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InkSmith Mako User Manual

60w laser cutter
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CO2 LASER
LASER CUTTER USER MANUAL
Mako 60W Laser Cutter User Manual - 2024.01.04

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  • Page 1 CO2 LASER LASER CUTTER USER MANUAL Mako 60W Laser Cutter User Manual - 2024.01.04...
  • Page 2 InkSmith is not responsible for any direct or indirect damages which result from using or working with the products, electrical circuits, or software described herein. The machine 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 cutter. Damage to people, equipment, and/or material can result from failure to follow the instructions in the manual. It is important that the laser cutter is only operated after the machine has been properly calibrated. (See Section 4.0: Calibration) Operation of the machine is only advise with consumables listed in the Approved Materials lists.

  • Page 5: Technical Specifications

    1.0 MACHINE OVERVIEW 1.2 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Technical Specifications Model Mako 60W Price $8,299.00 Workspace 500mm x 300 mm Laser Power 60 Watt Laser Type CO2 Sealed Glass Tube, 10.6 μm Cooling Type Water Cooling Engraving Speed 100-350mm/sec Cutting Speed 10-100mm/sec...

  • 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 cutting and engraving results quickly and easily. These lasers are able to cut and engrave on a variety of materials including wood, cardboard, fabric, leather, and acrylic.

  • Page 7: Safety

    2.0 SAFETY 2.1 GENERAL SAFETY All persons involved in the installation, set-up, operation, and maintenance of the machine must have read and understood this Operation Manual, with special emphasis on the “Safety” section. It is recommended that organizations generate an internal qualification process for operating the laser cutter.

  • Page 8: Laser Safety Precautions

    2.2 LASER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS The Mako Laser Cutter contains a powerful 60 watt CO2 laser tube which is used to cut, etch and engrave materials on its cutting bed. Once focused, the Mako has sufficient power to vaporize up to 6mm thick plywood in a single pass.
  • Page 9 If you detect major damage on the protective cover (more than just small surface scratches on the top of the lid), immediately turn off the laser machine and contact InkSmith to request a new cover. Do not operate a machine with a damaged lid.

  • 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 the ventilation system protects users from smoke and vapours created during the machine’s normal operation Although it is not required, your organization may suggest the use of safety glasses during operation of the laser cutter.

  • 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, or engraving. The use of prohibited materials, or improper use of permitted 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

    Please refer to the specific exhaust requirements found in the operation manual included with your air filtration unit. If you are not using a separate air filtration unit it is suggested that the Mako Laser be filtered using flexible aluminum duct piping into an existing exhaust ventilation unit. You can connect to your buildings HVAC system using the flexible aluminum duct piping included in the crate of your laser cutting machine.
  • Page 14 3.0 INITIAL SETUP 3.5 MAKO LASER DIAGRAM Protective Cover Control Panel Optical Path Checking Panel Water Cooler Emergency Stop Button Vent Fan Toggle Gantry System Guide Rail Belt Laser Head Hex Cutting Bed...

  • Page 15: Connecting Air Filtration

    3.0 INITIAL SETUP 3.6 CONNECTING AIR FILTRATION TO THE LASER 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 instructions included with your Mako Laser Cutter Air Filtration System to install it on your laser machine.

  • Page 16: Calibration

    3. Flip the main power switch on the right side of the machine to the on position. Your machine should start up and “home” itself, moving to the corner. 4.2 CALIBRATING THE MAKO LASER CUTTER The motion system consists of the motors and linear rails that allow for the laser head to travel during operation.

  • Page 17: Calibrating The Light Path

    Focusing Lens The Mako Laser cutter works by emitting a beam of light from the laser tube, which is then reflected and by the first, second, and third mirrors. After reflecting off of the three mirrors the light beam passes through the focus lens and reaches the work table.
  • Page 18 4.3 CALIBRATING THE LIGHT PATH STEP ONE: Mirror 1 Adjustments Open the machine lid and move the gantry system to the back of the machine. Use a flat-head screwdriver to open the side panel of the machine and access the laser mirrors. To align the reflection of Mirror 1, place a small piece of masking tape over the oval opening on Mirror 2.
  • Page 19 4.3 CALIBRATING THE LIGHT PATH STEP TWO: Mirror 2 Adjustments To align the reflection of Mirror 2, repeat the previous steps but place the masking tape on Mirror 3. Adjust the knobs on Mirror 2 as necessary in order to align the laser beam at both the left and right edges of the machine.
  • Page 20 4.0 CALIBRATION STEP THREE: Mirror 3 Adjustments, cleanup 1. To align the reflection of Mirror 3 you will again use the masking tape, but placed on the bottom of the laser head. 2. Bring the laser head to the front of the machine using the control panel. 3.
  • Page 21 4.4 INSTALLING LIGHTBURN SOFTWARE 4.4 Installing LightBurn Software LightBurn is a powerful layout, editing, and control software for your laser cutter. With LightBurn you can: • Import artwork in a variety of formats • Arrange, edit, or create new vector shapes •...
  • Page 22 4.4 INSTALLING LIGHTBURN SOFTWARE 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 License’ button. 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 4.4 INSTALLING LIGHTBURN SOFTWARE Device Setup If you’ve never used LightBurn before, you’ll need to give it some information about your hardware to get started. 1. In the lower-right of the display is a box called “Laser” - on the bottom of it is a button labeled “Devices”. Click it. 2.
  • Page 25 4.4 INSTALLING LIGHTBURN SOFTWARE 3. Choose the Ruida Laser . 4. Choose connection method Serial/USB 5. Set your machine’s bed size for X and Y. Mako 60W - X Length = 500mm, Y Length = 300mm...
  • Page 26 (or the bottom status bar). If you are adding multiple devices, repeat the steps above for each Mako Laser Cutter. When you are done, you can set the default connection by clicking on a name in the device list and clicking the “Make Default”...
  • Page 27 4.0 OPERATION Example 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 your laser set up in LightBurn (see previous section). This project will be a simple name tag, cut out around the letters, ideally made from thin wood or acrylic, but a piece of cardboard will also work for this project.
  • 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 When using the laser, arguably the most important two settings are: • Speed (measured in millimeters/second) • Power (measured as a percentage of max power) These are the settings you most often need to modify when switching between materials. If you want to cut or engrave deeper into material, you’ll need to increase the power, decrease the speed, or both.
  • Page 33 For the text fill, you want enough power to engrave into the material you’re using, but not so much that it goes too deep or through. The Mako 60W is a powerful laser source, so for engraving we can use 200 mm/sec, 25% power, and leave everything else as default.
  • Page 34 4.0 OPERATION 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 head will move. You’ll see the text engrave first, followed by the outline cut. If you don’t see those things, check the settings again, and verify that you have the first layer (black) set to “Fill”, and the second layer (red) set to “Line”.
  • Page 35 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 36 InkSmith lasers use a lifting mechanism (or ‘Z-axis’) to move the material the correct vertical distance from the nozzle. The Mako 60W is equipped with an auto-focus sensor to automatically raise the material up to the brass pin (on the front of the laser head, see below) before lowering it to the correct distance from the lens.
  • Page 37 4.0 OPERATION Results and Next Steps When it’s done, hopefully it looks something like this: Large or Critical Jobs While the above process is quite reliable for most graphics, the serial communication between the laser and PC can be corrupted when using the quick “Start” button for highly complex designs - this can result in artifacts or double-lines in the result.
  • Page 38 Note: Even with these steps, do not process anything sentimental or irreplaceable in the laser. Some materials can react unpredictably to the laser and may melt, char, or catch fire, despite having done small tests. InkSmith is not responsible for damage to, or loss of, any material processed in the laser.
  • Page 39 5.0 File Creation While LightBurn will easily ’engrave’ a raster image file (jpg, png, bmp), it requires a vector (svg, ai, eps) file to be able to ‘cut’. LightBurn is a fairly capable design software, and it’s fully possible to design files inside LightBurn alone, and use the laser cutter without any other software or resources - however, there are a number of free online resources, like Instructables or Thingiverse, for downloading pre-made laser files, as well as a number of online generators...
  • Page 40 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 41 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 appear jagged. Part of the process is trying to recover smooth shapes from jagged lines, and this number controls how aggressive the smoothing is.
  • Page 42 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 43 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 engraving an image and need to set an upper limit of power. Note that LightBurrn overrides this when sending a file to the laser. The File button pulls up all the available files and file folders on the laser machine.

  • Page 44: Preparing Files For Print

    4.0 OPERATION 4.4 PREPARING FILES FOR PRINT Laser Cutting The first step to preparing a laser cuttting project 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 usually simple 2D line drawings that represent the outline of the parts you want to create from stock materials.
  • Page 45 4.0 OPERATION 4.4 PREPARING FILES FOR PRINT Kerf When designing parts for creation in the laser, keep in mind that the kerf (amount of material lost to the cut) is approximately the thickness of a piece of paper (0.2-0.5mm) depending on the thickness and type of material being cut.

  • Page 46: 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 red safety Emergency Stop is not engaged (if it is, rotate it clockwise and it will extend to the non-engaged position).

  • Page 47: Maintenance

    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. Please also be mindful of the amount of dust and air pollution in the operating environment as this can affect the various electronic parts of the machine.
  • Page 48 Follow the steps below to properly clean your Mako Laser Cutter’s lenses and mirrors: 1. Soak a cotton swab or lint-free lens cleaning tissue in Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) of 99% purity.

  • Page 49: Maintenance Schedule

    Move the laser head back and forth several times Guide Rails to ensure the oil is evenly distributed. 5.2 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE Below is our recommended maintenance schedule for each part to help ensure the safety, performance, and longevity of your Mako Laser Cutter. DAILY WEEKLY MONTHLY ANNUALLY...

  • Page 50: Additional Info

    6.0 ADDITIONAL INFO 6.1 TIPS FOR TROUBLESHOOTING If the machine does not turn on: • Check all power cables to ensure that the machine and all components are connected to a working outlet. Make sure the e-stop is not pressed. (Twist clockwise to disengage) If the machine loses some cutting power: •...

  • Page 51: 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 52: 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 https://www.inksmith.ca/pages/tech-support Technical Support Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm EST NOTE: For complex problems please provide photographs or video via email (tech@inksmith.ca) in order to help us better diagnose your issue.
  • Page 53 CO2 LASER QUESTIONS? tech@inksmith.ca 1-844-465-7684 (ext.4) www.inksmith.ca/ pages/tech-support...

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