InFocus M-300 User Manual

M-300 Laser Platform

Installation and Operations Manual

Ihr ULS Vertragshändler :

MarkIDent GmbH
Winterspürerstr. 19
78333 Stockach
www.markident.de

Universal Laser Systems, Inc.

16008 North 81st Street

Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

May 2000

Notice

This publication and its contents are proprietary to Universal Laser Systems, Inc. (ULS), and are intended
solely for the contractual use of ULS, Inc. customers.

While reasonable efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of this manual, ULS shall not be liable
for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damage in connection with the furnishing,
performance, or use of this material.

ULS reserves the right to revise this manual and make changes from time to time without obligation by
ULS to notify any person of such revision or changes.

ULS does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any products, circuits, or
software described herein. Neither does it convey a license under its patent rights nor the patent rights of
others.

This publication and its contents may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted, or distributed in any form,
or by any means, radio, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, facsimile, or otherwise, or for
any other purpose, without the prior written permission of ULS .

ULS provides no warranties whatsoever on any software used in connection with any ULS Laser
Platform, express or implied. Neither does it guarantee software compatibility with any off-the-shelf
software package or any software program that has not been written by ULS.

Intended use of this system must be followed within the guidelines of this manual. In no event will ULS
be liable for any damages caused, in whole or in part, by customer, or for any economic loss, physical
injury, lost revenue, lost profits, lost savings or other indirect, incidental, special or consequential
damages incurred by any person, even if ULS has been advised of the possibility of such damages or
claims.

HP is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Corporation.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Corporation.
PostScript, Photoshop, and Streamline are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc.
CorelDraw is a registered trademark of Corel Corpor ation.
AutoCad is a registered trademark of Autodesk Inc.

© Universal Laser Systems Inc., 2000

All Rights Reserved

Ihr ULS Vertragshändler :

MarkIDent GmbH
Winterspürerstr. 19
78333 Stockach
www.markident.de

Introduction

We would like to thank you for purchasing the M-300 Laser Platform. Years of testing and refinements
have made this unit the ultimate laser engraving and cutting system. With it’s small footprint design and
industry standard 24” x 12” work area, the M-300 Laser Platform is now equipped with our unique “Rapid

Reconfiguration Capability ”. This gives the user the ability to exchange it’s “Quick Change Laser
Cartridge  “ with a lower or higher powered unit in minutes and without the use of tools. This feature,

and many others make this unit truly the most flexible, easiest to use, and the most user serviceable
piece of equipment in it’s class.

To begin with, we highly recommend that this entire manual be read before attempting to use the M-300
Laser Platform. The manual includes important information about safety, assembly, use, and
maintenance. We cannot emphasize the importance of reading this ENTIRE manual.

How To Get Help

Step 1:

Determine exactly what the problem is. Refer to “Section 8 – Troubleshooting” for a possible solution.

Step 2:

Try to recreate the problem and write down the circumstances in which the problem occurred. Be
prepared to describe all pertinent information about the computer being used with the laser cutting and
engraving system such as software, operating system and computer type. Have the serial number of the
laser system available. The serial number tag is located on the back of the machine in the lower right
corner. There is a second serial tag located behind the front door on the right side when you open it.

Step 3:
Contact your local Sales Representative first to assist you in diagnosing the problem. If possible, call from
a phone that is close to the laser engraving system so that the system can be operated while talking to
our representative.

Step 4:
If your local Sales Representative is unavailable, contact our Customer Service Department at:

Universal Laser Systems, Inc.

Technical Support/Parts Department

16008 North 81st Street

Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

M-F 7am – 5pm Arizona Time

Ihr ULS Vertragshändler :

MarkIDent GmbH
Winterspürerstr. 19
78333 Stockach
www.markident.de

Table of Contents

SECTION 1 - Safety

Description of Appropriate Use.................................................................................1-1

General Safety ........................................................................................................1-1

Laser Safety ............................................................................................................1-2

Safety Labels ..........................................................................................................1-3

FCC Compliance .....................................................................................................1-6

EU Compliance (CE) ...............................................................................................1-7

SECTION 2 - Installation

Operating Environment ............................................................................................2-1

Electrical Requirements ...........................................................................................2-2

Exhaust Requirements .............................................................................................2-3

Cart Assembly.........................................................................................................2-5

Laser Cartridge Installation.......................................................................................2-7

Laser Cooling Requirements ....................................................................................2-9

Computer Requirements ..........................................................................................2-9

Software Suggestions ..............................................................................................2-9

Font Requirements ................................................................................................2-10

Making the Connections .........................................................................................2-10

Problem Prevention ...............................................................................................2-12

Computer Controlling the Laser System ..................................................................2-12

SECTION 3 - System Operation

How it Works ...........................................................................................................3-1

The Control Panel ....................................................................................................3-3

The Menu System....................................................................................................3-7

Menu Descriptions ...................................................................................................3-9

Focusing the Laser Beam .......................................................................................3-21

SECTION 4 - Running the System Step by Step

Powering Up ............................................................................................................4-1

Loading and Positioning the Material .........................................................................4-1

Focusing .................................................................................................................4-2

Creating the Graphic................................................................................................4-3

Setting the Drivers Properties ...................................................................................4-3

Downloading the File ...............................................................................................4-3

Starting the Engraving Process.................................................................................4-4

Material Removing and Reloading ............................................................................4-5

SECTION 5 - Options & Accessories

3D Effects ...............................................................................................................5-1

Rotary Fixture ..........................................................................................................5-5

Cutting Table ...........................................................................................................5-6

Air Assist System.....................................................................................................5-7

Air Assist Compressor ..............................................................................................5-7

Focus Lens Kits .......................................................................................................5-8

SECTION 6 - Sample Materials

Safety .....................................................................................................................6-1

Materials .................................................................................................................6-1

Acrylic - Cast and Extruded......................................................................................6-4

Acrylic - Mirrored .....................................................................................................6-6

Anodized Aluminum.................................................................................................6-8

Brass - Painted........................................................................................................6-9

Corian / Avonite / Fountainhead..............................................................................6-10

Cork......................................................................................................................6-11

Delrin (Seal Press).................................................................................................6-12

Glass / Crystal .......................................................................................................6-13

Leather .................................................................................................................6-14

Marble ..................................................................................................................6-15

Mat Board.............................................................................................................6-16

Melamine..............................................................................................................6-17

Melamine - Photo / Clipart Engraving ......................................................................6-18

Plastic - Engravers Microsurfaced...........................................................................6-19

Rubber Stamps .....................................................................................................6-20

Sign Vinyl ..............................................................................................................6-21

Wood / Wood Inlay ................................................................................................6-22

SECTION 7 - Maintenance

Suggested Cleaning and Maintenance Supplies ........................................................7-1

System Cleaning .....................................................................................................7-3

Optics Cleaning .......................................................................................................7-3

AUTOFOCUS Sensor and Reflector .........................................................................7-6

Adjustments and Lubrication .....................................................................................7-7

Electronic Upgrading................................................................................................7-7

Fuse Replacement...................................................................................................7-7

Battery Replacement ...............................................................................................7-7

Cooling Fan Filter(s) ................................................................................................7-8

Maintenance Schedule.............................................................................................7-8

SECTION 8 - Troubleshooting

Engraving Quality ....................................................................................................8-1

Operational .............................................................................................................8-4

Appendices

Warranty................................................................................................................... A

Specifications ............................................................................................................ B

Using DOS Based Programs ...................................................................................... C

Using Macintosh Computers....................................................................................... D

Serial Cable Requirements ......................................................................................... E

How To Get Help ........................................................................................................F

SECTION 1

Safety

This section describes hazards that may occur if the laser system is installed or used
improperly. Failure to follow these guidelines can result in injury to yourself, others, or may
cause severe damage to the equipment. Use, misuse, or abuse of the equipment in a manner
other than what is described in this manual may increase this risk. Operation and care of the
laser system must be followed in strict accordance to this manual.

Description of Appropriate Use

This device is designed for laser cutting and engraving of the materials listed in this manual, in
laboratory, workshop or light duty manufacturing environments. This equipment must be properly
installed and connected to an appropriate exhaust system meeting the specifications outlined in
this manual. Materials to be processed must fit completely inside the system for proper
operation.

General Safety

• Exposure to the laser beam may cause physical burns and can cause severe eye
damage. Proper use and care of this system are essential to safe operation.

• Never operate the laser system without constant supervision of the cutting and
engraving process. Exposure to the laser beam may cause ignition of combustible

materials and start a fire. A properly maintained fire extinguisher should be kept on hand at
all times.

• A properly configured, installed, maintained, and operating fume/smoke exhaust
system is mandatory when operating the laser system. Fumes and smoke from the

engraving process must be extracted from the laser syst em and exhausted outside.

• Some materials, when engraved or cut with a laser, can produce toxic and caustic
fumes. We suggest that you obtain the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from the

materials manufacturer. The MSDS discloses all of the hazards when handling or
processing that material. The law requires all manufacturers to provide this information to
anyone who requests it. DISCONTINUE processing any material that shows signs of
chemical deterioration of the laser system. Systems damaged from this abuse will NOT be
covered under warranty.

• Dangerous voltages are present within the electronics and laser enclosures of this
system. Although access to these areas is not necessary during normal use, if it becomes

necessary to open one of these enclos ures for service reasons please remember to unplug
the machine first.

1-2 Safety

• Care should be taken when moving or lifting this device. Obtain assistance from 1 or 2
additional people when lifting or carrying. Severe bodily injury may occur if improper lifting
techniques are applied. Be careful not to drop the unit. Not only can it cause bodily harm,
but it can also severely damage the equipment and render it inoperable.

• This device is specifically designed to comply with CDRH performance requirements
under 21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11. CDRH is the Center for the Devices of Radiological

Health division of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It also complies with CE
(European Community) safety regulations. No guarantees of suitability or safety are provided
for any use other than those specified by Universal Laser Systems Inc. Please contact
Universal Laser Systems Inc. with any questions concerning laser safety before operating
this system.

Laser Safety

The laser system contains a sealed carbon dioxide (CO2) laser that
produces intense and invisible laser radiation at a wavelength of 10.6
microns in the infrared spectrum. This laser system contains a C02 laser

in a Class I enclosure. However, due to the presence of a visible red laser
diode, the entire laser system is classified as Class 3a.

• The entire system is completely enclosed with a protective housing. This will completely
contain the invisible C02 laser beam under normal use. However, the red diode laser is a
visible laser beam. DO NOT STARE INTO BEAM OR VIEW DIRECTLY WITH OPTICAL

INSTRUMENTS.

• The user door(s) are safety interlocked and will disable the CO2 laser beam from firing when
the user door(s) are opened. The control panel will also display a flashing “RED” light to
visually indicate that the safety interlock system has been activated. The red diode laser
beam is NOT safety interlocked and can be activated with the door(s) either open or closed.

Safety 1-3

CDE

Do not modify or disable any safety feature of this system. Do not
operate any system that has had its safety features modified,
disabled, or removed. Improper use of controls and adjustments, or

performance of procedures other than those specified in this manual, may
invalidate the safety of this system.

Do not stare into the beam or view directly with any optical
instrument. This laser system is equipped with a visible, red diode

pointing laser and is considered a Class 3A device by CDRH and CE.

Safety Labels

CDRH and CE regulations require all laser manufacturers to affix warning labels in specific
locations throughout the equipment. The following warning labels are placed on the laser
system for your safety. DO NOT remove them for any reason. If the labels become damaged
or have been removed for any reason, DO NOT OPERATE the laser system and immediately
contact Universal Laser Systems Inc. for a free replacement.

A

B

Location of Safety Labels

1-4 Safety

G

H

CAUTION LASER RADIATION

DIRECTLY WITH OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS

F

Rear View (cover closed)

(A) (B)

DO NOT STARE INTO BEAM OR VIEW

CLASS 3A LASER PRODUCT

LASER DIODE

WAVELENGTH: 630-680 nm

(C) Or (D)

CDRH – United States CE - European

MAX. OUTPUT: 5 mW

(D) (E)

(F) (G)

Safety 1-5

I

SERIAL #: 02500A

CAUTION LASER RADIATION

AVOID EYE OR SKIN EXPOSURE

TO DIRECT OR SCATTERED RADIATION

LASER RADIATION - AVOID EYE

INVISIBLE AND VISIBLE LASER

AVOID EYE OR SKIN EXPOSURE TO

DIRECT OR SCATTERED RADIATION

O

Upper left corner of the engraving area next to the Beam Window

(H) (I) (J)

CLASS 4 LASER

CO2 LASER

(AND OPTIONAL LASER DIODE)

(K) (L)

UL-30

(N)

WAVELENGTH: 10.6

MAX. OUTPUT: 150 W (5 mW DIODE)

(O)

µ

(630-680 nm DIODE)

DANGER

RADIATION WHEN OPEN

(M)

DATE : MAY 2000

DANGER

OR SKIN EXPOSURE TO DIRECT

OR SCATTERED RADIATION

CO2 LASER

(AND OPTIONAL LASER DIODE)

WAVELENGTH: 10.6

MAX. OUTPUT: 150 W (5 mW DIODE)

µ

(630-680 nm DIODE)

CLASS IV LASER

N

K L M

Laser Cartridge

1-6 Safety

FCC Compliance

This ULS laser system has been tested and found to comply with Federal Communication
Commission (FCC) directives regarding Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC). In accordance
with these directives ULS is required to provide the following information to its customers.

FCC Compliance Statement and Warnings

This device Complied with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause

undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device
as set forth in Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequenc y energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely
to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference
at his or her own expense.

Users should be aware that changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved
by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

This equipment has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Computing Device
per FCC part 15, using shielded cables. Shielded cables must be used in order to insure
compliance with FCC regulations.

INC

.

EU Compliance (CE)

EU Declaration of Conformity

Safety 1-7

LASER SYSTEMS

Product Identification: M-300 Platform
Manufacturer: Universal Laser Systems, Inc.

16008 N. 81st St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
USA

Universal Laser Systems, Inc. hereby declares that the equipment specified below
is in conformity with the following directives:

89/336/EEC (EMC Directive)
73/23/EEC (Low Voltage Directive)

89/392/EEC (Machinery Directive)
based on the standards listed.
Standards Used:

Safety:

EN 60950: 1995
EN 60825: 1994 (Class IIIa)

EMC:

EN 55022: 1995 (Class A)
EN 50082-1: 1992
EN 60801-2: 1993 (6kV CD, 8kV AD)
EN 61000-3-2: 1996 (class A)
EN 61000-3-3: 1995
EN 61000-4-3: 1997 (3 V/m)
EN 61000-4-4: 1995 (2 kV power line, 0.5 kV signal line)
EN 61000-4-5: 1996 (class 2)

Manufacturer’s Contact:

Chris Risser, Compliance Engineer

2000

Signature Date

Warning - This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this

product may cause radio interference in which case the user may be
required to take adequate measures.

SECTION 2

Installation

Proper operating conditions are vital to a safe and productive environment. This section
describes the ideal environment and setup of the laser system.

Operating Environment

Follow these guidelines to ensure a proper operating environment for the laser system.
Operating the laser system outside of these guidelines can seriously damage the laser system
and damages from this type of abuse WILL NOT be covered under warranty. Although
conforming to these guidelines will greatly reduce the chance of a problem occurring, it does not
guarantee it. It is your responsibility to provide a proper operating environment.

• Ambient room temperature MUST be between 50 and 95 degrees F (10 and 35 degrees C).
If transporting the laser system from a very cold or very hot environment to the proper
operating environment, the laser system must be allowed time to adjust to the ambient
temperature. To do this, turn ON the laser system (and chiller if applicable), and let the
system idle for 15 minutes before processing materials. This will allow the ambient
temperature to circulate through the laser system to either warm it up or cool it off.

• Ambient room dewpoint temperatures MUST be less than 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).

• The laser system MUST be installed in an office type environment. Dusty or dirty air

environments can damage the laser system. Keep the laser system isolated from any type
of sandblasting, sanding, or any other machinery that produces airborne particles.

• Avoid small, enclosed, non-ventilated areas. Some materials, after laser engraving or
cutting, continue emitting fumes for several minutes after processing. Having these
materials present in a confined, unventilated room can contaminate the room.

• Choose a place, which provides the shortest and most direct path to the exhaust ductwork
(not provided). Refer to exhaust requirements later on in this section.

• Have a work table or storage area next to or nearby the laser system. This prevents the
operator from using the system as a table or storage facility.

• Do not move, push, lean on, or jar the laser system while it is engraving. The material you
are engraving can shift and produce unsatisfactory results.

2-2 Installation

Example of IT power system

• If planning to connect the laser engraving system to a computer through the parallel port,
choose a location where the computer will be placed within 6 feet of the machine since this
is the maximum recommended parallel cable length. Included with your system is a high
quality, IEEE1284 compliant, 6-foot parallel printer cable. PLEASE USE THIS CABLE

ONLY. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE IT WITH A LONGER OR LOWER QUALITY CABLE
OTHERWISE FILE TRANSMISSION ERRORS MAY OCCUR.

• If connecting an additional laser system or other printer to the same computer, we
recommend the installation of an additional parallel port into the computer. DO NOT use a
manual A/B type switch box. This creates electrical noise, which can cause an engraving
problem or can damage the laser system and/or the co mputer’s electronics.

• It is possible to connect your computer to the laser system via the computer’s USB port.
However, to do this, a special USB to Parallel Port adapter cable MUST be purchased. We
recommend only “Belkin” brand converter cables. This cable can be purchased through your
local computer store or purchased via the Internet through Belkin’s web site,

www.belkin.com. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to install the cable.

Electrical Requirements

Please refer to the “INPUT POWER” sticker near the system’s ON/OFF switch and power inlet
for your system’s electrical requirements. Make sure that your electrical outlet is capable of
providing the proper voltage, frequency and amperage that your laser system needs.

Noisy or unstable electricity as well as
voltage spikes can cause interference and
possible damage to the electronics of the
laser system. Connect the laser system to
a dedicated electrical line if this is a
problem in your building.

An IT type of electrical supply is acceptable
if a standard power source is unavailable.
An IT power system is a power distribution
system having no direct connection to
earth, the exposed conductive parts of the
electrical installation being earthed.

Never remove the ground lead to the electrical cord and plug the system
into a non-grounded outlet . This is very dangerous and can lead to a severe,

if not fatal, electrical shock. Always plug the system into a 3 prong grounded
outlet.

L1
L2
L3

N

Impedance

Power system

earth

PE

Exposed conductive parts

Installation 2-3

If electrical power fluctuations, brown outs, or constant power outages are a problem in your
area, an electrical line stabilizer, UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), or backup generator might
be required. If installing any of these devices, make sure that they meet the electrical
requirements of the laser system.

If there is any type of electrical problem present, please contact a locally licensed electrical
contractor to correct the problem. If an incorrect electrical supply, voltage spike or surges
damage the laser system, the damages WILL NOT be covered under warranty. It is your

responsibility to provide a suitable electrical supply.

Exhaust Requirements

To properly exhaust fumes and smoke from the laser engraving system during operation, it is
necessary for you to provide a proper exhaust system. This system MUST be capable of
supplying 250 CFM (cubic feet per minute) @ 6 inches of static pressure (water).

Never operate the laser engraving system without a properly installed
and operating exhaust system. Some materials when cut or engraved
can produce fumes that are hazardous in concentrated amounts.

The blower MUST be mounted on the OUTSIDE of the building either on the roof or on a
cement pad next to the building possibly mounted on vibration dampers.

Rigid tubing should be used for 90% of the distance traveled. The tubing should be smooth
walled and have as few 90 degree bends as possible. Two 45 degree bends have better airflow
than one 90-degree bend. Use tubing with a diameter that matches the blower unit (usually 6
inches/1524 mm) and use a 6 inch (1524 mm) to 4 inch (1016 mm) reducer to couple the tubing
down to 4 inches (1016 mm) to within a few feet from the laser system. Do not connect the rigid
tubing directly to the laser system. Use a short piece of industrial grade, wire reinforced rubber
tubing to connect the end of the gate, or rigid tubing, to the laser system. This will provide
mobility and will dampen blower vibrations. Use only a few feet because it’s spiral construction
reduces airflow. Install a hose clamp on both ends of the hose to prevent leaks and to prevent
the hose from slipping off. Finally, have the blower wired to a wall switch in the same room for
easy ON/OFF control.

Also consider installing a gate to control airflow and to close off the exhaust from the outside
environment when the laser is not in use. This is especially useful in colder climates where it
can be damaging to the laser syst em to have cold air coming into it from the outside.

In order to meet the laser system’s CFM requirements, a high-pressure, high static pressure
rated, exhaust blower must be installed. This type of blower has self-cleaning blades and can
maintain airflow even though restrictions are introduced. Length of exhaust pipe, exhaust pipe
diameter, number of 90-degree angles, and other restrictions must be calculated when
determining the correct exhaust blower unit. Installing an incorrect or undersized blower is not
only unsafe, but it can also lead to premature and excessive wear and tear to the laser system.

2-4 Installation

HIGH PRESSURE EXHAUST BLOWER

EXHAUST

USE SMOOTH WALL TUBING SUCH AS SHEET

METAL OR PVC THAT IS THE SAME DIAMETER

4 INCH DIAMETER FLEXIBLE RUBBER HOSE

DO NOT install forward incline, backward incline, in-line, or ventilator fans because these types
of air handlers are inadequate and inappropriate for this type of installation. If your contractor has
any questions concerning blower specifications or exhaust system requirements, please contact
our Service Department directly before installation.

The following diagram shows a typical exhaust system layout. Use this as a guideline to proper
exhaust system installation. Although these diagrams just serve as an example, we recommend
installation of the exhaust system by a licensed contractor to meet safety and local code
requirements as well as being able to calculate the correct size blower required for your
particular installation.
The following diagram shows a typical exhaust system layout. Use these as a guideline to
proper exhaust system installation. Although this diagram serves as an example, we
recommend installation of the exhaust system by a licensed contractor to meet safety and local
code requirements. Please contact a local air quality control specialist.

SHIELD BLOWER

FROM THE WEATHER

WITH PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE

ROOF

WIRE BLOWER TO
A WALL SWITCH

SHUT OFF

GATE

AS THE BLOWER INLET. SEAL ALL JOINTS
TO PREVENT FUME LEAKS. KEEP TUBING AS
STRAIGHT AS POSSIBLE. BENDS REDUCE
AIR FLOW.

REDUCE TO 4 INCHES WITH
A REDUCING COUPLER

Installation 2-5

SYSTEM BODY

SYSTEM BODY

TO LASER

SYSTEM BODY

SYSTEM BODY

Tab

Tab

Cart Assembly

Since packaging of this unit may vary from time to time, make sure that you locate the following
items from within the crate or inside of the front door of the system:

(A) Back Panel
(B) Legs (both are identical)
(C) 10-32 x 3/8 socket head screws with lock washers and flat wash ers (2)
(D) Guide pins (factory installed)
(E) Nuts (4)
(F) Locking Casters with nuts (2 - Front)
(G) Non-locking Casters with nuts (2 - Rear)
(H) 1/4 -20 x ½ socket head screws with lock washers and flat washers (8)

TO LASER

TO LASER

TO LASER

SYSTEM BODY

TO LASER

SYSTEM BODY

TO LASER

1. Attach the back panel (A) to the legs (B) with the 4 screws and lockwashers (C).

2. Thread the 4 nuts (E) all the way down onto the caster shafts until they bottom out.

3. Carefully turn the stand upside down.

4. Install the locking casters (F) in the front and the non-locking casters (G) in the rear.

5. Tighten down the casters securely to the legs.

6. Carefully turn the stand right side up.

7. Lock down the front casters so the stand will not roll.

8. Pay close attention to the guide pins (D) and the tabs on the back panel (A) when placing the
laser system on the cart assembly.

2-6 Installation

Adjust spacing if front door

B

UBBLE LEV

E

L

9. Note the lifting points as shown. With
the assistance of one or two other
people, carefully lift the laser system and
place it onto the cart assembly being
careful not to drop it or pinch your
fingers.

10. Thread the remaining two screws and
lockwashers (C) through the tabs on the
back panel (A) and into the backside of
the laser system. Do not tighten down
completely yet.

11. Thread the 4 screws and flat washers
(H) through the underside of the legs and
into the bottom of the laser system. Do
not tighten down completely yet.

LIFT HERE

(SAME FOR OTHER SIDE)

12. Gently open the front door and see if it
comes in contact with the bottom part of
the legs.

13. Space the legs apart to provide
clearance for the front door.

14. Securely tighten all remaining screws
(C) and (H).

15. Relocate the laser system to its final
resting position next to the computer and
exhaust system.

16. If the floor underneath the laser system
is uneven, the casters must be adjusted.
Refer to the following leveling
instructions. Place a bubble level across
the top of the legs directly above the front
casters. Note the bubble position in its
sight glass. Do the same for the back
part of the legs and also note the position
of the bubble in the sight glass. If the
bubbles are in the same visual position,
adjustment is not necessary and cart

comes in contact with legs.

assembly is complete. If they are in different positions, adjustment is required.

17. To adjust the casters, choose ONLY ONE (1) caster and adjust its height until both bubbles
are visually identical between the front casters and the back casters. The purpose of this
step is to make sure that all casters lie in the same plane, not to level the laser system with
the ground. If desired, you can level the laser system with the ground although it is not
required.

18. Open the top door and remove the rubber band that is holding the arm in place.

19. Remove any remaining packing materials, accessories or any other items that may be
located inside the cabinet or on top of the engraving table.

20. Gain access to the rear of the laser system to install the Laser Cartridge.

Installation 2-7

Laser Cartridge Installation

Before connecting and powering on your system, you must install the Laser Cartridge. Make
sure that your power cord IS NOT plugged in at this time.

With your fingers, press on the backside of the two hinges to release the latch.

Gently fold back the rear cover. Visually locate the two Mounting Blocks, the Laser Latch,
Alignment Fork, and Power Connector. Notice that the Alignment Fork has two plates, one small
and one large. Locate the gap between the two plates.

Observe the “V” groove along the upper and lower part of the Laser Cartridge. Also locate the
Alignment Plate at the end of the Laser Cartridge.

2-8 Installation

Pick up the Laser Cartridge by the sides. Tilt the Laser Cartridge downward on a 30-degree
angle. Mount the cartridge onto the Mounting Blocks by placing the upper “V” groove of the
cartridge on top of the Mounting Blocks. Slide the cartridge to the right until the Alignment Plate
of the Laser Cartridge makes contact with the inside of the large plate of the Alignment Fork and
is centered in the gap in the Alignment Fork between the small and large plates of the Alignment
Fork.

Slowly rotate the Laser Cartridge making sure that the Alignment Plate is centered in the gap of
the Alignment Fork. Keep rotating the laser until the Laser Latch “clicks” and locks the cartridge
into place. Make sure that you do not pinch any wires or hoses during this process. This
may require some slight force to actuate the latch. Verify that the cartridge is resting, untilted,
and the Alignment Plate is centered within the Alignment Fork.

Plug in the Power Connector. The connector is keyed so it will only insert one way.
Close the Rear Cover and push down on the latches until they “click”. Later on in this manual

under the “Making the Connections” section, we will verify that you have installed the cartridge
correctly. For now, let’s assume that it is OK and move on to the next section.

Installation 2-9

Laser Cooling Requirements

This type of laser system uses fans to keep the laser cartridge and electronics cooled during
operation. Maintain the room temperature at the recommended ambient temperature range
outlined previously in the Operating Environment section.

Do not confine the back of the machine by surrounding it with furniture,
shelving, backing it into a corner, etc. The backside of the laser system
must be allowed to “Breathe” otherwise it can overheat the laser
cartridge, power supply, and/or the CPU module. Overheating may cause
serious and very costly damage to the laser system.

Computer Requirements

The following is the MINIMUM required computer configuration. Using a faster computer with
more capacity will increase efficiency and throughput. Although using a computer that does not
meet our minimum recommendation might be acceptable to you, a faster computer will definitely
pay for itself in a short amount of time.

• Pentium 300 MHz or equivalent

• 32 MB of RAM

• 2 Gigabyte hard drive or bigger

• 17 inch color VGA monitor

• 3.5” floppy disk drive

• CD-ROM Drive

• Mouse or other pointing device

• Microsoft Windows 95

• 600 DPI Optical Resolution Scanner

Remember that the laser system is an output device just like a printer is. The faster you can
create graphics and manipulate your software, the faster you can download to the laser system
to keep it producing.

Software Suggestions

The following is a list of recommended software programs. We do not endorse any particular
software program neither do we guarantee its full compatibility with the laser system. Please
refer to the Appendices section on known bugs/anomalies related to these particular software
programs, related versions, and ones that are not listed below.

Graphics Programs

• CorelDraw

• Macromedia Freehand

2-10 Installation

Bitmap / Scanning Software

• Adobe Photoshop

• Adobe Streamline - for raster to vector conversion

CAD Software

• AutoCAD for Windows

• AutoCAD LT for Windows

• Autosketch for Windows

• DesignCAD for Windows

CAD users do not necessarily need Windows or Windows compatible programs. The laser
system is compatible with any program that can output standard HPGL commands whether it is
Windows based or not. Refer to the section on using DOS based CAD programs.
When a software company updates their version of their programs, it can sometimes cause
conflicts with our printer driver. Our programmers constantly test new software programs and
updated versions for compatibility. We will update our printer driver to address issues that we
have control of. For bugs or problems with your software not related to the laser system, please
contact the software manufacturer.

Font Requirements

True Type

We recommend using True Type fonts ONLY. TrueType fonts are the most versatile and should
be used whenever possible. They provide the best print quality and will print well at any size.

PostScript

We do not recommend using PostScript fonts. The laser system is NOT a PostScript printer
and therefore has no capability of printing PostScript fonts. Sometimes a PostScript font will
print if you are running Adobe Type Manager (ATM). Adobe Type Manager converts PostScript
fonts to bitmapped fonts before sending the information to our printer driver. Using ATM does not
guarantee that the PostScript font will print properly therefore it is NOT recommended.

Bitmap

Bitmapped fonts only print well when used at the specific point size they were designed for. This
point size is usually indicated in the font name such as Times Roman 12. If a font is only
available in bitmap form, you must print it at the size it was created for. Scaling the font larger
will result in a more jagged looking character although scaling it smaller produces good results.

Helpful Tip

If you are having any problems printing a font and you cannot figure out what is going on, select
the font and “convert to curves” or “convert to paths” in your graphics software. This will convert
the font into a bitmapped image and will print correctly to the laser system. Refer to your
graphics software on how to convert fonts.

As you can see, we strongly recommend the use of True Type fonts only. Usually, most
graphics programs, such as CorelDraw come with hundreds of fonts that you can install. For
the average user there is more than enough to choose from.

Installation 2-11

Masking Tape

Making the Connections

Please use the parallel cable supplied with the system. It is a 6-foot, high quality, shielded,
IEEE1284 compliant cable. If you use a printer cable other than the one provided, it will violate
the laser systems FCC and CE rating and may also cause harmful interference when
downloading files to the laser system.

Please make the following connections in the exact order described otherwise static electricity
can damage the computer and/or the laser system’s electronics.

• Connect the systems Power Cord and your computer Power Cord to the electrical outlet(s).
Do not turn on either unit at this time.

• Connect the system to the computer using the parallel port connection.

• Connect the rubber flexible hose of your exhaust system to the exhaust port of the laser

system.

• Turn on your computer ON and check your computers BIOS setting for your parallel port.
Make sure that it is set to either “ECP“ or “Standard Parallel Port”. DO NOT SET IT TO
“EPP” or “Bi-directional”. The laser system does not support these modes. If your
computer is set to an incorrect configuration, erroneous data will be sent to the laser system
during printing. This can cause the system to lock up, print garbage information, or not print
at all. For information on how to check or adjust your computers BIOS setting, please refer
to your computer’s owner manual or call their technical support department.

• Turn ON the laser system. After the system finishes initializing, “Ready” will appear
displayed on the Control Panel of the laser system.

• We will now check if the Laser Cartridge was installed
properly. To do this, open the top door and place a small
piece of masking tape across the ¾” hole in the focus
carriage. Gently rub the tape around the edge of the hole
so that you can see the outline of the hole through the
tape.

• Now press the “X-Y” button on the Control Panel. The
red diode pointer will illuminate and a red dot will appear
on the masking tape. The dot should appear centered, or
close to the center of the hole, within 1/8”. If not, remove
and re-install the laser cartridge and try again. If the red
dot still does not appear within 1/8” of the center of the
hole, please contact our Service Department.

• If the red dot is centered, installation is complete. Remove the masking tape.

Outline of Hole

Red Dot

2-12 Installation

Problem Prevention

The following are things that you MUST NEVER do:

1) Never connect or disconnect the printer cable while either the computer or the

laser system is powered ON . Always power down both units and leave them plugged into

the wall outlet when connecting or disconnecting the printer cable.

2) Never connect the laser system through a manual switch type A/B switch box. If

connecting an additional laser system or other printer to the same computer, we recommend the
installation of an additional parallel port into the computer. Using a switchbox can create
electrical noise that can cause an engraving problem or can damage the laser system and/or the
computer’s electronics.

3) Never use any device that is installed between the computers parallel port and

the parallel port of the laser system such as a ZIP drive or parallel port CD-ROM
drive. This can not only damage the laser systems electronics but it usually will not work and

will cause file transmission errors. Again, install an additional parallel port for other peripheral
devices.

Computer Controlling the Laser System

At this time, you will need to read the second manual supplied with your system. It is called
“Computerized Controls”. This manual contains Windows 95/98 printer driver installation and
operation instructions as well as setup instructions for graphics software to properly work with
the laser system. Please read this other manual before continuing on to Section 3.

Ihr ULS Vertragshändler :

MarkIDent GmbH
Winterspürerstr. 19
78333 Stockach
www.markident.de

SECTION 3

System Operation

In this section you will learn how the laser system actually works and will familiarize you with
laser system terminology. We will then start working with the control panel and learn how to get
around in the menu system. Since there are many features in this laser system, the menu
system may seem complicated at first, but once you start using it, you will find out that it is a
very simple system to operate.

How it Works

There are five (5) basic components that make up the laser system, the control panel, the CPU,
the DC power supply, the laser cartridge, and the motion system.

LASER

CARTRIDGE

DC Power Supply

The DC power supply converts the incoming AC electricity to 48 volts DC. This is used to power
both the laser cartridge and the CPU.

CPU

The CPU is the “brains” of the system and controls everything. Located on the CPU are
standard computer memory SIMMS. This is where incoming files, from the computer, are stored
while the power is on. The CPU gets input from the computer and the control panel. It outputs
precisely timed signals to fire the laser beam and to move the motion system simultaneously.

Control Panel

This is where the operator controls the laser system. It is composed of tactile feel push buttons
and a LCD dis play. From this panel, the operator can position the motion system, move around
through the menu system in the LCD display, and run the laser system.

3-2 System Operation

#3 MIRROR

FOCUS LENS

FOCAL RANGE

LASER CARTRIDGE

Laser Cartridge

The laser cartridge is a very sophisticated device. It is composed of a plasma tube filled with a
special mixture of CO2 and other gases, and RF (radio frequency) electronics. The function of
the entire assembly is to turn electrical energy into concentrated light energy. The word LASER
is an acronym for Light Amplified Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

#1 MIRROR

BEAM WINDOW

BEAM DIAMETER

#2 MIRROR

FOCAL LENGTH

MATERIAL

GAS FILLED PLASMA TUBE

ELECTRODES

RF ELECTRONICS

SPOT

The laser cartridge It receives power from the 48VDC power supply and its “trigger signal” from
the CPU. When the laser system is power on and the trigger signal comes from the CPU, the
RF electronics produce a high frequency AC signal across the electrodes located inside the
plasma tube. This causes spontaneous photon emissions from the gas mixture that produces
an invisible, infrared light beam at a frequency of 10.6 microns.

The laser beam exits the laser cartridge through its output optics, bounces off the #1 mirror,
passes through the beam window, bounces off the #2 and #3 mirror, and finally passes through
the focus lens. The #2 and #3 mirror and the focusing lens are all mounted to the motion
system. The width of the laser beam as it exits the tube, called the “Beam Diameter”, is about 4
mm. The focus lens focuses the beam into a very small spot whose “Spot Size” is dependent
on the “Focal Length” of the lens. The “Focal Length” is the distance from about the center of
the lens to the point where it converges the beam into the smallest spot possible. Using a
standard 2 inch focal length lens, the spot size produced is approximately .005 inches.

The “Focal Range” of the lens, where the beam is considered to be “in focus”, is equivalent to +/­5% above and below the focus point. Shorter lenses produce a smaller spot size but also have
a very narrow focal range. This means that it would only be useful for engraving very flat objects.
The longer lenses have a much wider range of focus but also produce a larger spot size that
would prohibit the engraving of fine detail. This can be related to trying to write small text with a
wide, felt tip marker. There are pros and cons to the different lenses that are available for
different applications. Please refer to the Appendices section on available lenses and their
operating characteristics.

System Operation 3-3

“Wattage” signifies the amount of heat energy that the laser light is producing over a period of
time. Laser energy is measured with a laser power meter. Do not confuse the electrical
wattage rating of a light bulb or a hair dryer with the wattage rating of the laser system. They are
two different types of measurements.

Motion System

The motion system consists of the mechanically moving parts of the laser system. It is made up
of rails, motors, bearings, belts, mirrors, a lens, and other parts. There are two directions of
motion, left and right is called the “X” direction and front to back is called the “Y” direction.

The CPU controls the movement of the motors, which moves the mirrors and focus lens across
the engraving area and over the material. At the same time, it is synchronizing the laser pulses
with the position of the focus lens. It is this precise positioning and timing of the laser pulses that
produces the highest quality and fastest speed of engraving.

In summary, the five (5) components work together to take the graphic image that is downloaded
to the laser system from your computer and burn it into the material located on the engraving
table inside of the laser system.

The Control Panel

The control panel on the laser system provides easy access to all of the controls necessary for
cutting and engraving operations. The control panel consists of a liquid crystal display (LCD),
indicator lights, and selection buttons. The following section will describe, in detail, how to
maneuver through the menu system and the significance of each item in the control panel.

3-4 System Operation

The Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

The LCD is a four line display that displays the menus that control the laser system. It is a
backlit type of display that enhances visibility even under low light environments.

When the laser system is powered on, the laser system will perform a series of routines.
“INITIALIZING” will display until the motion system and electronics have finished their routines.
When completed, the display will then read “READY”, signifying that the laser system is ready to
accept files.

DO NOT download files until the display reads “READY” as this can lead to an incorrect or
corrupted file download. Corrupted file downloads can lead to an incorrect firing of the laser
which can destroy the material you are engraving.

The two up and down arrow buttons to the right side the LCD give complete access to the menu
control system. Use these arrow buttons to move the cursor up or down through the items in
the display.

Both of these buttons each serves two purposes. Depending on which menu you are in at the
time, the “SELECT” button either enters you into that menu item the cursor is currently on, or it
toggles that menu item to display different choices. Some items in the display lead to other
menus and some are settings that can be adjusted. The “ESCAPE” button, depending on which
menu you are in at the time, either exits you back to the previous menu or it nullifies or cancels
any changes that you have made to that menu item. Continuously pressing the “ESCAPE”
button will eventually bring you back to the “MAIN” menu.

The indicator lights will act differently depending on the current state of the laser system. The
chart below describes the conditions of the indicator lights during different modes of operation.

System Operation 3-5

Green Indicator Light

CONDITION REASON

ON The laser system is powered up, the top door is closed and the system

is ready to receive a file

The laser system has finished processing a file and has returned to the

home position

The laser system has been paused while running a file

OFF The top or front door is open

The laser system is firing the beam in the Alignment Mode

FLASHING The file is running

Red Indicator Light

CONDITION REASON

ON The laser system is initializing

The laser system is firing the beam in the Alignment Mode

OFF The laser system has finished initializing and is ready to receive a file

The top or front door is closed

FLASHING The top or front door is open

The Process Controls

These control the actual running of the laser system.

Runs the current file displayed in the “File Display” menu.

If a file is running, the “PAUSE” button halts the engraving or cutting process. When paused, the
motion system arm will move to its home position in the upper right corner of the engraving area.
When ready to continue operation, press the “RESUME” button and the system will begin cutting
or engraving again exactly where it left off. If you wish to run the file from the beginning after
pressing the “PAUSE” button, press the “START” button. When “Curve Enhancement” mode

is selected in the driver, the “Resume” button acts like the “Start” button and will start
your file from the beginning.

During slow raster or vector motions, the motion system might not pause immediately after the
“PAUSE” button is pressed. It can take a few seconds or several seconds to stop the system
because it needs to complete the motion commands that it is currently running. Opening the top
door also works similar to the “PAUSE” button but not exactly. The first thing the laser system
will do is turn off the laser beam immediately after the door is opened. The next thing it will do is
pause the motion system. Since opening the door and the pausing of the motion system are not
precisely synchronized if you do this, resuming the file might cause an area of missed
engraving. Opening the door to turn off the laser and to pause the motion system should only be
used for safety or emergency reasons.

3-6 System Operation

The “NE XT FILE” button displays the next file in the systems memory and makes it the current
file and will stop at the last file in memory. The “PREV FILE” button displays the previous file in
the systems memory and makes it the current file and will stop at the first file in memory. These
buttons are inoperative if a file is currently running.

The Motion Control System

The motion control section of the control panel (the four directional arrow buttons) enables the
user to manually control motion system moveme nt.

Pressing and holding down an arrow button will cause the focus lens assembly to move in the
respective direction. The motion system starts off slowly, but if you continue to hold down the
button, you will see it accelerate to a faster speed. Pushing the button once and letting it go
quickly will move the motion system in .001 inch increments. Pressing two adjacent buttons will
move the assembly in a diagonal direction. This part of the control panel is primarily used to
position the focus lens assembly directly over the engraving material and to use the focus tool to
set the proper focus height. Other uses for these buttons will be discussed later in this manual.

You must be in the “FILE DISPLAY” menu or the “MAIN” menu for this button to be operable.
Pressing it enables the “ORIGIN POSITION” menu to appear. It also turns on the optional red
laser diode that shows where the focus lens assembly is positioned in the field by shining a
bright red “dot” on the engraving area. Further details on how to use this button will be covered
later in this section.

This button positions the focus carriage slightly away from the upper left hand corner at the
default (1,1) position in the engraving area. This is where the majority of focusing will be done.
Once the focus carriage is positioned, using the motion control arrow buttons can still move the
motion system. Pressing the button again will move the focus carriage back to the home
position in the upper right corner of the engraving area. You can set the default position to
anywhere in the field that you desire. Relocating the focus position is covered later on in this
section.

System Operation 3-7

The Menu System

The LCD displays the menus of the laser system. Since this laser system has many features,
we have included a “Menu System Flow Chart” on the next three pages. It diagrams and
displays the menu items in the entire system and the button selections needed to access them.
A description of each menu item follows the flow chart.

3-8 System Operation

X

X

System Operation 3-9

VERSION XX-XX-XX-XX

MODEL NAME

Menu Descriptions

The remainder of this section will describe each one of the menus and their significance.

READY Menu

When the system is first powered on “INITIALIZING” will appear for approximately 30 seconds
until the laser system finishes performing its routine. When the system has finished initializing,
“READY” will appear in the display, indicating that the laser system is ready to accept files.

3-10 System Operation

FILE DISPLAY Menu

Appears automatically after the first file is downloaded completely into the laser systems
memory. This is the menu that you will remain in most of the time when operating the laser
system. It has been designed to show all pertinent operating information at a glance so that
constantly jumping from menu to menu is not needed.

The first line indicates the filename. If more than one job has been downloaded, you can move
to the next file in memory by pressing the “NEXT FILE” button. You can page through the list of
files available in memory by placing the cursor on the first line of this display and pressing the
“SELECT” button which move the cursor to the right side of the display. The up and down arrow
buttons can then be used to move through the list of files in memory. When the desired file is
found, simply press the “SELECT” button to make that file the current file. This will move the
cursor back to the left side of the display. To run the currently selected file, simply press the
“START” button. Changing the current file is not possible while the laser system is running. For
experimental purposes, Power, Speed, and PPI settings can be altered while the file is running
allowing you to adjust these settings until the desired depth or effect is achieved. To do this,
press the up or down arrow button until the cursor is on the desired item. Press the “SELECT”
button, which moves the cursor to the right, and then use the arrow buttons to increase or
decrease the values. Pressing the “SELECT” button again will accept the change but pressing
the “ESCAPE” button nullify the change and restore it to the original setting. It is possible to
adjust the settings while engraving on some scrap material until the desired “POWER”,
“SPEED”, and “PPI” settings are obtained. Note these settings, change them in the driver and
re-send the file to the laser system for the final run.

NOTE: Since the file has the settings stored in the beginning of the data, you must first start the
file before you can change the settings. You can then either pause the file, change the settings,
and then resume the file or you can change the settings on the fly while it is running.
Remember, these are only temporary changes so if you pressed the “START” button to start the
file over again, it will take on the original settings that you sent down from the driver.

The display contains a timer to time files as they are run (this is useful for job costing). The
timer will pause when the “PAUSE” button is pressed and starts up again when cutting or
engraving has been “RESUME”d. If the same file is run again, the timer will count backwards
displaying how much time is remaining. The “COPIES” feature indicates the number of
completed runs of the file that is displayed. The DPI section displays the DPI setting from the
driver. The “TIMER”, “COPIES”, and “DPI” readouts are for display purposes only and cannot be
altered.

Since the laser system is equipped with a unique way of storing multiple jobs in memory, special
provisions are made to distinguish one job from the next. When using the printer driver, an end­of-file (EOF) marker is automatically sent to the laser system after each file is downloaded. An
end-of-file marker is needed by the memory buffer in order for it to recognize the end of one file,
the beginning of the next file, and to calculate the remaining free memory space. Without an
EOF, the memory buffer will not operate properly.

System Operation 3-11

There are two ways that a downloaded file will have a missing EOF. The first is if printing
through the printer driver and printing is canceled, interrupted, or file size exceeds the remaining
free memory space. If this occurs, chances are that the EOF never made it to the memory
buffer and the memory buffer will show that it is empty or that the file does not exist. Part of the
file might still remain in memory and might become mixed up with other files. This is why having
the ability to insert an EOF marker from the control panel of the laser system is very important.
In order to delete that partial file, the memory buffer must either be cleared entirely or an EOF
must be manually inserted into the memory buffer. Inserting an EOF is the better choice here
because the partial file can be deleted without disturbing the other files in memory. Secondly,
when using DOS based programs, a printer driver other than the Windows printer driver must be
used. DOS printer drivers do not know to send the required EOF to the laser system after file
downloading. Again, the memory buffer will not recognize any file that exists if it does not have
an EOF. In this case, an EOF must be manually entered into the memory buffer after each and
every file download from a DOS based program. Since DOS printer drivers also do not send the
name of the file within the file data, every file will be called “NONAME” once an EOF marker has
been inserted. To distinguish one “NONAME” file from the next, the display will number the files
in the order from which they were downloaded.

To insert an EOF marker in either case, position the cursor on the first line of the display where
the filename is. Press and hold down the “NEXT FILE” button and then press the “SELECT”
button at the same time. The word “NONAME” will appear if there is a partial file in memory or
any DOS based file that does not have an EOF marker. What has happened is that the laser
system searched for any file information that had entered into the memory buffer since the last
completed file was downloaded. If it finds information, it scans to the end of the last bit of that
information and inserts an EOF. The file then shows up on the display as “NONAME” and will
allow either its solitary deletion without having to delete the other files in mem ory or it will allow
the file to be run just as if it was downloaded from the Windows printer driver.

MAIN Menu

Allows access to all other menus.

MEMORY CONTROL Menu

The laser system is equipped with an intelligent memory buffer that has built-in file compression.
The amount of RAM installed in your system is optional at the time of purchase. The minimum is
4 Megabytes and the Maximum is 32 Megabytes.

3-12 System Operation

The Printer Driver compresses the file while it downloads to the laser system and the laser
system decompresses the file while it runs. The amount of compression can be as little as 4 to
1 or as great as 48 to 1. This means that with 4 MB of RAM in the laser system, the buffer could
hold the equivalent of 192MB worth of files provided they can be compressed 48 to 1. This gives
the laser system the ability to store either larger or more files in memory. It also provides for
quicker downloading because the files are much smaller than normal. The memory buffer can
hold up to 999 files providing that the memory space is not exceeded. The memory also has
built in file handling intelligence enabling each individual file in memory to be run in any order.
The files are stored sequentially based on the order in which they were sent from the computer
and each one is assigned a number to keep them in order. A running total of the free memory
space available is provided at the bottom of the display. The file name displayed is always the
currently active file and there are two methods for looking through the list of files to choose
another one. The first method is to press the “NEXT FILE” button on the control panel. Each
time the “NEXT FILE” button is pressed, the next file in memory becomes the current file. The
second method is to move the screen cursor to the file name line and press the “SELECT”
button to move the cursor to the right side of the display. Then, use the up and down arrow
buttons to move backward or forward through the list until the file desired is displayed. Now,
press the “SELECT” button again to bring the cursor back over to the left side of the display.

Eventually the memory will fill up with files that will need to be deleted to free up space for more
files. It is possible to select each individual file and delete them one at a time. To accomplish
this, make the desired file for deletion the current file in the same manner as previously
described. Use the up or down arrow buttons to position the cursor on the “DELETE THE FILE”
menu item and then press the “SELECT” button. The display will then ask if you are sure and will
expect a “CANCEL” or a “YES” response. Use the up and down arrow keys to position the
cursor on the appropriate choice and press the “SELECT” button.

To completely clear out the entire memory buffer all at once, use the up and down arrow keys to
position the cursor on the “DELETE ALL FILES” option and press the “SELECT” button. The
laser system will again ask if you are sure so respond accordingly.

Deleted files cannot be undone. They must be re-downloaded if you

accidentally delete them.

System Operation 3-13

DOS POWER SETTINGS Menu

The laser system allows eight different power settings to be saved, in non-volatile (permanent)
memory, and used when processing a DOS based file. Since DOS based printer/plotter drivers
do not have the ability to set the “POWER”, “SPEED”, and “PPI” settings, the settings must be
set manually on the laser system. Think of it as being able to assign laser “POWER”, “SPEED”,
and “PPI” to the pen numbers of a flatbed plotter.

To access these settings, move the cursor to the “DOS POWER SETTINGS” menu and press
the “SELECT” button. Press the “SELECT” button again to bring the cursor to the right side of
the display where it sits on top of the pen numbers. Now use the up and down arrow buttons to
scroll through settings 1 through 8. When the desired pen number is found, press the
“SELECT” button again to bring the cursor over to the left side of the display. Bring the cursor
down to the item you want to change, again press the “SELECT” button to bring the cursor to the
right and use the arrow keys to adjust your settings. Remember, to accept the setting that you
have made, press the “SELECT” button to bring the cursor back over to the left side of the
display. Pressing the “ESCAPE” button nullifies your change. Once you have set the correct
settings for all of the pen numbers that you will be using in your DOS software, press the
“ESCAPE” button to bring you back to the “MAIN” menu. Your settings will be permanently
stored just as long as you exit back to the “MAIN” menu before turning off the laser system. For
more information on how to use DOS based programs with the laser system, please refer to the
Appendices section in the back of this manual.

PREFERENCES Menu

The primary function of this menu is to allow access to other menus that can reconfigure the
laser system. It also allows access to diagnostic and maintenance features. Selecting this
option will lead to other menus of which some are adjustable and others that are display only.

Always escape back to the “MAIN” menu before turning off the laser system. This will
permanently store your changes in non-volatile memory. If you turn off the laser system without
escaping completely back to the “MAIN” menu then your changes would not have been stored
and the system will revert back to its previous settings.

3-14 System Operation

OPTIONS Menu

Selecting this menu will allow the access to turn on certain options that the laser system might
have.

ONE FILE MEMORY Menu

Pressing “SELECT” key while cursor is on this line will toggle the setting on and off. When off, it
enables the multiple file memory buffer system (default). When on, it disables the multiple file
memory buffer and stores only one file at a time. How it works when it is turned on:

When you download a file to the laser system that file will appear in the “FILE DISPLAY” menu.
Press the “START” key and run the file just as you would as if you were in the multiple file
memory mode. You can run this file as many times as you want because it remains in memory.

Now, as you download the second file, observe the display and you will see “MEMORY EMPTY”
flash momentarily and then the new file appears. Basically what has happened it that the laser
system clears out the entire memory as the new file comes in to replace the first file. You can
now run that second file as many times as you want. If you download another file, it dumps the
entire memory again and the new file becomes the only file in memory, and so on.

While in this mode, the parallel port is turned off so no new files can be received until the file is
finished running. This is to prevent the incoming file from erasing the file that is running.

Helpful Hint

You will notice that while in this mode of operation, all files downloaded will be labeled as the #1
file in memory. This might be confusing especially if you continuously download files with the
same name. If you do this, you might question yourself whether or not you downloaded the next
file because if you look on the display, it shows the same file number and the same name as the
previous file that you ran. But if you look further, the timer will show 0:00:00 and the “COPIES”
will be 0 if the file has never run. If the file did run, the “COPIES” will be greater than 0 and the
time will show the amount of time that the file took to run.

AUTOFOCUS Menu

Pressing the “SELECT” key while the cursor is on this line will toggle this option ON and OFF.
Later in this section, we will explain how to use this option in more detail.

System Operation 3-15

AIR ASSIST Menu

This class of laser system does have Air Assist as an option, but it is not computer controlled.
Since we use the same menu system on other models, this menu selection for your model does
absolutely nothing. If you did purchase the Air Assist option for this model, please refer to the
instructions that came with that option.

DUAL HEAD Menu

This option is not available for this model of laser system.

CONFIGURATION Menu

Selecting this menu will allow the reconfiguration of certain features of the engraving system and
will lead to other menu items.

SET FOCUS POSITION Menu

This option allows you to set the focus position to anywhere in the field that you desire.
Normally, the factory default setting for the “Z” button is (1,1). If you would like to change the
factory default setting, go to this menu and press the “SELECT” button. If you have the optional
red laser diode pointing device, the light will appear on the engraving table to assist you in
determining the position desired.

Using the motion control arrow buttons to position the focus carriage assembly. While you are
doing this can observe the coordinate display change as you move the focus carriage. These
coordinates are the current position of the focus assembly in the engraving field. Once the
desired position has been located, bring the cursor down to the “YES SAVE POSITION” line and
press the “SELECT” button. Press the “ESCAPE” button twice to exit back to the “MAIN” menu.
Your settings will automatically be retained permanently in memory.

3-16 System Operation

To restore the focus position back to the original factory setting, go back into this menu and
press the up and down arrow keys simultaneously.

You will see the motion system move to the 1 inch horizontal and the 1 inch vertical position
(factory default). Now select “YES, SAVE POSITION”. Press the “ESCAPE” button twice to exit
back to the “MAIN” menu. Your settings will automatically be retained permanently in memory.

SET ROTARY AXIS Menu

The Rotary Fixture Axis is a setting that is pre-set at the factory. The laser system will sense
when the Rotary Fixture is plugged in and will position the X-Axis arm directly over the centerline
of rotation automatically when it begins to engrave. This setting can be altered if you position the
Rotary Fixture in a location OTHER than the factory set position. Please refer to the section on
the optional Rotary Fixture for a full description on how to set up and use this device before
altering any factory setting.

To change the factory default setting, turn the laser system OFF, place the Rotary Fixture on the
engraving table in the des ired position, and DO NOT plug the Rotary Fixture into the electrical
socket. Now turn the laser system on and with the motion system arrow buttons, position the X­Axis arm’s focus lens carriage directly over the Rotary Fixtures centerline of rotation as the
following diagram illustrates:

The left and right position (X-position) of the focus carriage is irrelevant in this setting and is not
shown in the display. Now select the “YES SAVE Y AXIS” choice. If you change your mind and
do not wish to alter the “ROTARY AXIS” position, select “CANCEL” instead and the original
settings will be restored. Remember, always escape back to the “MAIN” menu before turning the
system off so that your settings will be permanently stored in memory.

System Operation 3-17

If you would like to get the Rotary axis back to the original factory default setting, go back into the
“SET ROTARY AXIS” menu. While in this menu, press the up arrow and down arrow keys
simultaneously. The arm move will move back to its original factory default setting. Select “YES
SAVE Y-AXIS”, and then press the “ESCAPE” key twice to exit back to the “MAIN” menu to store
this setting permanently.

TICKLE Menu

TICKLE is the term used for small pulses, which are fed to the laser to keep the plasma inside
energized. This allows the laser to respond quickly and strongly for high speed cutting and
engraving.

TICKLE keeps the laser "warmed up" at times when the laser system is powered on but not
firing and the top door is closed. We suggest keeping the door closed at all times when the laser
system is powered on as this keeps the laser warmed up. If the door is open, the power to the
laser cartridge itself is turned off and the tube will cool down. The laser runs best after being
warmed up for 15 to 20 minutes.

TICKLE is pre-set at the factory and usually does not require adjustment. The setting shown
above is only an example. Your laser platform may have a built-in Tickle setting control inside
the laser cartridge. If your laser cartridge has built-in Tickle, then the setting in the control panel
will read “Tickle Freq. = 5 kHz” and “Tickle Width = 0 us”. If your laser cartridge does not have
built-in Tickle, then you will see a “Tickle Width” greater than “0 us” and the “Tickle Freq.” That
can be anything from “2Khz” up to “10 kHz”. However, it is possible that it may need adjustment
after the laser cartridge ages. DO NOT attempt to adjust the TICKLE setting. Please contact
our Service Department for the correct diagnosis and corrective procedure.

PORTS Menu

Two ports are provided on the back of the system for interface with a computer, a serial and a
parallel port. Only one port can be used at a time. To activate a port, use the up and down
arrow keys to position the cursor on the menu item “PORTS” and press the “SELECT” button.
The menu that appears indicates the currently active port on the laser system. To toggle
between ports press the “SELECT” button.

3-18 System Operation

In order to use the “SERIAL” port, the communication settings MUST match those of the
computer. Refer to the computer’s hardware and software manuals for details on setting up the
computer’s serial port. If using the “SERIAL” port, select the fastest possible “BAUD” rate for
communication since this effects how quickly the computer can send files to the laser system.
For “BAUD” rates of “9600” and above, set the number of “STOP BITS” on the computer to a
higher value than the number of “STOP BITS” selected on the laser system. For example if the
number of “STOP BITS” on the laser system is set to “1”, then set the computer’s stop bits to
“1.5” or “2”.

“PARITY” of the laser system and the computer MUST match exactly and the choices are
“ODD”, “EVEN”, or “NONE”. Pressing the “SELECT” button while the cursor is on “PARITY” will
toggle through these choices.

Helpful Hint

Since the serial port works much harder than the parallel port does, it uses much more of the
laser systems computer processors power to take in the files. Since this is the case, it is NOT
recommended that you download a file while the laser system is running a different file. This can
cause data corruption to occur to the file coming in to the computer. Either pause the laser
system or wait until it finishes engraving the file before downloading the next one. This situation
is for the serial port only. Disregard this warning message if you are using the parallel port for
communications. The fastest method of file transmission to the laser system is the parallel port.
Its use is highly recommended.

LANGUAGE Menu

Use the “SELECT” button to toggle through many different language choices. When the desired
language is displayed, press the “ESCAPE” button twice to exit back to the “MAIN” menu. Your
settings will automatically be stored permanently in memory. When the cursor is on this menu
item, continuously pressing the “SELECT” button will toggle the languages in a loop fashion and
will always bring you back to the original language.

UNITS Menu

Use the “SELECT” button to toggle between “INCHES” and “METRIC” units. Once the desired
unit is displayed, press the “ESCAPE” key twice to exit back to the “MAIN” menu. Your settings
will automatically be retained permanently in memory. When the cursor is on this menu item,
continuously pressing the “SELECT” button will toggle the units in a loop fashion and will always
bring you back to the original units.

System Operation 3-19

DIAGNOSTICS Menu

This menu leads to other menus that enable you to help diagnose problems, if they occur, with
the laser system. It also will help our technicians solve problems that you may be experiencing.

ALIGNMENT MODE Menu

This menu allows access to firing the laser beam manually to determine if the laser systems
optical alignment is correct. The factory setting is a very low power setting that is just strong
enough to check the laser beam alignment. Please refer to the maintenance section on how to
safely check the laser systems beam alignment.

MEMORY TEST Menu

It may be necessary to use the diagnostic tests if instructed to do so by a member of our
technical support staff. The “MEMORY TEST” is a memory buffer test to test the RAM in the
laser system. This is very similar to the RAM test that your computer performs when it first gets
powered on. In the process of testing memory, all files in memory will be erased. Once the
“MEMORY TEST” is started it will continue to run until it is canceled. To start the test select
“YES (CLEARS MEMORY)”. To end the test, select “CANCEL”. This test will continuously pass
through the memory. If you are going to run this test, start it and let it run for about 10 minutes. If
it finds memory that is bad, it will show up as a number other than a “0” in the fails column and
the SIMM module will need to be replaced. Please contact technical support if there is a problem
with the memory.

MOTOR STATUS Display

The last two lines of this display show the conditions of the stepper motors in the motion system.
If there is a problem there will be an error message displayed next to the troubled motor. If the
motor is completely disconnected, “NO MOTOR” will show in the display.

3-20 System Operation

VERSION XX-XX-XX-XX

MODEL NAME

ABOUT Menu

Use the up and down arrow buttons to position the cursor on this menu item. Press the
“SELECT” button and our copyright notice along with the current versions of firmware will be
displayed. The firmware version numbers are a diagnostic aid to our service technicians. If you
are having a problem with the laser system, a technician might ask you to read out the numbers
in this display.

To access the following menus, the cursor must be located either in the “MAIN” or the
“FILE DISPLAY” menus. They are not accessible if the cursor is in the “DOS POWER
SETTINGS” or the “PREFERENCES” menus.

ORIGIN POSITION Menu

The laser systems default origin position is in the upper left hand corner of the engraving area at
the (0,0) position of the rulers. You can, however, position the origin to any other point in the
engraving area. To do this you must first get into this menu. From either the “MAIN” menu or the
“FILE DISPLAY” menu, press the “X,Y” button in the middle of the four motion system directional
arrow buttons.

The red laser diode will appear on the engraving table. Using the directional arrow buttons,
position the red dot at the location you would like to store as the new origin position. If you tap
the motion control buttons, you will observe the motion system move at .001 inch increments.
The longer that you hold down the button, the faster it moves. You can use either the digital
display or the red dot as a reference for the new origin. When you have moved the red dot to the
correct position, bring the cursor down to the “SET NEW ORIGIN” menu item and press the
“SELECT” button. If you are sure with this position, move the cursor down to “YES, SET NEW
ORIGIN” and press “SELECT” again. Escape out of the menu and your settings will be saved
permanently in memory.

System Operation 3-21

Setting a new origin other than the default (0,0) position will shrink your field size. If you already
have files already loaded into memory that utilize the entire engraving area, and you set a new
origin, part of that graphic might fall out of the effective printing area. If you run this file,
unexpected results can occur that might destroy your material in the engraving area. We
suggest that you use this feature cautiously and make sure that you do not set a new origin that
would cause you graphic to print off the engraving area.

If you would like to reset the origin back to the original factory settings of (0,0) in the upper left
corner, a quick way to get the motion system back to the upper left corner is to simply press the
up arrow and down arrow keys simultaneously while in this menu.

You will see the carriage move to the upper left hand corner automatically. Again, select “SET
NEW ORIGIN”, then select “YES, SET NEW ORIGIN” and your settings will automatically be
stored in memory permanently.

Focusing the Laser Beam

To properly focus the laser beam onto the surface of the material, you need to perform two
tasks. First position the focus carriage directly above the material and then use the focusing tool
or the digital display to adjust the Z axis table level until the material is at the proper distance
away from the focus lens.

Place your material into the upper left corner of the engraving field against the rulers. From
either the “MAIN” or FILE DISPLAY” menus, press the “Z” button located on the control panel.

You will observe the focus carriage move to a pre-set focusing position of (1,1). The display will
now show the “CURRENT LENS” that you are using and the current vertical “Z POSITION” of the
engraving table.

3-22 System Operation

The cursor in the display will be flashing on top of the tenths digit. You can now move the table
up or down by pressing either the up or down arrow button. If you push the button once and let
go quickly, the table will move in .1 inch increments. If you hold down the button, it will move
fluidly. To make finer moves, press the “SELECT” button to bring the cursor over to the
hundredths digit. Pressing the up or down arrow button once and letting go quickly will move the
table in .01 inch increments. Holding down the button will make it move fluidly. Practice moving
the table up and down to get the feel of it before you attempt to focus on a material. We will
explain the significance of the numbers in the display a little later on but for right now, press the
“Z” button to bring the focus carriage back into the home position.

Essentially, there are three ways to focus on your material. One is to use the focus tool, another
is to enter in the thickness of the material, and the other is to use AUTOFOCUS.

The Focus Tool Method

Place you material onto the engraving table. Visually make sure that the height of the material
will not interfere with the focus carriage when you move it over the material to set focus. Press
the “Z” button and observe the focus carriage move to the (1”,1”) position in the engraving area.
If this is not a good focus position for you, use the motion system directional arrow buttons to
position the focus carriage directly over your material. Use the up or down arrow buttons to
move the table so that the flat side of the tool can sit flat up against the side of the focus
carriage. Slowly raise the table until you observe the tool either tilting or sliding away from the
focus carriage. This will occur when the bottom edge of the focus carriage meets with the top of
the beveled edge of the focus tool. The objective is to stop the table at the point where the tool
just starts to move or tilt.

Remember, having the cursor, in the display, located on the tenths digit will move the table
quickly and having it on the hundredths digit will move it more slowly. After focus has been
established, remove the focus tool and press the “Z” button to move the focus carriage back into
the home position.

System Operation 3-23

If you find that you need to place your materials in a position other than the upper left hand
corner, you can change the default focus position to anywhere in the field that you like. Please
refer to that menu item selection earlier in this section.

The Material Thickness (Z POSITION) Method

The second method is to enter in the thickness of the material into the “Z POSITION” display.
This method does not involve the use of the focus tool. For example, using a caliper or some
other thickness measuring device, measure the thickness of your material and enter that
thickness into the “Z POSITION” display. For example, if your material is 1 inch thick, use the up
or down arrow button to raise or lower the table until the digital display reads “1.00”. That is all
you need to do. Now press the “Z” button again to bring the motion system back to the home
position. The beam is now precisely focused on the surface of your material. Think of it as
using an imaginary focus tool.

The laser system table has been set up at the factory to read “0.00” when the beam is focused
to the surface of the table when the lens that is installed on the focus carriage matches the
“CURRENT LENS” in the display.

The factory has only set the “0.00” point for the lenses that you purchased at the time the system
was shipped. If you purchase additional lenses, you will need to set the “0.00” point, also called
the “FOCAL HEIGHT”, for each lens.

CURRENT LENS Menu

There are 4 lenses available, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 4.0 inch lenses. All of them have different focal
lengths so this is why we need to have a different “FOCAL HEIGHT position for each lens. If you
press the “SELECT” button while the cursor is on this menu item, you will see the right side of
the display toggle into the different lens heights. You will also notice that the “Z POSITION”
display change to reflect the difference in focal lengths. If you have purchased all of the other
optional lenses with the laser system, all of the focal lengths have been set for you. If you just
purchased the standard 2.0 lens, only that “FOCAL HEIGHT” was set at the factory. This is due
to the fact that all lenses have slightly different focal lengths even if they are both 2.0 inch lenses
so each one’s “FOCAL HEIGHT” must be calibrated on the machine.

SET FOCAL HEIGHT Menu

Use this selection to set the “0.00” for each lens. Using the focus tool that matches the
“CURRENT LENS” displayed, position the table so that the laser will be focused on the table’s
surface. If the display does not read “0.00”, move the cursor down to the “SET FOCAL HEIGHT”
menu item and press the “SELECT” button. The display will ask “ARE YOU SURE?”. Move the
cursor down to “YES” and press the “SELECT” button. The “Z POSITION” display will now read
“0.00” and will be PERMANENTLY STORED IN MEMORY until you do this procedure again. If
you have purchased other lenses, you can set each of their focal heights by making that lens the
“CURRENT LENS” and repeating this procedure.

3-24 System Operation

1

2345678

9

REFLECTOR

The AUTOFOCUS Method

In order to use this method, you must first turn it ON. We described how to turn it ON earlier in
this section. After you turn it ON, please follow the step by step instructions below.

To Use AUTOFOCUS:

• The AUTOFOCUS sensor sends out an invisible beam across the table between the 1 inch
and the 3 inch mark in the Y axis ruler for the M-300 Platform and the 2 and 4 inch mark for
the V-400, X-600 and X2-600 Platform laser systems. You will notice that it is indented
slightly.

• Place your object between these two points vertically and anywhere on the table horizontally.
Refer to the diagram below.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

PLACE OBJECT ANYWHERE IN THIS AREA

RULER INDENTATION

AUTOFOCUS ZONE

SENSOR

ENGRAVING TABLE

• Make sure that the laser system is in the main menu screen or the “File Display” menu.
AUTOFOCUS will not work in the other menus.

• Press the “Z” button once on the control panel of the laser system. You will observe the Z-
axis Table (Engraving Table) move down and then up again, adjusting the table to the proper
focusing height. If the “Current Lens” choice in the menu system is not the same as the lens
you have installed, correct it by placing the cursor on the second line of the display, and
pressing the “Select” button to toggle you through your choices. Once the desired lens is
displayed, escape out of the menu and AUTOFOCUS again. This will bring the table up to
the correct height. The display will now show that the “Z Position” is “0.00” for that Focus
Lens.

• If you desire to adjust the “Z Position” so that you are slightly out of focus, without exiting out
of the menu, simply bring the cursor over to the “0.00” part of the display and adjust the table
to the desired offset. The display will now show you how much you are out of focus. If you
were to escape out of the display and perform the AUTOFOCUS procedure again, the “Z
Position” will again show “0.00” to remind you that you are precisely in focus.

• If you have purchased additional lenses besides the 2.0 inch lens upon original delivery of the
laser system, those other lens heights have been set at the factory. If you purchase
additional lenses after you have received your machine and need to set the ‘Focal Height” of
that lens, or you need to adjust your AUTOFOCUS, please follow the next procedure.

System Operation 3-25

To Adjust AUTOFOCUS:

From time to time, you may need to re-adjust your AUTOFOCUS. The only time that you should
need to re-adjust the AUTOFOCUS is when you have received a new or different length Focus
Lens, have recently Flash upgraded the operating system of the laser, or had a dirty sensor or
reflector and are adjusting it after you have cleaned those parts.

• Place a very flat object on the Engraving Table, within the AUTOFOCUS Zone, that is at least
1 inch thick.

• AUTOFOCUS on this object by pressing the “Z” button once.

• While you are still in the “Z Position” display, move the Focus Carriage using the motion

control keys so that it is above your object that you placed on the table.

• Place your Focus Tool on top of your object and compare the Focus Tool reading with the
actual height that the AUTOFOCUS set the Engraving Table to. If it is not the same, bring
the cursor up to the first line of the “Z Position” display and press the “Select” button. Now
focus on your object by using your Focus Tool and adjusting the “Z Position” until your are
manually focused on top of your object.

• Press the “Escape” button, move the cursor to the “Set Focal Length” line and press
“Select”. It will ask you if you are sure so move the cursor down to the “YES” line and press
“Select”. The AUTOFOCUS will now have been re-adjusted to be exactly at the same height
as your Focus Tool. The purpose of “Setting the Focus Length” is to calibrate AUTOFOCUS
with your Focus Tool so that whether you use AUTOFOCUS or use the Focus Tool, you will
always be putting the Engraving Table at the correct focusing height.

• If you have purchased additional lenses, repeat this procedure for each lens by changing the
“CURRENT LENS” on the display and your focus tool, to the one you are calibrating.

AUTOFOCUS Maintenance:

If the AUTOFOCUS reflector or sensor becomes dirty from engraving smoke, it may
malfunction. A sign of AUTOFOCUS malfunction is upon activation, the table either moves all
the way down to the bottom or all the way up to the top and will try to keep on moving until you
power the machine off. If this did happen, you will need to clean your sensor and reflector and
then perform the AUTOFOCUS adjustment procedure. An indication that the sensor and
reflector are clean is that you will see a little green light appear on the side of the sensor. If you
see both green and red lights, the sensor and/or reflector are dirty or blocked. NOTE: Make

sure that the table is down far enough so that the sensor “sees” the reflector before
assuming that there is a problem.

To clean, dampen a tissue with water and gently wipe across the sensor and reflector in one
direction. Gently wipe again with a dry tissue.

SECTION 4

Running the System
Step by Step

In this section we will cover how to completely use the laser system to create a product from
start to finish. From powering on everything to removing the finished product from the system,
we will cover the entire process step by step. As an example, let’s engrave and cut out a key
chain from a 2 by 4 inch, 1/8 inch thick piece of hardwood.

Before continuing, please ensure that you have completely read and understood the
entire manual up to this point. It is essential that you know how to safely operate the
laser system before you actually engrave or cut any material.

Powering Up

We recommend that you turn on your computer first and let it boot up completely before
powering up the laser system. This will prevent any garbage information that might have
traveled out the printer port from entering the laser system during power up. This common
practice should be utilized for all output devices whether it is a laser printer or a laser engraver.
If you happen to power up the laser system first and then power up your computer afterwards,
there is a possibility that some garbage information gets transmitted to the laser system. If you
then send down a file to print, that garbage may confuse the laser system and cause it to
engrave erroneously which could damage your material. This is why we recommend turning on
your computer first before the laser system as a safe practice.

Loading and Positioning the Material

The next step is to load and position the wood on top of the engraving table inside the laser
system. Open the top door and position the piece of wood into the upper left hand corner of the
table against the rulers as the diagram below indicates.

4-2 Running the System Step by Step

Focusing

Before attempting to adjust the focal height, visually check to make sure that the table is down
low enough to prevent the focus carriage from hitting into the piece of wood.

With the top door still open, press the “Z” button on the control panel of the laser system. You
will see the focus carriage move to the (1,1) position directly over the piece of wood. Using the
focus tool, material thickness, or the Autofocus method, adjust the table until the proper focal
height is achieved.

WARNING: Be careful not to position the tool underneath the focus lens as this can
damage the lens if the table is driven up into it.

Sometimes it is desirable to be slightly out of focus when engraving or cutting. It widens the
beam at the surface of the material to soften the image or create a wider cut line.

WARNING: DO NOT engrave or cut too far out of focus, as this can be a potential fire
hazard. A maximum of .1 inches above or below precise focus should be the limit.

Running the System Step by Step 4-3

It does not matter whether you bring the table up to go out of focus, or down, the effect is the
same. You should experiment on some scrap material at another time and note the difference.
In this example, we will engrave in precise focus. Once you have established focus, store your
focus tool and close the top door.

Creating the Graphic

In your graphics program set your page size to
the maximum size of the engraving area, 24
inches wide by 12 inches tall in the Landscape
mode. Create some text with a BLACK colored
fill and NO outline. For example, type in the word
“Keychain”. Draw an outline box around the text,
color the outline RED, give the outline a
thickness of .00005 inches (or the smallest
possible line width), remove the fill color (if any),
and round the edges if desired. Now add a circle
with the same RED outline .00005 inches (or the
smallest possible line width) and NO fill, for the
key ring. Place the graphic into the upper left corner of the page, on screen, relative to how the
piece of wood is positioned in the engraving area as the following diagram illustrates:

Setting the Drivers Properties

The next step is to set the drivers properties. From within your graphics program, get to where
you can see the driver parameter screen. Usually, there is a menu item called “Print Setup” or
“Print Options” that allows access to the printer driver screen from your graphics software. For
specific instructions on how to access the printer driver from your graphics software, please
refer to your graphics software instruction manual or online help screens.

Once the printer driver is visible, click on the appropriate tabs and set the drivers parameters to
the appropriate settings. For an example of power settings for a particular material, please refer
to Section 8 of this manual.

Downloading the File

You are now ready to print to the laser system. Make sure the laser system is powered on and
the display reads “ READY”.

4-4 Running the System Step by Step

Find the “PRINT” command within your graphics program and click on it. Depending on which
graphics program you are using, the menu command “PRINT” may be in various locations within
your program. Usually after clicking on “PRINT”, you will then need to click on “OK”.

A status screen may now appear showing a percentage of completion. Once this status screen
disappears, it does not mean that the file is totally in the laser systems memory. If you have the
Windows 95/98 print spooler turned on, it can take several seconds to even minutes, depending
on your file size and the speed of your computer, before the entire file loads into the laser
systems memory. Once the entire file is completely loaded, the display on the laser system will
automatically update and will display the file’s name and the power settings that you assigned to
the first color. One this appears, file download is now complete.

Starting the Engraving Process

Before pressing the “START” button on the control panel:

• Turn on your exhaust system.

• Make sure your material is positioned correctly within the engraving area.

• Make sure that you are properly focused.

• Make sure that the doors are closed and the RED light on the control panel is not flashing.

• Make sure the display shows the name of the file that you are going to run.

If all of the above has been verified, press the “START” button on the laser systems control panel
to begin the engraving process.

Observe that the laser system is functioning as desired. If any abnormalities are present,
including but not limited to, flaming, sparking, melting, or excessive smoking of the material you
are engraving, STOP THE ENGRAVING PROCESS IMMEDIATELY BY EITHER PRESSING
THE “PAUSE” BUTTON OR OPENING THE TOP DOOR! Re-check your settings in the
printer driver as well as the laser system. If everything seems to be correct, the material is not
suitable for laser engraving or cutting and you MUST DISCONTINUE processing this material
or any material that shows impending signs of damage to the equipment.

Running the System Step by Step 4-5

We will also remind you again to please comply with the warning label below.

Material Removing and Reloading

Once the laser system has completed processing you material, the laser beam will turn off, the
motion system will move to its home position in the upper right hand corner, the system will beep
twice, and the green light on the control panel will glow continuously.

Before opening the top door, wait a few seconds to let any remaining fumes that are leftover
from the engraving or cutting process, evacuate through the exhaust system.

Open the top door and remove your material. Some materials will continue to out gas for several
minutes to sometimes hours after the engraving or cutting process is completed. We
recommend that you move these materials to a well-ventilated and unoccupied area.

Some materials, when engraved or cut with a laser, can produce toxic and caustic fumes.
We suggest that you obtain the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from the materials
manufacturer. The MSDS discloses all of the hazards when handling or processing that
material. The law requires all manufacturers to provide this information to anyone who
requests it. DISCONTINUE processing any material that shows signs of chemical
deterioration of the laser system. Systems damaged from this abuse will NOT be
covered under warranty.

While the top door is still open, load in your next piece of material. If it is the same as the
previous one and you want to run the file again, simply close the top door and press the “START”
button again to start the process from the beginning.

For further information on running the laser system in a different manner other than what has
been described in this section, please refer to the previous section on “System Operation”.

RED CUT LINE .001" THICK (MAXIMUM)

SECTION 5

Options & Accessories

There are several options and accessories available for this laser system. The new 3D Effects
option is now available as a standard feature. The Rotary Fixture, Cutting Table, Air Assist
System, Air Assist Compressor, various Focus Lens Kits, and the Dual Head option are
available at additional cost.

3D Effects

The 3D Effects option can be used to create rubber stamps or produce a three-dimensional
engraving appearance on other materials. As an example of how this option works, we will
describe how to make rubber stamps with the laser system.

Rubber Stamps

There are two methods used to create a rubber stamp, the single stamp method and the full
sheet method. In the following examples will show you the step by s tep method of creating both
a single rubber stamp and a full sheet of stamps.

Single Stamp Method

To create the artwork and engrave only one or a few stamps, set the page size in the graphics
program to something smaller than the full field. Just as an example, we will use a page size
that is 8.5 x 11 inches (215.9 x 292.1 mm) in the Landscape mode. In this way we can output to
a paper printer, before engraving, for proofreading. Make sure that this page size is set up the
same in the printer driver. Create a negative style stamp by drawing a black box slightly larger
than the size of the stamp desired. Type in or add graphics within that area and color them with
a fill of white. If you want the laser to cut out your stamp, draw a red outline box that is the
smallest possible line thickness as your program allows. Make sure that the red outline is

inside the black box by at least .050 inches, otherwise there will be a little rubber strip of
rubber sticking up around the border that will unintentionally appear when using the
stamp.

MIRRORED IMAGE

WHITE FILLED GRAPHICWHITE FILLED TEXT

BLACK FILLED BOX

5-2 Options & Accessories

102345678

9

13

8.5 INCHES ( 215.9 mm) TALL

102345678

9

13

COMPUTER GRAPHICS SCREEN

11 INCHES ( 292.1 mm) WIDE

102345678

9

AREA WHERE NEW

STAMP WILL ENGRAVE

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

5

5

Action Sports Equipment
100 Easy Street #117
Plainv ille, KS 99924

PLACE STAMP IN AN

PLACE STAMP IN AN

UNUSED AREA

UNUSED AREA

10 11 12

10 11 12

6

6

7

7

PREVIOUSLY

COMPLETED

STAMPS

GRAPHICS SOFTWARE

GRAPHICS SOFTWARE

PAGE LAYOUT

PAGE LAYOUT

11 INCHES ( 292.1 mm) WIDE

8.5 INCHES ( 215.9 mm) TALL
LANDSCAPE MODE

8

8

9

9

LANDSCAPE MODE

COMPUTER GRAPHICS SCREEN

Place the stamp (on screen) where you want it to engrave in laser system. Avoid the spots
where you have already engraved and cut out other stamps.

10 11 12 13

1

2

3

4

SHEET OF RUBBER

STAMP MATERIAL

5

6

7

8

9

PREVIOUSLY
COMPLETED

STAMPS

LASER ENGRAVING TABLE

Place a sheet of rubber stamp material into the UPPER LEFT CORNER against the rulers, as
the following diagram illustrates, and be sure to properly focus on the material. Now, set the
printer driver settings as shown on the following page.

Options & Accessories 5-3

Settings for a 30 Watt System

There is a considerable difference between rubber blends, thickness, and hardness between
different manufacturers. Use these setting as a starting point for a 30 Watt system. You might
need to experiment with different settings to obtain the desired results.

As you can see, we set the page size in the driver equal to the graphics programs page size.
We also selected "Add Shoulder” and “Normal Rubber Stamp”. We did not choose “Print as
Negative Image” or “Print as Mirror Image” bec ause these switches are only used when printing
a full sheet of stamps.

After making all driver selections, print the graphic to the laser system. Start engraving and
watch the stamp engrave and cut in the correct position on the rubber sheet. The background
area, since it is colored black is being engraved and the letters remain standing up. When the
engraving part is done, the stamp gets cut out along the red cut line due to the stronger settings
that were assigned in the driver for the color red.

5-4 Options & Accessories

Full Sheet Method

The second method is to create a full sheet of rubber stamps and engrave them all at the same
time. First create a stamp as a positive image as shown below.

Create more stamp s to fill the entire page. They can be the same stamp or different ones.

If desired, output the page to a paper printer for proofreading. Printing out a positive image to a
printer is easier to read and uses less toner or ink than a negative print.

Options & Accessories 5-5

In the laser systems printer driver, use the same settings as the previous example but with only
minor modifications. In the “3D Effects” tab, select all three “Special” options; “Add Shoulder”,
“Print as Negative Image” and “Print as Mirror Image” as the diagram below illustrates.

Print to the laser system. Position the full sheet of rubber stamp material in the same upper left
location on the engraving table and begin engraving. The driver automatically adds the shoulder,
mirrors the entire page, and creates a negative image for engraving, and cuts out the stamps.

Rotary Fixture

The Rotary Fixture has been designed to engrave cylindrical objects. Two attachments come
with the fixture, a cone shaped disk attached to the motorized end of the fixture and an inverted
cone shaped disk attached to the adjustable end of the fixture. These attachments are used to
hold wineglasses, mugs, cups, etc.

5-6 Options & Accessories

The Rotary Fixture is placed on the engraving table as the following diagram illustrates.

Please refer to the instructions supplied with the Rotary Fixture on how to properly install and
use this option.

Cutting Table

The purpose of the Cutting Table is to support the material that you are cutting off of the
engraving table’s surface to minimize surface contact area. It also redirects exhaust airflow
below and above the material for better smoke removal. The Cutting Table is installed directly on
top of the engraving table. It is composed of a sheet metal box, alignment rulers, and a
replaceable honeycomb style bed. The honeycomb material is reflective only in the area that
contacts your material to minimize laser beam reflection.

Please refer to the instructions supplied with the Cutting Table on how to properly install and use
this option.

Options & Accessories 5-7

ON OFF AUTO

SOUND INSULATED

COMPRESSOR ENCLOSURE

Air Assist System

The Air Assist System consists of a nozzle that attaches to the focus
carriage, Optics protection adapters, tubing, mounting brackets,
needle valve, and pressure gauge. The purpose of this system is to
force air or other types of gases directly onto the surface of your
material to reduce the burning effects of the laser beam and helps
disperse the smoke and gases created when cutting or engraving
materials. The optics protection parts assist in helping keep the
optics cleaner from flying debris created from the pressurized
nozzle. Use of this system requires a minimum compressed air
source capable of 50 PSI @ 2.5 cfm. This supply MUST be free
from oil, water, and particulate matter. Another option called the “Air
Assist Compressor”, can supply this source. The Air Assist System
is truly a unique option that is a must for serious laser system
production.

Please refer to the instructions supplied with the Air Assist System on how to properly install and
use this option.

Air Assist Compressor

The Air Assist Compressor option is a 50 PSI @ 2.5 cfm source for oil-free, water-free, and
particulate matter-free compressed air. It contains a sound insulated air compressor, water
dryer (desiccant), and coalescent particulate filter. This compact and custom designed unit is a
great compliment to the Air Assist System option.

WATER DRYER

(desiccant)

COILED AIR HOSE

(with quick disconnect fittings)

PARTICULATE

FILTER

Please refer to the instructions supplied with the Air Assist Compressor on how to properly
install and use this option.

5-8 Options & Accessories

Focus Lens Kits

There are three optional Focus Lens Kits available other than the standard 2.0”, they are the 1.5”,

2.5”, and the 4.0” kits. Included in these kits are the focus lens, #3 mirror, front plate,
thumbscrews, and a focus tool.

Different lenses produce different spot sizes and have different focal ranges. For example, the

1.5” lens produces a spot size of .003” and has an effective focal range of +/- .075”. This lens
can engrave very fine detail but can only be used on very flat materials. On the opposite end, the

4.0” lens has a spot size of .013” but has an effective focal range of +/- .2”. Although this lens
cannot engrave very fine detail, its focal range allows you to engrave on slightly rounded or
curved objects without the need for rotation. Using a baseball as an example, focus the beam
halfway between the highest point and the lowest point of engraving. Since a 4.0” lens has a
greater focal range than a shorter lens, you can engrave a considerable distance around the ball
without having to rotate it. Attempting to engrave further around the ball will result in a loss of
engraving power and a distorted image.

Options & Accessories 5-9

Refer to the following chart for spot sizes and focal ranges of the lenses available.

FOCAL LENGTH SPOT SIZE FOCAL RANGE

1.5 “ .003 “ + / - .075 “

2.0 “ .005 “ + / - .100 “

2.5 “ .007 “ + / - .125 “

4.0 “ .013 “ + / - .200 “

If you would like to order any of the accessories described in this section, please speak with your
salesperson or call us directly to place an order or to get current pricing. Most of these items are
in stock and are available for immediate shipment.

Ihr ULS Vertragshändler :

MarkIDent GmbH
Winterspürerstr. 19
78333 Stockach
www.markident.de

SECTION 6

Sample Materials

This section provides sample driver settings and helpful hints to get started engraving and/or
cutting the materials listed.

Safety

NEVER LEAVE THE LASER SYSTEM RUNNING UNATTENDED FOR ANY REASON.

Exposure to the laser beam can cause ignition of combustible materials. All laser cutting and
engraving should be constantly supervised.

NEVER OPERATE THE LASER SYSTEM WITHOUT A PROPERLY INSTALLED AND
OPERATING EXHAUST SYSTEM. Some materials when cut or engraved can produce fumes

that are hazardous in concentrated amounts. Also make sure that your room is adequately
ventilated as some materials will continue to produce fumes for several minutes to possibly
hours after the cutting or engraving process has been completed. Since many materials can
produce toxic and possibly caustic fumes or residue, it is advisable to obtain the Material Safety
Data Sheet (MSDS) from the materials manufacturer. The MSDS discloses all of the hazards
when handling or processing that material. The law requires all manufacturers to provide this
information to anyone who requests it.

DO NOT ENGRAVE OR CUT PVC (Polyvinylchloride) BASED MATERIALS. The fumes are
extremely toxic if you inhale them. The fumes are so caustic that it can chemically destroy the
metal parts of the laser system. Damage to the laser system from this type of abuse WILL

NOT be covered under warranty.

DO NOT ENGRAVE OR CUT UNCOATED METALS OR REFLECTIVE SURFACES. The

laser beam can reflect off of these materials causing damage to the laser system as well as
being a safety hazard. Damage to the laser system from this type of abuse WILL NOT be
covered under warranty.

6-2 Sample Materials

NOTICE

Laser engraving or cutting materials other than those described in this manual can be a safety
hazard and can damage the laser system.

The laser system operator is liable for any damages caused, in whole or in part, for any
economic loss, physical injury, lost revenue, lost profits, lost savings or other indirect, incidental,
special or consequential damages incurred.

Damages to the laser system due to neglect, misuse, or operator error WILL NOT be covered
under warranty.

Materials

There are many variables that can affect the cutting and engraving process such as differences
in the thickness of the material, density of the material, composition of the material, and the
manufacturing processes used to make the material.

Please use these settings as a guideline or starting point, in most cases these
settings should work out well, but sometimes may have to be adjusted to produce
desirable results.

PRINTER DRIVER SETTING TIPS

Power Setting

• Higher burns deeper. Too much power sacrifices detail. Has no effect on running time.

• Lower burns shallower. Too little power sacrifices detail. Has no effect on running time.

Speed Setting

• Higher saves time. Burns shallower and reduces detail.

• Lower increases time. Burns deeper but too deep may reduce detail.

PPI Setting

• Higher increases the burning or melting effect. Produces finer detail if Speed is not too fast.
Has no effect on running time and very little effect on depth.

• Lower decreases the burning or melting effect. Reduces image detail if set too low. Has no
effect on running time and very little effect on depth. Very low settings are used to perforate
the material.

Rule of Thumb

• Doubling the Power doubles the depth and halving the Power halves the depth.

• Halving the Speed doubles the depth and doubling the Speed halves the depth.

Sample Materials 6-3

NOTE

When engraving very small objects, top speed cannot be achieved because acceleration and
deceleration of the motion system requires time and distance. The laser system will
automatically adjust itself to a maximum engraving speed that it can achieve due to the size and
position of the graphic. This is why you might notice that there might be no difference in
engraving time on certain graphics whether you choose 100% speed or less.

The following materials were tested with the laser system set at 500 DPI except where noted
otherwise. The following pages will fully describe the results of these tests and will offer helpful
hints when choosing materials, setting parameters, and using different techniques to provide the
best laser cutting and engraving results.

Please use these settings as a guideline or starting point, in most cases these
settings should work out well, but sometimes may have to be adjusted to produce
desirable results.

ACRYLIC - CAST AND EXTRUDED

ACRYLIC – MIRRORED

ALUMINUM – ANODIZED

BRASS – PAINTED

CORK

CORIAN / AVONITE / FOUNTAINHEAD

DELRIN (SEAL PRESS)

GLASS / CRYSTAL

LEATHER

MARBLE

MAT BOARD

MELAMINE

PLASTIC – MICROSURFACED

RUBBER STAMPS

VINYL – SIGN (3 MIL)

WOOD / WOOD INLAY

6-4 Sample Materials

ACRYLIC - CAST AND EXTRUDED

LIGHT RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 70 80 500 1 .001”
20 50 80 500 1 .001”
25 40 80 500 1 .001”
30 35 80 500 1 .001”
35 30 80 500 1 .001”
40 26 80 500 1 .001”
45 22 80 500 1 .001”
50 20 80 500 1 .001”

DEEP RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 20 500 1 .010”
20 100 27 500 1 .010”
25 100 33 500 1 .010”
30 100 40 500 1 .010”
35 100 47 500 1 .010”
40 100 54 500 1 .010”
45 100 60 500 1 .010”
50 100 67 500 1 .010”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 10 4.0 1000 1 .010”
20 8 4.0 1000 1 .010”
25 6 4.0 1000 1 .010”
30 5 4.0 1000 1 .010”
35 4 4.0 1000 1 .010”
40 3 4.6 1000 1 .010”
45 3 5.2 1000 1 .010”
50 3 5.8 1000 1 .010”

VECTOR CUTTI NG

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 80 .2 1000 1 .2”
20 100 .4 1000 1 .2”
25 90 .4 1000 1 .2”
30 75 .4 1000 1 .2”
35 65 .4 1000 1 .2”
40 55 .4 1000 1 .2”
45 50 .4 1000 1 .2”
50 45 .4 1000 1 .2”

Sample Materials 6-5

COMMENTS

There are two types of acrylic available, cast and extruded. Cast turns white or frosted and
extruded remains clear when engraved. Use extruded acrylic for paint filled engraving and cast
for regular engraving. Cast engraves better without masking. Lightly engrave the surface to
frost it with a low power setting such as the first setting listed above. If deep engraving is
desired, it is necessary to mask the acrylic with transfer tape to prevent the smoke from
damaging the clear surface of the acrylic. However, another problem with deep acrylic
engraving is that the intense heat creates a white, crusty, deposit that accumulates along the
edges of the area that was just engraved and is impossible to remove without causing damage.
Engraving lightly and without masking seems to be the better all around alternative.

If only cutting acrylic, extruded works better and is less expensive than cast. The cut edges of
extruded acrylic will appear to be more highly polished and clearer than cast acrylic when laser
cut. When cutting acrylic, it might be necessary to remove both sides of the original masking
and re-mask with transfer tape if cutting through the original masking produces flaming. The
original masking is coated with wax and will not absorb water. If cutting through very thick
acrylic, re-mask both sides with transfer tape and dampen the masking on both sides of the
acrylic with water from a spray bottle. Elevate the acrylic off the table at least 1/2 inch, re-focus,
and then proceed to cut. Elevating the acrylic will allow the beam to completely pass through the
material which allows the smoke and heat to escape from underneath. If cutting directly on the
engraving table, the trapped heat might cause the bottom edge of the cut to pit and distort. Re­masking and dampening with water will act as a heat sink to pull the laser heat away from the
cutting area resulting in less distortion or heat effected zones (HAZ). When dampening, be sure
not to leave puddles of water. Puddles of water will reduce cutting depth significantly. For the
best results when combining engraving and cutting on the same piece, first engrave lightly and
unmasked. Then mask with transfer tape, dampen, elevate, re-focus, and cut as a second step.

Paint filling the engraved area is possible by first masking the acrylic or leave on the original
masking then engraving through the masking. Before removing the masking, brush or spray on
some acrylic based or water based paint right on to the masking. When the paint is dry, remove
the masking and the paint will remain in the recessed area of the engraving. Remember to use
extruded acrylic when paint filling and cast acrylic when simply engraving.

Acrylic is extremely flammable. Do not leave the laser system unattended when cutting
or engraving.

6-6 Sample Materials

LIGHT RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 75 80 500 1 .003”
20 55 80 500 1 003”
25 45 80 500 1 003”
30 40 80 500 1 003”
35 35 80 500 1 003”
40 31 80 500 1 003”
45 27 80 500 1 003”
50 25 80 500 1 003”

DEEP RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 20 500 1 .010”
20 100 27 500 1 .010”
25 100 33 500 1 .010”
30 100 40 500 1 .010”
35 100 47 500 1 .010”
40 100 54 500 1 .010”
45 100 60 500 1 .010”
50 100 67 500 1 .010”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 12 4.0 1000 1 .010”
20 10 4.0 1000 1 .010”
25 8 4.0 1000 1 .010”
30 7 4.0 1000 1 .010”
35 6 4.0 1000 1 .010”
40 5 4.6 1000 1 .010”
45 5 5.2 1000 1 .010”
50 5 5.8 1000 1 .010”

VECTOR CUTTING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 80 .2 1000 1 .2”
20 100 .4 1000 1 .2”
25 90 .4 1000 1 .2”
30 75 .4 1000 1 .2”
35 65 .4 1000 1 .2”
40 55 .4 1000 1 .2”
45 50 .4 1000 1 .2”
50 45 .4 1000 1 .2”

ACRYLIC - MIRRORED

Sample Materials 6-7

COMMENTS

Engraving mirrored acrylic is similar to engraving regular acrylic. The idea is to engrave through
the mirrored backing enough to begin to penetrate into the acrylic. Engraving deeply will cause a
crusty residue to form just like with non-mirrored acrylic. A double image will appear if engraving
on the front side of the mirror. It is not necessary to mask the backside when engraving
because the mirrored backing shields the acrylic from smoke damage. To cut mirrored acrylic,
it might be necessary to remove all original masking, re-mask with transfer tape, and dampen
the tape with water from a spray bottle. Next, place the acrylic in the laser with the mirrored
surface facing upwards and elevate at least 1/2 inch above the table. The laser beam will not
reflect off of the mirrored surface because it is absorbed by the acrylic first. Sometimes cutting
the acrylic from the backside will cause the mirrored backing to distort and crack from the
intense heat required to cut. If the combination of engraving and cutting is desired, our
suggestion is to engrave the backing, unmasked, remove the acrylic, mask both sides with
transfer tape, flip the acrylic over, dampen, elevate, re-focus, and cut from the front side. When
paint filling the engraved area, make sure to use an acrylic -based paint or paint that does not
contain acetone or alcohol, as these chemicals will crack the acrylic. Water based paints also
work very well. Since the mirrored backing serves as a masking, it is not necessary to mask the
backside before engraving.

Acrylic is extremely flammable. Do not leave the laser system unattended when cutting
or engraving.

6-8 Sample Materials

ANODIZED ALUMINUM

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 90 80 500 1 .001”
20 68 80 500 1 .001”
25 54 80 500 1 .001”
30 45 80 500 1 .001”
35 38 80 500 1 .001”
40 34 80 500 1 .001”
45 30 80 500 1 .001”
50 27 80 500 1 .001”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 20 4.0 1000 1 .001”
20 15 4.0 1000 1 .001”
25 12 4.0 1000 1 .001”
30 10 4.0 1000 1 .001”
35 9 4.0 1000 1 .001”
40 8 4.0 1000 1 .001”
45 7 4.0 1000 1 .001”
50 6 4.0 1000 1 .001”

COMMENTS
There is a process called Laser Color Marking which enables the color filling of anodized
aluminum. First, coat or spray the aluminum with a clear acrylic finish. After the finish has
thoroughly dried, laser engrave the graphic onto the aluminum. Then take a water based
marker, such as those found in an art supply store, and swab on the ink into the engraved area.
You can actually see the ink get absorbed into the engraved area but not the unengraved area.
The ink will appear lighter in color because the white engraved area tends to lighten the shade.
Use a darker tint marker to compensate for the lighter effect. Wipe off the excess with a soft, lint
free cloth. Finish the piece by applying another coat of clear acrylic finish and let dry.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENGRAVE DEEPLY OR CUT THIS MATERIAL
WITH THE LASER SYSTEM . High Power and low Speed settings can cause

the laser beam to reflect off of this material which can damage the laser system
and can be a safety hazard. Damage caused by this type of abuse WILL NOT
be covered under warranty.

ENGRAVING THIS MATERIAL PRODUCES ABRASIVE PARTICLES. Clean
the laser system more frequently to reduce wear and tear on the motion system
components and optics. Damage to the laser system from inadequate or
insufficient maintenance WILL NOT be covered under warranty.

Sample Materials 6-9

BRASS - PAINTED

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 90 80 500 1 .001”
20 68 80 500 1 .001”
25 54 80 500 1 .001”
30 45 80 500 1 .001”
35 38 80 500 1 .001”
40 34 80 500 1 .001”
45 30 80 500 1 .001”
50 27 80 500 1 .001”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 20 4.0 1000 1 .001”
20 15 4.0 1000 1 .001”
25 12 4.0 1000 1 .001”
30 10 4.0 1000 1 .001”
35 9 4.0 1000 1 .001”
40 8 4.0 1000 1 .001”
45 7 4.0 1000 1 .001”
50 6 4.0 1000 1 .001”

COMMENTS
The manufacturing processes for coated brass varies from one vendor to another. Some
manufacturers do not polish the brass before coating it. Since CO2 lasers at this power level do
not engrave into metals when the coating is removed, the tarnished brass underneath will have a
dull appearance that will need to be polished with a brass polishing compound. This type of
brass is designed for mechanical engravers that actually remove the metal when engraving
which gives the brass a shine without polishing. Brass that is produced for the laser engraving
industry is polished, then clear coated, and finally coated with paint. When laser engraving this
type of material, adjust the power so that the laser beam removes the painted coating but not the
clear coating. This will expose the polished, clear-coated brass without penetrating all the way
down to the metal. Since the brass is already clear coated and polished, it will not require any
cleanup after engraving nor will it ever oxidize. If too much laser power is used, the brass the
clear coat will be removed and the brass underneath will be exposed to the heat of the laser
beam causing instant tarnish. If polishing the brass, use a soft, non-abrasive cloth or tissue (not
paper towels) and good quality brass polish. Do not rub too hard, as this will scratch the painted
coating.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENGRAVE DEEPLY OR CUT THIS MATERIAL WITH
THE LASER SYSTEM. High Power and low Speed settings can cause the laser

beam to reflect off of this material which can damage the laser system and can
be a safety hazard. Damage caused by this type of abuse WILL NOT be
covered under warranty.

6-10 Sample Materials

CORIAN / AVONITE / FOUNTAINHEAD

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 20 500 1 .005”
20 100 27 500 1 .005”
25 100 33 500 1 .005”
30 100 40 500 1 .005”
35 100 47 500 1 .005”
40 100 53 500 1 .005”
45 100 60 500 1 .005”
50 100 67 500 1 .005”

DEEP RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 10 1000 1 .015”
20 100 13 1000 1 .015”
25 100 17 1000 1 .015”
30 100 20 1000 1 .015”
35 100 23 1000 1 .015”
40 100 27 1000 1 .015”
45 100 30 1000 1 .015”
50 100 33 1000 1 .015”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 4.0 1000 1 .010”
20 75 4.0 1000 1 .010”
25 60 4.0 1000 1 .010”
30 50 4.0 1000 1 .010”
35 43 4.0 1000 1 .010”
40 38 4.0 1000 1 .010”
45 33 4.0 1000 1 .010”
50 30 4.0 1000 1 .010”

COMMENTS
If paint filling, mask the material first, then engrave through the masking. In this way, when ready
to paint fill, the material is already masked. Spray painting seems to be the easiest. Use the
paint sparingly. Excess paint can accumulate on the edges of the engraving, which will make
mask removal difficult and leave unsightly ridges. It is best to apply several lighter coats than
one heavy coat of paint. Remove the masking after the paint has dried.

ENGRAVING THIS MATERIAL PRODUCES ABRASIVE PARTICLES. Clean
the laser system more frequently to reduce wear and tear on the motion system
components and optics. Damage to the laser system from inadequate or
insufficient maintenance WILL NOT be covered under warranty.

Sample Materials 6-11

CORK

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 80 30 500 1 .010”
20 80 40 500 1 .010”
25 80 50 500 1 .010”
30 80 60 500 1 .010”
35 80 70 500 1 .010”
40 80 80 500 1 .010”
45 80 90 500 1 .010”
50 80 100 500 1 .010”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 20 4.0 500 1 .010”
20 15 4.0 500 1 .010”
25 12 4.0 500 1 .010”
30 10 4.0 500 1 .010”
35 9 4.0 500 1 .010”
40 8 4.0 500 1 .010”
45 7 4.0 500 1 .010”
50 6 4.0 500 1 .010”

VECTOR CUTTING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 1.6 100 1 .060”
20 75 1.6 100 1 .060”
25 60 1.6 100 1 .060”
30 50 1.6 100 1 .060”
35 43 1.6 100 1 .060”
40 38 1.6 100 1 .060”
45 33 1.6 100 1 .060”
50 30 1.6 100 1 .060”

COMMENTS
Cork is not very popular for engraving but it does engrave and cut nicely. Cork is mainly used for
making gaskets by vector cutting the gasket patterns.

LASER CUTTING THIS MATERIAL CAN CAUSE FLAMING AND
SPARKING. Use caution when attempting to cut this material. It would be

better to use a longer focal length lens to prevent the lens from being damaged
during processing. NEVER leave the machine unattended while processing
any material. Damages caused by processing any material WILL NOT be
covered under warranty.

6-12 Sample Materials

FEMALE

DELRIN (SEAL PRESS)

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 18 500 1 .015”
20 100 23 500 1 .015”
25 100 29 500 1 .015”
30 100 35 500 1 .015”
35 100 41 500 1 .015”
40 100 47 500 1 .015”
45 100 53 500 1 .015”
50 100 58 500 1 .015”

VECTOR CUTTING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 75 1.2 200 1 .060”
20 75 1.6 200 1 .060”
25 75 2.0 200 1 .060”
30 75 2.4 200 1 .060”
35 75 2.8 200 1 .060”
40 75 3.2 200 1 .060”
45 75 3.6 200 1 .060”
50 75 4.0 200 1 .060”

COMMENTS

The laser system can be used to make dies
for seal presses. It can engrave and cut out
a typical Notary Seal in less than 5 minutes.
Create the male with a white graphic and a
black background. Mirror the image and
invert it by making the background white and
the graphic black. Add a .010 inch black
outline to the graphic portion of the female
side. This will give the greater clearance to

MALE

seal presses into the female side. Once the seal is made and fastened to the press, make
several impressions onto 400 grit sandpaper to smoothen out the edges of the plastic. Make
sure you turn the sandpaper over to get both sides of the seal.

LASER CUTTING THIS MATERIAL CAN CAUSE FLAMING. Use caution
when attempting to cut this material. Make sure that the flame does not come
in contact with any part of the laser system. NEVER leave the machine
unattended while processing any material. Damages caused by processing
any material WILL NOT be covered under warranty.

the female side to prevent the paper from
piercing through when the male side of the

Sample Materials 6-13

GLASS / CRYSTAL

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 10 300 1 .001
20 100 13 300 1 .001
25 100 17 300 1 .001
30 100 20 300 1 .001
35 100 23 300 1 .001
40 100 27 300 1 .001
45 100 30 300 1 .001
50 100 33 300 1 .001

COMMENTS: Engrave at 333 DPI

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 10 2.0 300 1 .001
20 10 2.7 300 1 .001
25 10 3.3 300 1 .001
30 10 4.0 300 1 .001
35 10 4.7 300 1 .001
40 10 5.3 300 1 .001
45 10 6.0 300 1 .001
50 10 6.7 300 1 .001

COMMENTS
Glass engraving is different from other types of engraving. A CO2 laser cannot engrave into the
glass nor can it cut glass. Instead, laser interaction with glass causes the surface of the glass
to appear frosted. Sometimes, placing a piece of newspaper on the glass and dampening is
with water will improve the appearance of the engraving. Another method is to apply transfer
tape to the glass, wet it with water from a spray bottle, and laser engrave it. The transfer tape
and water will act as a heat sink and pull the heat away from the glass as the laser system
engraves it. This helps reduce chipping or flaking of the glass.

Be especially careful when engraving leaded crystal. The lead in crystal conduct heat, which
can cause much more flaking or even the cracking of the crystal. Use a lower power setting to
try to reduce the chance of damage. It is always good to have at least one extra piece to use as
a test piece to get the right settings especially if you have never tried to engrave that material
before.

ENGRAVING THIS MATERIAL PRODUCES ABRASIVE PARTICLES. Clean
the laser system more frequently to reduce wear and tear on the motion
system components and optics. Damage to the laser system from inadequate
or insufficient maintenance WILL NOT be covered under warranty.

6-14 Sample Materials

LEATHER

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 56 80 500 1 .001”
20 42 80 500 1 .001”
25 34 80 500 1 .001”
30 28 80 500 1 .001”
35 24 80 500 1 .001”
40 21 80 500 1 .001”
45 19 80 500 1 .001”
50 17 80 500 1 .001”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 10 4.0 500 1 .001”
20 8 4.0 500 1 .001”
25 6 4.0 500 1 .001”
30 5 4.0 500 1 .001”
35 4 4.0 500 1 .001”
40 4 4.0 500 1 .001”
45 3 4.0 500 1 .001”
50 3 4.0 500 1 .001”

VECTOR CUTTING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 50 1.0 200 1 .1”
20 50 1.3 200 1 .1”
25 50 1.7 200 1 .1”
30 50 2.0 200 1 .1”
35 50 2.3 200 1 .1”
40 50 2.7 200 1 .1”
45 50 3.0 200 1 .1”
50 50 3.3 200 1 .1”

COMMENTS
Leather is a very simple material to engrave and most types of leather engrave very well with the
laser system. Simulated leather engraves well also, but the results are not as nice as with the
real thing. Engraving lightly will turn the surface of the leather dark brown giving it a high contrast
in appearance. Try engraving at a light power setting first. If the result is not deep enough the
job can be run again over the same spot. Experiment with different depths of engraving and note
the results.

Sample Materials 6-15

MARBLE

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 28 500 1 .003”
20 100 37 500 1 .003”
25 100 46 500 1 .003”
30 100 55 500 1 .003”
35 100 64 500 1 .003”
40 100 73 500 1 .003”
45 100 83 500 1 .003”
50 100 92 500 1 .003”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 40 4.0 500 1 .003”
20 30 4.0 500 1 .003”
25 24 4.0 500 1 .003”
30 20 4.0 500 1 .003”
35 17 4.0 500 1 .003”
40 15 4.0 500 1 .003”
45 13 4.0 500 1 .003”
50 12 4.0 500 1 .003”

COMMENTS
Most marble and polished stones will turn white when engraved. Masking is not necessary and
light engraving works out better than heavy and deep engraving. Engraving deeply will cause a
highly detailed image to appear washed out. The objective is to engrave deep enough to turn the
marble white and provide a good contrast. Too much power can also cause the material to
discolor and turn brown as if it were burned. Photographs look great when engraved on marble,
especially darker marbles where the whiteness of the engraving really stands out. Avoid using
marble that is very textured looking. The texture washes out the details of the engraving. Try to
use uniformly colored marble and related stones. Marble can also be paint filled by using a wax
based paint. Rub the paint on with a fingertip, let dry and then buff with a soft cloth. The paint
will only adhere to the engraved surface and not the surrounding areas.

ENGRAVING THIS MATERIAL PRODUCES ABRASIVE PARTICLES. Clean
the laser system more frequently to reduce wear and tear on the motion system
components and optics. Damage to the laser system from inadequate or
insufficient maintenance WILL NOT be covered under warranty.

6-16 Sample Materials

MAT BOARD

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 90 80 250 1 .005”
20 68 80 250 1 .005”
25 54 80 250 1 .005”
30 45 80 250 1 .005”
35 39 80 250 1 .005”
40 34 80 250 1 .005”
45 30 80 250 1 .005”
50 27 80 250 1 .005”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 40 4.0 250 1 .005”
20 30 4.0 250 1 .005”
25 24 4.0 250 1 .005”
30 20 4.0 250 1 .005”
35 17 4.0 250 1 .005”
40 15 4.0 250 1 .005”
45 13 4.0 250 1 .005”
50 12 4.0 250 1 .005”

VECTOR CUTTING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 3.2 200 1 .050”
20 75 3.2 200 1 .050”
25 60 3.2 200 1 .050”
30 50 3.2 200 1 .050”
35 43 3.2 200 1 .050”
40 38 3.2 200 1 .050”
45 33 3.2 200 1 .050”
50 30 3.2 200 1 .050”

COMMENTS
Mat board (thick cardboard) is an excellent material to use for architectural modeling and for
picture framing. It cuts and engraves very neatly and cleanly. It comes in a variety of shades
and colors. Patterns can be engraved on the surface with a power setting for light engraving
which just breaks through the very thin top layer and exposes the lighter colored underlying
substrate. When engraving, a low PPI setting is used to prevent overexposure of the underlying
substrate material, which causes excessive dark discoloration. Masking is not necessary on the
top surface when engraving. When cutting, both sides might need to be masked and the
material elevated above the engraving table. This will produce an extremely clean edge on both
sides of the material.

Sample Materials 6-17

MELAMINE - STANDARD ENGRAVING

LIGHT RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 20 500 1 .015”
20 100 27 500 1 .015”
25 100 33 500 1 .015”
30 100 40 500 1 .015”
35 100 47 500 1 .015”
40 100 53 500 1 .015”
45 100 60 500 1 .015”
50 100 67 500 1 .015”

DEEP RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 14 500 1 .020”
20 100 19 500 1 .020”
25 100 23 500 1 .020”
30 100 28 500 1 .020”
35 100 33 500 1 .020”
40 100 37 500 1 .020”
45 100 42 500 1 .020”
50 100 47 500 1 .020”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 40 4.0 500 1 .010”
20 30 4.0 500 1 .010”
25 24 4.0 500 1 .010”
30 20 4.0 500 1 .010”
35 17 4.0 500 1 .010”
40 15 4.0 500 1 .010”
45 13 4.0 500 1 .010”
50 12 4.0 500 1 .010”

COMMENTS
Engraving melamine is very similar to engraving regular wood with the added benefit of a
consistent surface finish and uniform base material composition. Unlike regular wood that has
grain patterns and density variations, melamine, when laser engraved, produces a flat and even
engraved area. This characteristic gives this material superior engraving and paint filling
qualities. Masking can be used if desired but it is just as easy to spray the engraved area with
water and wipe down with a chamois cloth to remove the smoke residue. Since the top surface
material is consistent in texture and color, engraving photographs or highly detailed images
produces exceptional results. Refer to the next example on engraving photographs and/or
ClipArt.

6-18 Sample Materials

MELAMINE - PHOTO/CLIPART ENGRAVING

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 80 30 500 1 .008”
20 80 40 500 1 .008”
25 80 50 500 1 .008”
30 80 60 500 1 .008”
35 80 70 500 1 .008”
40 80 80 500 1 .008”
45 80 90 500 1 .008”
50 80 100 500 1 .008”

COMMENTS: Engrave unmasked. Use a resolution of 500 DPI.

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 80 15 500 1 .008”
20 80 20 500 1 .008”
25 80 25 500 1 .008”
30 80 30 500 1 .008”
35 80 35 500 1 .008”
40 80 40 500 1 .008”
45 80 45 500 1 .008”
50 80 50 500 1 .008”

COMMENTS: Engrave unmasked. Use a resolution of 250 DPI.

COMMENTS

Engraving photographs can be challenging at first but becomes easier once there is an
understanding of what to look for and how to achieve the desired results. In an image
processing software, scan the image in at 300 DPI. Adjust the brightness and the contrasts to
brighten the light colors and darken the dark colors. The photo might look better by using a
sharpening filter to sharpen up the image slightly. The next step is to select a halftone pattern.
Usually, imaging software gives the choice of using different halftone patterns including
frequency of lines per inch and pattern angles. Use a line frequency above 20 and below 100.
The size of the dots decreases as the line frequency increases. Experiment to see which
pattern looks the best. Big dots look good on some materials and small dots look better on
others. If it is not possible to assign a halftone pattern in the imaging software, the printer driver
will automatically default to a predetermined pattern based on RESOLUTION. When using the
Clipart mode switch, which prints all Clipart or drawings as grayscale bitmaps, use the same
parameters and techniques as for engraving photographs. Please refer to Section 3 about using
predefined halftone screens in the driver or creating custom ones.

Sample Materials 6-19

PLASTIC - ENGRAVERS MICROSURFACED

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 70 80 500 1 .003”
20 50 80 500 1 .003”
25 40 80 500 1 .003”
30 35 80 500 1 .003”
35 30 80 500 1 .003”
40 26 80 500 1 .003”
45 22 80 500 1 .003”
50 20 80 500 1 .003”

VECTOR CUTTING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 1.2 150 1 .060”
20 75 1.2 150 1 .060”
25 60 1.2 150 1 .060”
30 50 1.2 150 1 .060”
35 43 1.2 150 1 .060”
40 38 1.2 150 1 .060”
45 33 1.2 150 1 .060”
50 30 1.2 150 1 .060”

COMMENTS
Laser engraveable plastic comes in many different colors, thickness, coatings, and surface
textures. Most engravers plastic will engrave and cut well with the laser system as long as it is
microsurfaced and formulated for laser engraving. Removal of large amounts of material will
warp the plastic. You might need to tape it down or hold it down flat somehow to prevent it from
curling as you engrave. Since these plastics have low melting point, a low PPI setting is used
when cutting to reduce the possibility of melting. Masking and dampening with water also helps
to reduce melting and keeps the plastic clear of smoke residue. Always remove the original
clear masking from the plastic because it does not react well with the laser. Since there are so
many types of engravers plastics, the only true way to find out if a particular brand and type will
work well with the laser is to experiment. Use these power settings as a guideline for
experimentation and adjust as necessary. Thicker top coated plastics are not recommended
because it requires too much power to remove the material and the large amount of smoke
created usually stains the substrate.

LASER ENGRAVING OR CUTTING PLASTIC CAN IGNITE THE
MATERIAL. Never leave the laser system running unattended for any

reason.

6-20 Sample Materials

RUBBER STAMPS

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 (Not recommended) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
20 (Not recommended) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

25 100 13 500 1 .030”
30 100 16 500 1 .030”
35 100 19 500 1 .030”
40 100 21 500 1 .030”
45 100 24 500 1 .030”
50 100 27 500 1 .030”

PERFORATED VECTOR CUTTING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 (Not recommended) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
20 (Not recommended) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

25 60 1.3 90 1 .040”
30 60 1.6 90 1 .040”
35 60 1.9 90 1 .040”
40 60 2.1 90 1 .040”
45 60 2.4 90 1 .040”
50 60 2.7 90 1 .040”

COMMENTS
To create a rubber stamp, use the “3D Effects” tab in the driver (Section 3). In the above
example, only one pass is necessary to achieve a deeply engraved rubber stamp. When cutting
out the rubber stamp, we recommend using a very low PPI setting. This setting spreads the
laser pulses far enough apart that they just touch at the edges. The result is a perforated cut
that allows the rubber stamp to remain attached to the entire sheet but easily removed by simply
tearing it off. The advantage to this is that the possibility of distortion or melting while cutting is
virtually eliminated and the entire sheet of rubber stamps can be removed from the machine at
one time instead of having to pick them up one by one.

• LASER ENGRAVING OR CUTTING RUBBER CAN IGNITE THE
MATERIAL. Never leave the laser system running unattended for any reason.

• LASER ENGRAVING OR CUTTING RUBBER CAN PRODUCE FOUL
ODORS. You might need to particulate filter and/or odor filter your exhaust

depending on your environment, installation location, and/or your local air
quality control laws.

• LASER ENGRAVING OR CUTTING RUBBER PRODUCES ABRASIVE

DUST. Clean the laser system more frequently to reduce wear and tear on the motion

system com ponents and optics. Damage to the laser system from inadequate or insufficient
maintenance WILL NOT be covered under warranty.

Sample Materials 6-21

SIGN VINYL

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 15 500 1 .015”
20 100 20 500 1 .015”
25 100 25 500 1 .015”
30 100 30 500 1 .015”
35 100 35 500 1 .015”
40 100 40 500 1 .015”
45 100 45 500 1 .015”
50 100 50 500 1 .015”

VECTOR CUTTING (KISS CUT)

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 5 2.0 500 1 .003”
20 5 2.7 500 1 .003”
25 5 3.3 500 1 .003”
30 5 4.0 500 1 .003”
35 5 4.7 500 1 .003”
40 5 5.3 500 1 .003”
45 5 6.0 500 1 .003”
50 5 6.7 500 1 .003”

COMMENTS
Sign vinyl comes in a wide variety of colors, patterns, thickness, finishes, and reflectivity. There
are a few methods for using sign vinyl with the laser system. One method is to vector cut
(unmasked) through the vinyl but not through the backing. This technique provides results
equivalent to a vinyl cutter machine. Once the vinyl has been cut, remove the excess vinyl, apply
transfer tape and use a squeegee to remove trapped air bubbles. The transfer tape can then be
lifted off and the vinyl lettering or objects that were vector cut will stick to the transfer tape and
maintain their correct spacing with respect to each other. Now apply the tape to the desired
surface and squeegee, peel off the transfer tape, and the lettering will remain adhered to the
surface. The other method is to apply a piece of vinyl to the desired surface (unmasked) and
adjust the laser power so as to cut through the vinyl without engraving into the material below.
Another example is to cover the entire surface of a wooden plaque with vinyl, use a squeegee to
remove all air bubbles, and then mask the entire surface with transfer tape to protect the vinyl
from smoke damage. In the graphics software, color the background black and place white filled
text on top of the colored background. Since the laser system does not engrave white filled
objects, the background will be engraved and the lettering will be untouched. Peel off the excess
vinyl and transfer tape to reveal the final product.

MOST SIGN VINYL IS MADE FROM PVC (Polyvinylchloride). DO NOT
USE PVC BASED VINYL. The fumes are extremely toxic if you inhale them.

The fumes are also caustic and can chemically destroy the metal parts of the
laser system. Damage to the laser system from this type of abuse WILL NOT
be covered under warranty.

6-22 Sample Materials

WOOD

RASTER ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 100 20 500 1 .020”
20 100 27 500 1 .020”
25 100 33 500 1 .020”
30 100 40 500 1 .020”
35 100 47 500 1 .020”
40 100 53 500 1 .020”
45 100 60 500 1 .020”
50 100 67 500 1 .020”

VECTOR ENGRAVING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 80 2.5 500 1 .030”
20 80 3.3 500 1 .030”
25 80 4.2 500 1 .030”
30 80 5.0 500 1 .030”
35 80 5.8 500 1 .030”
40 80 6.7 500 1 .030”
45 80 7.5 500 1 .030”
50 80 8.3 500 1 .030”

VECTOR CUTTING

LASER WATTAGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH

15 50 0.8 250 1 .125”
20 50 1.1 250 1 .125”
25 50 1.3 250 1 .125”
30 50 1.6 250 1 .125”
35 50 1.9 250 1 .125”
40 50 2.1 250 1 .125”
45 50 2.4 250 1 .125”
50 50 2.7 250 1 .125”

COMMENTS
When engraving wood with a laser, a brown, maple syrup like residue will deposit on the surface
of the wood. This is normal and impossible to eliminate by POWER, SPEED, or PPI changes.
More residue will be present when engraving deeper and/or slower. This residue washes off
with water and a sponge. We recommend using a kitchen sponge with a nylon string mesh
wrapped around it. Dampen the sponge and wipe off the residue. A damp chamois cloth works
well also. Do not use paper towels or a regular sponge because these materials will get lodged
in the engraved area when wiping and are extremely difficult to remove. A method to avoid
cleanup is to mask the wood with transfer tape and peel off the tape after engraving. If desired,
after engraving and before peeling off the tape, spray paint can be applied to color fill the
engraved areas. After the paint dries, peel off the tape. If an intricate drawing has been
engraved and there are many small pieces of tape to remove, it may

Sample Materials 6-23

be easier to flood the masking, after engraving, with water. This will loosen the tape and it can
be easily removed by rubbing it off by hand. In the vector cutting example, the wood was
elevated from the table to let smoke and heat escape from underneath. If elevating the wood,
mask and/or dampen the bottom side of the wood very lightly and the water acts as a heat sink
to prevent the underside from flaming and charring. Elevating the wood also helps to determine
whether the laser has passed completely through since the cut pieces will fall through to the
table when cutting is finished. If raising the wood, set up the drawing so that the inner pieces of
the drawing are cut first, otherwise pieces may fall through at the wrong time.

Not all wood finishes are created equal. When ordering wood from a supplier, be sure to specify
that it is being used for laser engraving. Some finishes cannot handle the heat from the laser
and will bubble, blister, and possibly turn white. For engraving softer woods such as pine or
balsa, reduce the power settings to acquire the best depth. Engraving too deep on soft woods
will reduce quality. Every type of wood will engrave differently. It is better to engrave woods that
are finished. If engraving unfinished wood and it is not masked with transfer tape, the smoke
residue tends to embed in the wood and is impossible to remove without sanding. To prevent
this, mask all unfinished wood with transfer tape.

WOOD INLAYS - VENEERS

Create a drawing with no outlines, only filled areas. Engrave the filled areas almost as deep as
the thickness of the veneer (usually about .003 inches (.1 mm) or less). With some water and a
nylon brush, remove all residue from the engraved area. When cutting veneers make sure they
are lying absolutely flat. In the drawing, give the objects an outline of .001 inches (.1 mm) and
remove the fill. Adjust the power so that there is just enough power to cut completely through the
veneer. Overpowering the cut will cause too much material removal and the fit will not be snug.
Some software programs allow outline offsetting to compensate for the thickness of the beam
called contouring. Usually, a contour to the outside of the vector line of .006 inches provides a
tight fit. Remember if using more power to cut through the veneer, compensate for the thicker
width of the lase r cut by contouring a little further to the outside.

Another method is to first create your graphic and fill it with the color black. Then give it a white
outline of .012 inches (.3 mm). If you look at the graphic when you add the outline, you will see
that it appears to shrink. Now raster engrave the graphic to a depth slightly shallower than the
thickness of the veneer. When the engraving is finished, place the veneer into the laser system.
Remove the black fill and change the outline to a different color. Cut out the veneer with the
laser system, add glue to the veneer, and apply the veneer into the engraved area of the other
piece of wood and let dry. After the glue has thoroughly dried, sand the veneer until it is flush
with the base wood. A good veneer to use is one with an adhesive backing. Once cut, place the
veneer into its proper place on the engraved wood block and with a clothes iron, and iron the
veneer into the engraved wood. This melts the glue and causes the veneer to stick to the
engraved area. Finish the wood as you desire and the finished product will look fantastic. The
veneer can now be sanded flush with the surface and a finish coat applied.

LASER ENGRAVING OR CUTTING WOOD CAN IGNITE THE MATERIAL.
Never leave the laser system running unattended for any reason.

SECTION 7

Maintenance

Keeping the laser system clean will ensure the highest quality engraving. The frequency of
cleaning will depend entirely on the type of material being engraved, the performance of your
exhaust blower, the operating environment, and the amount of laser system usage over a given
period of time. Dirt or debris that is allowed to build up on the motion system components will
cause uneven or rough engraving, or loss of engraving position as well as premature component
failure. Smoke or dirt buildup on the optics can cause damage to them, loss of laser power, or
premature failure of these components. Use good judgment and keep in mind that a clean
machine is the best performing machine.

Always turn the laser engraving system OFF and unplug it before performing any cleaning
procedures.

Suggested Cleaning and Maintenance Supplies

• Soap solution mixture of 1 tablespoon (2 cl) liquid soap and 1 quart (liter) of water in a spray

bottle

• Paper towels

• Cotton cloth

• Denatured alcohol (NOT to be used on any painted surface, plastic, or the Top Window)

• Acetone (can be used on the engraving table but nowhere else)

• Cotton swabs (supplied)

• Lens cleaner (supplied)

• Lens tissue (supplied)

• Vacuum cleaner

• Set of Allen wrenches sized from .050 to 3/16 inch

*NOTE: When using acetone or denatured alcohol, please follow the instructions on the printed
label of these materials for safe handling procedures.

Please familiarize yourself with the motion system components in the following diagram. It will
help you understand which components need periodic cleaning.

7-2 Maintenance

Maintenance 7-3

System Cleaning

• Turn off and unplug the laser system.

• Open the Top Door and thoroughly remove all loose dirt and debris from inside the machine

with a vacuum cleaner.

• Clean the Engraving Table surface with either a soap solution, alcohol, or acetone, and paper

towels. NEVER pour or spray any solution directly into the laser system. Always dampen
your paper towel or cloth outside of the machine with the cleaning solution and then wipe
down the parts you are cleaning with the dampened cloth.

• Clean X Rail and the Y Rails by using either the cotton swabs or paper towels, and alcohol or

soap solution. Pay close attention to the bearing tracks that the bearings roll in since any
debris left to build up in these bearing tracks will cause the bearings to wear and the
engraving quality to become rough.

• After the rails and tracks are cleaned, use a clean swab or paper towel, and alcohol to clean

all of the bearings by holding the swab against each bearing and moving the motion system
by hand to roll the bearings against the swab. There are seven bearings in the system, three
(3) on the Focus Carriage, two (2) on the left side of the X Rail, and two (2) on the right side
of the X Rail.

• Clean the Top Window with a cotton cloth and the soap solution. The Top Window is made

out of acrylic. DO NOT use paper towels because they will scratch the acrylic. Also, DO
NOT use window cleaner, alcohol, or acetone, as these chemicals will crack the acrylic.
Only use cleaners designed for acrylic.

• Use a soft cloth or paper towels and the soap solution to clean the enclosure. DO NOT use

alcohol, acetone, or any other harsh chemical as this will damage the paint.

Optics Cleaning

A visual inspection of the #2 and #3 Mirrors, Beam Window, and Focus Lens should be
performed at least once a day.

CAUTION

DO NOT clean an optic that is visually clean. Excessive cleaning can damage the optics. The

#3 Mirror and the Focus Lens will need to be removed to clean them, the #2 Mirror and the Beam
Window does not.

Before cleaning the optics, we recommend that you wash your hands thoroughly to prevent
contamination. NEVER touch any optic with your fingers. The acids from your skin can destroy
the coatings on the optics.

7-4 Maintenance

#2 Mirror

To gain access to the #2 Mirror, the mirror cover must be removed. Remove the thumbscrew,
slide the cover to the right slightly and lift straight up.

Inspect the #2 Mi rror and clean it only if there is debris present. There are two ways to clean the
mirror, with a moistened cotton swab or a moistened lens tissue.

To clean the #2 Mirror with a cotton swab, moisten the cotton swab with the Lens Cleaning
solution supplied with the laser system. DO NOT use other types of cleaners or solutions.
Gently roll the cotton swab across the mirror once. DO NOT drag the swab or roll it back and
forth as this can scratch the mirror. If the mirror did not come clean, use a fresh cotton swab
and repeat the procedure. Do not worry about small pieces of lint that come off of the cotton
swab. They will be vaporized as soon as the laser hits it. You can cause more damage to the
mirror by trying to get it off than by leaving it alone.

The other method is to use a piece of lens tissue and the Lens Cleaning solution. Place a drop
of solution onto the lens tissue. Grasp the tissue by the edges and drag the moistened tissue
across the #2 mirror in one direction. If the #2 mirror does not come clean in the first attempt,
repeat the procedure with a fresh piece of moistened lens tissue. DO NOT re-use the same
lens tissue twice and DO NOT put any finger pressure on the surface of the mirror as this can
scratch it.

Maintenance 7-5

#3 Mirror and Focus Lens

You must remove the front cover to the Focus Carriage to gain access to the #3 Mirror and the
Focus Lens. To do this, hold the front cover with one hand and with the other hand, remove the
three(3) thumbscrews that attach the front cover to the Focus Carriage, and pull the front cover
straight out. You will notice that the #3 Mirror and the Focus lens are both mounted to the front
cover. Refer to the diagram below.

The #3 Mirror and the Focus lens are both glued to a metal bracket and the metal bracket is
attached to the front plate with Phillips head screws. It is not necessary to detach the bracket
from either optic in order to clean them. Simply tilt the front cover at enough angle so that you
can apply the Lens Cleaning solution directly to the #3 Mirror and to the Focus Lens. Flood the
surfaces with the solution. If heavy debris is present, let the solution soak in for a minute. Roll a
fresh cotton swab across the #3 Mirror to dry it off. Remember that it is okay if a small amount
of lint from the cotton swab remains on the mirror. Repeat this procedure for the Focus lens and
always use a fresh swab.

7-6 Maintenance

1

2345678

9

Beam Window

The Beam Window is where the laser beam enters into the engraving area. It is located in the
upper left hand corner of the engraving area against the back wall and is yellow in color. It is not
necessary to remove the Beam Window for cleaning since it can only get dirty on the front side.
The backside is in a sealed environment. To clean the Beam Window, moisten a cotton swab
and gently roll it across. Basically, clean it in the same manner as the #2 Mirror.

AUTOFOCUS Sensor and Reflector (if installed)

Engraving smoke can adhere to both the sensor and the reflector of the AUTOFOCUS system.
If this happens, you will notice that when you turn AUTOFOCUS on and press the “Z” button, the
engraving table will go all the way down to the bottom and get stuck. You will then need to call
our service department so that we can assist you into getting the system back to normal
operation. To prevent this problem from occurring, you should clean the sensor and reflector
periodically. How often you clean them is dependent on the types of materials you are engraving
and the quality of your exhaust system. The diagram below shows the locations of these parts.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

To clean these parts, dampen a soft cotton cloth with water and gently wipe across the reflective
surface in one direction. DO NOT rub hard or create scratches in the plastic, otherwise the
AUTOFOCUS system will malfunction. DO NOT use any type of cleaners, only use water or a
light solution of hand soap and water on the sensor or reflector.

You can observe if the sensor is working properly by lowering the table so that you have clear
sight of the sensor and the reflector. Look at the sensor and notice that the green LED will
illuminate. Pass your hand in front of the sensor and watch the red LED turn on as your hand
passes through the path, and the red LED will turn OFF when your hand clears the path.
Contact our service department if you have any other concerns about the operation or
maintenance of the AUTOFOCUS system.

Maintenance 7-7

Adjustments and Lubrication

There are no periodic adjustments required. The bearings in the motion system will self adjust
to take up any clearances as they begin to wear. The belts are fiber reinforced and will not
stretch under normal use so that periodic tension adjustment is not necessary. Optical
alignment is not necessary because the laser and the #2 Mirror are fixed.

All bearings in the system are sealed and do not require lubrication. DO NOT lubricate the
tracks that the bearings ride in. The only lubrication that may be required is the screw threads
for the table lifting mechanism. After some time, contaminants can adhere to the lubricant,
which can cause the engraving table to bind up or sound squeaky. If this is the case, wipe off
the contaminated grease with a soft cloth and apply fresh white lithium grease to the screw
threads. Run the table up and down to work in the fresh grease.

Electronic Upgrading

The laser systems onboard computer is equipped with a special “Flash” upgrade technology. If
the electronic operation of the system should ever require upgrading, it can be done
electronically without the changing of any parts. The upgrade file gets downloaded from your
computer to the laser system via the parallel port. This file is then run on the laser system and it
only takes a few minutes. Once the file has completely run, the laser system will automatically
restart and the new changes will take effect. For more specific details, please refer to the
instructions that will accompany the flash disk.

Fuse Replacement

If a fuse must be replaced, use only the followi ng type:

USA

5 x 20 mm, Glass, time delay, 250V, 10A fuse, UL approved

Europe and other countries

5 x 20 mm, Glass, time delay, 250V, 5A fuse, designed to IEC 127-2 sheet 3, and approved by a
recognized European testing agency.

Battery Replacement

There is a danger of explosion if the battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace the
battery only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the battery
manufacturer. Using an incorrect battery, recharging or disassembling the
battery may present a danger due to fire or explosion. Dispose of used batteries
promptly according to the local regulations.

7-8 Maintenance

This can permanently damage the laser system.

FILTERS

Cooling Fan Filters

This air-cooled laser system will
require periodic cleaning of the
cooling fan filters. Since ambient
air is used to cool the laser tube,
the air must be filtered before it
enters the inside of the laser
system otherwise dirt and dust
can build up inside of the laser
system and damage it. The
contaminants reduce the laser
system’s cooling ability and will
cause the laser tube to overheat.
An overheated tube will lose laser power during engraving and will eventually shut down
completely. The laser tube has a built in safety mechanism that will shut the beam off before it
can damage itself.

The cooling fan filters are located on the back of the laser system. Do not push the laser system
all the way back against the wall because air needs to circulate behind the laser system. Since
there is a variety of laser power options available for this class of laser system , the cooling fan
filters may differ in appearance compared to your system. Regardless, you should remove
and clean these filters at least once a week depending on your environmental conditions. Dirtier
environments require more frequent cleanings. To remove the filter(s), simply snap off the black
cover and remove the foam element. Wash the element in a soap and water solution, dry, and
re-install.

FILTERS

(underneath shelf)

NEVER OPERATE THE LASER SYSTEM WITH THE COOLING FAN
FILTERS REMOVED.

Damage from this kind of abuse WILL NOT be covered under warranty.

Maintenance Schedule

Since the maintenance requirements of the laser system is dependent on the type of material
being run, the quantity of material being removed, the hours of operation, and the quality of the
exhaust blower, it must be user defined. As a starting point, we recommend checking and, if
necessary, cleaning the laser system after every 8 hours of engraving or cutting. Depending on
your particular operation, you may need to adjust this schedule. If you are noticing a
considerable buildup of debris on the optics and the motion system, clean the system at more
frequent intervals. If your sys tem has remained relatively clean, you can extend your cleaning
intervals. You need to be the judge but keep in mind that a clean machine is a better performing
machine and can extend the life of the parts as well as reduce the possibility of down time.
Maintaining and cleaning the laser system should not take more than five (5) minutes a day. If
you have any questions about maintaining the laser system, please contact our Service
Department.

SECTION 8

Troubleshooting

Engraving Quality

Problem Possible Cause Possible Solution
“Fuzzy” looking raster engraving
or small text appears like a
“double image”

Fine detail is missing such as
the serif’s of characters or thin
lines of script fonts when raster
engraving

Vertical or diagonal background
pattern present when raster
engraving large areas and/or
large amounts of mat erial

Horizontal background pattern
present when raster engraving
large areas and/or large
amounts of material

• Dirty laser system

• Graphic, graphic software, graphic

software setup, color palette, monitor
display colors, or driver settings have
changed

• Speed to fast for the material

• Out of focus

• System needs tuning

• Worn X-axis belt and/or drive gear

• Laser Tube is faulty

• Speed too fast for the material

• Out of focus

• System needs tuning

• Laser spot size too big

• Dirty laser system

• Slight pattern is normal

If the pattern is excessive:

• Loose motion system components

• Worn or damaged X-axis bearings

• Worn or damaged X-axis rail

• Dirty laser system

• Slight pattern is normal

If the pattern is excessive:

• Laser is too cold or hot

• Clean all optics, rails, bearings and belts

• Check to see what has changed. Use

“Software Setup Guide” to properly setup
the graphics software to work correctly
with the laser system. Check driver
settings.

• Slow down engraving speed

• Re-focus

• Run “Tuning” feature in printer driver

version 4.17 and higher

• Replace belt and/or drive gear, and run
“Tuning” feature

• Replace laser tube

• Slow down engraving speed

• Re-focus

• Run “Tuning” feature in printer driver

version 4.17 and higher

• Use shorter focal length lens

• Clean all optics, rails, bearings and belts

• Don’t remove so much material or try

engraving shallower or deeper. Try
changing PPI and or DPI

• Use a 50% black fill to “halftone” the
background which can hide the pattern

• Check X-axis bearings, belt, optics

• Replace X-axis bearings

• Replace X-axis arm

• Clean all optics, rails, bearings and belts

• Don’t remove so much material or try

engraving shallower or deeper. Try
changing PPI and or DPI

• Use a 50% black fill to “halftone” the
background which can hide the pattern

• Check and/or clean filters

• Make sure ambient temperature is

within specifications

Engraving disappears, becomes
“lighter”, or appears “choppy”
when raster engraving within ½
inch of Y -axis ruler

• Laser tube is faulty • Replace laser tube

• Normal condition. The laser system

needs to accelerate and decelerate
within this area

• Move graphic and/or material to the
right, outside of this area

• Slowing the raster speed down reduces
the effect

Ihr ULS Vertragshändler :

MarkIDent GmbH
Winterspürerstr. 19
78333 Stockach
www.markident.de

8-2 Troubleshooting

Raster engraving appears sharp
on both ends of the engraving
but fuzzy in the middle

Engraving does not appear as
deep as it normally does

Engraving is sharp, clear and at
a good depth on one side of the
table and fuzzy and shallow on
the opposite side of the table

• Dirty laser system

• Something is loose

• System needs tuning

• Worn X-axis belt and/or drive gear

• Tickle setting too low

• Faulty laser tube

• Graphic, graphic software, graphic

software setup, color palette, monitor
display colors, or driver settings have
changed

• Out of focus

• Material or material density has

changed

• Settings have changed

• Dirty laser system

• Laser tube cooling fan filters are dirty

• Chiller not maintaining

temperature(water cooled versions only)

• Ambient temperature not within
specifications

• Laser beam out of alignment with the
optics

• Air Assist cone misaligned (air assisted
versions only)

• Faulty laser tube

• Out of focus

• Dirty laser system

• Material is not level or varying in

thickness

• Table is not level

• Laser beam out of alignment with the

optics

• Air Assist cone misaligned (air assisted

• Clean all optics, rails, bearings and belts

• Check X-axis bearings, drive gear, idler

pulley, belt, and optics

• Run “Tuning” feature in printer driver
version 4.17 and higher

• Replace belt and/or drive gear, and run
“Tuning” feature

• Adjust setting higher and recheck

• Replace laser tube

• Check to see what has changed. Use

“Software Setup Guide” to properly setup
the graphics software to work correctly
with the laser system. Check driv er
settings.

• Re-focus

• Check material

• Check power, speed, PPI, and DPI

settings

• Clean all optics, rails, bearings and belts

• Check and/or clean

• Check, clean, or adjust chiller

• Adjust ambient temperature to within

specifications

• Check and/or adjust laser beam
alignment

• Check and/or adjust cone so that laser
beam is in center

• Replace laser tube

• Re-focus

• Clean all optics, rails, bearings and belts

• Check focus point of material and

different places, adjust height by
shimming material or using more
thickness-consistent material

• Using the focus tool, focus directly on
the surface of the table in all four
corners. Table should be within +/- .020
inches from one corner to the other.
Adjust if necessary.

• Check and/or adjust laser beam
alignment

• Check and/or adjust cone so that laser

versions only)

• Faulty laser tube

beam is in center

• Replace laser tube

Ihr ULS Vertragshändler :

MarkIDent GmbH
Winterspürerstr. 19
78333 Stockach
www.markident.de

Engraving appears “halftoned”
and not solidly filled when using
colors other than black

Wavy lines when vector
engraving or cutting

Angled cuts when cutting
through thick materials such as
¼” acrylic

The start and stop points of
circles, when cutting, do not
meet up

• Graphic, graphic software, graphic
software setup, color palette, monitor
display colors, or driver settings have
changed

• Running too fast

• Dirty laser system

• Worn or faulty bearings

• Arm is out of square

• Firmware needs to be updated

• Angled cuts are a normal condition if

they are equal on all sides of the object.
The front side of the object will always
be slightly smaller than the backside of
the object due to the material “spreading
more” at the focal point.

• Angled cuts on only one or two sides
indicates a slight beam misalignment at
the #3 mirror or focus lens

• Slight “notching” when cutting circles is
a normal condition due to the beam
starting and stopping at the same point

If the pattern is excessive:

• Dirty laser system

• Mechanical problem

Troubleshooting 8-3

• Check to see what has changed. Use
“Software Setup Guide” to properly setup
the graphics software to work correctly
with the laser system. Check driver
settings.

• The highest quality vectors are obtained
by running less than 5% speed

• Clean all optics, rails, bearings and belts

• Check and/or replace X and/or Y axis

bearings

• Square arm re-adjust left side Y -axis
bearings so both are contacting Y -rail
equally

• Firmware advancements have been
improving vector quality

• Cut a square and observe that each side
is slightly tapered inward.

• Check and adjust the beam alignment
at the #3 mirror position and the focus
lens

• The laser beam has width and there is
heat effects from starting and stopping
the laser system at the same point. Try
extending the circle through the end
point by adding a small line segment to
reduce the effect. If cutting the material
when elevated off the table, make sure
that the center if the circles are
supported.

• Try rotating the circle 90 or 180 or 270
degrees. Sometimes this helps reduce
the effect

• Clean all optics, rails, bearings and belts

• Turn machine off and check for binding

in the x & y directions. Check for
excessive belt tension.