Laser Cutter

Rabbit RL-80-1290 Laser engraving/cutting machine
Rabbit Laser Cutter
Technical Specifications
Bed Size	1200 x 900 mm (47.2 x 35.4 inches)
LASER Power	80W
LASER Type	Sealed CO2 laser tube
Max Bed Height	~10 inches
Max Cut Speed	36,000 mm/min
Max Engrave Speed	60,000 mm/min
Max Engrave Resolution	1000 DPI
Additional Information
User Manual	[[Media:|]]
Website	Rabbit RL-80-1290 Product Page

About

The Laser cutter allows users to take designs created on a computer and cut and/or engrave using many diferent materials. Laser cutting is a great way to rapidly prototype projects. Interfacing with the laser cutter is performed with LaserCut v5.3.

The laser cutter does require regular cleaning and alignment. This is to be performed by trained volunteers only.

For tips and information about creating designs for the laser cutter, visit Designing for the laser cutter

Machine access policy

Use of the Laser Cutter requires attendance of a special workshop hosted by one of the approved instructors. Workshops are posted on the calendar.

Usage

Safety

Laser cutters pose a fire hazard. A high intensity beam of laser light can produce extremely high temperatures as it comes into contact with the materials it is engraving, marking, or cutting. When using the laser cutter, remember:

1. You may only use the laser cutter if you have been officially certified according to the machine access policy
2. Never leave the laser cutter unattended while it was powered on (even if it is not firing)
3. Never cut materials that you don't know are safe
4. Never override laser cutter safeties and switches
5. Know what to do if a fire happens
   1. Hint: Hit the big, red, emergency stop button. This will shutdown the laser and the air supply.
   2. A Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) fire extinguisher is located next to the laser cutter

Before starting the laser cutter:

1. Check the coolant window in the back of the chiller before starting any project.
2. Check that the screen in the collection bin is clean and the bin is empty.

After starting the laser cutter:

1. Before cutting make sure the air compressor and the fan motor are on
2. Home the head!

• If you do not do this, you may crash the head, which is not good.

1. Refer to the cutting manual for appropriate engraving and speed and power settings for varied materials
2. Beware of flammable materials while using the machines.

Workflow

1. Create design or import
   If importing, unite lines (under Tools menu)
2. Separate layers if necessary (by changing their colors)
3. Set layer modes
4. Set layer speeds/powers
5. Set origin (under Laser menu)
6. Download
   1. Delete all
   2. Download current
7. Load media into cutter
8. Focus laser (in center of media)
9. Move laser to origin
10. Run box / test
11. Close lid and start
12. (when done) Home the head
13. Remove media and clear debris
14. Power off

Common Issues

• Edges of cut pieces are slanted, rather than straight.

The Laser is out of alignment and needs to be adjusted. Notify the Fab Lab BD.

• The head crashes when approaching the left or bottom of the bed.

The head must be homed before starting to cut. If it isn't homed there is a risk of crashing the head, which is a bad thing.

• Bed only travels downwards.

The focus probe is stuck in the triggered position. Wiggle it loose and make sure nothing jammed.

• Focus probe is broken.

There are spares in the kit in the cabinet on the left-hand side of the laser. When putting a thicker material in the cutter remember to lower the bed before moving the head.

• Fumes are not venting well.

Make sure that the screen in the collection bin under the bed is clean.

Materials

Cutting a bad material in the laser cutter can be dangerous. Only approved materials should be cut, and banned materials should never be placed in or even around the laser cutter. Cutting an unknown material risks bodily harm and damage to equipment/facilities.

For speed and power settings with different materials, please look at and contribute to this shared spreadsheet.

Approved materials

Name	Notes	Warnings
Acrylic (aka Plexiglas, Lucite, PMMA)	Cuts well, leaves a smooth polished edge. Higher powers can leave smoke/scorch marks along edges. Some people remove paper/plastic protection sheets before cutting.
Cardboard	Cuts well, can catch fire	FIRE hazard!
Ceramic	Engraving only	Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam
Cloth (cotton, felt, hemp)	Cuts easily	NO plastic coated or impregnated cloth!
Corian
Cork	Cuts nicely, the quality of the cut depends on the thickness and quality of the cork. Engineered cork has a lot of glue in it, may not cut nicely.
Coroplast (corrugated plastic)	Difficult to cut through cleanly, due to the ribs. Multiple passes are usually needed.
Delrin	Comes in a number of shore strengths (hardness), the harder tends to work better. Great for gears!
Glass	Has a sandblasted look, green glass works best	Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam
Leather, suede	Leather is very hard to cut, can be if thinner than a belt thickness
MDF, engineered woods	May experience a higher amount of charring when cut
Magnetic sheet	Cuts easily
Stone/Granite/Marble/etc.	Engraving only	Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam
Matte Board
Melamine
Mylar	Works well if it's thin. Thick mylar has a tendency to warp, bubble, and curl	Gold coated mylar will not work
Paper, card stock
Plywood, composite woods	Contain glue, and may not cut as well as solid wood
Pressboard
NON-CHLORINE Rubber	DO NOT CUT unless the rubber compound has been tested	Beware chlorine-containing rubber! If you're not sure, assume you've got chlorinated rubber, and don't cut it.
Tile		Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam
Wood	Avoid oily/resinous woods	FIRE - Cutting oily woods, or very resinous woods can catch fire.
Wood Veneer	Contain glue, and may not cut as well as solid wood
Anodized Aluminum	Engraving only. Vaporizes the anodized layer away
Bare Metals
Brass
Coated Metals
Painted Metals	Engraving only. Vaporizes the paint away
Stainless Steel
Titanium

Banned materials

These materials should never be processed in the laser cutter.

Name	DANGER	WARNING
ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)	Emits cyanide gas and tends to melt	ABS does not cut well in a laser cutter. It tends to melt rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching on fire and leaving behind melted gooey deposits on the vector cutting grid. It also does not engrave well (again, tends to melt).
Chlorinated plastics (PVC/Poly Vinyl Chloride, vinyl/pleather/artificial leather)	Emits pure chlorine gas when cut!	Don't ever cut this material as it will ruin the optics, cause the metal of the machine to corrode, and ruin the motion control system. Bubbles yellow, smokes alot, STINKS!!!!!
Coated Carbon Fiber	Emits noxious fumes	A mix of two materials. Thin carbon fiber mat can be cut, with some fraying - but not when coated
Fiberglass	Emits fumes	It's a mix of two materials that cant' be cut. Glass (etch, no cut) and epoxy resin (fumes)
Galvanized metal	Emits dangerous fumes	Zinc fumes are poisonous. Galvanized metal should never be super heated (so don't weld on it either).
Metal		Power needed for LASER to cut metal
Milk bottles/HDPE	Catches fire and melts	It melts, gets gooey. DON'T. Someone has to clean the hex worktable.
Mirrored surfaces	Will not cut, reflects laser beam	Mirror surfaces can reflect the laser beam, damaging the cutter's interior components. Some mirrored materials can be placed reflective-side down and cut.
Polycarbonate/Lexan	Cut very poorly, disbackground-color, catch fire	Polycarbonate is often found as flat, sheet material. The window of the laser cutter is made of Polycarbonate because polycarbonate strongly absorbs infrared radiation! This is the frequency of light the laser cutter uses to cut materials, so it is very ineffective at cutting polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a poor choice for laser cutting.
PolyPropylene Foam	Catches fire	Like PolyStyrene, it melts, catches fire, and the melted drops continue to burn and turn into rock-hard drips and pebbles.
PolyStyrene Foam	Catches fire	Like PolyPropylene. It catches fire, it melts, and only thin pieces cut. This is the #1 material that causes laser fires!!!
Pressure treated wood	Emits dangerous fumes	Should never be burned -- not in your fireplace, and definitely not in our LASER
Printed circuit board (FR4 and other material types)

Other resources

• Identifying Unknown Plastics by Make Magazine
• Beilstein test
• Polymer Identification (video) by Burnination
• Polymer Identification (PDF) by David A. Katz
• Density Column Using Recyclable Plastics

Laser Cutter Authorized Users

To see authorized users expand this section --->

Name	Authorization Date
Amy Dorsch	2016-04-30
Aaron Rivers	2016-02-27
Anna Lenhart-Murray	2015-12-16
Audrey Barba	2015-12-14
Bob Jackson	2016-02-27
Bonnie Thurman	2016-03-28
Brad Cooley	2015-11-16
Brian Hertz	2015-12-18
Brock Milford	2015-12-16
Bryan Barr (instructor)	2015-08-07
Cat Barba-Abay	2015-12-16
Charles Griesel	2015-12-02
Charlie Fair	2015-11-11
Chris Batcheller	2015-12-14
Chris Lofland	2016-02-27
Chris Strait	2016-05-18
Christy Bennett	2016-04-30
Christian Kindel	2015-12-12
Cindy Conrad	2016-03-28
Cory Kertz	2015-11-11
Coty Sandfort	2016-04-30
Curt Gridley	2015-12-12
Dana Danaver	2015-12-05
Daniel Towle	2015-12-20
David Springs	2015-09-19
Dean Day	2015-12-12
Dominic Canare (instructor)	2015-12-02
Douglas Stice	2016-04-30
Doug Wilson	2016-03-28
Dustin Richey	2016-01-16
Ed Hutson	2016-05-18
Eric Sommer	2016-04-30
Ernest Sharp	2016-03-28
Gayle Thomas	2016-05-18
Geoffrey Kisch	2015-12-05
H. Robert Shultz	2016-04-30
Helen Haskin	2015-12-16
Henry Gridley	2016-05-18
Ivan Quiroz	2015-11-16
James Seymour	2015-12-12
James Classen	2015-11-11
James Dorsch	2016-04-30
James Lancaster	2015-12-05
James Tennant	2016-05-18
Jeremiah Loder	2015-12-14
Jerry Carpenter	2015-08-07
Jerry Shubert	2015-11-11
Jesse Lee	2016-01-16
Jim Hammer	2015-12-12
Joe Groom	2016-04-30
Joe Lobdell	2016-02-27
Joel Ewy	2015-12-05
John Alexander (instructor)	2015-12-02
John Harrison	2015-10-30
Jonny Fosnight	2015-11-16
Joseph Woolridge	2016-03-28
Judah Hansen	2015-12-20
Julie Chen	2016-05-18
Karyn Bell-Simon	2016-01-16
Keith Rowley	2016-02-27
Kenton Hansen	2015-12-20
Kevin Elledge	2015-12-14
Kim Lujan	2015-12-18
Kip Landwehr	2015-12-18
Kyle McCormick	2016-05-18
Larry Frank	2016-03-28
Logan Pajunen	2015-11-11
Marc Lujan	2016-02-27
Marcus Mosley	2015-12-20
Mark Esau	2015-12-20
Mark Reuter	2016-05-18
Marty Boyzuck	2016-02-27
Matthew Pewewardy	2016-03-28
Melanie Jenney	2015-12-14
Melissa Soutiere	2015-12-14
Michael Grudowski	2016-05-18
Mike Barushok	2015-12-18
Mike Doolittle (instructor)	2015-08-07
Mike Hutton	2015-11-11
Mike McKown	2016-04-30
Mitzi Trout	2015-12-18
Nathan Huff	2016-02-27
Paul Poirier	2016-03-28
Paul Wilson	2015-12-20
Rick Boyd	2015-12-20
Sam Jossie	2016-02-27
Samuel McConnell	2015-12-02
Samuel Schurter	2015-12-05
Shawn Achenbach	2016-02-27
Skyler Lovelace	2015-12-02
Stephan Reckers	2015-11-16
Steve Owens	2016-04-30
Steve Saner	2016-01-16
Stuart Smith	2015-12-14
Tammy Arnott	2016-02-27
Terry Weatherson	2016-01-16
Thomas Bloom	2015-12-12
Tom McGuire	2015-08-07
Tyler Ball	2016-01-16
Weston Vice	2015-12-05
William Davisson	2015-12-18