Boss Laser Cutter Setup

BOSS LASER:

Quick Checklist:

  1. Turn key to turn machine on.
  2. Use yellow remote to turn on ventilation.
  3. Turn on water chiller.
  4. Set material into Boss laser.
  5. Focus laser.
  6. Upload SVG/AI file into RD Works software.
  7. Choose Settings (Scan/Cut/Dot and Speed/Power).
  8. Download file to machine.
  9. Select file on control panel.
  10. Frame design on material.
  11. Hit Start.
  12. Make sure to wear orange safety glasses when viewing progress of the cut.

Important Things to remember:

  1. Tape down lightweight materials to avoid lifting or being blown away by the air assist
  2. Uneven surfaces should be focused to the average height of the material
    1. Severely warped pieces may need to be jigged to flatten out workpiece from damaging the laser head or combusting the material
  3. Certain materials are unsafe to use in a laser cutter. Foreign or exotic materials should be assessed by the attendant, there is a list of materials that we will not cut in the lab.
    1. If the material is questionable and not on the list look up the materials MSDS.
    2. Look for sulfur, chlorine, zinc, vinyl under the ingredients; these materials release toxic gases unsafe for you and the electronics in the machine

Step by step process in detail:

Initial Startup:

Step 1:

Turn ON computer.

Step 2:

Turn Boss laser ON using the key switch.

Image for step 2

Step 3:

Turn ON water chiller located under the computer.

Step 4:

Turn ON exhaust using yellow remote.

Image for step 4

File Setup:

Step 5:

Open RDWorksv8.

Step 6:

Go to File -> Import -> navigate and select file

  1. Either an SVG, AI, DXF or Bitmap files are supported.

Step 7:

Double click layer color field in the top right panel.

Image for step 7

Step 8:

Select Processing Mode under drop down menu

  1. Scan is used for etching/engraving/rasterizing the internal shape.
  2. Cut is used for cutting/vector/profiling the outline of a shape.
  3. Dot is used to perforate the outline of the shape.

Step 9:

Set Speed in mm/s field.

Step 10:

Set Min% and Max% power in the field.

Step 11:

Press OK to confirm your settings.

  1. This should be done for every color field you have set.

Step 12:

Select all objects to be processed.

Step 13:

Press Download button in bottom right panel -> Name file -> Hit OK.

Advance File Setup:

Multiple laser settings can be used by:

  1. Selecting outlines and pressing the color fields along the bottom panel.
    1. A new setting field will appear in the right panel.
    2. All objects with that color will process with the color setting.

Image for Advance File Setup

 

Machine Setup:

Auto focusing laser:

  1. After loading material onto cutting bed
    1. Use arrow keys to position laser head over material.
    2. Press Z/U and use down arrow to scroll down to Autofocus.
    3. Hit Enter to start the Auto focusing process.

Manual Focus:

  1. With laser head over the material press Z/U key.
  2. Place plastic height key on focusing tube bracket.
  3. With Move Z, highlighted use left and right arrow keys to move material to touch bottom of height key.

Image for Manual Focus

                                                                                                                                                                                                             Machine Setup 2:

  1. Load File.
  2. Press File and select file name and press Enter
  • A preview of your process will appear in the right panel
  1. Using arrow keys, jog laser head to the top right corner of your design start point
  • In RDWorksv8 this is indicated by the green square when you have your design selected
  • This is where the laser will start your design
  1. Press Origin on the control panel to set the start point
  2. Press Frame on the control panel to indicate the area your design will be cut
  • Use this as a reference point to determine design positioning on your material
  1. Press Start/Pause on control Panel to begin the process

 

 

 

 

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