each other
** Check it's not set to cut multiple times in LaserCut (this setting is right of the Cut/Engrave/Speed/Power settings)
** Check the laser front panel says "001" at the bottom. If not, press right arrow until the number is highlighted, then down to adjust back to 1, then press return.

* Laser will only cut at the top right of the bed
** Download again with Immediate Mode ticked
** On laser panel, press return (I think?) then right twice (should select the bottom left option), then press return (I think).

*You Hit Emergency stop
** E-M button needs twisting to re-activate
** If that fails - check the circuit breaker inside. From the back of the machine, you want to open the lower flap on the left side, which should be unlocked. Near to the back, there is a breaker board. Flip the flippy bit.

== Material Stock ==
For the stock we hold, please see the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Stock|Laser cutter stock]] page.

= Maintenance =

The maintenance of the Laser Cutter is carried out by the Owners, with some basic maintenance being carried out by Users on every job.

== Maintenance Schedule ==

Continuous Maintenance ('''Every job, done by all Laser Cutter Users''')
* Clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth or Swarfega wipes
* Clean any debris off laser bed and surround using soft brush

Basic Maintenance (Every week, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Clean the laser lens with IPA and cotton buds
* Oil the 3 runners with 3-in-one light oil
* Thoroughly clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth
* Check the water level in the cooling tank
* Clean and remove debris from the machine base and catchment drawer

Full Maintenance (Every 4 weeks, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Check the water is clean in the cooling tank (i.e. no contamination/organic build up)
* Check filter unit for filter renewal
* Oil the 4 rise and fall lead screws with 3-in-one light oil
* Check mirrors and clean with a disposable sachet lens cleaner cloth (only if needed, mirror coatings are delicate)
* Work through mirror alignment procedure to check alignment of mirrors

== Maintenance Log ==

''For full log, see laser cutter wall sheet''

For specific instructions and owner hints and tips see [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Owner_Tips|Owner Hints and Tricks]].

'''Filter Changes'''
* Jaws: 10 Feb to 22 June 2016, slightly under 5 months, and falling
* Betsy: Freshest data currently in filter unit, gave up on 24th of June

'''Reactive Maintenance'''
* 15th Jan 2013, Simon Ford: Laser cutter not powering up, with switching on via key gives no activity whatsoever. No recollection of it cutting out during a job (Alexis), so assume it just stopped turning on at some point. Filter box and power sockets confirmed OK. Diagnosis: RCD in right back panel of Laser reset to off, no obvious reason why. Switching back on brought everything back to life OK.
* 22nd, Simon Ford; 29th, Nicholas - same again.

* Apr 2014, Mat Cook and Diana Probst: after previous changing of chiller water (Roger et al) the pump was complaining of lack of flow. Changed water and filtered, removed small blockage from rubber hose on laser tube.

* 16 Apr 2014, Toby and Diana: changed laser tube, refilled chiller. Laser cutter fully working.

* 25 Oct 2014, Mat and Diana mended lid spring brace. Cutter working fully.

'''Regular Maintenance'''
* Week Number, Date, Type, Owner (Notes)

2013
* January 7, Full, Chris @ HPCLaser'''
* January 14, Basic, Simon Ford
* January 21, Full, Simon Ford (running better than new :)'''
* ...various maintenance events happened...
* April 5th, Full, Simon Ford
* July 1st, Full, David Barham (realigned mirrors)
* July 15th, installed chiller

2014
* 16 Apr 2014, mirror alignment and optics checked after re-installation of tube. All fine. Toby and Diana.
* 19 May 2014, mirrors cleaned, earthing wire on lid tightened. Diana (and Mat's screwdriver)
* 21 May 2014, cleaned lens with Mat Cook. Diana
* 02 Jun 2014, removed and cleaned laser bed
* 14 Sep 2014, cleaned lens and mirrors, realigned. Diana and Brian Starkey

* 30 Jun 2014 Fitted microswitches in series with the magnetic "lid closed" detector.
* ??? 2014 "Jaws" Second laser cutter acquired
* ??? 2014 Fitted microswitch to Jaws

== Maintenance Shopping List ==

* 3-in-one light oil
* Cotton Buds
* Lens cleaner sachets
* Soft paint/cleaning brush
* Thermometer for water tank
* Hand held CO2 extinguisher

= Further Information =

* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser Product Page]
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&chapter=2 HPCLaser Technical Info]
* [http://www.laserscript.co.uk/phpBB3/ Laserscript Forum]

LaserCut 5.3
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/sale/35.html Homepage]
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/down/LaserCut5.3%20Manual%20V1.6.pdf Manual]

[/BitmapLaserEngraving.html Bitmap engraving on the laser cutter]

== Installation ==

<gallery>
File:Laser_-_van.JPG
File:Makespace-laser-install-02.JPG
File:Laser_-_building_2.JPG
File:Laser_-_building.JPG
</gallery>

== Purchase ==

Full Purchase, Delivery and Installation (£6865.00+vat = £8238.00)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser engraving and cutting machine, 600mm by 900mm 60W] (£5250.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=34 Laser Fume Filter] (£1250.00+vat)
* Delivery (£190+vat)
* Installation/Training (£175+vat)

== Repairs ==

We expect to have to change the following parts for general maintenance:
* The laser tube (guess every 6-12 months)
* The filter (guess every 3-6 months)
* The optics (guess every 6-12 months)

Maintenance and Spares:
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=3 60 watt C02 laser tube] (£275.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12 50 mm Focus Meniscus Lens] (£75.00+vat)
* Estimate for Call Out (£200.00)

Equipment/Laser Cutter

2017-12-10T21:14:53Z

Miguel:

{{RedTool}}

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / Laser Cutter

[[File:Makespace-laser-cutter.JPG|thumb|460px|right|Our LS6090 PRO Laser Cutter]]

= Summary =

We have two LS 6090 PRO Laser Cutters. Each has a working area of 900mm by 600mm, and is powered by a 60w CO2 Water Cooled Laser Tube that can engrave and cut through materials such as wood, plastic, card, leather, fabrics, up to about 10-15mm thick (note, it can not cut metal). The laser cut is approximately 0.15mm wide, and a job can take a few seconds through to tens of minutes depending on material thickness and design complexity.

We have dedicated PCs running LaserCut 5.3 software to import, prepare and download jobs to the Laser Cutter. It can import various formats, with DXF being the most commonly used, so various software packages can be used to create your designs.

Here are some examples of laser jobs we've run (please add a photo of yours any time you do a job!)

<gallery>
File:Laser-cut-focus-tool.JPG
File:Laser-cut-front-panels.JPG
File:Laser-cut-lizards.JPG
File:Laser-cut-m-and-s.JPG
File:Laser-cut-model-building.JPG
File:Laser-cut-ply-m.JPG
File:Laser_output_-_makespace_arrow.JPG
File:Laser_box.jpg
File:Croc-small.jpg
File:LaserCutter_Jobs_1.jpg
File:LaserCutterGallery_20130328.jpg
File:LasercutSettlers.jpg
File:Wolfstock1.jpg
File:Mug-holder.jpg
File:2013-10-21 20.10.06.jpg
File:Indy jigster.png
</gallery>

= Using the Laser Cutter =

The laser cutter is a great way to easily produce accurate and complex 2D forms in various materials, and can be designed for with limited experience in various drawing or CAD applications. At the same time, it is an expensive tool with real risk of injury and fire, so is very important you know how to use it to avoid damaging yourself and the machine. '''You must only use the laser cutter if you have been trained, and if you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask for assistance.'''

== Owners ==

The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the laser cutter, organising maintenance, responding to technical issues and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the Laser Cutter are:

* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:DianaProbst|Diana Probst]]
* Owners who are a little less current, but may still be able to help:
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]

== Trainers ==

The Trainers are those who have volunteered to teach others to use the laser cutter and to promote good working practice. The current Trainers for the Laser Cutter are:

* Brian Starkey
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]
* [[User:Mat-C|Mat Cook]]
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Miguel Morin
* [[User:Barhamd|David Barham]]
* Katy Marshall
* Currently slightly less frequent trainers are:
** Martin de Selincourt
** [[User:Simon|Simon Ford]]
** [[User:Nickcadsoftuk|Nick Johnson]]
** [[User:Tmonca|Toby Moncaster]]

If you have any questions, problems or concerns around the laser cutter, please use the forum page:
* [http://makespace.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45 Laser Cutter Log]

For the old mailing list thread see here:
* [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/Tmce2iKVzD8/discussion Log : Laser Cutter]

== Training ==

<div style="background:#FADADD; border:1px solid #FFC0CB; padding:5px">
<b>YOU CAN ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED</b><br>
and have been added to the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training#Trained_Users|Trained Users]] list by one of the Owners
</div>

To get trained on the laser cutter and be added to the qualified user list, you will need to arrange for a training session with one of the Laser Cutter Owners.

If you'd like to arrange training, please see:
* [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Training|Laser Cutter Training]]

== Health and Safety ==

The laser cutter is a potentially dangerous piece of equipment which must only be operated by members who have received appropriate training and who take due care. The top things to always remember when using the laser cutter are:
* '''ONLY USE THE LASER CUTTER IF YOU ARE ON THE LIST OF TRAINED USERS'''
* '''NEVER LEAVE THE LASER CUTTER RUNNING UNATTENDED'''
* '''KNOW WHAT TO DO IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT'''
* '''NEVER CUT MATERIALS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ARE SAFE'''

As a trained user, you should be very aware of the following risks and how to deal with them:

'''FIRE (under normal operation)''' - Cutting at the wrong speed or the wrong power can result in the material igniting
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* Small flashes of flame that don't hang around for a fraction of a second are acceptable, but any more is rare and not acceptable
* If a fire does take, this is the process you should follow (from minor to major):
** Press "pause" (the same button you started the job with) - This will turn the laser off so no more heat enters, and assuming the flame goes out, you can press "start" for the job to continue where it left off
** Open the lid - With the job paused, you can open the lid to blow out the flame. Again, it is possible to re-close the lid and continue where you left off
** Move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics; alternatively send the laser to home/datum), and smother with a spare sheet of material or blow out
** Use the workshop CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FIRE (abnormal operation)''' - If the head gets stuck or something else goes wrong, ignition could happen much more suddenly or intensely
* You must watch the cutter at all times and be prepared to abort the job if problems occur
* If the head gets trapped (e.g. tomb-stoning of a piece, mechanical failure) or any other problem occurs that causes or could cause fire, this is the process you should follow:
** Hit the emergency stop
** Open the lid and move the material from under the laser head assuming safe to do so (so it doesn't damage the optics)
** Blow out, smother with a spare sheet of material, or use the CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the flame as appropriate
* Ensure a Maintainer looks at the machine before it is brought back in to action if it is not obvious what went wrong and all is ok
* You should also make a note in the log if any of this happens with associated materials and settings so we can keep track of any particular materials/settings we should look at

'''FUMES''' - The laser cutting process will release different smoke and fumes depending on the material.
* Never cut PVC or a material you are not sure is safe. When PVC is heated it releases chlorine gas, this mixes with the moisture in the air and the result is hydrochloric acid which is toxic to humans and corrosive to machines.
* Ensure the filter is on and the cutter lid stays closed for a while after a job to allow the fumes to clear.
* If you are feeling strange, think the fume build up is too much, or for any other reason you are unsure, stop the job.

'''TRAPPING''' - The head and bed of the cutter can be moved by the front panel menu or programs in the machines memory.
* Be careful when working inside the cutting area or with the lid open not to trap hands, hair, clothing or anything else.
* Always check the machine for unexpected items that may have fallen in before closing the lid.
* Do not attempt to climb into the machine!

'''LASER BURNS/LIGHT''' - A 60W laser can do real damage.
* The laser should be safe within the confines of the machine, and cut-off automatically when the lid is open (although this should not be relied upon). The top window is safe to look through during a job, but do not attempt to interfere with these windows or the laser or in any way invent some way to look at the laser.
* Do not tamper with the laser cutter, or any interlocks. All side panels of the laser should always be closed and locked whilst the machine is plugged in.
* Do not put metal in the laser cutter.

== Can I cut it? ==

If it's not on this list, the answer is "NO YOU CAN'T CUT IT AT MAKESPACE". Even if other people say it's ok. Bear in mind that we can't ventilate externally like other people can.

If it's something that isn't covered here, do ask on the forums and we'll look into it :)

*Woody things
** Wood: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Plywood: yes if it is "laser ply". Normal plywood has non-laser compatible glue
** MDF: no. Clogs up our filters and smells bad.
** LaserMDF: no. It produces perhaps 50% the gunk of MDF but still too much.
** Cork: yes, but it with a badly charred edge, and won't cut very deeply --- try cutting from the back of your sheet and using the cut to guide a craft knife / scalpel to make a neat cut through to the front.

*Plasticy things
** Acrylic / Perspex: yes!
** PVC/Vinyl: absolutely not. Produces chlorine.
** Silicone: we tried it with very limited success. A mm or two perhaps, anything else chars and doesn't cut.
** White Delrin/Acetal: yes with great care. Make sure filters running well. Don't open lid too quickly. Check for fumes and fire.
** Black Delrin/Acetal: no. contains carbon black which can be toxic.
** Teflon: no (it is toxic)
** Nylon: no (consult an owner)
** Polythene/polyethylene: no (consult an owner)
** Lexan/Polycarbonate: no (consult an owner)
** Polypropylene: yes just. You must clean the bed. It will cut up to about 2mm. It's not a great quality cut, but just about doable. Fire risk.
** GPPS / Polystyrene / HIPS in thin solid sheet form: maybe. ask owner to help. NO FOAM (it's highly flammable)

*Papery things
** Card/Paper: yes! (be careful of fire)
** Tissue: yes if super super really careful (be REALLY careful of fire, have emergency procedure in place before you start)

*Metally things
** Metal of any thickness doesn't cut. The surface can be engraved with a paint application. LMM6000 Surmark/Thermark has been tested and is suggested for use, but expensive. The owners suggest a speed of 800 and maximum power.

*Exotics
** Fibre glass: no (unknown resin, glass particles)
** Carbon Fibre: no
** Slate: engravable for good effect

Good list of info here: http://inventionstudio.gatech.edu/wiki/Laser_cutter (page disappeared, some time before 2016-12-12)

Very detailed cutting properties here: http://microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/tools/Trotec_laser_cutter/Synrad%20LaserProcessingGuide_Plastics.pdf

== Instructions ==

To use the laser cutter, you must have been trained and have had your name added to the trained user list; these instructions are not a substitute for this training. See the training section to understand how you can become qualified to use the laser cutter.

Although not a requirement, it is recommended someone else trained is also present when using the laser cutter. Having two pairs of eyes helps avoid forgotten steps, allows for double checking, clarifications and discussions, and ensures a greater pool of experience is both present and being built up as the laser is used.

'''Power Up'''

Give the machine a quick visual check. Make sure that there is nothing left on the bed, the water reservoir of the chiller looks normal, and that the equipment has no obvious damage or signs of being out-of-action. If the bed looks like it has residue on it, give it a wipe with IPA and a cloth.

Turn on primary switch on the trunking marked 'Laser'. The air filter system to the right of the laser cutter should start as should the air pump and the chiller. It should power up, make a decent amount of noise, and the lights should indicate the filter is in good condition (i.e. no need for replacement).

Make sure the lid is closed. Turn on the laser using the key on the right hand side. The inspection lamp should come on, a satisfying hum start up, and the cutter go into doing its self-checks.

Before doing any job, the laser should be left to warm up for 4-5 mins. While the machine warms up, power on the adjacent PC and start the LaserCut application from the desktop. During this time the water temperature shown on the chiller should drop from ambient temperature to the usual setting of 18C.

'''Load your Design'''

The PC software has an import facility ('''file > import''') which seems to be happy taking AutoCAD 2004 DXF files and other formats. The workspace of the laser bed is represented as the workarea in the LaserCut software. If the import doesn't do what you want size-wise, you can select the whole image and then use the 'size' command from the drop down menu to set the dimension you want. Clicking on the three dots ... symbol will adjust the other axis in the same proportion (keeping the aspect ratio fixed). Selecting the 'centre on bed' option will locate your imported drawing on the centre of the machine's cutting bed.

'''Assign Settings to Colours'''

Each part of your drawing that is assigned a different colour can have a different cut action assigned. Each colour will appear on the menu on the right hand side of the screen with numbers related to power and speed of the laser which will be used for the colour.

The main options are to Cut (line) or Engrave (raster fill). A marking on the material is a Cut. For each material and cutting depth required, a corresponding speed and power must be entered. The handbook provided with the machine gives suggested values for various materials but these should be considered as a starting point for a test. See the '''Power and Speed Settings''' section for our guidelines and experiences for these settings.

'''Download to the Cutter'''

Your drawing will feature a blue dot which represents the starting point of the laser; this is by default on the top right corner. In general, you will want to use "immediate" mode, which means this point represents wherever the laser is positioned when you start the job. You can also run the job in absolute mode by unchecking the box, making the job use absolute positioning on the workspace.

To download, select Download and Download Current; the download option will by default call the file on the laser cutter 'LASER'.

'''Set the Focus'''

Before each job, the focus needs to be checked and set by adjusting the height of the bed, and thus the work piece, from the lens. The critical dimension here is 41mm and several gauges made of perspex will be left around the machine. This gauge needs to be a fit between the top surface of the material you intend to cut and the white plastic 'flap' on the lens piece. The height of the table is adjusted using the UP and DOWN buttons. Failure to set the distance correctly will result in an out of focus laser and much bigger (but lower powered) cut line. Always ensure there is clearance between the material and laser head before the head moves.

'''Aligning and Testing the Job'''

The cutter's menu will show the most recent downloaded file highlighted. Pressing the 'test' button will make the head travel along the square maximum extends of the cuts. This shows you that you have the material in the right place, and you have enough of it! You can do this repeatedly, moving the work piece by hand or the laser head using the arrow keys (after hitting ESC), until you are confident you have things where you want them.

'''Cut the Job'''

When happy with the location of the material, close the lid and press 'start' to start the cutter. Watch the head and at least at first be prepared to press the 'stop' button immediately if you find you are burning massive holes in your work piece! This goes back to doing some tests on a sample of your material and making sure you are happy with the cut speeds and power you have selected. You should stay near the cutter at all times and be prepared to pause it or stop it in the event of fire.

<span style="color:red">'''DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE CUTTER UNATTENDED'''</span>

'''Finishing'''

The end of the job is signified by a beep. Waiting a few moments for the exhaust pump to clear any remaining smoke is a good idea, especially with wood, and will limit the build up of smells in the rest of the workshop. Remove your work piece, ensuring that all parts are cleared from the bed of the machine.

'''Power Down'''

The cutter is turned off using the key switch, then the air filtering system with the green rocker switch. Shut down the PC and double check that everything is left in a safe state for the next user.

'''Clean the bed of debris using the soft brush, then wipe down the bed using IPA and a cloth.'''

If you have been cutting particularly 'dirty' materials, most notable MDF and Ply which leave a sticky residue then you will need to use the course side of one of the oven pads and lots of 'elbow grease'. Residue on the bed can impact the next persons' job so please make the effort to clean up and leave the cutter as you would wish to find it.

Go away excited by what you can make and come back with lots more drawings!

== Power and Speed Settings ==

In due time we will try to build up a large sample stock of materials and record the values which work best. Here are the sample material tests we have so far:

<gallery>
File:Laser-schmoo-3mm-acrylic.JPG|3mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-10mm-acrylic.JPG|10mm Acrylic
File:Laser-schmoo-9mm-mdf.JPG|9mm MDF (note: do not cut MDF - see above!)
</gallery>

Settings to get you started:
*3mm Acrylic: Speed 12, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Acrylic: Speed 6, Power 100, Corner power 100
*Acrylic shallow cut: Speed 30, power 50, corner power 50
*Etching acrylic: Speed 400, Power 50, Spacing 0.05

To make your own material test, a test grid can be downloaded here: [[Media:Test grid.zip]]

*3mm Delrin: Speed 10, Power 100, Corner power 100
*5mm Delrin: Speed 4, Power 100, Corner power 100
*6mm Delrin: speed 3, Power 100, Corner power 100

== Tips & Tricks ==

* If the laser cutter's user interface does not seem to respond/do what you want, hit "ESC" to return to 'normal mode'.
* The opaque white acrylic needs slightly stronger settings for surface cuts as they are not as visible as in the transparent acrylic (i.e., for similar effect you need a deeper cut). Otherwise seems to cut equivalently to transparent acrylics.
* If you want a tight fit of pieces or very accurate sizing, keep in mind that the laser beam has a width of just over 0.1 mm (maybe 0.11 or 0.12 mm). So all exterior cut lines should be offset by 0.05 mm; you can do this very easily in the LaserCutter Software with the "Offset" tool (units are in mm, so enter '0.05' and select 'Outer').
* The DXF file format stores values only (not values and units). The internal units in the LaserCutter are in mm. If you set your document's units to mm in the exporting CAD system it should work fine, but generally it is a good idea to have a piece of geometry of known length, e.g. a line 100mm long, or a box of known size around your design. This makes adjusting the scaling a lot easier.
* If you want to export a DXF from Inkscape (which is a great, free vector drawing package), then make sure you do "Object to path" from the Path menu for the whole object and then during the export stage, untick both options for type of export. Choose mm as your unit.
* There's now a page to help with Inkscape and our laser at [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Inkscape]]
* If the jog buttons (arrow keys moving the laser head around) are only moving the head in small single steps rather than moving it continuously, make sure that the jog step size is set to 0.0mm in the Jog Settings section of the menu.

=== Material Usage ===
You want to use as little material as possible to save money, we want you to use as little material as possible to reduce re-stocking burden and wastage.
There's a neat tool you can use for packing SVG files into small spaces, find it here: http://svgnest.com/

== Fixing up a job that went wrong ==

If you messed up a job and, for example, some cut lines weren't cut, you might try to run the job again after recolouring all of the lines except the ones that didn't cut. You can then deselect those lines for output in the Cut/Engrave window on the top right of the Lasercut Interface, and this will keep your positioning.

If your head has moved, you can try setting some lines to power 1, which should not cut anything, but allows you to see where the head is travelling.

== Fixing strange issues ==

''Jaws has a FAQ on the desktop of her PC, with more useful hints, tricks, and solutions.''

* Etching doesn't work
** Lines are not closed. LaserCut usually warns you about this. Ctrl-a to select all, then Tools->Unite Lines (0.001 should be fine).
** Two copies on top of each other. Copies on top of each other "cancel out" any etching. Delete one copy.
** Test with Menu->Laser->Simulate

* LaserCut will not download to the laser cutter
** Check laser cutter isn't in a paused state
** Restart LaserCut on the PC. (We've not had any usb issues nor needed to restart the laser since upgrading the PC summer 2014).

* Laser cuts things out 2+ times
** Check you don't have two copies loaded on top of each other
** Check it's not set to cut multiple times in LaserCut (this setting is right of the Cut/Engrave/Speed/Power settings)
** Check the laser front panel says "001" at the bottom. If not, press right arrow until the number is highlighted, then down to adjust back to 1, then press return.

* Laser will only cut at the top right of the bed
** Download again with Immediate Mode ticked
** On laser panel, press return (I think?) then right twice (should select the bottom left option), then press return (I think).

*You Hit Emergency stop
** E-M button needs twisting to re-activate
** If that fails - check the circuit breaker inside. From the back of the machine, you want to open the lower flap on the left side, which should be unlocked. Near to the back, there is a breaker board. Flip the flippy bit.

== Material Stock ==
For the stock we hold, please see the [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter_Stock|Laser cutter stock]] page.

= Maintenance =

The maintenance of the Laser Cutter is carried out by the Owners, with some basic maintenance being carried out by Users on every job.

== Maintenance Schedule ==

Continuous Maintenance ('''Every job, done by all Laser Cutter Users''')
* Clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth or Swarfega wipes
* Clean any debris off laser bed and surround using soft brush

Basic Maintenance (Every week, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Clean the laser lens with IPA and cotton buds
* Oil the 3 runners with 3-in-one light oil
* Thoroughly clean the laser bed with IPA and cloth
* Check the water level in the cooling tank
* Clean and remove debris from the machine base and catchment drawer

Full Maintenance (Every 4 weeks, done by Laser Cutter Maintainers)
* Check the water is clean in the cooling tank (i.e. no contamination/organic build up)
* Check filter unit for filter renewal
* Oil the 4 rise and fall lead screws with 3-in-one light oil
* Check mirrors and clean with a disposable sachet lens cleaner cloth (only if needed, mirror coatings are delicate)
* Work through mirror alignment procedure to check alignment of mirrors

== Maintenance Log ==

''For full log, see laser cutter wall sheet''

For specific instructions and owner hints and tips see [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter/Owner_Tips|Owner Hints and Tricks]].

'''Filter Changes'''
* Jaws: 10 Feb to 22 June 2016, slightly under 5 months, and falling
* Betsy: Freshest data currently in filter unit, gave up on 24th of June

'''Reactive Maintenance'''
* 15th Jan 2013, Simon Ford: Laser cutter not powering up, with switching on via key gives no activity whatsoever. No recollection of it cutting out during a job (Alexis), so assume it just stopped turning on at some point. Filter box and power sockets confirmed OK. Diagnosis: RCD in right back panel of Laser reset to off, no obvious reason why. Switching back on brought everything back to life OK.
* 22nd, Simon Ford; 29th, Nicholas - same again.

* Apr 2014, Mat Cook and Diana Probst: after previous changing of chiller water (Roger et al) the pump was complaining of lack of flow. Changed water and filtered, removed small blockage from rubber hose on laser tube.

* 16 Apr 2014, Toby and Diana: changed laser tube, refilled chiller. Laser cutter fully working.

* 25 Oct 2014, Mat and Diana mended lid spring brace. Cutter working fully.

'''Regular Maintenance'''
* Week Number, Date, Type, Owner (Notes)

2013
* January 7, Full, Chris @ HPCLaser'''
* January 14, Basic, Simon Ford
* January 21, Full, Simon Ford (running better than new :)'''
* ...various maintenance events happened...
* April 5th, Full, Simon Ford
* July 1st, Full, David Barham (realigned mirrors)
* July 15th, installed chiller

2014
* 16 Apr 2014, mirror alignment and optics checked after re-installation of tube. All fine. Toby and Diana.
* 19 May 2014, mirrors cleaned, earthing wire on lid tightened. Diana (and Mat's screwdriver)
* 21 May 2014, cleaned lens with Mat Cook. Diana
* 02 Jun 2014, removed and cleaned laser bed
* 14 Sep 2014, cleaned lens and mirrors, realigned. Diana and Brian Starkey

* 30 Jun 2014 Fitted microswitches in series with the magnetic "lid closed" detector.
* ??? 2014 "Jaws" Second laser cutter acquired
* ??? 2014 Fitted microswitch to Jaws

== Maintenance Shopping List ==

* 3-in-one light oil
* Cotton Buds
* Lens cleaner sachets
* Soft paint/cleaning brush
* Thermometer for water tank
* Hand held CO2 extinguisher

= Further Information =

* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser Product Page]
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&chapter=2 HPCLaser Technical Info]
* [http://www.laserscript.co.uk/phpBB3/ Laserscript Forum]

LaserCut 5.3
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/sale/35.html Homepage]
* [http://www.leetro.com/english/down/LaserCut5.3%20Manual%20V1.6.pdf Manual]

[/BitmapLaserEngraving.html](Bitmap engraving on the laser cutter)

== Installation ==

<gallery>
File:Laser_-_van.JPG
File:Makespace-laser-install-02.JPG
File:Laser_-_building_2.JPG
File:Laser_-_building.JPG
</gallery>

== Purchase ==

Full Purchase, Delivery and Installation (£6865.00+vat = £8238.00)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=11 LS 6090 PRO Laser engraving and cutting machine, 600mm by 900mm 60W] (£5250.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=34 Laser Fume Filter] (£1250.00+vat)
* Delivery (£190+vat)
* Installation/Training (£175+vat)

== Repairs ==

We expect to have to change the following parts for general maintenance:
* The laser tube (guess every 6-12 months)
* The filter (guess every 3-6 months)
* The optics (guess every 6-12 months)

Maintenance and Spares:
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=3 60 watt C02 laser tube] (£275.00+vat)
* [http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12 50 mm Focus Meniscus Lens] (£75.00+vat)
* Estimate for Call Out (£200.00)

BitmapLaserEngraving

2017-12-10T21:13:18Z

Equipment/Laser Cutter/Training

2017-07-22T09:45:41Z

Miguel: /* Yet more trained users */

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter|Laser Cutter]] / Training

= Laser Cutter Training =

This page documents the process for being trained on the Laser Cutter, and the list of members who have completed that training.

== Summary ==

Training takes place in three main steps:
* Group Training of 1-4 members, going through the equipment and how to use it (~1hr)
* Individual Training Task, where an individual member is set a task to complete to prove and improve understanding (~30min each)

Training on the Laser Cutter is run by the Laser Cutter Owners. The Laser Cutter Owners are a group of people responsible for maintaining and training on the laser cutter, and hence have been trained to train, and trained to perform the weekly and monthly maintenance on the laser cutter.

== Booking ==

Sessions are advertised on '''http://meetup.makespace.org'''
* For discussing training, or requesting additional slots if needed, use the mailing list thread: [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/vNrS07zVuY0/discussion Training : Laser Cutter]

Notes:
* You can only be trained if you have your name allocated to a slot (groups will be restricted to four at a time, so please don't make up additional spaces)
* You must do the group and individual training on the same day

= Trained Users =

The following members of Makespace are owner/trainers of the laser cutter:
* Simon Ford
* David Barham
* Nick Johnson
* Toby Moncaster
* Martin de Selincourt
* Mat Cook
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]

The following members of Makespace are trainers on the laser cutter:
* Brian Starkey
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Tom Parker
* Steve Murphy

The following members of Makespace are owners on the laser cutter:
* Diana Probst

The following members of Makespace are trained and qualified to use the Laser Cutter (note, they are not qualified to train others however):
* Steve Upton (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Martin de Selincourt (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Oliver Jackson (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Simon Stirley (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Stephen Woolhead (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Martin Levine (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Uwe Borowski (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Peter Sewell (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Steve Loughran (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* ST John (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Henry Gomersall (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Brian Corteil (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Wayne Keenan (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Andrew Dunn (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* David Knell (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Tom Oinn (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Amir Chaudhry (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Anil Madhavapeddy (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Edward Imhagwe (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Michael Dales (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Laura James (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Robert Copcutt (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Phil Cowans (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Errol McMullen (Simon Ford, 9/03/2013)
* Gaye Soykok (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Mark Williamson (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Joe Tapply (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Dan Ros (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Paul Osborn (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* David Esteves (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Zé Pinto Ferreira (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Sharath (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Andy Jude (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Mark Mellors (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Chris Abri (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Tom Ingham (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Adrian van den Heever (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Chris Voth (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Archie Reid (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Rachel Rayns (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Giovanni Orlando (David Barham, 15/04/2013)
* Chunhe Yu (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Marko Cosic (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Mark Watson (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Andy Fisher (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* David Bebb (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Simon Haydn (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Adrian Carr (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* John Clamp (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Maciek Piatek (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Antonio Barragan (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* John Sturdy (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Roeland Schumacher (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Mark Tillotson (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Ward Hills (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Anne Harrison (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* William Morton (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Ali (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Rod Williams (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Toby Moncaster (Simon Ford, 30/5/2013)
* Damien Guihen (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Ben Evan (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Jake Young (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Shareef Jalloq (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Renee Chow (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Dan Tidhar, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Mat Cook, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Toby Roberts (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Jonathan Austin (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Stacy Smith (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Matt Harvey (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Marcin (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* James Waldmeyer (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Chris Wilson (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Kevin Maloney (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Harry Braviner (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Lee (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Jon Aas (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Armando Carlone (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Eckart Jack (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Pop Sharma (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Anthony Wainman (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Hazel Jenkins (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* James Hutton (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Jia Wei Lim (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Julius Schmidt (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Riccardo Gherardi (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Anna Stoilova (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Glyn Knowles (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* James Cooke (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Jennifer Herbert (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Simon Birrell (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Theo Sanderson (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Indy Wilkhu (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13 - practical to come)
* John Campbell (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Stephen Jeapes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Chris Stanley (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Mat Greenwood (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Jonathon Brookfield (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Matt Grimes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Richard Fosh (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Esther Leighton (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Katia Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Tim Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Alexander MacFaden (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Brian Starkey (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Dave Potts (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Andy Spencer (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Jon Green (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Danny Garden (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Steve Wiseman (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Patrick Wollner (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Leonardo Impett (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Diana Probst (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Hidde-Jan Lemstra (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Francisco Cordobes (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Peter Ferguson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Tim Hayward (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Jason White (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Stuart Wilson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Steve Harrison (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Alex Atkinson (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Kate Aston (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Sheila Shepherd (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Rachel Bow (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Emyr James (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Peter Knight (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Andy Gale (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Owen McAree (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Michal Stefenow (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Neil Tan (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Vaiva Kalmkaite? (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Alberto Santos (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Sonny Siree (sp?) (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tim Ronsell (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Rob Voisey (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Mike Hunter (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tony Bunting (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Eric Jones (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Carl Phillips (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Ed Ben (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Toby Norman (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Marco Galardini (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Thomas Keller (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Martin Lenz (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* David Grech (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Rick Lupton (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Tim Regan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Shashank Srinivasan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Al Napp (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Tom Roberts (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matthew Taylor (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Milosz Wasilewski (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matt Grimes (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Brandon Invergo (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Simon West (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Kevin Rathbone (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Richard Gordon (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Rob Yates (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Alex Gee (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Patrick Beigent (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Guilliame Tucker (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Jo Brook (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* David Taylor (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Joe Watson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Richard Armstrong (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Eric Gowland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Paul Holland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Craig Richardson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Stevan Wing (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* John Sidiropoulos (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* Greaham Douglas (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Joseph Gamble (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Robert Fryers (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Will Hartley (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Alistair Turnbull (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Tim Ramsdale (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Hugo Van Sansen (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Marco Aita (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Rob Shore (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Katy Marshall (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* John Clarke (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Danny Farrant (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* John Ginger (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Emilo Mont (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Geoff Lunn (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Milosch Meriac (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Abhi Manyu (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Alba Rodriguez (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Stephen Paulger (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Erik Pickering (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Rob Meadows (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Mayhurst (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Giovanni Orlando (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Padbury (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Robin Sterling (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Kristien De Clercq (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* "Nevindep" (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Jae Turner (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Luke Twydell (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Steph Tyszka (Mat Cook 20 Dec 2014)
* Jonny Waite (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Toby Jaffey (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Greg Matthews (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Tom Parker (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Ben Weeks (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Clara Todd (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Ian Mc (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Timothy Baldock (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Rob Rescrola (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tariq Harris (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Ed Robertson (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Imogen Ford (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Dan Tidhar (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tom Stroud (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Graeme ??? (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Henry Begg (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Phil McArthur (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Alex Judd (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Mulligan (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Nightingale (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Charlotte Harvey (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Matt Wayland (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Andrei R. (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* John Mead (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)

= More trained users =

Fully trained:
* Hugo Keene (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Antony Congedo (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Alina Velea (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Nik Newark (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Claire Harriette (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Dittany Rose (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Martin Prescott (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Abi Bush (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Arik Kershenbaum (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Alexandra Grigore (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Roy Gwinn (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Josh Kaggie (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Stoyan Smoukov (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Adam Reig (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Nicola Westgarth-Flynn (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Dave Jordan (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Khameinei Ali (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Fotis Georgatos (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Tianheng Zhao (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Oliver Fleck (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Johan Henriksson (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Daryl Stewart (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Frodi Jones (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Andrew Mulholland (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Tobias Wenzel (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Alex Ridge (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Louis Kovalevsky (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Rich Hall (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Ben Alper (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Chandu Sekhar (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Patrick ? (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Andrew Cooke (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Rosy Hunt (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tim Radvan (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Benjamin Thomas Summers (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tom Hartley (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Lucia Corsini (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Clive Beale (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tumi Jones (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Daniel Bailey (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tom Garton (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Alice Milligan (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Phill Banks (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Ned Booker (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Karan Gupta (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Dave Frost (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Fred Sorgeloos (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Abigail Tyrrell (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* David Jordan (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Robyn Kerrison (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Andrea Cipri (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Jakub Sanak (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)

= Yet more trained users =

* Training 18 Nov 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Jack Brewster
** Mark Wainwright
** Kate Aston (again)
** Mayke Santos
** Barry Plows
** Victor Rybnok - no show, not trained, not a fully inducted member
* Training 05 Dec 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Leo Rines (needs keyfob fully activating)
** Naomi Griffiths
** Jose Chitty
** David Haines
** Simon Hartley
* Bogdan Spiridon (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Stewart Barton (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Hughes (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Anija Dokter (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Bond (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Richardson (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* William Deeks (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Woolf (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mark Radford (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Tom Kelly (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Giovanni Bisutti (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Victor Rybynok (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Olivier Martin (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Craig Easton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Daniel Zerbino (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jeremy Minton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Shunsuke Fujibayashi (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Charna Hume (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jamie Powell (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Gillepie (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Mark Barnard (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Francois Eve (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* David Hurron (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Routly (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Wagner (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Steve Carey (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Sophie Weeks (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Dan Evans (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Grant (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Arrow (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* David Marcus (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Joe Halstead (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Steve Murphy (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Martin Hollis (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Miguel Morin (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cadu Miceli (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Joe Studwell (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Adrien Leger (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mik Lamming (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Sanders (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Natalie Ward (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Ben Hurren (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Hsin-ling Liang (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cat Fitzpatrick (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Michael Schmid (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Nadia Bassiri (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Htoo Wai Htet (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Spencer Wilson (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mihai Truta (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Simon Guest (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Will Nock (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Dan Tidhar (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Ziyi Yu (4/10/16 David Barham)
* David Crawford (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Rick Amos (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joe Eadon (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ziyi Yu (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Brendan Cawley (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joachim De Jonghe (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Arthur Queval (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Andy Saul (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Thomas Meany (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ronny Schluetter (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ben Brebner (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Scott Cunliffe (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tian Huang (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Steven Burgess (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* James Potter (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Ross Rounsevell (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Abigail Wills (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lynne Horton (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Andrew Velle (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Thomas Kopsch (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Dario Bressan (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lisa Smith (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Luke Heavens (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lucy Copping (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tobias Herold (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Chloe Thomas (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Hugh Craft (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Angela Birlea (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Gemma Goodfellow (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Mark Williamson (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Steven Penney (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Simon Marache-Francisco (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Tommaso Leonardi (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Rasko Leinonen (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Arnet Addis (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* James O'Sullivan (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Training 6 May 2017 (Miguel Morin)
** Carlos Araque
** Ian Guebert
** Richard Dwan
* Peter Murray-Rust (7/6/17 Tom Parker)
* Hardie Pienaar (7/6/17 Tom Parker)
* Rob Sandford (7/6/17 Tom Parker)
* Despina Davoudani (7/6/17 Tom Parker)
* Training 22 July 2017 (Miguel Morin)
** Richard Blakesley
** Doroteja Maklin
** Daniel Attila Tovisi
** Alex Johannsson

= Training Cheatsheet =

The training structure and prompt sheet. Please note, this is used by the Laser Cutter Owners as a prompt to ensure training is executed in a consistent and complete fashion is included on this page; this does not constitute and is not a substitute for the training itself.

== Group Training ==

The group training introduction structure, suitable for 1-4 members at a time in a 1 hr session.

Introduction of main components
* Laser
* Cutting Mechanics
* Water Cooler System
* Filter
* PC
* Materials (what it can cut, supply)

Checks for everyone to do
* Check in use, looks ok
* Check water bath, temperature

Powering Up
* Turning on filter (Tick = ok, Warning = tell the owners, Cross = don't use it and tell the owners)
* Turning on Laser and warmup, what to do if doesn't power up
* Turning on PC and starting software

LaserCut Project walkthrough (using M+S+text keyring example)
* Package function, drawing, import file types
* Bed dimensions
* Paths, yellow dots, 'united' shapes
* Blue dot, Immediate mode
* Layers and colours
* Through cut, surface cut and engraving, speeds and strengths
* Various steps to build keyring design (shapes, text, uniting, layers, alignment, scaling, layers)
* Job ordering
* Saving
* Download as immediate, delete, download current

Laser Operation
* Lid
* Control panel, escape
* Moving head XY, indicator laser, datum
* Moving Z
* Focus
* Start position and test
* Start, pause and emergency stop function
* Do job, pause/open lid, restart

Laser Hazards
* Process and progression for normal operation failure (fire) - pause, open, move, CO2
* Process for abnormal operation failure (mechanical/jam) - emergency stop, open, move, CO2
* Ensure confident of process

Power Down
* Switch off laser
* Switch off filtration
* Clean any residue from the bed or bottom tray
* Close lid

== Individual Training Task ==

The individual task to get familiar, prompt questions and check understanding:

Task
* Make a personalised focus tool
* Square acrylic of appropriate size
* Member's name, "Focus Tool", keychain hole
* Should use full cut, surface cut, engrave
* Should demonstrate all steps, size, appropriate ordering, positioning

Steps
* Set individual to work, don't prompt but do answer questions (or pose if needed)
* Talk through design once done, question/check things etc
* Proceed to lasering (watch carefully all steps)
* Ask to stop job/restart, question escalation process

Assuming all ok:
* Get them to read the health and safety notes about operation and materials
* Add to the trained member list!

== Project Oversight ==

For next 2-3 projects, ensure member will find another more experienced trained user to support them (second pair of eyes)

Equipment/Laser Cutter/Training

2017-05-06T12:50:13Z

Miguel: /* Yet more trained users */

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter|Laser Cutter]] / Training

= Laser Cutter Training =

This page documents the process for being trained on the Laser Cutter, and the list of members who have completed that training.

== Summary ==

Training takes place in three main steps:
* Group Training of 1-4 members, going through the equipment and how to use it (~1hr)
* Individual Training Task, where an individual member is set a task to complete to prove and improve understanding (~30min each)

Training on the Laser Cutter is run by the Laser Cutter Owners. The Laser Cutter Owners are a group of people responsible for maintaining and training on the laser cutter, and hence have been trained to train, and trained to perform the weekly and monthly maintenance on the laser cutter.

== Booking ==

Sessions are advertised on '''http://meetup.makespace.org'''
* For discussing training, or requesting additional slots if needed, use the mailing list thread: [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/vNrS07zVuY0/discussion Training : Laser Cutter]

Notes:
* You can only be trained if you have your name allocated to a slot (groups will be restricted to four at a time, so please don't make up additional spaces)
* You must do the group and individual training on the same day

= Trained Users =

The following members of Makespace are owner/trainers of the laser cutter:
* Simon Ford
* David Barham
* Nick Johnson
* Toby Moncaster
* Martin de Selincourt
* Mat Cook
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]

The following members of Makespace are trainers on the laser cutter:
* Brian Starkey
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Tom Parker
* Steve Murphy

The following members of Makespace are owners on the laser cutter:
* Diana Probst

The following members of Makespace are trained and qualified to use the Laser Cutter (note, they are not qualified to train others however):
* Steve Upton (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Martin de Selincourt (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Oliver Jackson (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Simon Stirley (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Stephen Woolhead (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Martin Levine (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Uwe Borowski (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Peter Sewell (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Steve Loughran (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* ST John (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Henry Gomersall (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Brian Corteil (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Wayne Keenan (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Andrew Dunn (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* David Knell (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Tom Oinn (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Amir Chaudhry (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Anil Madhavapeddy (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Edward Imhagwe (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Michael Dales (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Laura James (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Robert Copcutt (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Phil Cowans (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Errol McMullen (Simon Ford, 9/03/2013)
* Gaye Soykok (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Mark Williamson (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Joe Tapply (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Dan Ros (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Paul Osborn (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* David Esteves (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Zé Pinto Ferreira (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Sharath (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Andy Jude (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Mark Mellors (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Chris Abri (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Tom Ingham (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Adrian van den Heever (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Chris Voth (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Archie Reid (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Rachel Rayns (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Giovanni Orlando (David Barham, 15/04/2013)
* Chunhe Yu (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Marko Cosic (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Mark Watson (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Andy Fisher (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* David Bebb (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Simon Haydn (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Adrian Carr (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* John Clamp (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Maciek Piatek (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Antonio Barragan (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* John Sturdy (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Roeland Schumacher (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Mark Tillotson (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Ward Hills (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Anne Harrison (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* William Morton (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Ali (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Rod Williams (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Toby Moncaster (Simon Ford, 30/5/2013)
* Damien Guihen (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Ben Evan (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Jake Young (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Shareef Jalloq (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Renee Chow (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Dan Tidhar, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Mat Cook, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Toby Roberts (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Jonathan Austin (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Stacy Smith (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Matt Harvey (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Marcin (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* James Waldmeyer (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Chris Wilson (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Kevin Maloney (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Harry Braviner (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Lee (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Jon Aas (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Armando Carlone (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Eckart Jack (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Pop Sharma (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Anthony Wainman (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Hazel Jenkins (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* James Hutton (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Jia Wei Lim (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Julius Schmidt (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Riccardo Gherardi (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Anna Stoilova (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Glyn Knowles (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* James Cooke (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Jennifer Herbert (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Simon Birrell (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Theo Sanderson (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Indy Wilkhu (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13 - practical to come)
* John Campbell (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Stephen Jeapes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Chris Stanley (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Mat Greenwood (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Jonathon Brookfield (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Matt Grimes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Richard Fosh (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Esther Leighton (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Katia Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Tim Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Alexander MacFaden (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Brian Starkey (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Dave Potts (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Andy Spencer (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Jon Green (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Danny Garden (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Steve Wiseman (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Patrick Wollner (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Leonardo Impett (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Diana Probst (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Hidde-Jan Lemstra (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Francisco Cordobes (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Peter Ferguson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Tim Hayward (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Jason White (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Stuart Wilson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Steve Harrison (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Alex Atkinson (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Kate Aston (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Sheila Shepherd (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Rachel Bow (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Emyr James (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Peter Knight (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Andy Gale (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Owen McAree (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Michal Stefenow (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Neil Tan (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Vaiva Kalmkaite? (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Alberto Santos (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Sonny Siree (sp?) (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tim Ronsell (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Rob Voisey (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Mike Hunter (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tony Bunting (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Eric Jones (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Carl Phillips (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Ed Ben (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Toby Norman (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Marco Galardini (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Thomas Keller (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Martin Lenz (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* David Grech (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Rick Lupton (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Tim Regan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Shashank Srinivasan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Al Napp (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Tom Roberts (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matthew Taylor (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Milosz Wasilewski (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matt Grimes (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Brandon Invergo (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Simon West (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Kevin Rathbone (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Richard Gordon (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Rob Yates (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Alex Gee (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Patrick Beigent (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Guilliame Tucker (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Jo Brook (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* David Taylor (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Joe Watson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Richard Armstrong (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Eric Gowland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Paul Holland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Craig Richardson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Stevan Wing (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* John Sidiropoulos (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* Greaham Douglas (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Joseph Gamble (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Robert Fryers (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Will Hartley (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Alistair Turnbull (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Tim Ramsdale (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Hugo Van Sansen (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Marco Aita (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Rob Shore (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Katy Marshall (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* John Clarke (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Danny Farrant (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* John Ginger (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Emilo Mont (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Geoff Lunn (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Milosch Meriac (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Abhi Manyu (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Alba Rodriguez (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Stephen Paulger (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Erik Pickering (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Rob Meadows (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Mayhurst (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Giovanni Orlando (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Padbury (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Robin Sterling (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Kristien De Clercq (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* "Nevindep" (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Jae Turner (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Luke Twydell (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Steph Tyszka (Mat Cook 20 Dec 2014)
* Jonny Waite (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Toby Jaffey (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Greg Matthews (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Tom Parker (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Ben Weeks (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Clara Todd (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Ian Mc (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Timothy Baldock (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Rob Rescrola (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tariq Harris (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Ed Robertson (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Imogen Ford (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Dan Tidhar (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tom Stroud (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Graeme ??? (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Henry Begg (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Phil McArthur (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Alex Judd (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Mulligan (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Nightingale (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Charlotte Harvey (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Matt Wayland (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Andrei R. (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* John Mead (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)

= More trained users =

Fully trained:
* Hugo Keene (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Antony Congedo (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Alina Velea (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Nik Newark (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Claire Harriette (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Dittany Rose (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Martin Prescott (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Abi Bush (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Arik Kershenbaum (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Alexandra Grigore (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Roy Gwinn (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Josh Kaggie (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Stoyan Smoukov (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Adam Reig (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Nicola Westgarth-Flynn (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Dave Jordan (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Khameinei Ali (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Fotis Georgatos (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Tianheng Zhao (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Oliver Fleck (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Johan Henriksson (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Daryl Stewart (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Frodi Jones (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Andrew Mulholland (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Tobias Wenzel (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Alex Ridge (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Louis Kovalevsky (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Rich Hall (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Ben Alper (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Chandu Sekhar (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Patrick ? (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Andrew Cooke (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Rosy Hunt (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tim Radvan (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Benjamin Thomas Summers (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tom Hartley (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Lucia Corsini (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Clive Beale (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tumi Jones (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Daniel Bailey (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tom Garton (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Alice Milligan (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Phill Banks (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Ned Booker (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Karan Gupta (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Dave Frost (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Fred Sorgeloos (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Abigail Tyrrell (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* David Jordan (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Robyn Kerrison (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Andrea Cipri (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Jakub Sanak (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)

= Yet more trained users =

* Training 18 Nov 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Jack Brewster
** Mark Wainwright
** Kate Aston (again)
** Mayke Santos
** Barry Plows
** Victor Rybnok - no show, not trained, not a fully inducted member
* Training 05 Dec 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Leo Rines (needs keyfob fully activating)
** Naomi Griffiths
** Jose Chitty
** David Haines
** Simon Hartley
* Bogdan Spiridon (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Stewart Barton (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Hughes (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Anija Dokter (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Bond (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Richardson (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* William Deeks (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Woolf (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mark Radford (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Tom Kelly (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Giovanni Bisutti (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Victor Rybynok (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Olivier Martin (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Craig Easton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Daniel Zerbino (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jeremy Minton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Shunsuke Fujibayashi (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Charna Hume (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jamie Powell (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Gillepie (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Mark Barnard (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Francois Eve (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* David Hurron (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Routly (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Wagner (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Steve Carey (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Sophie Weeks (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Dan Evans (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Grant (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Arrow (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* David Marcus (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Joe Halstead (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Steve Murphy (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Martin Hollis (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Miguel Morin (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cadu Miceli (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Joe Studwell (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Adrien Leger (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mik Lamming (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Sanders (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Natalie Ward (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Ben Hurren (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Hsin-ling Liang (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cat Fitzpatrick (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Michael Schmid (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Nadia Bassiri (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Htoo Wai Htet (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Spencer Wilson (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mihai Truta (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Simon Guest (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Will Nock (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Dan Tidhar (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Ziyi Yu (4/10/16 David Barham)
* David Crawford (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Rick Amos (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joe Eadon (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ziyi Yu (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Brendan Cawley (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joachim De Jonghe (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Arthur Queval (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Andy Saul (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Thomas Meany (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ronny Schluetter (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ben Brebner (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Scott Cunliffe (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tian Huang (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Steven Burgess (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* James Potter (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Ross Rounsevell (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Abigail Wills (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lynne Horton (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Andrew Velle (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Thomas Kopsch (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Dario Bressan (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lisa Smith (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Luke Heavens (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lucy Copping (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tobias Herold (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Chloe Thomas (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Hugh Craft (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Angela Birlea (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Gemma Goodfellow (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Mark Williamson (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Steven Penney (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Simon Marache-Francisco (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Tommaso Leonardi (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Rasko Leinonen (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Arnet Addis (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* James O'Sullivan (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Training 6 May 2017 (Miguel Morin)
** Carlos Araque
** Ian Guebert
** Richard Dwan

= Training Cheatsheet =

The training structure and prompt sheet. Please note, this is used by the Laser Cutter Owners as a prompt to ensure training is executed in a consistent and complete fashion is included on this page; this does not constitute and is not a substitute for the training itself.

== Group Training ==

The group training introduction structure, suitable for 1-4 members at a time in a 1 hr session.

Introduction of main components
* Laser
* Cutting Mechanics
* Water Cooler System
* Filter
* PC
* Materials (what it can cut, supply)

Checks for everyone to do
* Check in use, looks ok
* Check water bath, temperature

Powering Up
* Turning on filter (Tick = ok, Warning = tell the owners, Cross = don't use it and tell the owners)
* Turning on Laser and warmup, what to do if doesn't power up
* Turning on PC and starting software

LaserCut Project walkthrough (using M+S+text keyring example)
* Package function, drawing, import file types
* Bed dimensions
* Paths, yellow dots, 'united' shapes
* Blue dot, Immediate mode
* Layers and colours
* Through cut, surface cut and engraving, speeds and strengths
* Various steps to build keyring design (shapes, text, uniting, layers, alignment, scaling, layers)
* Job ordering
* Saving
* Download as immediate, delete, download current

Laser Operation
* Lid
* Control panel, escape
* Moving head XY, indicator laser, datum
* Moving Z
* Focus
* Start position and test
* Start, pause and emergency stop function
* Do job, pause/open lid, restart

Laser Hazards
* Process and progression for normal operation failure (fire) - pause, open, move, CO2
* Process for abnormal operation failure (mechanical/jam) - emergency stop, open, move, CO2
* Ensure confident of process

Power Down
* Switch off laser
* Switch off filtration
* Clean any residue from the bed or bottom tray
* Close lid

== Individual Training Task ==

The individual task to get familiar, prompt questions and check understanding:

Task
* Make a personalised focus tool
* Square acrylic of appropriate size
* Member's name, "Focus Tool", keychain hole
* Should use full cut, surface cut, engrave
* Should demonstrate all steps, size, appropriate ordering, positioning

Steps
* Set individual to work, don't prompt but do answer questions (or pose if needed)
* Talk through design once done, question/check things etc
* Proceed to lasering (watch carefully all steps)
* Ask to stop job/restart, question escalation process

Assuming all ok:
* Get them to read the health and safety notes about operation and materials
* Add to the trained member list!

== Project Oversight ==

For next 2-3 projects, ensure member will find another more experienced trained user to support them (second pair of eyes)

Equipment/Laser Cutter/Training

2017-04-15T11:33:54Z

Miguel: /* Yet more trained users */

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter|Laser Cutter]] / Training

= Laser Cutter Training =

This page documents the process for being trained on the Laser Cutter, and the list of members who have completed that training.

== Summary ==

Training takes place in three main steps:
* Group Training of 1-4 members, going through the equipment and how to use it (~1hr)
* Individual Training Task, where an individual member is set a task to complete to prove and improve understanding (~30min each)

Training on the Laser Cutter is run by the Laser Cutter Owners. The Laser Cutter Owners are a group of people responsible for maintaining and training on the laser cutter, and hence have been trained to train, and trained to perform the weekly and monthly maintenance on the laser cutter.

== Booking ==

Sessions are advertised on '''http://meetup.makespace.org'''
* For discussing training, or requesting additional slots if needed, use the mailing list thread: [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/vNrS07zVuY0/discussion Training : Laser Cutter]

Notes:
* You can only be trained if you have your name allocated to a slot (groups will be restricted to four at a time, so please don't make up additional spaces)
* You must do the group and individual training on the same day

= Trained Users =

The following members of Makespace are owner/trainers of the laser cutter:
* Simon Ford
* David Barham
* Nick Johnson
* Toby Moncaster
* Martin de Selincourt
* Mat Cook
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]

The following members of Makespace are trainers on the laser cutter:
* Brian Starkey
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Tom Parker
* Steve Murphy

The following members of Makespace are owners on the laser cutter:
* Diane Probst

The following members of Makespace are trained and qualified to use the Laser Cutter (note, they are not qualified to train others however):
* Steve Upton (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Martin de Selincourt (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Oliver Jackson (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Simon Stirley (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Stephen Woolhead (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Martin Levine (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Uwe Borowski (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Peter Sewell (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Steve Loughran (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* ST John (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Henry Gomersall (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Brian Corteil (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Wayne Keenan (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Andrew Dunn (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* David Knell (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Tom Oinn (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Amir Chaudhry (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Anil Madhavapeddy (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Edward Imhagwe (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Michael Dales (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Laura James (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Robert Copcutt (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Phil Cowans (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Errol McMullen (Simon Ford, 9/03/2013)
* Gaye Soykok (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Mark Williamson (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Joe Tapply (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Dan Ros (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Paul Osborn (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* David Esteves (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Zé Pinto Ferreira (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Sharath (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Andy Jude (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Mark Mellors (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Chris Abri (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Tom Ingham (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Adrian van den Heever (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Chris Voth (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Archie Reid (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Rachel Rayns (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Giovanni Orlando (David Barham, 15/04/2013)
* Chunhe Yu (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Marko Cosic (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Mark Watson (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Andy Fisher (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* David Bebb (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Simon Haydn (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Adrian Carr (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* John Clamp (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Maciek Piatek (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Antonio Barragan (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* John Sturdy (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Roeland Schumacher (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Mark Tillotson (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Ward Hills (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Anne Harrison (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* William Morton (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Ali (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Rod Williams (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Toby Moncaster (Simon Ford, 30/5/2013)
* Damien Guihen (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Ben Evan (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Jake Young (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Shareef Jalloq (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Renee Chow (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Dan Tidhar, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Mat Cook, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Toby Roberts (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Jonathan Austin (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Stacy Smith (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Matt Harvey (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Marcin (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* James Waldmeyer (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Chris Wilson (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Kevin Maloney (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Harry Braviner (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Lee (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Jon Aas (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Armando Carlone (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Eckart Jack (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Pop Sharma (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Anthony Wainman (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Hazel Jenkins (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* James Hutton (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Jia Wei Lim (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Julius Schmidt (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Riccardo Gherardi (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Anna Stoilova (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Glyn Knowles (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* James Cooke (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Jennifer Herbert (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Simon Birrell (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Theo Sanderson (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Indy Wilkhu (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13 - practical to come)
* John Campbell (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Stephen Jeapes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Chris Stanley (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Mat Greenwood (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Jonathon Brookfield (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Matt Grimes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Richard Fosh (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Esther Leighton (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Katia Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Tim Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Alexander MacFaden (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Brian Starkey (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Dave Potts (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Andy Spencer (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Jon Green (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Danny Garden (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Steve Wiseman (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Patrick Wollner (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Leonardo Impett (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Diana Probst (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Hidde-Jan Lemstra (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Francisco Cordobes (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Peter Ferguson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Tim Hayward (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Jason White (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Stuart Wilson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Steve Harrison (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Alex Atkinson (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Kate Aston (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Sheila Shepherd (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Rachel Bow (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Emyr James (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Peter Knight (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Andy Gale (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Owen McAree (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Michal Stefenow (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Neil Tan (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Vaiva Kalmkaite? (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Alberto Santos (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Sonny Siree (sp?) (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tim Ronsell (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Rob Voisey (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Mike Hunter (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tony Bunting (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Eric Jones (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Carl Phillips (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Ed Ben (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Toby Norman (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Marco Galardini (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Thomas Keller (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Martin Lenz (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* David Grech (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Rick Lupton (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Tim Regan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Shashank Srinivasan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Al Napp (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Tom Roberts (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matthew Taylor (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Milosz Wasilewski (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matt Grimes (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Brandon Invergo (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Simon West (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Kevin Rathbone (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Richard Gordon (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Rob Yates (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Alex Gee (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Patrick Beigent (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Guilliame Tucker (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Jo Brook (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* David Taylor (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Joe Watson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Richard Armstrong (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Eric Gowland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Paul Holland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Craig Richardson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Stevan Wing (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* John Sidiropoulos (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* Greaham Douglas (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Joseph Gamble (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Robert Fryers (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Will Hartley (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Alistair Turnbull (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Tim Ramsdale (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Hugo Van Sansen (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Marco Aita (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Rob Shore (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Katy Marshall (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* John Clarke (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Danny Farrant (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* John Ginger (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Emilo Mont (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Geoff Lunn (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Milosch Meriac (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Abhi Manyu (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Alba Rodriguez (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Stephen Paulger (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Erik Pickering (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Rob Meadows (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Mayhurst (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Giovanni Orlando (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Padbury (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Robin Sterling (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Kristien De Clercq (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* "Nevindep" (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Jae Turner (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Luke Twydell (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Steph Tyszka (Mat Cook 20 Dec 2014)
* Jonny Waite (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Toby Jaffey (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Greg Matthews (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Tom Parker (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Ben Weeks (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Clara Todd (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Ian Mc (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Timothy Baldock (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Rob Rescrola (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tariq Harris (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Ed Robertson (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Imogen Ford (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Dan Tidhar (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tom Stroud (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Graeme ??? (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Henry Begg (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Phil McArthur (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Alex Judd (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Mulligan (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Nightingale (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Charlotte Harvey (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Matt Wayland (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Andrei R. (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* John Mead (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)

= More trained users =

Fully trained:
* Hugo Keene (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Antony Congedo (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Alina Velea (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Nik Newark (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Claire Harriette (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Dittany Rose (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Martin Prescott (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Abi Bush (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Arik Kershenbaum (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Alexandra Grigore (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Roy Gwinn (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Josh Kaggie (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Stoyan Smoukov (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Adam Reig (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Nicola Westgarth-Flynn (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Dave Jordan (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Khameinei Ali (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Fotis Georgatos (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Tianheng Zhao (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Oliver Fleck (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Johan Henriksson (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Daryl Stewart (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Frodi Jones (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Andrew Mulholland (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Tobias Wenzel (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Alex Ridge (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Louis Kovalevsky (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Rich Hall (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Ben Alper (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Chandu Sekhar (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Patrick ? (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Andrew Cooke (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Rosy Hunt (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tim Radvan (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Benjamin Thomas Summers (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tom Hartley (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Lucia Corsini (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Clive Beale (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tumi Jones (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Daniel Bailey (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tom Garton (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Alice Milligan (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Phill Banks (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Ned Booker (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Karan Gupta (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Dave Frost (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Fred Sorgeloos (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Abigail Tyrrell (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* David Jordan (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Robyn Kerrison (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Andrea Cipri (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Jakub Sanak (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)

= Yet more trained users =

* Training 18 Nov 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Jack Brewster
** Mark Wainwright
** Kate Aston (again)
** Mayke Santos
** Barry Plows
** Victor Rybnok - no show, not trained, not a fully inducted member
* Training 05 Dec 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Leo Rines (needs keyfob fully activating)
** Naomi Griffiths
** Jose Chitty
** David Haines
** Simon Hartley
* Bogdan Spiridon (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Stewart Barton (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Hughes (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Anija Dokter (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Bond (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Richardson (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* William Deeks (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Woolf (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mark Radford (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Tom Kelly (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Giovanni Bisutti (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Victor Rybynok (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Olivier Martin (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Craig Easton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Daniel Zerbino (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jeremy Minton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Shunsuke Fujibayashi (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Charna Hume (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jamie Powell (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Gillepie (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Mark Barnard (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Francois Eve (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* David Hurron (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Routly (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Wagner (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Steve Carey (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Sophie Weeks (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Dan Evans (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Grant (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Arrow (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* David Marcus (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Joe Halstead (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Steve Murphy (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Martin Hollis (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Miguel Morin (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cadu Miceli (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Joe Studwell (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Adrien Leger (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mik Lamming (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Sanders (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Natalie Ward (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Ben Hurren (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Hsin-ling Liang (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cat Fitzpatrick (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Michael Schmid (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Nadia Bassiri (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Htoo Wai Htet (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Spencer Wilson (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mihai Truta (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Simon Guest (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Will Nock (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Dan Tidhar (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Ziyi Yu (4/10/16 David Barham)
* David Crawford (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Rick Amos (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joe Eadon (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ziyi Yu (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Brendan Cawley (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joachim De Jonghe (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Arthur Queval (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Andy Saul (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Thomas Meany (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ronny Schluetter (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ben Brebner (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Scott Cunliffe (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tian Huang (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Steven Burgess (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* James Potter (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Ross Rounsevell (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Abigail Wills (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lynne Horton (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Andrew Velle (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Thomas Kopsch (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Dario Bressan (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lisa Smith (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Luke Heavens (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lucy Copping (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tobias Herold (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Chloe Thomas (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Hugh Craft (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Angela Birlea (02/03/2017 Tom Parker)
* Gemma Goodfellow (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Mark Williamson (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Steven Penney (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Simon Marache-Francisco (28/03/2017 David Barham)
* Tommaso Leonardi (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Rasko Leinonen (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Arnet Addis (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)
* James O'Sullivan (15/04/2017 Miguel Morin)

= Training Cheatsheet =

The training structure and prompt sheet. Please note, this is used by the Laser Cutter Owners as a prompt to ensure training is executed in a consistent and complete fashion is included on this page; this does not constitute and is not a substitute for the training itself.

== Group Training ==

The group training introduction structure, suitable for 1-4 members at a time in a 1 hr session.

Introduction of main components
* Laser
* Cutting Mechanics
* Water Cooler System
* Filter
* PC
* Materials (what it can cut, supply)

Checks for everyone to do
* Check in use, looks ok
* Check water bath, temperature

Powering Up
* Turning on filter (Tick = ok, Warning = tell the owners, Cross = don't use it and tell the owners)
* Turning on Laser and warmup, what to do if doesn't power up
* Turning on PC and starting software

LaserCut Project walkthrough (using M+S+text keyring example)
* Package function, drawing, import file types
* Bed dimensions
* Paths, yellow dots, 'united' shapes
* Blue dot, Immediate mode
* Layers and colours
* Through cut, surface cut and engraving, speeds and strengths
* Various steps to build keyring design (shapes, text, uniting, layers, alignment, scaling, layers)
* Job ordering
* Saving
* Download as immediate, delete, download current

Laser Operation
* Lid
* Control panel, escape
* Moving head XY, indicator laser, datum
* Moving Z
* Focus
* Start position and test
* Start, pause and emergency stop function
* Do job, pause/open lid, restart

Laser Hazards
* Process and progression for normal operation failure (fire) - pause, open, move, CO2
* Process for abnormal operation failure (mechanical/jam) - emergency stop, open, move, CO2
* Ensure confident of process

Power Down
* Switch off laser
* Switch off filtration
* Clean any residue from the bed or bottom tray
* Close lid

== Individual Training Task ==

The individual task to get familiar, prompt questions and check understanding:

Task
* Make a personalised focus tool
* Square acrylic of appropriate size
* Member's name, "Focus Tool", keychain hole
* Should use full cut, surface cut, engrave
* Should demonstrate all steps, size, appropriate ordering, positioning

Steps
* Set individual to work, don't prompt but do answer questions (or pose if needed)
* Talk through design once done, question/check things etc
* Proceed to lasering (watch carefully all steps)
* Ask to stop job/restart, question escalation process

Assuming all ok:
* Get them to read the health and safety notes about operation and materials
* Add to the trained member list!

== Project Oversight ==

For next 2-3 projects, ensure member will find another more experienced trained user to support them (second pair of eyes)

Equipment/Laser Cutter/Training

2017-02-12T13:23:48Z

Miguel: /* Yet more trained users */

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter|Laser Cutter]] / Training

= Laser Cutter Training =

This page documents the process for being trained on the Laser Cutter, and the list of members who have completed that training.

== Summary ==

Training takes place in three main steps:
* Group Training of 1-4 members, going through the equipment and how to use it (~1hr)
* Individual Training Task, where an individual member is set a task to complete to prove and improve understanding (~30min each)

Training on the Laser Cutter is run by the Laser Cutter Owners. The Laser Cutter Owners are a group of people responsible for maintaining and training on the laser cutter, and hence have been trained to train, and trained to perform the weekly and monthly maintenance on the laser cutter.

== Booking ==

Sessions are advertised on '''http://meetup.makespace.org'''
* For discussing training, or requesting additional slots if needed, use the mailing list thread: [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/vNrS07zVuY0/discussion Training : Laser Cutter]

Notes:
* You can only be trained if you have your name allocated to a slot (groups will be restricted to four at a time, so please don't make up additional spaces)
* You must do the group and individual training on the same day

= Trained Users =

The following members of Makespace are owner/trainers of the laser cutter:
* Simon Ford
* David Barham
* Nick Johnson
* Toby Moncaster
* Martin de Selincourt
* Mat Cook
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]

The following members of Makespace are trainers on the laser cutter:
* Brian Starkey
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Tom Parker
* Steve Murphy

The following members of Makespace are owners on the laser cutter:
* Diane Probst

The following members of Makespace are trained and qualified to use the Laser Cutter (note, they are not qualified to train others however):
* Steve Upton (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Martin de Selincourt (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Oliver Jackson (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Simon Stirley (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Stephen Woolhead (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Martin Levine (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Uwe Borowski (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Peter Sewell (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Steve Loughran (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* ST John (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Henry Gomersall (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Brian Corteil (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Wayne Keenan (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Andrew Dunn (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* David Knell (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Tom Oinn (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Amir Chaudhry (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Anil Madhavapeddy (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Edward Imhagwe (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Michael Dales (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Laura James (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Robert Copcutt (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Phil Cowans (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Errol McMullen (Simon Ford, 9/03/2013)
* Gaye Soykok (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Mark Williamson (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Joe Tapply (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Dan Ros (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Paul Osborn (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* David Esteves (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Zé Pinto Ferreira (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Sharath (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Andy Jude (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Mark Mellors (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Chris Abri (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Tom Ingham (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Adrian van den Heever (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Chris Voth (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Archie Reid (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Rachel Rayns (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Giovanni Orlando (David Barham, 15/04/2013)
* Chunhe Yu (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Marko Cosic (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Mark Watson (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Andy Fisher (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* David Bebb (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Simon Haydn (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Adrian Carr (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* John Clamp (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Maciek Piatek (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Antonio Barragan (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* John Sturdy (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Roeland Schumacher (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Mark Tillotson (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Ward Hills (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Anne Harrison (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* William Morton (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Ali (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Rod Williams (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Toby Moncaster (Simon Ford, 30/5/2013)
* Damien Guihen (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Ben Evan (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Jake Young (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Shareef Jalloq (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Renee Chow (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Dan Tidhar, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Mat Cook, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Toby Roberts (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Jonathan Austin (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Stacy Smith (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Matt Harvey (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Marcin (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* James Waldmeyer (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Chris Wilson (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Kevin Maloney (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Harry Braviner (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Lee (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Jon Aas (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Armando Carlone (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Eckart Jack (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Pop Sharma (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Anthony Wainman (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Hazel Jenkins (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* James Hutton (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Jia Wei Lim (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Julius Schmidt (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Riccardo Gherardi (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Anna Stoilova (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Glyn Knowles (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* James Cooke (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Jennifer Herbert (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Simon Birrell (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Theo Sanderson (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Indy Wilkhu (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13 - practical to come)
* John Campbell (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Stephen Jeapes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Chris Stanley (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Mat Greenwood (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Jonathon Brookfield (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Matt Grimes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Richard Fosh (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Esther Leighton (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Katia Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Tim Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Alexander MacFaden (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Brian Starkey (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Dave Potts (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Andy Spencer (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Jon Green (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Danny Garden (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Steve Wiseman (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Patrick Wollner (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Leonardo Impett (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Diana Probst (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Hidde-Jan Lemstra (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Francisco Cordobes (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Peter Ferguson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Tim Hayward (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Jason White (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Stuart Wilson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Steve Harrison (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Alex Atkinson (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Kate Aston (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Sheila Shepherd (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Rachel Bow (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Emyr James (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Peter Knight (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Andy Gale (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Owen McAree (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Michal Stefenow (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Neil Tan (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Vaiva Kalmkaite? (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Alberto Santos (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Sonny Siree (sp?) (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tim Ronsell (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Rob Voisey (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Mike Hunter (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tony Bunting (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Eric Jones (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Carl Phillips (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Ed Ben (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Toby Norman (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Marco Galardini (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Thomas Keller (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Martin Lenz (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* David Grech (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Rick Lupton (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Tim Regan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Shashank Srinivasan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Al Napp (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Tom Roberts (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matthew Taylor (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Milosz Wasilewski (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matt Grimes (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Brandon Invergo (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Simon West (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Kevin Rathbone (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Richard Gordon (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Rob Yates (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Alex Gee (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Patrick Beigent (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Guilliame Tucker (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Jo Brook (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* David Taylor (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Joe Watson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Richard Armstrong (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Eric Gowland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Paul Holland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Craig Richardson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Stevan Wing (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* John Sidiropoulos (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* Greaham Douglas (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Joseph Gamble (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Robert Fryers (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Will Hartley (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Alistair Turnbull (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Tim Ramsdale (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Hugo Van Sansen (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Marco Aita (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Rob Shore (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Katy Marshall (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* John Clarke (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Danny Farrant (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* John Ginger (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Emilo Mont (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Geoff Lunn (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Milosch Meriac (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Abhi Manyu (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Alba Rodriguez (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Stephen Paulger (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Erik Pickering (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Rob Meadows (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Mayhurst (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Giovanni Orlando (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Padbury (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Robin Sterling (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Kristien De Clercq (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* "Nevindep" (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Jae Turner (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Luke Twydell (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Steph Tyszka (Mat Cook 20 Dec 2014)
* Jonny Waite (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Toby Jaffey (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Greg Matthews (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Tom Parker (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Ben Weeks (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Clara Todd (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Ian Mc (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Timothy Baldock (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Rob Rescrola (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tariq Harris (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Ed Robertson (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Imogen Ford (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Dan Tidhar (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tom Stroud (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Graeme ??? (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Henry Begg (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Phil McArthur (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Alex Judd (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Mulligan (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Nightingale (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Charlotte Harvey (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Matt Wayland (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Andrei R. (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* John Mead (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)

= More trained users =

Fully trained:
* Hugo Keene (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Antony Congedo (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Alina Velea (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Nik Newark (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Claire Harriette (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Dittany Rose (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Martin Prescott (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Abi Bush (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Arik Kershenbaum (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Alexandra Grigore (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Roy Gwinn (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Josh Kaggie (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Stoyan Smoukov (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Adam Reig (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Nicola Westgarth-Flynn (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Dave Jordan (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Khameinei Ali (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Fotis Georgatos (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Tianheng Zhao (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Oliver Fleck (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Johan Henriksson (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Daryl Stewart (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Frodi Jones (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Andrew Mulholland (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Tobias Wenzel (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Alex Ridge (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Louis Kovalevsky (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Rich Hall (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Ben Alper (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Chandu Sekhar (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Patrick ? (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Andrew Cooke (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Rosy Hunt (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tim Radvan (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Benjamin Thomas Summers (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tom Hartley (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Lucia Corsini (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Clive Beale (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tumi Jones (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Daniel Bailey (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tom Garton (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Alice Milligan (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Phill Banks (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Ned Booker (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Karan Gupta (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Dave Frost (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Fred Sorgeloos (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Abigail Tyrrell (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* David Jordan (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Robyn Kerrison (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Andrea Cipri (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Jakub Sanak (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)

= Yet more trained users =

* Training 18 Nov 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Jack Brewster
** Mark Wainwright
** Kate Aston (again)
** Mayke Santos
** Barry Plows
** Victor Rybnok - no show, not trained, not a fully inducted member
* Training 05 Dec 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Leo Rines (needs keyfob fully activating)
** Naomi Griffiths
** Jose Chitty
** David Haines
** Simon Hartley
* Bogdan Spiridon (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Stewart Barton (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Hughes (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Anija Dokter (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Bond (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Richardson (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* William Deeks (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Woolf (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mark Radford (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Tom Kelly (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Giovanni Bisutti (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Victor Rybynok (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Olivier Martin (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Craig Easton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Daniel Zerbino (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jeremy Minton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Shunsuke Fujibayashi (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Charna Hume (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jamie Powell (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Gillepie (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Mark Barnard (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Francois Eve (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* David Hurron (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Routly (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Wagner (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Steve Carey (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Sophie Weeks (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Dan Evans (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Grant (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Arrow (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* David Marcus (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Joe Halstead (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Steve Murphy (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Martin Hollis (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Miguel Morin (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cadu Miceli (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Joe Studwell (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Adrien Leger (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mik Lamming (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Sanders (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Natalie Ward (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Ben Hurren (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Hsin-ling Liang (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cat Fitzpatrick (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Michael Schmid (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Nadia Bassiri (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Htoo Wai Htet (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Spencer Wilson (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mihai Truta (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Simon Guest (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Will Nock (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Dan Tidhar (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Ziyi Yu (4/10/16 David Barham)
* David Crawford (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Rick Amos (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joe Eadon (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ziyi Yu (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Brendan Cawley (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joachim De Jonghe (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Arthur Queval (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Andy Saul (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Thomas Meany (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ronny Schluetter (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ben Brebner (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Scott Cunliffe (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tian Huang (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Steven Burgess (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* James Potter (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Ross Rounsevell (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Abigail Wills (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lynne Horton (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Andrew Velle (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Thomas Kopsch (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Dario Bressan (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lisa Smith (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Luke Heavens (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lucy Copping (12/2/2017 Miguel Morin)

= Training Cheatsheet =

The training structure and prompt sheet. Please note, this is used by the Laser Cutter Owners as a prompt to ensure training is executed in a consistent and complete fashion is included on this page; this does not constitute and is not a substitute for the training itself.

== Group Training ==

The group training introduction structure, suitable for 1-4 members at a time in a 1 hr session.

Introduction of main components
* Laser
* Cutting Mechanics
* Water Cooler System
* Filter
* PC
* Materials (what it can cut, supply)

Checks for everyone to do
* Check in use, looks ok
* Check water bath, temperature

Powering Up
* Turning on filter (Tick = ok, Warning = tell the owners, Cross = don't use it and tell the owners)
* Turning on Laser and warmup, what to do if doesn't power up
* Turning on PC and starting software

LaserCut Project walkthrough (using M+S+text keyring example)
* Package function, drawing, import file types
* Bed dimensions
* Paths, yellow dots, 'united' shapes
* Blue dot, Immediate mode
* Layers and colours
* Through cut, surface cut and engraving, speeds and strengths
* Various steps to build keyring design (shapes, text, uniting, layers, alignment, scaling, layers)
* Job ordering
* Saving
* Download as immediate, delete, download current

Laser Operation
* Lid
* Control panel, escape
* Moving head XY, indicator laser, datum
* Moving Z
* Focus
* Start position and test
* Start, pause and emergency stop function
* Do job, pause/open lid, restart

Laser Hazards
* Process and progression for normal operation failure (fire) - pause, open, move, CO2
* Process for abnormal operation failure (mechanical/jam) - emergency stop, open, move, CO2
* Ensure confident of process

Power Down
* Switch off laser
* Switch off filtration
* Clean any residue from the bed or bottom tray
* Close lid

== Individual Training Task ==

The individual task to get familiar, prompt questions and check understanding:

Task
* Make a personalised focus tool
* Square acrylic of appropriate size
* Member's name, "Focus Tool", keychain hole
* Should use full cut, surface cut, engrave
* Should demonstrate all steps, size, appropriate ordering, positioning

Steps
* Set individual to work, don't prompt but do answer questions (or pose if needed)
* Talk through design once done, question/check things etc
* Proceed to lasering (watch carefully all steps)
* Ask to stop job/restart, question escalation process

Assuming all ok:
* Get them to read the health and safety notes about operation and materials
* Add to the trained member list!

== Project Oversight ==

For next 2-3 projects, ensure member will find another more experienced trained user to support them (second pair of eyes)

Equipment/Laser Cutter/Training

2017-01-15T13:07:17Z

Miguel: /* Yet more trained users */

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter|Laser Cutter]] / Training

= Laser Cutter Training =

This page documents the process for being trained on the Laser Cutter, and the list of members who have completed that training.

== Summary ==

Training takes place in three main steps:
* Group Training of 1-4 members, going through the equipment and how to use it (~1hr)
* Individual Training Task, where an individual member is set a task to complete to prove and improve understanding (~30min each)

Training on the Laser Cutter is run by the Laser Cutter Owners. The Laser Cutter Owners are a group of people responsible for maintaining and training on the laser cutter, and hence have been trained to train, and trained to perform the weekly and monthly maintenance on the laser cutter.

== Booking ==

Sessions are advertised on '''http://meetup.makespace.org'''
* For discussing training, or requesting additional slots if needed, use the mailing list thread: [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/vNrS07zVuY0/discussion Training : Laser Cutter]

Notes:
* You can only be trained if you have your name allocated to a slot (groups will be restricted to four at a time, so please don't make up additional spaces)
* You must do the group and individual training on the same day

= Trained Users =

The following members of Makespace are owner/trainers of the laser cutter:
* Simon Ford
* David Barham
* Nick Johnson
* Toby Moncaster
* Martin de Selincourt
* Mat Cook
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]

The following members of Makespace are trainers on the laser cutter:
* Brian Starkey
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Tom Parker
* Steve Murphy

The following members of Makespace are owners on the laser cutter:
* Diane Probst

The following members of Makespace are trained and qualified to use the Laser Cutter (note, they are not qualified to train others however):
* Steve Upton (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Martin de Selincourt (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Oliver Jackson (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Simon Stirley (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Stephen Woolhead (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Martin Levine (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Uwe Borowski (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Peter Sewell (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Steve Loughran (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* ST John (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Henry Gomersall (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Brian Corteil (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Wayne Keenan (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Andrew Dunn (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* David Knell (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Tom Oinn (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Amir Chaudhry (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Anil Madhavapeddy (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Edward Imhagwe (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Michael Dales (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Laura James (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Robert Copcutt (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Phil Cowans (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Errol McMullen (Simon Ford, 9/03/2013)
* Gaye Soykok (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Mark Williamson (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Joe Tapply (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Dan Ros (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Paul Osborn (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* David Esteves (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Zé Pinto Ferreira (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Sharath (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Andy Jude (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Mark Mellors (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Chris Abri (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Tom Ingham (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Adrian van den Heever (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Chris Voth (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Archie Reid (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Rachel Rayns (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Giovanni Orlando (David Barham, 15/04/2013)
* Chunhe Yu (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Marko Cosic (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Mark Watson (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Andy Fisher (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* David Bebb (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Simon Haydn (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Adrian Carr (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* John Clamp (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Maciek Piatek (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Antonio Barragan (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* John Sturdy (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Roeland Schumacher (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Mark Tillotson (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Ward Hills (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Anne Harrison (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* William Morton (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Ali (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Rod Williams (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Toby Moncaster (Simon Ford, 30/5/2013)
* Damien Guihen (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Ben Evan (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Jake Young (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Shareef Jalloq (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Renee Chow (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Dan Tidhar, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Mat Cook, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Toby Roberts (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Jonathan Austin (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Stacy Smith (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Matt Harvey (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Marcin (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* James Waldmeyer (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Chris Wilson (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Kevin Maloney (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Harry Braviner (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Lee (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Jon Aas (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Armando Carlone (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Eckart Jack (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Pop Sharma (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Anthony Wainman (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Hazel Jenkins (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* James Hutton (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Jia Wei Lim (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Julius Schmidt (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Riccardo Gherardi (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Anna Stoilova (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Glyn Knowles (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* James Cooke (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Jennifer Herbert (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Simon Birrell (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Theo Sanderson (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Indy Wilkhu (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13 - practical to come)
* John Campbell (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Stephen Jeapes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Chris Stanley (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Mat Greenwood (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Jonathon Brookfield (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Matt Grimes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Richard Fosh (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Esther Leighton (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Katia Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Tim Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Alexander MacFaden (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Brian Starkey (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Dave Potts (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Andy Spencer (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Jon Green (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Danny Garden (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Steve Wiseman (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Patrick Wollner (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Leonardo Impett (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Diana Probst (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Hidde-Jan Lemstra (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Francisco Cordobes (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Peter Ferguson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Tim Hayward (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Jason White (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Stuart Wilson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Steve Harrison (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Alex Atkinson (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Kate Aston (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Sheila Shepherd (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Rachel Bow (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Emyr James (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Peter Knight (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Andy Gale (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Owen McAree (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Michal Stefenow (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Neil Tan (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Vaiva Kalmkaite? (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Alberto Santos (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Sonny Siree (sp?) (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tim Ronsell (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Rob Voisey (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Mike Hunter (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tony Bunting (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Eric Jones (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Carl Phillips (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Ed Ben (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Toby Norman (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Marco Galardini (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Thomas Keller (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Martin Lenz (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* David Grech (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Rick Lupton (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Tim Regan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Shashank Srinivasan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Al Napp (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Tom Roberts (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matthew Taylor (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Milosz Wasilewski (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matt Grimes (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Brandon Invergo (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Simon West (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Kevin Rathbone (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Richard Gordon (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Rob Yates (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Alex Gee (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Patrick Beigent (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Guilliame Tucker (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Jo Brook (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* David Taylor (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Joe Watson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Richard Armstrong (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Eric Gowland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Paul Holland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Craig Richardson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Stevan Wing (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* John Sidiropoulos (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* Greaham Douglas (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Joseph Gamble (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Robert Fryers (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Will Hartley (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Alistair Turnbull (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Tim Ramsdale (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Hugo Van Sansen (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Marco Aita (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Rob Shore (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Katy Marshall (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* John Clarke (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Danny Farrant (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* John Ginger (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Emilo Mont (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Geoff Lunn (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Milosch Meriac (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Abhi Manyu (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Alba Rodriguez (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Stephen Paulger (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Erik Pickering (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Rob Meadows (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Mayhurst (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Giovanni Orlando (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Padbury (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Robin Sterling (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Kristien De Clercq (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* "Nevindep" (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Jae Turner (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Luke Twydell (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Steph Tyszka (Mat Cook 20 Dec 2014)
* Jonny Waite (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Toby Jaffey (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Greg Matthews (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Tom Parker (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Ben Weeks (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Clara Todd (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Ian Mc (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Timothy Baldock (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Rob Rescrola (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tariq Harris (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Ed Robertson (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Imogen Ford (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Dan Tidhar (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tom Stroud (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Graeme ??? (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Henry Begg (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Phil McArthur (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Alex Judd (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Mulligan (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Nightingale (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Charlotte Harvey (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Matt Wayland (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Andrei R. (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* John Mead (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)

= More trained users =

Fully trained:
* Hugo Keene (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Antony Congedo (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Alina Velea (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Nik Newark (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Claire Harriette (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Dittany Rose (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Martin Prescott (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Abi Bush (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Arik Kershenbaum (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Alexandra Grigore (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Roy Gwinn (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Josh Kaggie (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Stoyan Smoukov (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Adam Reig (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Nicola Westgarth-Flynn (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Dave Jordan (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Khameinei Ali (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Fotis Georgatos (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Tianheng Zhao (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Oliver Fleck (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Johan Henriksson (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Daryl Stewart (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Frodi Jones (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Andrew Mulholland (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Tobias Wenzel (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Alex Ridge (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Louis Kovalevsky (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Rich Hall (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Ben Alper (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Chandu Sekhar (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Patrick ? (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Andrew Cooke (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Rosy Hunt (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tim Radvan (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Benjamin Thomas Summers (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tom Hartley (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Lucia Corsini (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Clive Beale (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tumi Jones (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Daniel Bailey (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tom Garton (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Alice Milligan (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Phill Banks (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Ned Booker (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Karan Gupta (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Dave Frost (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Fred Sorgeloos (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Abigail Tyrrell (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* David Jordan (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Robyn Kerrison (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Andrea Cipri (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Jakub Sanak (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)

= Yet more trained users =

* Training 18 Nov 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Jack Brewster
** Mark Wainwright
** Kate Aston (again)
** Mayke Santos
** Barry Plows
** Victor Rybnok - no show, not trained, not a fully inducted member
* Training 05 Dec 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Leo Rines (needs keyfob fully activating)
** Naomi Griffiths
** Jose Chitty
** David Haines
** Simon Hartley
* Bogdan Spiridon (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Stewart Barton (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Hughes (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Anija Dokter (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Bond (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Richardson (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* William Deeks (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Woolf (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mark Radford (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Tom Kelly (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Giovanni Bisutti (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Victor Rybynok (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Olivier Martin (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Craig Easton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Daniel Zerbino (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jeremy Minton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Shunsuke Fujibayashi (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Charna Hume (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jamie Powell (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Gillepie (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Mark Barnard (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Francois Eve (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* David Hurron (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Routly (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Wagner (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Steve Carey (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Sophie Weeks (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Dan Evans (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Grant (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Arrow (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* David Marcus (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Joe Halstead (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Steve Murphy (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Martin Hollis (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Miguel Morin (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cadu Miceli (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Joe Studwell (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Adrien Leger (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mik Lamming (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Sanders (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Natalie Ward (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Ben Hurren (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Hsin-ling Liang (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cat Fitzpatrick (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Michael Schmid (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Nadia Bassiri (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Htoo Wai Htet (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Spencer Wilson (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mihai Truta (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Simon Guest (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Will Nock (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Dan Tidhar (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Ziyi Yu (4/10/16 David Barham)
* David Crawford (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Rick Amos (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joe Eadon (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ziyi Yu (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Brendan Cawley (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joachim De Jonghe (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Arthur Queval (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Andy Saul (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Thomas Meany (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ronny Schluetter (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ben Brebner (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Scott Cunliffe (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tian Huang (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Steven Burgess (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* James Potter (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Ross Rounsevell (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Abigail Wills (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Lynne Horton (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Andrew Velle (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Thomas Kopsch (15/1/2017 Miguel Morin)

= Training Cheatsheet =

The training structure and prompt sheet. Please note, this is used by the Laser Cutter Owners as a prompt to ensure training is executed in a consistent and complete fashion is included on this page; this does not constitute and is not a substitute for the training itself.

== Group Training ==

The group training introduction structure, suitable for 1-4 members at a time in a 1 hr session.

Introduction of main components
* Laser
* Cutting Mechanics
* Water Cooler System
* Filter
* PC
* Materials (what it can cut, supply)

Checks for everyone to do
* Check in use, looks ok
* Check water bath, temperature

Powering Up
* Turning on filter (Tick = ok, Warning = tell the owners, Cross = don't use it and tell the owners)
* Turning on Laser and warmup, what to do if doesn't power up
* Turning on PC and starting software

LaserCut Project walkthrough (using M+S+text keyring example)
* Package function, drawing, import file types
* Bed dimensions
* Paths, yellow dots, 'united' shapes
* Blue dot, Immediate mode
* Layers and colours
* Through cut, surface cut and engraving, speeds and strengths
* Various steps to build keyring design (shapes, text, uniting, layers, alignment, scaling, layers)
* Job ordering
* Saving
* Download as immediate, delete, download current

Laser Operation
* Lid
* Control panel, escape
* Moving head XY, indicator laser, datum
* Moving Z
* Focus
* Start position and test
* Start, pause and emergency stop function
* Do job, pause/open lid, restart

Laser Hazards
* Process and progression for normal operation failure (fire) - pause, open, move, CO2
* Process for abnormal operation failure (mechanical/jam) - emergency stop, open, move, CO2
* Ensure confident of process

Power Down
* Switch off laser
* Switch off filtration
* Clean any residue from the bed or bottom tray
* Close lid

== Individual Training Task ==

The individual task to get familiar, prompt questions and check understanding:

Task
* Make a personalised focus tool
* Square acrylic of appropriate size
* Member's name, "Focus Tool", keychain hole
* Should use full cut, surface cut, engrave
* Should demonstrate all steps, size, appropriate ordering, positioning

Steps
* Set individual to work, don't prompt but do answer questions (or pose if needed)
* Talk through design once done, question/check things etc
* Proceed to lasering (watch carefully all steps)
* Ask to stop job/restart, question escalation process

Assuming all ok:
* Get them to read the health and safety notes about operation and materials
* Add to the trained member list!

== Project Oversight ==

For next 2-3 projects, ensure member will find another more experienced trained user to support them (second pair of eyes)

Equipment/Laser Cutter/Training

2017-01-04T22:09:10Z

Miguel: /* Yet more trained users */

[[Equipment|Equipment]] / [[Equipment/Laser_Cutter|Laser Cutter]] / Training

= Laser Cutter Training =

This page documents the process for being trained on the Laser Cutter, and the list of members who have completed that training.

== Summary ==

Training takes place in three main steps:
* Group Training of 1-4 members, going through the equipment and how to use it (~1hr)
* Individual Training Task, where an individual member is set a task to complete to prove and improve understanding (~30min each)

Training on the Laser Cutter is run by the Laser Cutter Owners. The Laser Cutter Owners are a group of people responsible for maintaining and training on the laser cutter, and hence have been trained to train, and trained to perform the weekly and monthly maintenance on the laser cutter.

== Booking ==

Sessions are advertised on '''http://meetup.makespace.org'''
* For discussing training, or requesting additional slots if needed, use the mailing list thread: [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cammakespace/vNrS07zVuY0/discussion Training : Laser Cutter]

Notes:
* You can only be trained if you have your name allocated to a slot (groups will be restricted to four at a time, so please don't make up additional spaces)
* You must do the group and individual training on the same day

= Trained Users =

The following members of Makespace are owner/trainers of the laser cutter:
* Simon Ford
* David Barham
* Nick Johnson
* Toby Moncaster
* Martin de Selincourt
* Mat Cook
* [[User:stevancw|Stevan Wing]]

The following members of Makespace are trainers on the laser cutter:
* Brian Starkey
* [[User:robv|Rob Voisey]]
* Tom Parker
* Steve Murphy

The following members of Makespace are owners on the laser cutter:
* Diane Probst

The following members of Makespace are trained and qualified to use the Laser Cutter (note, they are not qualified to train others however):
* Steve Upton (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Martin de Selincourt (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Oliver Jackson (Simon Ford, 23/01/2013)
* Simon Stirley (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Stephen Woolhead (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Martin Levine (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Uwe Borowski (Simon Ford, 01/02/2013)
* Peter Sewell (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Steve Loughran (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* ST John (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Henry Gomersall (Simon Ford, 03/02/2013)
* Brian Corteil (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Wayne Keenan (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Andrew Dunn (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* David Knell (Simon Ford, 05/02/2013)
* Tom Oinn (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Amir Chaudhry (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Anil Madhavapeddy (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Edward Imhagwe (David Barham, 12/02/2013)
* Michael Dales (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Laura James (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Robert Copcutt (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Phil Cowans (Simon Ford, 2/03/2013)
* Errol McMullen (Simon Ford, 9/03/2013)
* Gaye Soykok (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Mark Williamson (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Joe Tapply (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Dan Ros (Simon Ford, 19/03/2013)
* Paul Osborn (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* David Esteves (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Zé Pinto Ferreira (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Sharath (Simon Ford, 27/03/2013)
* Andy Jude (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Mark Mellors (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Chris Abri (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Tom Ingham (Simon Ford, 5/04/2013)
* Adrian van den Heever (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Chris Voth (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Archie Reid (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Rachel Rayns (David Barham, 11/04/2013)
* Giovanni Orlando (David Barham, 15/04/2013)
* Chunhe Yu (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Marko Cosic (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Mark Watson (Nicholas Johnson, 04/04/2013)
* Andy Fisher (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* David Bebb (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Simon Haydn (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* Adrian Carr (Nicholas Johnson, 02/05/2013)
* John Clamp (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Maciek Piatek (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Antonio Barragan (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* John Sturdy (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Roeland Schumacher (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Mark Tillotson (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Ward Hills (Nicholas Johnson, 10/05/2013)
* Anne Harrison (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* William Morton (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Ali (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Rod Williams (Nicholas Johnson, 17/05/2013)
* Toby Moncaster (Simon Ford, 30/5/2013)
* Damien Guihen (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Ben Evan (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Jake Young (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Shareef Jalloq (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Renee Chow (David Barham, 08/06/2013)
* Dan Tidhar, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Mat Cook, (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Toby Roberts (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Jonathan Austin (David Barham, 24/6/2013)
* Stacy Smith (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Matt Harvey (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* Marcin (David Barham, 13/8/2013)
* James Waldmeyer (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Chris Wilson (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Kevin Maloney (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Harry Braviner (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Lee (David Barham, 18/9/2013)
* Jon Aas (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Armando Carlone (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Eckart Jack (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Pop Sharma (Toby Moncaster, 24/9/2013)
* Anthony Wainman (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Hazel Jenkins (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* James Hutton (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Jia Wei Lim (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Julius Schmidt (Toby Moncaster, 13/10/13)
* Riccardo Gherardi (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Anna Stoilova (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Glyn Knowles (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* James Cooke (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Jennifer Herbert (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Simon Birrell (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Theo Sanderson (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13)
* Indy Wilkhu (Toby Moncaster, 23/10/13 - practical to come)
* John Campbell (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Stephen Jeapes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Chris Stanley (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Mat Greenwood (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Jonathon Brookfield (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Matt Grimes (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Richard Fosh (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Esther Leighton (Toby Moncaster, 30/10/13)
* Katia Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Tim Dilks (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Alexander MacFaden (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Brian Starkey (Toby Moncaster, 21/11/13)
* Dave Potts (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Andy Spencer (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Jon Green (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Danny Garden (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Steve Wiseman (Martin de Selincourt, 4/12/13)
* Patrick Wollner (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Leonardo Impett (David Barham, 18/2/14)
* Diana Probst (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Hidde-Jan Lemstra (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Francisco Cordobes (Brian Starkey, 19/3/14)
* Peter Ferguson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Tim Hayward (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Jason White (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Stuart Wilson (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Steve Harrison (Mat Cook March 5 2014)
* Alex Atkinson (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Kate Aston (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Sheila Shepherd (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Rachel Bow (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Emyr James (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Peter Knight (Mat Cook March 12 2014)
* Andy Gale (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Owen McAree (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Michal Stefenow (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Neil Tan (Mat Cook March 26 2014)
* Vaiva Kalmkaite? (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Alberto Santos (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Sonny Siree (sp?) (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tim Ronsell (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Rob Voisey (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Mike Hunter (Mat Cook Apr 23 2014)
* Tony Bunting (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Eric Jones (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Carl Phillips (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Ed Ben (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Toby Norman (Brian Starkey 30/4/14)
* Marco Galardini (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Thomas Keller (Mat Cook May 7 2014)
* Martin Lenz (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* David Grech (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Rick Lupton (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Tim Regan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Shashank Srinivasan (Mat Cook 28 May 2014)
* Al Napp (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Tom Roberts (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matthew Taylor (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Milosz Wasilewski (Mat Cook 4 June 2014)
* Matt Grimes (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Brandon Invergo (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Simon West (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Kevin Rathbone (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Richard Gordon (Brian Starkey 11/06/14)
* Rob Yates (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Alex Gee (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Patrick Beigent (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Guilliame Tucker (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Jo Brook (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* David Taylor (Brian Starkey 12/07/14)
* Joe Watson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Richard Armstrong (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Eric Gowland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Paul Holland (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Craig Richardson (Brian Starkey 23/07/14)
* Stevan Wing (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* John Sidiropoulos (Mat Cook 11/08/2014)
* Greaham Douglas (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Joseph Gamble (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Robert Fryers (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Will Hartley (Stevan Wing 17/09/2014)
* Alistair Turnbull (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Tim Ramsdale (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Hugo Van Sansen (Stevan Wing 24/09/2014)
* Marco Aita (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Rob Shore (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Katy Marshall (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* John Clarke (David Barham 08/10/2014)
* Danny Farrant (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* John Ginger (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Emilo Mont (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Geoff Lunn (Stevan Wing 15/10/2014)
* Milosch Meriac (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Abhi Manyu (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Alba Rodriguez (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Stephen Paulger (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Erik Pickering (Stevan Wing 05/11/2014)
* Rob Meadows (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Mayhurst (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Giovanni Orlando (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Chris Padbury (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Robin Sterling (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* Kristien De Clercq (Stevan Wing 03/12/2014)
* "Nevindep" (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Jae Turner (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Luke Twydell (Mat Cook 11 Dec 2014)
* Steph Tyszka (Mat Cook 20 Dec 2014)
* Jonny Waite (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Toby Jaffey (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Greg Matthews (Brian Starkey 3/9/14)
* Tom Parker (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Ben Weeks (Brian Starkey 12/11/14)
* Clara Todd (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Ian Mc (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Timothy Baldock (Brian Starkey 17/12/14)
* Rob Rescrola (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tariq Harris (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Ed Robertson (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Imogen Ford (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Dan Tidhar (Brian Starkey 7/1/15)
* Tom Stroud (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Graeme ??? (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Henry Begg (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Phil McArthur (Brian Starkey 28/1/15)
* Alex Judd (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Mulligan (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Adam Nightingale (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Charlotte Harvey (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Matt Wayland (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* Andrei R. (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)
* John Mead (Martin de Selincourt 11/02/2015)

= More trained users =

Fully trained:
* Hugo Keene (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Antony Congedo (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Alina Velea (Mat Cook 31/03/2015)
* Nik Newark (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Claire Harriette (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Dittany Rose (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Martin Prescott (Brian Starkey 22/4/15)
* Abi Bush (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Arik Kershenbaum (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Alexandra Grigore (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Roy Gwinn (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Josh Kaggie (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Stoyan Smoukov (Brian Starkey 6/05/2015)
* Adam Reig (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Nicola Westgarth-Flynn (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Dave Jordan (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Khameinei Ali (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Fotis Georgatos (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Tianheng Zhao (Stevan Wing 27/05/2015)
* Oliver Fleck (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Johan Henriksson (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Daryl Stewart (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Frodi Jones (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Andrew Mulholland (Rob Voisey 16/06/2015)
* Tobias Wenzel (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Alex Ridge (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Louis Kovalevsky (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Rich Hall (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Ben Alper (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Chandu Sekhar (Brian Starkey 19/06/2015)
* Patrick ? (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Andrew Cooke (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Rosy Hunt (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tim Radvan (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Benjamin Thomas Summers (Rob Voisey 23/06/2015)
* Tom Hartley (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Lucia Corsini (Rob Voisey 02/07/2015)
* Clive Beale (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tumi Jones (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Daniel Bailey (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Tom Garton (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Alice Milligan (Brian Starkey 29/07/2015)
* Phill Banks (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Ned Booker (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Karan Gupta (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Dave Frost (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Fred Sorgeloos (Brian Starkey 4/08/2015)
* Abigail Tyrrell (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* David Jordan (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Robyn Kerrison (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Andrea Cipri (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)
* Jakub Sanak (Rob Voisey 27/11/2015)

= Yet more trained users =

* Training 18 Nov 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Jack Brewster
** Mark Wainwright
** Kate Aston (again)
** Mayke Santos
** Barry Plows
** Victor Rybnok - no show, not trained, not a fully inducted member
* Training 05 Dec 2015 (Mat Cook)
** Leo Rines (needs keyfob fully activating)
** Naomi Griffiths
** Jose Chitty
** David Haines
** Simon Hartley
* Bogdan Spiridon (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Stewart Barton (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Hughes (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Anija Dokter (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Bond (17/9/15 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Richardson (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* William Deeks (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jonathan Woolf (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mark Radford (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Tom Kelly (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Giovanni Bisutti (6/1/16 Brian Starkey)
* Victor Rybynok (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Olivier Martin (2/2/16 David Barham)
* Craig Easton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Daniel Zerbino (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jeremy Minton (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Shunsuke Fujibayashi (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Charna Hume (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Jamie Powell (23/03/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Gillepie (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Mark Barnard (5/4/16 Tom Parker)
* Francois Eve (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* David Hurron (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Paul Routly (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Wagner (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Steve Carey (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Sophie Weeks (18/04/16 Brian Starkey)
* Dan Evans (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Grant (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Thomas Arrow (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* David Marcus (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Joe Halstead (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Steve Murphy (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Martin Hollis (3/05/16 Tom Parker)
* Miguel Morin (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cadu Miceli (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Joe Studwell (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Adrien Leger (21/06/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mik Lamming (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Thomas Sanders (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Natalie Ward (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Ben Hurren (13/07/16 Brian Starkey)
* Hsin-ling Liang (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Cat Fitzpatrick (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Michael Schmid (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Nadia Bassiri (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Htoo Wai Htet (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Spencer Wilson (10/08/16 Brian Starkey)
* Mihai Truta (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Simon Guest (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Will Nock (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Dan Tidhar (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Ziyi Yu (4/10/16 David Barham)
* David Crawford (4/10/16 David Barham)
* Rick Amos (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joe Eadon (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ziyi Yu (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Brendan Cawley (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Joachim De Jonghe (20/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Arthur Queval (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Andy Saul (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Thomas Meany (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ronny Schluetter (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Ben Brebner (27/10/16 Steve Murphy)
* Scott Cunliffe (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Tian Huang (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)
* Steven Burgess (4/1/2017 Miguel Morin)

= Training Cheatsheet =

The training structure and prompt sheet. Please note, this is used by the Laser Cutter Owners as a prompt to ensure training is executed in a consistent and complete fashion is included on this page; this does not constitute and is not a substitute for the training itself.

== Group Training ==

The group training introduction structure, suitable for 1-4 members at a time in a 1 hr session.

Introduction of main components
* Laser
* Cutting Mechanics
* Water Cooler System
* Filter
* PC
* Materials (what it can cut, supply)

Checks for everyone to do
* Check in use, looks ok
* Check water bath, temperature

Powering Up
* Turning on filter (Tick = ok, Warning = tell the owners, Cross = don't use it and tell the owners)
* Turning on Laser and warmup, what to do if doesn't power up
* Turning on PC and starting software

LaserCut Project walkthrough (using M+S+text keyring example)
* Package function, drawing, import file types
* Bed dimensions
* Paths, yellow dots, 'united' shapes
* Blue dot, Immediate mode
* Layers and colours
* Through cut, surface cut and engraving, speeds and strengths
* Various steps to build keyring design (shapes, text, uniting, layers, alignment, scaling, layers)
* Job ordering
* Saving
* Download as immediate, delete, download current

Laser Operation
* Lid
* Control panel, escape
* Moving head XY, indicator laser, datum
* Moving Z
* Focus
* Start position and test
* Start, pause and emergency stop function
* Do job, pause/open lid, restart

Laser Hazards
* Process and progression for normal operation failure (fire) - pause, open, move, CO2
* Process for abnormal operation failure (mechanical/jam) - emergency stop, open, move, CO2
* Ensure confident of process

Power Down
* Switch off laser
* Switch off filtration
* Clean any residue from the bed or bottom tray
* Close lid

== Individual Training Task ==

The individual task to get familiar, prompt questions and check understanding:

Task
* Make a personalised focus tool
* Square acrylic of appropriate size
* Member's name, "Focus Tool", keychain hole
* Should use full cut, surface cut, engrave
* Should demonstrate all steps, size, appropriate ordering, positioning

Steps
* Set individual to work, don't prompt but do answer questions (or pose if needed)
* Talk through design once done, question/check things etc
* Proceed to lasering (watch carefully all steps)
* Ask to stop job/restart, question escalation process

Assuming all ok:
* Get them to read the health and safety notes about operation and materials
* Add to the trained member list!

== Project Oversight ==

For next 2-3 projects, ensure member will find another more experienced trained user to support them (second pair of eyes)