Student Material 001: Laser Operation Quick Reference

Material ID: U3M3-MAT-001 Purpose: Quick reference for laser cutter operation procedures, settings, and file preparation Format: Checklists, tables, and workflow guides Updated: 2026-03-19

Startup Checklist (Post This at the Machine)

#	Step	Verify	Done
1	Water chiller ON	Temp: 18-22°C, flow running	[ ]
2	Exhaust ON	Tissue flutters at intake	[ ]
3	Air assist ON	Air flows from nozzle	[ ]
4	Laser power ON	Control panel initialized	[ ]
5	Material identified	On SAFE list, not BANNED	[ ]
6	File loaded	Correct file, verified settings	[ ]
7	Material placed	Flat, secured with magnets	[ ]
8	Focus set	Gauge placed and verified	[ ]
9	Origin set	Head at correct position	[ ]
10	Framing run	Design within material	[ ]
11	Safety check	E-stop accessible, extinguisher located, spray bottle ready	[ ]

Shutdown Checklist

#	Step	Done
1	Exhaust running (60 sec after last cut)	[ ]
2	Parts removed after cooling	[ ]
3	Bed cleaned of debris	[ ]
4	Laser power OFF	[ ]
5	Air assist OFF	[ ]
6	Chiller runs 3-5 min, then OFF	[ ]
7	Exhaust OFF (last)	[ ]
8	Lid closed	[ ]

Color Layer Convention

Color	RGB Value	Mode	Typical Operation
Red	255, 0, 0	Line (Vector Cut)	Through-cutting
Black	0, 0, 0	Fill (Raster Engrave)	Area engraving
Blue	0, 0, 255	Line (Vector Engrave)	Scoring, fold lines
Green	0, 255, 0	Line (Vector Cut)	Secondary cuts
Yellow	255, 255, 0	Line (Vector Engrave)	Light marking

Processing Order

1. RASTER ENGRAVE (Black layer) — while all pieces are held in place
2. VECTOR SCORE (Blue layer) — surface marking before cutting
3. INTERNAL CUTS (Red/Green) — holes, slots, windows
4. OUTER CUTS (Red) — final perimeter — pieces freed last

File Preparation Checklist

• [ ] Design created in correct units (mm)
• [ ] Colors are EXACT RGB values (not approximations)
• [ ] All cut paths are CLOSED (no gaps)
• [ ] Text converted to outlines/paths
• [ ] No duplicate lines (select all, check count)
• [ ] Dimensions match material size
• [ ] Saved as SVG, DXF, or AI format

Common File Errors and Fixes

Error	Symptom	Fix
Open paths	Laser skips segments or cuts in wrong order	Close paths / join nodes
Duplicate lines	Double-cut, extra charring, longer job time	Select all, remove duplicates
Wrong RGB color	Layer not recognized or assigned wrong settings	Check exact RGB values
Text not converted	Missing or garbled text on laser computer	Convert text to outlines
Wrong units	Design appears wrong size (25.4x too big/small)	Verify mm units in design software
Embedded raster	Unexpected engraving of background	Remove or convert to vectors

Quick Settings Reference — 60W CO2

Cutting

Material / Thickness	Power %	Speed mm/s
Acrylic 3mm	65-75	10-15
Acrylic 6mm	85-95	5-8
Plywood 3mm	70-80	12-18
Plywood 6mm	95-100	5-8
MDF 3mm	60-70	15-20
Cardboard 2mm	30-40	25-35
Leather 2mm	40-55	15-20
Paper	10-15	40-60

Engraving

Material	Power %	Speed mm/s	DPI
Wood (standard)	30-50	200-300	400
Acrylic (mark)	15-25	300-400	400
Leather	15-30	300-400	300

Origin Mode Guide

Mode	When to Use	How It Works
Absolute	Jobs that need exact machine coordinates	(0,0) is always machine home
Current Position	Most common — place head where you want	Design origin = where head is now
Center	Centering design on a specific point	Design center = where head is now

Batch Production Calculator

Parts per sheet = floor((sheet_width - 2×margin) / (part_width + gap)) × floor((sheet_height - 2×margin) / (part_height + gap))

Example: 400×300mm sheet, 10mm margins, 70×30mm parts, 3mm gaps: - Columns: floor((400 - 20) / 73) = 5 - Rows: floor((300 - 20) / 33) = 8 - Total: 40 parts per sheet

Troubleshooting Quick Guide

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
Not cutting through	Focus off, dirty lens, wrong settings	Re-focus; clean lens; reduce speed
Cuts uneven across bed	Material not flat or bed not level	Flatten with magnets; level bed
Engraving too light	Dirty lens, power too low	Clean lens; increase power 5-10%
Engraving too dark/deep	Power too high or speed too low	Reduce power or increase speed
Charring excessive	Speed too slow, air assist off	Increase speed; verify air assist
Laser fires but nothing happens	Focus way off, or wrong layer mode	Check focus; verify layer mode is correct
Framing doesn't match material	Wrong origin mode or position	Check origin mode; reposition head

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Last Updated: 2026-03-19