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InkSmith MAKO40 User Manual

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CO2 LASER
LASER CUTTER USER MANUAL

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  • Page 1 CO2 LASER LASER CUTTER USER MANUAL...
  • Page 2 InkSmith cannot be held responsible for any direct or indirect damages, which result from using or working with the products electrical circuits or software described herein. The apparatus must be used only by trained and skilled personnel. This Operation Manual must be read and followed prior to operating the laser machine.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 MACHINE OVERVIEW 1.1 General Acknowledgments......................4 1.2 Technical Specifications......................5 1.3 Machine Info..........................6 2.0 SAFETY 2.1 General Safety..........................7 2.2 Laser Safety Precautions......................8 2.3 Operational Safety........................10 2.4 Approved/Not Approved Materials...................11 3.0 INITIAL SETUP 3.1 What’s Included........................12 3.2 Location Considerations......................13 3.3 Electrical Requirements......................13 3.4 Exhaust Requirements......................13 3.5 Machine Diagram........................14...

  • Page 4: Machine Overview

    1.0 MACHINE OVERVIEW 1.1 GENERAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Please read and follow this Operation Manual carefully before installation and operation of the laser cutting machine. Damage to persons and/or material can result from not following the Operation Manual. Operation of the machine is only permitted with consumables listed in the Approved Materials lists.

  • Page 5: Technical Specifications

    1.0 MACHINE OVERVIEW 1.2 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS...

  • Page 6: Machine Info

    1.0 MACHINE OVERVIEW 1.3 MACHINE INFO The Mako Laser Cutters are a series of high precision laser cutting machines capable of delivering professional results quickly and efficiently. The Mako Laser Cutters are able to cut and engrave on a variety of materials including wood, cardboard, fabric, leather, and acrylic. Warning labels about your specific machine can be found on the laser cutting machine.

  • Page 7: Safety

    2.0 SAFETY 2.1 GENERAL SAFETY All persons involved in the installation, set-up, operation, maintenance of the machine, must have read and understood the Operation Manual and specifically the “Safety” section. It is recommended that organizations generate an internal qualification process for operating the laser cutting machine. Personnel who complete laser safety training should be recognized with written proof of qualification (see section 6.2).

  • Page 8: Laser Safety Precautions

    2.0 SAFETY 2.2 LASER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS The Mako Laser Cutter contains a powerful CO2 laser tube, which is used to cut, etch and engrave materials on its cutting bed. Once focused, our lowest wattage laser, has sufficient power to vaporize up to 6mm of plywood in a single pass.
  • Page 9 Laser systems are classified into 5 safety classess which assess their potential dangers: 1, 2,3a, 3b, and 4. All InkSmith Mako Laser Cutter is a device of class 2 (USA: Class II). This is guaranteed by the protective housing and the safety installations. Please note that improper operation of the device can override the status of safety class 2 and can cause the emission of harmful radiation.

  • Page 10: Operational Safety

    2.0 SAFETY 2.3 OPERATIONAL SAFETY No special personal protective equipment is required to operate the laser cutter. The laser cutter’s beam is fully enclosed, and it’s ventilation system protects users from smoke and vapours created during the machine’s operation It is mandatory to have a fire extinguisher nearby at all times during operations, and that all operations are performed under the direct supervision of a person trained in Fire Safety and the use of fire extinguishers.

  • Page 11: Approved/Not Approved Materials

    2.0 SAFETY 2.4 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED MATERIALS Never use the laser cutter on materials that are not on the approved list for cutting,etching,engraving. Toxic fumes and/or risk of fire may result. The use of not approved materials may result in toxic fumes and/or a fire.

  • Page 12: Initial Setup

    3.0 INITIAL SETUP 3.1 WHAT’S INCLUDED 1. Mako Laser Cutter 2. CO2 Tube 3. Exhaust Hose 4. Hose Clamps 5. Power Cables and Adapters 6. Triangle Key 7. USB Cable 8. Ethernet Cable 9. USB Drive 10. Accessories 11. Gold Pins 12.

  • Page 13: Location Considerations

    3.0 INITIAL SETUP 3.2 LOCATION CONSIDERATIONS Before you install the Mako Laser, it is important to select an appropriate location. To determine the best location, please follow the guidelines listed below: • Avoid locations where the machine may be exposed to high temperatures, dust, and high humidity. The humidity must not exceed 70% and the temperature must not be close to the dew point.
  • Page 14 3.0 INITIAL SETUP 3.5 MAKO LASER DIAGRAM Protective Cover Control Panel Optical Path Checking Panel Water Cooler Emergency Stop Button Gantry System Guide Rail Belt Laser Head Hex Cutting Bed...
  • Page 15 3.0 INITIAL SETUP 3.6 CONNECTING AIR FILTRATION TO AN STSTEM Start by plugging in your Mako Laser Cutter into a suitable power outlet (as outlined in section 3.3 ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS). Option 1 - Connect to the Mako Laser Cutter Air Filtration System Follow the specific instructions included with your Mako Laser Cutter Air Filtration System to install it on your laser machine.

  • Page 16: Operation

    4.0 OPERATION 4.1 POWERING ON 1. Before powering on the Mako Laser ensure that the protective cover is closed. 2. Verify the safety Emergency Stop is not engaged (if it is, rotate it clockwise until it extends to the non- engaged position).
  • Page 17 4.0 OPERATION 4.2 CALIBRATING THE MAKO LASER CUTTER The gantry system is made up of the motors and linear rails that allow for the laser head to travel during operation. It’s important to make sure that all body parts are out of the travel path of any moving parts. Once the machine is powered on, use the direction keys on the keypad to move the laser head around.
  • Page 18 4.0 OPERATION Testing the Laser Tube Ensure that the flow of water within the laser tube is in the high to low voltage direction. The water will be flowing from left to right you (from the end with the red connector to the end with the black connector).
  • Page 19 4.0 OPERATION STEP ONE: Mirror 1 Adjustments Open the machine lid and move the gantry system to the front of the machine. Use the Housing Keys to open the side panel of the machine to access the laser mirrors. To align the reflection of Mirror 1, place a small amount on masking tape over the aperture of Mirror 2.
  • Page 20 4.0 OPERATION STEP THREE: Mirror 3 Adjustments To align the reflection of Mirror 3 you will again use the masking tape, but place it on the bottom of the metal laser nozzle. Adjust the knobs on the top of the laser head accordingly to align with the diagram pictured below.
  • Page 21 4.3 SETTING UP LIGHTBURN SOFTWARE LightBurn is layout, editing, and control software for your laser cutter. With LightBurn you can: • Import artwork in a variety of formats • Arrange, edit create new vector shapes • Apply settings like power, speed, number of passes, cut order, brightness & contrast, dithering mode, and much more WARNING! If a file is prepared using a table size setting larger than your bed size, it may cause the axis to attempt to travel beyond their physical limitations, resulting in damage to the machine.
  • Page 22 4.0 OPERATION Installation Download Download the latest release version that matches your computer. • Windows 64-bit • Windows 32-bit • Mac OSX • Linux 64-bit Windows Installation 1. Launch the installer executable 2. Windows may ask if you trust the software, as LightBurn is not currently digitally signed 3.
  • Page 23 We recommend just copying the key and pasting it into the License Key box. You can purchase a License Key through Inksmith. You can get back to this screen in LightBurn at any time by going to the menu and clicking Help > License Management.
  • Page 24 4.0 OPERATION Device Setup If you’ve never run LightBurn, the first thing you need to do is set up your machine layout (work area size and zero / origin) in the settings, and then add your device type in the devices box. If you have more than one type of laser / device, you can add more than one and choose a default.
  • Page 25 4.0 OPERATION 3. Choose the Ruida Laser . Don’t worry if you have more than one laser. Start with one for now, and add the others later. 4. Choose your connection method. Serial/USB, Network, etc... 5. Choose a distinct name and set your machine bed size for X and Y.
  • Page 26 4.0 OPERATION 6. Choose the X0,Y0 origin point that matches your machine. All machines have the orgin point X0,Y0. 7. Click “Finish” to save your laser setup. If your laser is connected to the computer, LightBurn will try to establish communication. For some systems this will home the laser, for others it will simply show “Ready”...
  • Page 27 4.0 OPERATION Making a Simple Project We’re going to go step-by-step through creating a small, simple project in LightBurn, to show you how to use a few of the basic editing tools, and give you a feel for how things work. Before you start, make sure you have a laser set up in LightBurn (see device setup).
  • Page 28 4.0 OPERATION When you finish the text, you’ll see an entry appear in the “Cuts / Layers” list on the upper left of the display. This is the “layer” that your text is on, and it holds the settings that will be sent to the laser for all the objects on this layer: This tells us that the shapes on this layer will be drawn as lines, with 100 mm/sec speed, and 20% pow- er.
  • Page 29 4.0 OPERATION Changing text properties Make sure you’re still in “Selection” mode - the “Select” tool should be highlighted. Click the name, or click and drag a rectangle around it to select it. When it’s selected, it will be drawn as an- imated dashes instead of solid lines, and handles will appear around the selection to let you change the size, position, or orien-...
  • Page 30 4.0 OPERATION Adding an outline: The Offset tool With the text selected, click the “Offset” button on the left toolbar, shown on the left: The Offset options window will appear, and you should see something like this: The Offset tool creates a new shape by outlining the shapes in your selection at a given distance, either inward, outward, or both, and merging the result.
  • Page 31 4.0 OPERATION Changing Layers Now, use the left mouse button to click the new outline you just made, so it is the only thing selected, like this: Then, click the “Red” square in the color palette at the bottom of the display: The outline will turn red, and you should see two entries in your “Cuts / Layers”...
  • Page 32 4.0 OPERATION Speed and Power This next part may be tricky, so please read carefully. Speed and power settings vary quite a bit between lasers, and LightBurn supports a lot of different types of machines. It also depends on the type of material you’re using - cutting through 1/8”...
  • Page 33 4.0 OPERATION Again, note that these are starting points and may need to be adjusted. Open the “Preview” window again (“Alt+P”, or click the “Preview” button), then drag the progress slider from left to right to watch how the laser hear will run. You’ll see the text engrave first, followed by the outline cut.
  • Page 34 4.0 OPERATION If you used ‘Current Position’ mode, you’ll see the 9-dot “Job Origin” control under it activate, and you should see a green square on your design in the same spot indicated by Job Origin control, like this: In the above image, the Job Origin is set to the lower-left, and that’s where the green origin square is on the design.
  • Page 35 4.0 OPERATION Results and Next Steps When it’s done, hopefully it looks like something like this: Tracing an image in LightBurn To start, import an image object into LightBurn, select it, then choose Tools > Trace Image from the menu (or press “Alt-T”). You can also select an image, then right-click and choose “Trace Image” from the pop-up menu.
  • Page 36 4.0 OPERATION Controls The preview window can be panned and zoomed just like the edit window, using the middle mouse button to pan and the mouse wheel to zoom. Double-clicking the middle mouse button resets the view. The “Cutoff” slider controls the lower end of the range of values that LightBurn will outline with vectors, and the “Threshold”...
  • Page 37 4.0 OPERATION SMOOTHNESS Bitmap images are made of pixels, and pixels are rectangles. Image tracing tries to infer shapes from these arrangements of rectangles, and has to smooth out the results or everything would just look like stairs. Part of the process is trying to recover smooth shapes from jagged lines, and this number controls how aggressive the smoothing is.
  • Page 38 4.0 OPERATION 4.3 CONTROL PANEL NAVIGATION The Reset button will reset the laser head back to the last set X,Y coordinates if the laser  head has been moved. The Pulse button will temporarily activate the laser and create a short burst of laser power.
  • Page 39 4.0 OPERATION The Max-Power button is used to set the maximum power that the laser will output. This is useful for when you are working with engraving and need a variety of powers for the Max-Power different depths engraving. The File button pulls up all the available files and file folders on the laser machine. Use this button to find and select the files that you would like to cut, etch, engrave.

  • Page 40: Preparing Files For Print

    4.0 OPERATION 4.4 PREPARING FILES FOR PRINT Laser Cutting The first step to preparing a laser cut part is to prepare the CAD file that will create the shape that is to be cut out on the laser. Drawing CAD Files for Laser Cutting Laser cut CAD files are simple, 2D line drawings that represent the outline of the parts you want to create from stock materials.

  • Page 41: Preparing The Machine For Work

    4.0 OPERATION 4.5 PREPARING THE MACHINE FOR WORK Powering the Machine On Before powering on the machine ensure that the protective cover is closed. Verify the safety Emergency Stop is not engaged (if it is, rotate it clockwise and it will extend to the non-engaged position). Flip the main power switch on the side of the machine or turn the key if you are operating an 80 or 100w laser.

  • Page 42: Maintenance

    5.0 MAINTENANCE 5.1 MACHINE CLEANING To ensure the safety and performance of your Mako Laser, it is important to perform cleaning and maintenance on a regular basis. The Mako Laser Cutter should always be kept in an environment that is between 18˚C and 30˚C.
  • Page 43 5.0 MAINTENANCE Cleaning The Lens and Mirrors If you find your laser is cutting poorly the lenses and mirrors may need to be cleaned. If the mirrors or lenses become smudge or dirty the laser beam will have a difficult time transmitting through the glass. Follow the steps below to properly clean your Mako Laser Cutter’s lenses and mirrors: 1.

  • Page 44: Maintenance Schedule

    5.0 MAINTENANCE Guide Rails Cleaning The guide rails, which are covered by a metal protective cover, will occasionally need to be cleaned and lubricated. To clean the guide rails on the Gantry system, wipe them down with paper towel (no solvents) and lubricate them with a few drops of shredder performance oil.

  • Page 45: Additional Info

    6.0 ADDITIONAL INFO 6.1 TIPS FOR TROUBLESHOOTING If the machine does not turn on: • Check to see that the machine and all the components are connected . If the machine loses cutting power: • Calibrate the laser tube as per the instructions in section 4.2. •...

  • Page 46: Training Completion Form

    6.0 ADDITIONAL INFO 6.2 TRAINING COMPLETION FORM Employee/Trainee: Trainer: Date of Training: The above mentioned employee/trainee received instruction on the operation of the Mako Laser Cutter. The following topics were covered turning the training: • Machine Overview • General Safety •...

  • Page 47: Technical Support Contact

    Troubleshooting section in this manual please contact our Technical Support line. InkSmith Technical Support Phone: 1-844-465-7684 ext.4 E-mail: tech@inksmith.ca www.inksmith.ca Technical Support Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm EST NOTE: For complex problems please provide photograph or video evidence via email (tech@inksmith.ca) in order to help us better diagnose your issue.
  • Page 48 CO2 LASER QUESTIONS? tech@inksmith.ca 1-844-465-7684 ext.4 www.inksmith.ca...

This manual is also suitable for:

Mako80Mako100

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