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Related Manuals for Opt Lasers PLH3D 6W-XF
Summary of Contents for Opt Lasers PLH3D 6W-XF
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Preform Engraving ............................ 22 GRBL Firmware Update (Needed for LaserMode) ..................27 Preparation ..............................27 Backup/Export.............................. 27 Flashing ............................... 28 CNCjs ............................... 29 Software Setup ............................29 Software Usage ............................29 Opt Lasers Software Usage ........................32 Opt Lasers G-Code Generator ........................32... -
Page 3: Introduction
1. Introduction This sub-assembly is a high-power engraving laser head with thermal protection and a professional high-speed driver. Its design ensures that the head doesn’t require any additional cooling. The fan and airflow design make it perform as a fully customized air nozzle protecting lens from dirt and cooling the laser head. This sub- assembly takes advantage of a PLHD 3D 6W driver which ensures proper function of the laser head while protecting the laser diode from overheating. -
Page 4: Included Parts
Included Parts PLH3D-6W-XF Engraving Laser Head PLH3D-6W LaserDock Docking Station PLH3D Series Adapter for X-Carve Machine PLH3D-6W Nozzle - 43mm Spindle Adapter 450nm Laser Safety Goggles PLH3D Lens Regulator... - Page 5 X-Carve Mount for PLH3D-Series Collimator 400-700nm 12V 3.5A power supply. Includes adapters for wall plugs.
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Page 6: Basic Safety
Basic Safety Only person with specialized training and appropriate laser safety knowledge can use and maintain the laser head. The laser head operator must be aware of laser radiation hazard. While laser head is operating protection Laser Glasses designed for 190 – 540 nm (OD 7+) should be used. -
Page 7: Technical Data
Technical data Basic Specifications PLH3D-6W-XF Laser Diode Optical Power Dimensions of Laser Head 40 x 55 x 78 mm (L x W x H) (1.6 x 1.7 x 3.1 in.) Weight of Laser Head, Typ. 210 g (7.4 oz.) Flow Rate of Fan 43 m /h (25 CFM) Fan Noise... -
Page 8: Setup Hardware
Mounting Setup 1. Install Opt Lasers PLH3D-6W Series X-Carve Mounting Plate onto the X-Carve Spindle Holder. There are two primary ways to install the Mounting Plate to the Spindle Holder, and one less conventional way that is compatible with the Inventables X-Carve Dust Collection System. - Page 9 Install Docking Station onto Laser Module. Be sure to check screws length when installing. 3. Test Mounting The docking station should snap into place with the magnets.
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Page 10: Wiring Setup
Wiring Setup 1. Unpackage the Opt Lasers PLH3D Series Adapter, cut the zip ties. 2. Connect the 2 core wire Adapter inputs to the spindle outputs on your X-Controller. ○ Connect the Brown wire to "Spindle (PWM)". ○ Connect the White wire to "GND". - Page 11 4. Feed the 5-core wire from the Adapter through the entire drag chain. Feed the wire all the way to the Mounting Plate / Holder on the spindle mount. ○ Make sure that there is enough wire when the Z-Axis is lowered all the way. 5.
- Page 12 Put on your safety glasses and ensure nothing unintended is in the path of your laser. Ensure that the Adapter is Off. Connect Power Supply to the Adapter. 10. Turn on your Adapter, the switch should glow red, and the fans on the laser module should spin-up. 11.
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Page 13: Setup Software
3. Setup Software This section of the guide will show you how to backup your GRBL Settings, update your GRBL Firmware, and make some GRBL Settings changes. This guide will use Inventables Easel to do all of this. However, there are alternatives. -
Page 14: Firmware Settings: Make A Backup
These settings directly relate to and dictate the laser Min & Max output value. Firmware Settings: Make a Backup Before we update the GRBL firmware it’s a good idea to backup your settings. A. Goto and Sign into: Easel ( http://easel.inventables.com B. -
Page 15: Firmware Update
Firmware Update There are a few ways to update the firmware on your X-Controller / GRBL Shield. See the Advanced Users >: GRBL Firmware Update section for more information on other methods. A. Goto and Sign into: Easel ( http://easel.inventables.com B. -
Page 16: Firmware Configuration
Firmware Configuration Lastly some settings need to be confirmed / changed to make sure GRBL will output the correct power. A. Go to and Sign into: Easel ( http://easel.inventables.com B. In a new or existing Project, ■ Go to: Easel > Machine > Advanced C. -
Page 17: Lightburn: Setup And Configuration
4. LightBurn: Setup and Configuration Copyright (c) 2018, LightBurn Software, LLC ● LightBurn Documentation (GitHub) ● LightBurn Video Tutorials LightBurn is the recommended software for laser engraving. There are other options if you decide not to use LightBurn. You are not limit to just this software for generating your G-Code and sending it to your CNC Machine. See the Advanced Users section of this manual once you are confident and feeling adventurous. - Page 18 ■ Click "Open". 4. Device Setup The first time that you launch LightBurn you will be promoted to setup your device (laser engraver). See LightBurns documentation for additional information. ○ Select "GRBL". ○ Select "Serial/USB". ○ Input the name of your device ■...
- Page 19 ○ Make your new device the default and click OK. 5. Additional Device Settings The bellow settings are here to get you the maximum performance out of your Opt Laser. Depending on whether or not you updated your GRBL firmware and GRBL settings ○...
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Page 21: Usage And Operation: Software And Hardware
To perform an engraving/cutting you will need to generate the G-Code that your machine will use to perform its operations. In this guide the G-Code will be generated with the Opt Lasers G-Code Generator, then sent to the X-Carve with CNCjs. Before we dive to deep we need to cover some basics. -
Page 22: Lightburn: Basic Usage
6. LightBurn: Basic Usage To get started with LightBurn there are some basic concepts to cover. All of these concepts are summarized from the LightBurn Documentation. Laser Operations LightBurn has the ability to perform multiple type of Laser Operations. These operations can be performed on vector and raster images / shapes. •... -
Page 23: Preform Engraving
Preform Engraving To get started we will create some vectors to test with by using the Rectangle and Ellipse Tools These are just some simple shapes the that we can apply Layers Laser Operations too. Prepare Design 1. We will start with some basic shapes. 2. - Page 24 Prepare Laser 5. Connect to you Motion Controller / X-Controller / GRBL Shield. a. Next to devices select the appropriate port. b. Insure that the correct device, shown here as "X-Carve (GRBL)", is selected. 6. Home your machine by clicking the button.
- Page 25 9. Create Custom Marco's. We have to use some custom macros, because of reasons, as documented. How to create custom macro(s) 1. Select the Console widget. 3. Right-click / Two-finger-click on any of the Macro buttons to create a macro. 5.
- Page 26 Engrave with Laser 12. Power the laser module. a. Insure that all persons viewing have the proper eye protection / safety goggles. b. Turn on your Adapter, the switch should glow red, and the fans on the laser module should spin- 13.
- Page 27 Advanced Users This section is not for beginners, the intent of this section is to provide additional information for advanced users. THE DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
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Page 28: Grbl Firmware Update (Needed For Lasermode)
7. GRBL Firmware Update (Needed for LaserMode) GRBL is firmware the runs on many CNC machine motion controllers, like the X-Controller for the X-Carve. GRBL interprets the G-Code you send to it into the motion / actions that your machine performs. In-order to get the latest features of GRBL, like LaserMode, the latest version needs to be flashed. -
Page 29: Flashing
○ Export Settings ■ Once connected you can scroll to the bottom. Copy and Paste all the output in to a text file and save it. These are your settings, you might need them later to restore from. Flashing ○ Option 1: Flash pre-built GRBL binary. ■... -
Page 30: Cncjs
8. CNCjs CNCjs is a full-featured web-based interface for CNC controllers running Grbl, Marlin, Smoothieware, or TinyG. For a more complete introduction, see the Introduction section of the CNCjs wiki page. Software Setup 1. Download the latest CNCjs release for your operating system. ○... - Page 31 ■ If you have the GRBL v1.1f installed on your motion controller, then you can optionally enable Laser Mode. ● $32=1 Laser Mode ENABLED. ● $32=0 Laser Mode DISABLED. ○ Remember to disable Laser Mode when you decide to use router to cut. ○...
- Page 32 ■ Set the test duration to ~500 ms. ■ Click "Laser Test" at the bottom. ○ The laser should fire for a brief moment. Hooray! 11. Load G-Code ○ You can drag and drop G-Code into the CNCjs window to load it. ○...
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Page 33: Opt Lasers Software Usage
9. Opt Lasers Software Usage This section will explain step by step how to use and export the G- code generated with the Opt Lasers G- Code Generator. Then how to import that G -code into Grbl-Panel and control your machine to run the engraving G -code. - Page 34 Vector: DFX DFX is a vector file type. Vector engraving / cutting is preferred when cutting or doing quick engravings. Vector engraving will generally follow the path of the engraving, as opposed to scanning over it. Reference the Common Cutting Parameters for a good starting place for some common materials 1.
- Page 35 Raster: BMP/JPG BMPs and JPGs are raster-based file types. Raster engraving is best for images will a lot of detail. Raster images have to be scanned onto the workpiece, the laser intensity dictates the depth or darkness of the image being output. The technique is similar to how an image scanner scans a paper into the computer. Reference the Common Cutting Parameters for a good starting place for some common materials.