Laser Rotary Attachment (Helix): Difference between revisions

Tools
Model
Room	Laser Room
Work envelope/max capacity
Link to manual
Related tools	Little Blue Laser (Epilog Helix 8000);
Trainer(s)	John Hache
Training Sessions	no training sessions include this tool
Knowledge keeper(s)	John Hache
Training document(s)
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
Safe Work Procedure
Consumables
Software	this machine has no software listed
Equipment type	tool

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Latest revision as of 12:20, 2024 July 23

Laser Room Precautions apply

You will be working in the Laser Room . In order to keep safe from hazards created by you or other workers using any of the tools in this room, the following precautions apply in addition to any other precautions:

Safety

Hazards: fumes, fire, noise, lacerations.
Wear hearing protection when the exhaust fan is on, as it's loud enough to cause hearing damage.
Check the debris tray before and after. Debris buildup can cause a fire as the laser cuts through the workpiece and enters the debris tray.
Do not cut unknown or unapproved materials. If the material is not on the approved list, ask for permission on Slack.
Heat can build up when doing multiple passes on wood, causing the material to ignite. If you're cutting thick wood and it doesn't go through in three passes, stop.
Do not cut multiple layers of fabric, paper, cardboard, etc at one time. The increased air between the layers can increase the risk of fire.
Note when cutting lightweight materials like fabric or paper: any cutouts produced can be blown around by the air support and exhaust; if they pass between the lens and the material they can cause a fire or blow out the lens.
Always use a vector grid when cutting all the way through.
Don't wear loose hair, clothing, jewellery, etc. as they can become entangled in the belts.

Running lasers unattended

Due to risk of fire, do not leave the lasers running unattended. You must be close to the lasers and able to respond quickly in case of emergency. In particular, pay close attention to the laser when it is running in vector mode as the fire risk is greatly increased compared to vector mode.

Interlocked enclosures and laser classification

Never circumvent the interlocked enclosures on our laser cutters
Our laser cutters all contain lasers that would be considered Class 4 and subject to significant training and restrictions.
The laser cutters implement an interlocked safety enclosure that shuts off the laser if the enclosure is opened. This reclassifies the machines to a Class 1 laser for the purpose of the actual cutting laser that is interlocked.
However, the laser cutters end up being Class 2 laser because of the red dot pointer laser that can operate even with the lid open.

Housekeeping

When using Big Blue, Little Blue, and Big Red: Clean the lens before the start of your session. Monitor the lens throughout - cutting messy materials like rubber may require recleaning. Note that Big Red has one extra mirror that needs to be cleaned in addition to the one in the head.
When using Giant Blue, check the lens frequently for debris buildup and clean as required.
Always use a lens tissue when cleaning the lens - bare Q-tips are mildly abrasive and wear away at the coatings on the lens
Break down waste before bagging (pieces should be smaller than 6" x 6"). Blunt any sharp edges so they don't break the bag.

for all	that is a bigger garbage issue... see Todo

The Blue Laser Room vacuum is located by Big Red for your use.

edit these instructions at Instructions:Laser Rotary Attachment (Helix)

ALWAYS turn off the laser before installing or removing the accessory, otherwise you will fry the laser's motherboard and make many people very unhappy
Rotate your artwork 90 degrees - the rotary accessory replaces linear Y axis (vertical) movement with rotation
Keep your artwork near the top of the page, otherwise the accessory will rotate before starting
The rotary accessory for the Helix has a set of small wheels that you can use for objects with large bases
Watch out for handles and other things that can interfere with rotation
If you're trying to engrave circles on tapered glasses, they will likely come out skewed. You can either try to adjust your image to counteract the skew, or you can make a custom holder for your glass such that both ends are the same diameter.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Tool
 |room=Laser Room
+|related tools=Little Blue Laser (Epilog Helix 8000)
 |trainers=John Hache
 |knowledge keepers=John Hache
 }}