Laser Tips and Tricks

Join Fiber Laser Metal Engraving - https://www.facebook.com/groups/fiberlasers

If you use Raycus 30w...start freq at 30..if Raycus 50w..start freq at 50khz..

If 50w jpt.. start at 40khz..if 60w start at 45khz@200ns..if 80w..start at 60khz at 200ns.. if 100w start at 75khz@200ns.. if 120w start at 90khz@200ns

Cutting aluminum blanks.. 1.5mm and 3mm thickness.. if you have 50w jpt run at 40khz...raycus 50khz..60w jpt 30khz@500ns..80w jpt 40khz@500ns..100w 60khz@500ns..120w 80khz@500ns...power range 75-95%..(depending on your modules).. speed range 750-2000...lens 70-110mm..offsetting at 0.1-0.3..hatch 0.03-0.05..mode continuous until parting.

If you have issues to install Ezcad2 driver on a new computer with win11, you need to uninstall/remove the "windows preferred driver" (USBLMCV2) with the laser on and connected. Find "Universal Serial Bus devices >> USBLMCV2 >> Uninstall device", select "Delete the driver software for this device" and click "uninstall" button. Then scan new devices in device manager. If needed, power off the laser and power it back on.

You need to uninstall one software driver first, then power off and power on the laser, scan new device in device manager, then install the other software driver.

https://lasersafetyindustries.com/products/windows-acrylic-sheet-class-4-ndyag-1064nm

You can run Windows on a Mac using Parallels or BootCamp or VirtualBox.

Think of it like sandpaper.....lower frequency=lower grit, higher frequency=higher grit. The lower the frequency, the more aggressive the material removal will be. So to get depth quick, use your minimum frequency, for a light etch, use a higher frequency.

It's more complex than that, but that's the simple explanation.

JPT only makes MOPA Engraving Lasers. The 20, 30 & 50 Watt LP-E has a Fixed Pulse Width of 200ns, the 30 Watt M7 is 2-350ns and the 60 Watt M7 and above are 1-500ns.

1. Q pulse: 50 Watt LP-E has a Fixed Pulse Width of 200ns, the 60 Watt M7 is 1-500ns.
2. Frequency: 50 Watt LP-E is 1-600khz, the 60 Watt M7 is 1-4000khz.

Run a bunch of depth passes, then run a cleaning pass and then black setting.

Once it's engraved, put a little oil in the engraving and it will pop the black really nicely.

No and yes. Fiber laser is mainly designed for metals. Galvo co2 laser is the right tool for wood marking. But you could try wood with fiber laser, sometime it works. 

Yes. Just buy a 50w fiber source, plug and play, nothing else.

A. 150*150mm is suitable for most applications. 
B. 70*70mm lens is helpful for deep engraving and thin metal cutting. Smaller lens is with lower focus distance which also means stronger power shooting.
C. 300*300mm lens is useful for tumblers engraving without rotary, it has deeper focus tolenrance which allows you to do around max 40-60mm width on curved surface. Also useful for big size design when needed. Bigger lens is higher focus distance which also mean weaker power shooting, also good for plastics.

Optional lenses: 100*100mm/175*175mm/220*220mm/250*250mm/400*400mm.
For similiar size lenses, for example 70*70mm and 100*100mm lens, just choose one of them, no need to buy both.

Mask the surface with black mark sharpie or just a black marker.

For cutting reflection, put tape or paint over it first.

Cutting comparison base on 120w and 80w JPT YDFLP-M-R AkA CM7 model (Laser Source by Richard Zhang of Omg laser) .. all components and parameters are identical.. difference only on lenses.. 120w on 70mm..80w on 112mm both on Opex..

2. 1st pass.. speed 2500 with wobble activated (ellipse) dia. 0.15..dist 0.1
3. 2nd pass.. speed 2000 without wobble activated.
4. Power 1st pass (cross hatch 45deg) @75%..2nd pass @40% (cross hatch -45deg)..hatch type.. unidirectional
5. offsets at 0.5mm hatches @0.03.. 45 deg angle.. auto rotates @13 deg.
6. pulsed width and frequencies on 120w 1st pass 80khz@500ns..2nd pass 90khz@200ns...on 80w 1st pass 40khz@500ns..2nd pass 60khz@200ns

(Material base on 1.5mm aluminum and brass)

120watts (70mm lens) tooks 3.5 cycles and 80watts(112mm lens) tooks 6.5 cycles (1 cycle 4 passes) with clean cutoff.

above base on aluminum and for brass just add another cycle for both module.

Save as ai8, then import to Ezcad.

Save as plt format, then import to Ezcad.

Paint it, or put aluminum foil on it, then engrave with fiber laser.

For singed, sorched, burnt edges, after a quick spray of clp and a pass with nylon brush, still have sanding and polishing to do, but the burn marks are gone instantly.
clp: generic gun cleaner "clean lube protect"

Use the settings for 1 pass, wait 1 minute, then do another pass, do that about 6 times for most sigs, I do 4-5 on the thinner areas if you can, 320s I think you can do 8 passes. So 1 minute between each pass, it will look bad when you are done,don't worry it's ok. Toss it in the sand blaster and blast it lightly 5-10 psi keep moving, doesn't take much. Pull it out and blow it off, then add a dab of oil to rejuvenate the cerakote.  
Some times it also leaves a black residue on top, not sure if an air assist would help, I'll leave that to the experts to figure out. 

30w OMG Laser , with a 200mm lens. The real truck is the waiting time and the sand blaster. 
700 speed, 40khz, 60 power, 0.08 line distance

Blender

UV laser works the best. For Co2, use the smallest lens you have. Use a low power as the glass fractures. Use a brass brush on a drill to remove the chards.

Plastic brush + isopropyl alcohol leaves it super clean.

If you have gun cleaner or scrubber it works great. 

It ended up being a driver issue. Reinstall the driver.

Make them using STLs from sites like cults3d and thingiverse.

For anyone on the fence about getting a co2 galvo you won’t regret it for doing tumblers.

Same settings for every brand and color of powder coat. Not like the fiber where sometimes you have to diddle the settings from cup to cup even if they are the same color!

1 minute start to finish and 90% of the time you don’t have any washing or clean up after!

For reference the same job on my 100w gantry is 7 minutes + clipping into the rotary and washing after with cleaner and magic eraser

60w omg co2 galvo
300mm lens
1000mms
55% power
635lpi
2x 45degree passes

Colton Backman

Laser engraving-->Tumbling with 2mm stainless steel balls-->polishing with guitar fret rubber--> Cleaning with isopropanol-->Spray coating with zapon coating for verdigris prevention.