Universal Laser Systems X2-600 manuale d’uso

X-600 / X2-600 Laser Engraving and Cutting System Safety, Installation, Operation, and Basic Mainten ance Manual Universal Laser S y stems, Inc. 16008 North 81st Street Scottsdale, AZ 85260 USA Customer Support Department Phone: 480-609-0297 Fax: 480-609-1203 W eb Bas ed Email Support: www.ulsinc.com August 2001[...]

Notice This publication an d its contents are pro prietary to Un iversal Laser S ystems, Inc. (ULS), and ar e inten ded solely for the contrac tual use of ULS, Inc. customer s. W hile reasonable efforts have been made to assure the acc uracy of this m anual, ULS shall n ot be liable for errors contained herein or for in cidental or consequential da[...]

Introduction W e would lik e to thank you f or purchasing the X-600 or X2-600 Laser Platform . Years of testing and refinem ents have m ade this unit the u ltimate l aser en graving an d cutting s ystem. W ith it’s sm all footprint design and the o versized 32” x 18” work area, the X -600 Laser Platform is now equipped w ith our uniqu e “Ra[...]

Specifications Model Number X-600 or X2-60 0 Resolution 1000 x 1000 DPI, 500 x 500 DPI, 33 3 x 333 DPI, 250 x 250 DPI 200 x 200 DPI, Draf t Computer Needed W indows 95 or 98, PC compatibl e Work A rea 32” x 18” (812.8 mm x 457.2 m m) Table Size 37” x 23” (939.8 mm x 584.2 m m) Maximum Part Size 37” (939.8 mm ) wide x 23” (584.2 m m) dee[...]

Table of Con tents SECTION 1 - Safet y Description of Appropr iate Use ............................. .................................. .............................. General Safet y ................................................. .................................. ................................... Laser Safet y ............................ ...[...]

SECTION 5 - Sample M aterials Safety .................................. ................................... .................................. ............................. Materials ....... .................................. .................................. .................................. ................... Acrylic - Cast and Extruded ......[...]

SECTION 1 Safet y This section describes haza rds that may occur if t he laser is installed or used imp roperly . Description of Appr opriate Use This dev ice is designed for la ser cu tting and engravi ng of t he materials listed in this manual, in laboratory, workshop or light duty manufacturing environments . T his equipmen t must be properly in[...]

1-2 Safety • This device is specifically d esigned to comply w ith CDRH perfor mance requirements unde r 21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.1 1 . CDRH is the Center for the Devices of Radiolog ical Health di vision of the Food and Drug Adm inistration ( FDA) in the USA. It also complies with CE (E uropean Comm unity) safety r egulations. No guarantees of su[...]

Safety 1-3 ! WARNING THIS LASE R S YST EM CO NTAINS A CO LA SER IN A CL ASS I ENC LOS URE. THE LASE R SYS TEM HAS BEE N CLA SSIFIE D A S CL ASS 3 a DUE TO TH E PRE SENC E O F A VISI BLE LAS ER DI ODE. 2 # 221-0013- 0 THIS E QUI PME NT C ON FO RMS TO PR OV ISIO NS OF US 21 C F R 1040 .1 0 A ND 1 040 .1 1 # 221-0015- 0 DANG ER INVISIBLE AND VISIBLE L[...]

1-4 Safety Safety Label Locations 22 1- 00 16 -0 22 1- 00 12 -0 22 1- 00 13 -0 22 1- 00 32 -0 22 1- 00 34 -0 22 1- 00 18 -0 INPUT P OWER: 220 V AC; 50/60 Hz; 10 A 221-0023-0 221-0056-0 INPUT PO WER: 1 10 V AC; 50/60 Hz; 1 5 A # 2 2 1-0 031-0 CAU TION LAS ER RADIATION DO N O T STARE INT O BEA M O R VIEW DIRE CTLY WITH O PTICAL INS TRUM ENTS CLA SS 3[...]

Safety 1-5 22 1- 00 16 -0 22 1- 00 20 -0 22 1- 00 04 -0 22 1- 00 15 -0 22 1- 00 23 -0 22 1- 00 56 -0 22 1- 00 21 -0 221-001 8-0 221-0007-0 221-0031-0 221-0017-0 221-0044-0 221-0045-0 221-0046-0 221-0047-0 221-0048-0 221-0049-0 221-0050-0 221-0051-0[...]

1-6 Safety EU Compliance (CE) Product Identific ation : X-600 and X2-600 Laser Engraving a nd Cutting S ystems Manufacturer : Universal Laser System s, Inc. 16008 N. 81 st St. Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (480) 483-1 214 Fax : (480) 483-5620 USA This equipm ent Is manufactur ed in conform ity with the following direc tives: 89/336/EEC (EMC Directive[...]

Safety 1-7 FCC Compliance This ULS laser system has been tested and found to com ply with Feder al Co mmunication Comm ission (FCC) direc tives regar ding Electrom agnetic Com patibility ( EMC). In accordance with these directives ULS is required to pro vide the followin g information to its custom ers. FCC Compliance Statement and Warnings This de[...]

SECTION 2 Installat ion Proper operatin g conditions are v ital to a safe a nd productive environment. T his section desc ribes the ideal env ironm ent and setup of the laser s ystem. Operating Env ironment Follow thes e g uidelines to ensure a proper operatin g environm ent for the laser s y stem . O perating the laser system outside of thes e gui[...]

2-2 Installation • If planning to c onnect the laser engraving system to a computer through the parallel port, cho ose a location wher e the c omputer will be p laced within 6 feet of the m achine since this is the m axim um recomm ended parallel cable l ength. Include d with your system is a high quality, IEE E1284 com pliant, 6-foot parallel pr[...]

Installation 2-3 If electrical power f luctuations, bro wn o uts, or constant power outages are a problem in y our area, an electrical l ine stab ilizer, U PS ( Uninterruptible Power Suppl y), or back up generator might be required. If installing an y of these devices, m ake sure that the y meet the electrica l requirements of the laser s y stem . [...]

2-4 Installation DO NOT install f orward in cline, back ward i ncline, in-line, or v entilator fans because these t ypes of air handlers are inadequate and ina ppropriate for this type of installation. If your contractor h as an y questions concerning blower specifications or ex haust s ystem r equirements, please c ontact our Service Department di[...]

Installation 2-5 4 I N C H D I A M ET ER F L EX I B L E RU BB E R H O S E F R O N T V I E W R E DU C E T O 4 I N C H E S W I T H A RE D U CI N G C O U P L E R Y - P IP E F R OM E X H A U S T B L O WE R S H U T OF F G AT E S H U T OF F G AT E Passing Through a Narrow Doorway If the d oorway is no t wide enough to allow to you ro ll the laser s y ste[...]

2-6 Installation 3. Locate and disconnec t t he two white Power Sup ply Cable Connectors. G ently push the cables all the way down into the cavity of the Power Supply enclosure. Close and latch the Rear Cover by pushing down on t he latch unti l it click s. 4. Remove an y pack ing m aterials or accessories from inside the Laser System. 5. Using s t[...]

Installation 2-7 Leveling the System 1. If the floor undern eath the Laser System is uneven, the casters mus t be adjusted. Place a bubble level across the top of the legs directl y above the front c asters. N ote the bubble pos ition in its s ight glass. Do the same for the back part of the legs and also note the position of the bubble in the sigh[...]

2-8 Installation Open the Rear Cover and visually locate the Laser Mounting Block (s), the Laser L atch(es), and Alignment Fork (s). Notice that the Alignm ent Fork(s) have two plates, one small and one large. Locate the gap between the two plates. Observe the “V” groo ve al ong the upper and lower part of the Laser Cartr idge. Also locate the [...]

Installation 2-9 Plug in the P ower Co nnector(s). Note that the Po wer Connector that is ph ysically locate d higher is the one th at you con nect to the T OP Laser C artridge bec ause it has an extra wire that powers the Red Diode Laser Po inter loca ted in the Laser Cartridge. The po wer connect or(s) are ke y ed so it will only insert one way. [...]

2-10 Installation Software Suggestions The following is a list of recomm ended s oftware prog rams. W e do not endorse any part icular s oftware program neither do we guarant ee its f ull com patibility with the laser system . Please ref er to the Appendices s ection on kno wn bugs/anom alies relat ed t o these particular software pr ogram s, relat[...]

Installation 2-11 Helpful Tip If y ou are having a ny prob lems printing a f ont and you c annot f igure out what is going on, select the font and “conver t to curv es” or “convert to paths” in your graphics software. This will con vert the f ont into a bitmapped im age and w ill print correctl y to the laser s y stem . Refer to y our graph[...]

2-12 Installation • If the red dot is cen tered, installatio n is complete. Remov e the mas king tape. • If you have secon d Laser Cartridge (th e bottom one) installe d, you must c heck it’s alignmen t also. To do this, yo u must first turn OFF the laser system. • Disconnect the w ire harness from the top Laser Cartrid ge and connect it in[...]

SECTION 3 System Operat ion In this sec tion you will learn how th e laser s ystem actually w orks and will fam iliarize you with laser system terminolog y. W e w ill then s tart working with the co ntrol panel and learn how to get around in the m enu system . S ince there are m any f eatures in this laser s ystem, the menu system m ay seem c ompli[...]

3-2 System Operat ion NOTE: Before describin g t he complex f unctionalit y of the SUPER SPEED, in the followin g diagram, we demonstrate how a typical single-l aser system w orks. W e will then show how the SUPERSPEED builds up on this foundation and utilizes tw o Laser Cartridges to operate in a Dual Laser Single Be am Mode o r Dual Laser Dual Be[...]

System Operat ion 3-3 The “Focal Range” of the lens, where the b eam is considered to be “ in foc us”, is equivalent to +/- 5% above and below the focus point. S horter lenses produce a sm aller spot si ze but also have a very nar row focal range. T his means that it wou ld onl y be usef ul for engraving v ery flat objects. T he longer lens[...]

3-4 System Operat ion The Liqu id Crystal Display (LCD) The LCD is a f our line display that displa ys the m enus that co ntrol the laser system . It is a backlit type of display that enhanc es visibi lity even under lo w light environm ents. W hen the laser s ystem is powered on, t he laser s ystem wil l perform a s eries of routines. “INITIALIZ[...]

System Operat ion 3-5 Green Indicator Ligh t CONDITIO N REASON ON The laser system is powered up, the top door is closed and t he system is ready to recei ve a file The laser sy stem has finished processi ng a f ile and has returned to the home position The laser system has been paused while r unning a file OFF The top or front d oor is open The la[...]

3-6 System Operat ion The “NEXT FILE” button dis plays the next file in th e systems memory and m akes it the current file an d will stop at the last file in m emor y. T he “ PREV FIL E” butt on disp lays the previous file in the s ystems m emor y and m akes it the c urrent f ile and will s top at the first file in m emor y. T hese button s[...]

System Operat ion 3-7 The Menu Sy stem The LCD displ ays the m enus of the laser system. Since this laser s ystem has m any features, we ha ve included a “Menu Sy stem Flow Chart” on the n ext three pages. It diagram s and displa ys the menu item s in the entire system and th e butt on selections needed to acc ess the m. A description of each m[...]

3-8 System Operat ion X X[...]

System Operat ion 3-9 MOD EL N AME VE RSION XX- XX -XX- XX Menu Descriptions The remainder of th is section will describe each on e of the m enus and their signific ance. READY M enu W hen the s y stem is firs t powered on “INIT IALIZING” will appear for approx imately 30 s econds until the laser system finishes perform ing its r outine. W hen [...]

3-10 System Operat ion FILE DISPL AY Menu Appears automaticall y after the first file is downloa ded completely i nto th e laser s ystems m emory. This is the m enu that you w ill remain in m ost of the tim e when operating the laser s ystem . It has been des igned to show all pertinent oper ating inform ation at a glance so that constantl y jumpin[...]

System Operat ion 3-11 There are t wo ways that a downloaded fi le will have a m issing EOF. The first i s if printing throug h the printer driver a nd printin g is cancele d, interrupted, or f ile si ze ex ceeds th e remaining f ree m emory s pace. If this occurs, chances are that the EOF never made it to the mem ory buffer and the mem ory buf fer[...]

3-12 System Operat ion The Printer Dr iver com presses the f ile whi le it do wnloads to t he laser s ystem and the laser s y stem decompr esses the file whil e it runs. The am ount of com pression c an be as little as 4 to 1 or as gre at as 48 to 1. This m eans that with 4 MB of RAM in the l aser system, the buff er could hold the equivale nt of 1[...]

System Operat ion 3-13 DOS POWER SET TING S Menu The laser system allows eight diff erent power settings to be saved, in non-vo latile (permanent) m emory, and us ed whe n proces sing a DO S b ased fil e. Since DOS based printer/p lotter drivers do not have the ability to set the “POW ER”, “SPEED”, and “PPI” settings, the settings m ust[...]

3-14 System Operat ion OPTIONS M enu Selecting this m enu will allow the access to turn on cer tain options that the laser s ystem might have. ONE FILE MEM ORY Menu Pressing “SELECT ” ke y while cursor i s on this li ne w ill toggle the s etting on and off . W hen off, i t enables the multiple f ile m emor y bu ffer s y stem (default). W he n o[...]

System Operat ion 3-15 AIR ASSIST Menu This class of laser system does have Air Assist as an option, but it is not comput er c ontrolled. Since we use the sam e m enu sy stem on other m odels, this m enu select ion for y our m odel does absolutel y nothing . If you did purchase the Air Assist option f or this model , please refer to the instruc tio[...]

3-16 System Operat ion To restore the f ocus position back to the original fac tory setting, go back into this m enu and press the up and down arro w keys simultaneous ly. You will see the m otion system move to the 1 inch horizontal and the 1 inch vertical posit ion (factory default). Now se lect “YES, SAVE POSITION” . Press the “ESCAPE” b[...]

System Operat ion 3-17 If you would like to get the Rotar y axis back to the or iginal factory default setting, go back into the “SET ROTARY AX IS” m enu. W hile in this menu, press the up arrow and down arro w k eys sim ultaneously. The arm move will m ove back to its original f actory default setting. Select “YES SAVE Y-AXIS”, and then pr[...]

3-18 System Operat ion In order t o use the “S ERIAL” port, the c omm unication settings MUST m atch those of the computer. Refer to the computer’s hardware and software manuals for details on setting up the com puter’s serial port. If using th e “SE RIAL” port, se lect the fas test poss ible “ BAUD” rate f or c ommunication since t[...]

System Operat ion 3-19 DIAGNOSTICS M enu This menu le ads to other m enus that enable y ou to help diagnose problem s, if they oc cur, with the laser system . It also will help our techn icians solve probl ems that you may be experien cing. ALIGNMENT MODE Menu This menu allows ac cess to firing the laser beam manuall y to determ ine if the laser s [...]

3-20 System Operat ion MOD EL N AM E VE RSION XX- XX -XX-X X ABOUT M enu Use the up and down arr ow bu ttons to position the curs or on this m enu item. Press the “SELECT” button and our copyright notice a long with the curr ent ver sions of firm ware will be displa yed. The firm ware version n umbers are a di agnostic aid t o our service t ech[...]

System Operat ion 3-21 Setting a new origin other than the default (0,0) posit ion will shrink your f ield siz e. If you alrea dy h ave files alread y loaded into mem or y that utilize t he entire engra ving area, and you set a new origin, part of that gr aphic might f all ou t of the eff ective printing area. If y ou run this file, unexpected res [...]

3-22 System Operat ion The cursor in t he disp lay will be flash ing on top of the tenths digit. You can now move the table up or down by pressin g either the up or do wn arrow button . If you push t he button on ce and let go quick ly, the table will m ove in .1 inch i ncrements . If you hold down the butt on, it will m ove fluidl y. To m ake f in[...]

System Operat ion 3-23 If you find that you need to place your materials in a pos ition other than the upp er left hand corner, you can change the d efault foc us position to an ywhere in the f ield t hat you lik e. Please refer to t hat m enu item selection ear lier in this sec tion. The M aterial Thickness (Z POSIT ION) M ethod The s econd m etho[...]

3-24 System Operat ion The A UTO FOCUS Meth od In order to use this m ethod, you m ust first turn it ON. W e desc ribed how to turn it ON ear lier in this section. After you turn it ON, pl ease follow the st ep by step instruc tions below. To Use AUTOFOCU S: • The AUTOFO CUS sens or s ends out an invisib le bea m across the table bet ween the 1 i[...]

System Operat ion 3-25 To Adjust AUTOF OCUS: From time to tim e, you m a y need to r e-adjust your AU TOFOCUS. T he only time that you shoul d need to re-adjust the AUTOFO CUS is when y ou ha ve received a new or dif ferent length F ocus Lens, have recently Flash upgraded t he operating s ystem of the laser, or had a dirt y se nsor or ref lector an[...]

SECTION 4 Running the System Step by Step In this section we will cover how to com pletely use the laser s y stem to c reate a pr oduct f rom start to finish. From powering on everything to rem oving the finished pr oduct from the system , w e wil l cover the entire process step by step . As an ex ample, let’s engrave a nd c ut o ut a ke y chain [...]

4-2 Running the S ystem Step by Step Focusing Before attem pting to adjus t the foc al height, visuall y check to m ake sure that the table is down low enough to preve nt the focus carriage from hitting into the piece of wood. W ith the top door still open, pr ess the “ Z” button on the control pan el of the laser system . You will see the focu[...]

Running the S ystem Step by Step 4-3 It do es not m atter whether you bring the table up to go out of focus , or down, the eff ect is the sam e. You should experiment on some scrap material at another time and note the diff erence. In this exam ple, we will engrave in precise focus. Once you have establ ished focus, store your focus tool and close [...]

4-4 Running the S ystem Step by Step Find the “PRINT” com mand within your graphics prog ram and click on it. Depending on which graph ics program you are using, the m enu c ommand “ PRINT” m ay be in various locatio ns within y our program . Usually after c licking on “PRINT ”, you will then nee d to click on “O K”. A status scr ee[...]

Running the S ystem Step by Step 4-5 W e w ill also rem ind you again to ple ase com ply with the warning label b elow. Material Remov ing and Reloading Once the las er system ha s com pleted proces sing you m aterial, the laser beam will turn off, the m otion system will m ove to its hom e positi on i n the upper right hand corner, the system wil [...]

SECTION 5 Options & Access ories There are s everal options and acces sories available for this laser system. The new 3D E ff ects optio n is now avai lable as a stand ard f eature. The Rot ary Fi xture, Cuttin g Table, Air Assist S ystem, Air Assist Compres sor, various Focus Lens Kits, and the Dua l Head option ar e available at additional co[...]

5-2 Options & A ccesso ries 1 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 1 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 CO M P UT E R GR A P H ICS S CR E EN GR APH I CS SO FT WAR E P A GE L A Y O UT 1 1 IN CH ES ( 292 .1 m m ) W ID E 8.5 IN CHE S ( 2 15 .9 m m) T AL L LA NDS CA P E M O DE Ac t i o n S po r t s Eq u i p m e n t 1 00 Ea s y St r e e t # 117 P la inv i l l e , KS 99 92 4[...]

Options & A ccesso ries 5-3 Settings for a 30 Watt Sy stem There is a consid erable diff erence between rubber b lends, thick ness, and hardness between diff erent manuf acturers. Use these s etting as a start ing point for a 30 W att system. You m ight need to experiment with different setti ngs to obtain the desired resu lts. As you can s ee,[...]

5-4 Options & A ccesso ries Full Sheet M ethod The s econd m ethod is to create a f ull shee t of rubb er stam ps and engrave them all at th e sam e tim e. First create a stam p as a pos itive image as sho wn below. Create more s tamps to f ill the entire page. The y can be the sam e stamp or dif ferent ones. If desired, output the page to a pa[...]

Options & A ccesso ries 5-5 In the laser s ystems printer driver, use the sam e settings as th e previous example but with onl y minor modific ations. In the “3D Effects ” tab, select all three “Special” options; “ Add Shoulder”, “Pri nt as Negative Im age” and “Print as Mirror Image” as the di agram below illustrates. Print[...]

5-6 Options & A ccesso ries The Rotary Fixture is placed on the engraving tab le as the following di agram illust rates. Please ref er to the instruct ions sup plied with the R otary Fixture on how to prop erly install and use th is option. Cutting Table The purpos e of the Cutting Table is to suppor t the m aterial that you are cutting of f of[...]

Options & A ccesso ries 5-7 Air Assist Sy stem The Air Assist S y stem consists of a nozzle that attaches to the focus carriage, Optics protec tion adapters, tubing, m ounting brack ets, nee dle valve, and press ure gau ge. The purpose of this s ystem is to forc e air or other t ypes of gases directly onto the surf ace of your material to r edu[...]

5-8 Options & A ccesso ries Focus Lens Ki ts There are three opt ional Foc us Lens Kits available ot her than the s tandard 2.0”, t hey are the 1.5”, 2.5”, and the 4.0” k its. Included in these kits are the focus l ens, #3 m irror, front plate, thum bscrews, and a focus tool. Different lenses produce di fferent spot si zes and have diff[...]

Options & A ccesso ries 5-9 Refer to the f ollowing chart for spot sizes and focal ran ges of the lenses available. FOCAL LENGT H SPOT SIZE FOC AL RANGE 1.5 “ .003 “ + / - .075 “ 2.0 “ .005 “ + / - .100 “ 2.5 “ .007 “ + / - .125 “ 4.0 “ .013 “ + / - .200 “ If y ou woul d lik e to order any of the acces sories d escribed [...]

SECTION 6 Sample Mat erials This section provides sample driver settings and helpful hints to g et st ar ted engraving and/or cutting the material s listed. Safety NEVER L EAVE THE L A SER SYST EM RUNNING UN A TT ENDED FOR A NY RE ASON. Exposur e to th e laser b eam can cause ign ition o f combustible m aterials. All l aser cutting a nd engraving s[...]

6-2 Sample M aterials NOTICE Laser engraving or c utting m aterials other than th ose described in this m anual can be a safet y hazard and can dam age the laser s ystem. The laser s ystem operator is liable f or any damages c aused, in whole or in part, for an y econom ic loss, physical injury, lost revenue, lost prof its, los t s avings or other [...]

Sample M aterials 6-3 NOTE W he n engraving very small objects, top speed cannot be achieve d because acceleration and deceleration o f t he m otion system requires time and distance . The laser system will automatically adjust itself to a maximum engravi ng speed that it can achieve due to the size and position of the g raphic. This is why you mig[...]

6-4 Sample M aterials ACRYLIC - C AST AND EXT RUDED RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 70 55 500 1 .001” 20 53 55 500 1 .001” 25 42 55 500 1 .001” 30 35 55 500 1 .001” 35 30 55 500 1 .001” 40 26 55 500 1 .001” 45 23 55 500 1 .001” 50 21 55 500 1 .001” 55 19 55 500 1 .001” 60 18 55 500 1 .001” 65 16[...]

Sample M aterials 6-5 COMM ENTS There ar e two types of acr ylic a vailable, cas t and ex truded. C ast turns white or fros ted and extruded remains clear when engraved. Use extruded acrylic for paint filled engraving and cast for regular engraving. Cast e ngraves better w ithout m asking. Lightl y engrave t he surf ace to frost it with a low po we[...]

6-6 Sample M aterials ACRYLIC - M IRRORED RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 80 55 500 1 .003” 20 60 55 500 1 .003” 25 48 55 500 1 .003” 30 40 55 500 1 .003” 35 34 55 500 1 .003” 40 30 55 500 1 .003” 45 27 55 500 1 .003” 50 24 55 500 1 .003” 55 22 55 500 1 .003” 60 20 55 500 1 .003” 65 18 55 500 1 [...]

Sample M aterials 6-7 COMM ENTS Engraving m irrored acrylic is s imilar to engravin g regular acr ylic. The idea is to engrave throug h the mirrored back ing enough to beg in t o penetrate into the acr ylic. Engraving dee ply will cause a cr usty residue to for m j ust like with non-m irrored acrylic. A double image will appear if engraving on t he[...]

6-8 Sample M aterials ANODIZED ALUMINUM RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 90 55 500 1 .001” 20 68 55 500 1 .001” 25 54 55 500 1 .001” 30 45 55 500 1 .001” 35 39 55 500 1 .001” 40 34 55 500 1 .001” 45 30 55 500 1 .001” 50 27 55 500 1 .001” 55 25 55 500 1 .001” 60 23 55 500 1 .001” 65 21 55 500 1 .0[...]

Sample M aterials 6-9 COMM ENTS There is a process called Laser Color Marking which enables th e color filling of an odized alum inum. First, coat or spray the alum inum with a c lear acr ylic finish. Af ter the f inish has thoroughl y dr ied, l aser engrave the graphic onto t he alum inum. T hen take a water b ased m arker, such as those found in [...]

6-10 Sample M aterials BR A SS - P A INT ED RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 90 55 500 1 .001” 20 68 55 500 1 .001” 25 54 55 500 1 .001” 30 45 55 500 1 .001” 35 39 55 500 1 .001” 40 34 55 500 1 .001” 45 30 55 500 1 .001” 50 27 55 500 1 .001” 55 25 55 500 1 .001” 60 23 55 500 1 .001” 65 21 55 500 [...]

Sample M aterials 6-11 COMM ENTS The manufacturing processes for coated brass varies from one vendor to an other . Some manufacturers do not polish the brass before coating it. S ince CO 2 lasers at this power level do not engrave into m etals when the coating is r emoved, the tarnished brass underneath will have a du ll appear ance that will need [...]

6-12 Sample M aterials CORI AN / A VONIT E / FOUNT AINHEAD RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 100 7 500 1 .015” 20 100 9 500 1 .015” 25 100 12 500 1 .015” 30 100 14 500 1 .015” 35 100 16 500 1 .015” 40 100 19 500 1 .015” 45 100 21 500 1 .015” 50 100 23 500 1 .015” 55 100 26 500 1 .015” 60 100 28 500 [...]

Sample M aterials 6-13 COMM ENTS If paint f illing, m ask the m aterial f irst, then e ngrave thro ugh th e m asking. In this way, when read y to paint fill, t he m aterial is alrea dy m asked. Spra y pa inting s eem s to be the eas iest. Use the pa int sp aringly. Excess paint can ac cumulate on the edges of th e engraving, which will m ak e mask [...]

6-14 Sample M aterials CORK RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 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 53 500 1 .010” 45 100 60 500 1 .010” 50 100 67 500 1 .010” 55 100 73 500 1 .010” 60 100 80 500 1 .010” 65 92 80 500 1 .010[...]

Sample M aterials 6-15 COMM ENTS Cork is not ver y po pular for engraving but it does engrave and c ut nicel y. Cor k is m ainly us ed for m aking gaskets b y vector cutting the gask et patterns. LASER CUTTING T HIS MATERI AL C AN CAUSE FL AMING AND SPARKING. Use caution when attempting to cut this m aterial. It would be better to use a l onger foc[...]

6-16 Sample M aterials DELRIN (SE AL PRESS) RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 100 13 500 1 .015” 20 100 17 500 1 .015” 25 100 21 500 1 .015” 30 100 25 500 1 .015” 35 100 29 500 1 .015” 40 100 33 500 1 .015” 45 100 38 500 1 .015” 50 100 42 500 1 .015” 55 100 46 500 1 .015” 60 100 50 500 1 .015” 65 [...]

Sample M aterials 6-17 COMM ENTS The laser s y stem c an be used to m ake dies f or seal presses. It c an engrave and cut out a typical Not ary Sea l in l ess than 5 m inutes. Create the m ale with a whit e graphic and a black background. Mirror the im age and invert it b y mak ing the backgr ound white and th e graphic black. Add a . 010 inch blac[...]

6-18 Sample M aterials GLASS / CRYST AL RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 100 7 300 1 .001” 20 100 9 300 1 .001” 25 100 12 300 1 .001” 30 100 14 300 1 .001” 35 100 16 300 1 .001” 40 100 19 300 1 .001” 45 100 21 300 1 .001” 50 100 23 300 1 .001” 55 100 26 300 1 .001” 60 100 28 300 1 .001” 65 100 30[...]

Sample M aterials 6-19 COMM ENTS Glass engraving is dif ferent fr om other types of engra ving. A CO 2 laser c annot engrave into the glass nor can it cut glass. Instead, l aser interact ion with glass causes the s urface of the glass to appear f rosted. Sometim es, placing a piece of newspaper on the glas s and dam pening is with water will im pro[...]

6-20 Sample M aterials LEATHER RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 56 55 500 1 .001” 20 42 55 500 1 .001” 25 34 55 500 1 .001” 30 28 55 500 1 .001” 35 24 55 500 1 .001” 40 21 55 500 1 .001” 45 19 55 500 1 .001” 50 17 55 500 1 .001” 55 15 55 500 1 .001” 60 14 55 500 1 .001” 65 13 55 500 1 .001” 70 [...]

Sample M aterials 6-21 COMM ENTS Leather is a very sim ple m aterial to engrave and m ost types of leather engra ve ver y well with the laser system . Simulated le ather engraves well also, but the results ar e not as nice as with the real thing. Engraving light ly wi ll turn the surf ace of the leather d ark brown gi ving i t a high c ontrast in a[...]

6-22 Sample M aterials M A RBLE RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 100 19 500 1 .003” 20 100 25 500 1 .003” 25 100 32 500 1 .003” 30 100 38 500 1 .003” 35 100 44 500 1 .003” 40 100 51 500 1 .003” 45 100 55 500 1 .003” 50 90 55 500 1 .003” 55 82 55 500 1 .003” 60 75 55 500 1 .003” 65 69 55 500 1 .00[...]

Sample M aterials 6-23 COMM ENTS Most mar ble and po lished stones will turn white when engrav ed. Masking is not necess ary and light engraving work s out better than heav y and deep engra ving. Engra ving deepl y will cause a hig hly detailed image to appear washed out. The objective is to engrave d eep enoug h to turn the m arble white and provi[...]

6-24 Sample M aterials M A T BO ARD RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 90 55 250 1 .005” 20 68 55 250 1 .005” 25 54 55 250 1 .005” 30 45 55 250 1 .005” 35 39 55 250 1 .005” 40 34 55 250 1 .005” 45 30 55 250 1 .005” 50 27 55 250 1 .005” 55 25 55 250 1 .005” 60 23 55 250 1 .005” 65 21 55 250 1 .005?[...]

Sample M aterials 6-25 COMM ENTS Mat b oard (thick c ardboard) is an excellen t m aterial to use for arc hitectural m odeling a nd f or p icture framing. It cuts and en graves ver y neatl y and cle anly. It com es in a vari ety of shades and co lors. Patterns can be engraved on the surfac e with a po wer setti ng for light engra ving w hich just br[...]

6-26 Sample M aterials MEL A MINE - ST ANDARD ENGR AVING RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 100 10 500 1 .020” 20 100 13 500 1 .020” 25 100 17 500 1 .020” 30 100 20 500 1 .020” 35 100 23 500 1 .020” 40 100 27 500 1 .020” 45 100 30 500 1 .020” 50 100 33 500 1 .020” 55 100 37 500 1 .020” 60 100 40 500 [...]

Sample M aterials 6-27 COMM ENTS Engraving melam ine is v ery s imilar to engrav ing regular wood with t he added ben efit of a co nsistent surface f inish and uniform base m aterial c omposition. Unlike regular wood that has gr ain patterns and density variations, melamine, when laser engraved, produces a flat and even engr aved ar ea. This charac[...]

6-28 Sample M aterials MEL A MINE - PHOT O/CLIP ART ENGRAVING RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 100 28 500 1 .008” 20 100 37 500 1 .008” 25 100 46 500 1 .008” 30 100 55 500 1 .008” 35 90 55 500 1 .008” 40 79 55 500 1 .008” 45 70 55 500 1 .008” 50 63 55 500 1 .008” 55 57 55 500 1 .008” 60 53 55 500 1[...]

Sample M aterials 6-29 COMM ENTS Engraving photographs c an be challenging at first but becom es eas ier once there is an understan ding of what to look for and how to achieve the desired r esults. In an im age processing software, scan the image in at 300 DPI. Adjust the brightness and the c ontrasts to brighten t he l ight color s and darken the [...]

6-30 Sample M aterials PLASTIC - ENGR AVERS M ICROSURF ACED RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 70 55 500 1 .003” 20 53 55 500 1 .003” 25 42 55 500 1 .003” 30 35 55 500 1 .003” 35 30 55 500 1 .003” 40 26 55 500 1 .003” 45 23 55 500 1 .003” 50 21 55 500 1 .003” 55 19 55 500 1 .003” 60 18 55 500 1 .003?[...]

Sample M aterials 6-31 COMM ENTS Laser engraveab le plastic comes in m any dif ferent colors, thick ness, coatings , and surfac e textures. Most engravers plast ic will engrave and c ut wel l with the la ser system as long as it is microsurfaced and formulated for laser e ngraving. Rem oval of larg e am ounts of m aterial will war p the plastic. Yo[...]

6-32 Sample M aterials RUBBER ST A MP S RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 (Not recom mended) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 20 (Not recom mended) 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” 55 100 29 500 1 .03[...]

Sample M aterials 6-33 COMM ENTS To create a rubber stamp, use the “3D Eff ects” tab in the dri ver (Sect ion 3). In t he above exam ple, only one p ass is neces sary t o a chieve a deep ly engra ved rubber stam p. W hen cutting out the rubber stamp, we recom mend using a very low PPI s etting. This setting s preads the l aser pulse s f ar enou[...]

6-34 Sample M aterials SIGN VINYL RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 15 100 10 500 1 .015” 20 100 13 500 1 .015” 25 100 17 500 1 .015” 30 100 20 500 1 .015” 35 100 23 500 1 .015” 40 100 27 500 1 .015” 45 100 30 500 1 .015” 50 100 33 500 1 .015” 55 100 37 500 1 .015” 60 100 40 500 1 .015” 65 100 43 500[...]

Sample M aterials 6-35 COMM ENTS Sign vinyl comes in a wide variety of colors, patterns, thickness, f inishes , and ref lectivi ty. There are a few m ethods for using sig n vinyl with the laser system. One method is to vector cut (unmasked) through t he vinyl but not through the back ing. This technique provides results equivalent to a vinyl cutter[...]

6-36 Sample M aterials WOOD RASTER ENGRAV ING LASER W A TT AGE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPT H 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” 55 100 51 500 1 .020” 60 100 55 500 1 .020” 65 92 55 500 1 .020[...]

Sample M aterials 6-37 COMM ENTS W hen engraving wood with a laser, a br own, m aple syrup lik e residue will depos it on the surf ace of the wood. T his is normal and impossible to el iminate b y POW ER , SP EED , or PPI changes. More residue will be present when engra ving deeper and/or slower. T his residue washes off wi th water and a spong e. [...]

6-38 Sample M aterials 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 dr y. After th e glue h as thorou ghly dried, sand th e veneer until it is flush with the base wood. A good veneer to use is one with an adhesive backing. Once c ut, place the veneer into its proper p[...]

SECTION 7 Maintenance Keeping the l aser system c lean will ensure the highest quality engraving. The frequenc y of cleaning will depend entire ly on the type of m aterial being engra ved, the performanc e of your exhau st blower, the operating environm ent, and the amount of laser system usage over a given period of time. Dirt or debris that is al[...]

7-2 Maint enance[...]

Maint enance 7-3 System Cleaning • Turn off and un plug the laser s y stem . • Open th e Top Door and th oroughl y remove all loose dirt and debris from inside the m achine with a vacuum cleaner . • Clean the Engraving Table surf ace with either a soap s olution, alcohol, or acetone, and paper towels. NEVER pour or spr ay an y solution direc [...]

7-4 Maint enance #2 Mirror To gain access to the #2 Mirror, the mirr or cover must be removed. R em ove t he thumbs crew, slide the cover to the right s lightly and lift s traight up. Inspect th e #2 Mirror 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 t issue.[...]

Maint enance 7-5 #3 Mirror and Focu s Lens You m ust rem ove the f ront cover t o th e Focus Car riage to gain ac cess to the # 3 Mirr or and the F ocus Lens. To do th is, h old the f ront c over with one ha nd and with the ot her hand, rem ove t he three(3) thumbsc rews that at tach th e front cover to the Focus Carriage, and pull the f ront cover[...]

7-6 Maint enance Beam Window The Be am W indow is where the laser beam enters into the eng raving area. It is located in th e upper left hand corner of th e e ngraving area aga inst t he b ack wall and is yellow in color. It is not nec essary to remove the Beam W indow for cleaning si nce it can onl y get dirt y on the front s ide. T he backside i [...]

Maint enance 7-7 Adjustments and Lubrication There are no periodic adjus tments required. The bearings in the m otion s ystem will s elf adjust t o take up any clearances as they be gin to wear. The belts ar e fiber reinf orced and w ill not stretch u nder norm al use so that periodic te nsion adjus tment is not necessar y. Optical al ignment is no[...]

7-8 Maint enance Cooling Fan Filt ers This air-cooled laser syste m will requ ire per iodic cleaning of th e cooling fan filters. Since ambient a ir is us ed to cool t he laser tube, the air must be f iltered before it enters the inside of the laser system otherwise dir t and dust c an build up inside of the laser s ystem and dam age it. The contam[...]

SECTION 8 Troubleshooting Engraving Quality Problem Possible Cause Possible Solution “Fuzzy” looking raster engraving or small text appe ars like a “double image” • Dirty laser system • Graphic, gr aphic software, gr aphic software setup, color palette, monitor display colors, o r driver settings have cha nged • Speed to fast for the [...]

8-2 Troubleshoo ting Raster engraving app ears sharp on both ends of the en graving but fuzzy in the middle • Dirty laser system • Something is loose • System needs tuning • Worn X-axis belt and/or dr ive gear • Tickle setting too low • Faulty laser tube • Clean all optics, rails, bea rings and belts • Check X-axis bearings, d rive [...]

Troubleshoo ting 8-3 Engraving appears “ha lftoned” and not solidly filled when using colors other than black • Graphic, graphic softwar e, graphic softwar e setup, color palette, m onitor display color s, or driver settings have cha nged • Check to see what has changed. Use “Software Setup Guide ” to properly setup the graphics softwar[...]

8-4 Troubleshoo ting Operational Focus carriage loose s X-axis position and slams into the le ft or right side of the ra il during high speed raster engraving • Mechanical interference • Dirty laser system • CPU overheating • Focus carriage X-axis bea ring tensioning ar m too tight or binding If the pattern is excessive: • X-belt too tigh[...]

APPENDIX[...]

Append ix A - Limited W arranty Please refer to t he Warr anty Re gistration Form included with your shipment.[...]

A ppendix B - Specifications Model Number X-600 or X2-600 Resolution 1000 x 1000 DPI, 500 x 500 DPI, 333 x 333 DPI, 250 x 250 DP I 200 x 200 DPI, Draft Computer Inter face W indow s 95, 98, and HP GL Table Size 37” x 23” (939.8 mm x 584.2 mm) W or k Area 32” x 18” (812.8 mm x 457.2 mm) Maximum Part Si ze 37” (939.8 mm) w ide x 23” (584.[...]

A ppendix C - Using DOS Based Programs DOS softw are is not stan dardized and each application w ill work differently . When using DOS applications, it is not possible to print through t he W ind ows Printer Driver an d f or this si tuation, the system has been designed to automatical ly em ulate a Hewlett Packard plotter. Plotter s use a special l[...]

A ppendix D - Using Macintosh Computers The laser system has primarily been designed to run under the W indow s 95 or W indow s 98 operating system. There is no Macintosh Driver available f or this Platform at this time, howev er, there may be one in the future. Once in awhile you might want t o log on to our web-site www.ulsi nc.com to see if ther[...]

A ppendix E - Serial Port Cable Requirements[...]

Append ix F - How T o Get Help Step 1: Determine exactly what the problem is. Refer to “Section 8 – Troubleshooting” f or a possible solution. Step 2: Try to recreate the problem and write down the circumstances in which the problem occurred. Be prepared t o describe all pe rtinent information about the co mputer bei ng used wi th the laser c[...]