This is a practical quick start guide to using the RayJet 300 Laser Cutter and can also be used as an instructional template for onboarding.
If in doubt read the manual(s):
Safety First (Key Points)
- NEVER leave the laser cutter unattended and monitor it's operation regularly
- In case of serious fire:
- stop the cut immediately (via front panel/Rayjet Manager NOT by opening lid)
- put out the fire using the extinguisher (located to the left of the laser cutter)
- if the fire gets out of hand, evacuate and call emergency services (112)
- notify staff so the incident can be logged
- In case of injury, the first aid kit is located in the kitchen area of the large ‘dirt’ lab (red box mounted low on the wall)
- Always check that the material is appropriate for cutting. Ask yourself:
- Will it emit toxic fumes?
- Will it melt or catch fire?
- Is it cuttable at all? (if not you could damage the lens)
- If you are at all unsure, check this list
- Before cutting, always ensure that:
- air-assist is enabled on the laser cutter (fan button or in RayJet Manager)
- the room ventilation system is on and set to high (see below for full details)
- Avoid staring directly at the laser (tempting as it is to watch the cut)
- Beware of popping/explosions when cutting plastics at high powers
1. Prepare Your Image
TIP: Prepare your images as much as possible in your graphics application/RayJet manager before turning on the laser cutter. There is always more work to do here than you think, plus the laser cutter is noisy and may disturb others.
Things to check:
- is my file in a vector graphics format? (.svg, .dxf)
- is my file at the right scale? (there is a ruler around the bed of the laser cutter)
- are my colours set correctly? (i.e. fully red for cutting, fully black for engraving)
- are my line-thicknesses set quite thinly (as the laser cutter will basically ignore any thickness)?
2. Turn On and Calibrate the Laser Cutter