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bsubbaraman edited this page Jan 2, 2022 · 1 revision

Trotec Speedy 400 Standard Operating Procedure

Last updated on 2 January 2022

This is the Standard Operating Procedure for the Machine Agency Laser Cutter (Trotec Speedy 400). For questions about this machine, contact the machine manager.

  • Author: Blair Subbaraman
  • PI: Nadya Peek
  • Shop Safety Coordinator: Kellie Dunn
#1 Process (if applicable) This machine uses a laser to cut/mark/engrave acceptable materials
#2 Equipment Laser cutter
#3 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) None
#4 Environmental/Ventilation controls Purex Extraction must be ON for duration of use
#5 Required training or approval Contact machine manager for training. Relevant software is not available for use until training is completed.
#6 Inspection requirements before use N/A
#7 Safe operating procedures or precautions See instructions detailed below
#8 Chemicals/ spill procedures/waste disposal N/A

General Information

Machine Manager: Blair Subbaraman, [email protected]

Description: The Trotec Speedy 400 is a laser cutter for quickly cutting & marking acceptable materials. Machine Agency has one laser cutter in Sieg 112A.

Who can use the machine: People who have been trained by the machine manager and are documented in the machine training spreadsheet.

How to get access: Contact Blair via email or discord

How to get your access revoked: Repeatedly breaking the rules.

Rules

  1. Only operate the laser cutter when someone else is also in the lab! Alert them that you will be operating the machine so they can help in the case of an emergency. Do not operate the laser cutter alone; doing so will get your access revoked.
  2. Do not leave the laser box (marked by orange tape on floor) while operating.
  3. Do not lean on the laser, put things on top of it, or use it as a countertop.
  4. Keep Purex Extractor on max while operating the machine. Do not turn the Purex extractor on & off repeatedly.

Important Information and Safety

  1. Lasers can start fires! Only operate the machine with someone else present and make sure they know you are operating the machine.
  2. There is a red emergency stop button next to the on/off key.
  3. Opening the lid of the machine also servers as an emergency stop.

Materials

If you have questions about acceptable materials, contact the machine manager. They can add additional materials to this list if needed.

Acceptable Materials

  • Paper
  • Plywood (< 3/8")
  • Delrin
  • Cardboard
  • Acrylic

Maximimum material thickness is ~0.5".

Unacceptable Materials

  • Plywood > 3/8"
  • Anything that releases hazardous chemicals when burned (e.g. PVC, polycarbonate, vinyl)

Step-by-step Instructions

There are multiple ways to generate cut files for the laser (e.g. a vector graphics editor like Illustrator or Inkscape, a CAD software like Rhino...). The following instructions us Illustrator as an example.

Before Using the Machine

Before starting, alert another person in the lab that you will be operating the laser cutter. If no one else is in the lab, coordinate another day/time to operate the machine.

While Using the Machine

  1. Turn the extraction system on using the center button shown below. Keep on max, and do not repeatedly turn on & off.

  1. Switch the laser on using the key on the front panel. It will automatically go through a homing sequence - the bed will end up at the bottom of the laser.

  1. Place your material on the bed, and if necessary move the laser head using the X-Y arrows so that the laser shines on the material. Press the up & down Z arrows at the same time to autofocus. The bed should start moving after doing this.

  1. Turn the fan on using the fan button on the control panel.

  1. To demonstrate file preparation we’ll step through an example in Adobe Illustrator. Open Illustrator; you’ll have to login with your personal information because it wants your data.

  2. Open a new file. It is convenient to change the units to e.g. mm instead of points.

  3. Use the rectangle tool to draw a 50mm x 50mm square.

  4. Change the rectangle’s stroke color to be pure black.

  5. For the stroke width, enter ‘0.001mm’. Illustrator will convert this to a pt value.

  6. Print the file. In the ensuing dialog, choose Trotec Engraver v11.4.0 as the printer, then select Setup… in the bottom left corner.

  1. In the setup pop-up, select preferences.

  1. You’ll see the following pop-up. Select the circled button if you’d like to change material settings, or select an existing profile.

  1. 'X’ out of this screen and select ‘print’ on all open dialog boxes. You’ll be asked to give your job a name. (Note: you need not go through this preferences process next time if your settings are set, you can immediately select ‘print’ from the screen in step 10).

  2. JobControl will automatically open after pressing print. If this is your first time using JobControl from your account, you’ll need to enter a product key. The machine manager will give this to you during training.

  3. Once JobControl is open, drag and drop your named job from the right hand-side. It will appear as a box on the screen.

  1. You can now ‘connect’ to the laser using the USB button in the bottom right, and then begin the cut!

  1. Don’t leave the lasering area, marked by the tape on the ground! In case of an emergency or if you wish to stop the job, press the big red button on the laser control panel. In case of fire, the fire extinguisher lives next to the laser cutter.

When you have finished using the machine

  • Clean up all of your materials from the work area.
  • Power down the machine:
    • Turn the key to the off position
    • Power down the extraction system using the same button used to power on.
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