Universal Laser Systems X-600 Safety, Installation, Operation, And Basic Maintenance Manual page 26

Place the focus tool (4) on top of the material (1) and position the focus carriage (3) directly above it.
Raise or lower the table so that the flat edge (5) the tool rests against the front side of the focus
carriage. Slowly raise the table until you observe the tool either tilting or sliding away from the focus
carriage. This will occur when the bottom edge of the focus carriage meets with the top of the
beveled edge (6) of the focus tool. The objective is to stop moving the table at the point where the
tool just starts to move or tilt. The focal length (7) distance
should be approximately the length (in inches) engraved
on the front side of the focus carriage. The standard and
most common lens to use is the 2.0-inch focal length lens.
Press the Z or the ESCAPE button to move the focus
carriage back to the home position.
WARNING: To avoid damage to the focus
lens, avoid
underneath the focus carriage.
Sometimes it is desirable to be slightly out of focus when engraving or cutting. It widens the beam at
the surface of the material to soften the image or create a wider cut line.
WARNING: DO NOT engrave or cut too far out of focus, as this can be a potential fire
hazard. A maximum of .05 inches above or below precise focus should be the absolute
limit.
From a physics point of view, there is no difference between raising the Z-axis table a specified
distance from the focal point and lowering the table the same distance from the focal point. However,
from an applications point of view, we recommend lowering the Z-axis table when intentionally
RASTER ENGRAVING out of focus and raising the Z-axis table when intentionally VECTOR
CUTTING out of focus.
Material Thickness (Z POSITION) Method
Press the Z button. Verify that the CURRENT LENS displayed is the same as the one being used. If
not, position the cursor on the second line in the display and press the SELECT button to toggle
through the choices. When the correct lens is displayed, re-position the cursor to the top line and
then over to the first or second digit. Raise or lower the table until the display shows the material
thickness either in inch or metric units. Focusing using this method is now complete.
Periodically you should check if the Z POSITION method is calibrated with your focus tool. Since your
focus tool is your absolute reference, make sure that you do not lose it. The SET FOCAL HEIGHT
menu is used to recalibrate the Z POSITION method.
SET FOCAL HEIGHT (Calibration) menu
To re-calibrate, the Z-axis must first be re-homed. Make sure all items are removed from underneath
the Z-axis table. Position the cursor to the last line, RE-HOME Z-AXIS and press SELECT. The table
will quickly move down to the bottom of its travel and then stop after it makes a few up and down
moves.
Using the focus tool that matches the CURRENT LENS displayed, position the Z-axis table so that the
laser will be focused on the table's surface. If the display does not read 0.00, move the cursor down
to the SET FOCAL HEIGHT menu item and press the SELECT button. Respond YES to the ARE
YOU SURE? question to complete the calibration. The Z POSITION display will now read 0.00 and
will be PERMANENTLY STORED IN MEMORY until you do this procedure again. If you have
purchased other lenses, you can set each of their focal heights by making that lens the CURRENT
LENS and repeating this procedure.
SYSTEM OPERATION
positioning the focus
Section 3-6
tool