Little Blue Laser (Epilog Helix 8000)

Tools
Model
Room	Laser Room
Work envelope/max capacity
Link to manual	newest; older
Related tools	Laser Rotary Attachment (Helix);
Trainer(s)	John Hache
Training Sessions	Basic Laser Epilog Training;
Knowledge keeper(s)
Training document(s)
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
Safe Work Procedure	https://northforge.ca/community/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Epilog-Helix.pdf#new_tab
Consumables
Software	CorelDraw;
Equipment type	tool

Laser Room Precautions apply

You will be working in the Laser Room . In order to keep safe from hazards created by you or other workers using any of the tools in this room, the following precautions apply in addition to any other precautions:

Safety

Hazards: fumes, fire, noise, lacerations.
Wear hearing protection when the exhaust fan is on, as it's loud enough to cause hearing damage.
Check the debris tray before and after. Debris buildup can cause a fire as the laser cuts through the workpiece and enters the debris tray.
Do not cut unknown or unapproved materials. If the material is not on the approved list, ask for permission on Slack.
Heat can build up when doing multiple passes on wood, causing the material to ignite. If you're cutting thick wood and it doesn't go through in three passes, stop.
Do not cut multiple layers of fabric, paper, cardboard, etc at one time. The increased air between the layers can increase the risk of fire.
Note when cutting lightweight materials like fabric or paper: any cutouts produced can be blown around by the air support and exhaust; if they pass between the lens and the material they can cause a fire or blow out the lens.
Always use a vector grid when cutting all the way through.
Don't wear loose hair, clothing, jewellery, etc. as they can become entangled in the belts.

Running lasers unattended

Due to risk of fire, do not leave the lasers running unattended. You must be close to the lasers and able to respond quickly in case of emergency. In particular, pay close attention to the laser when it is running in vector mode as the fire risk is greatly increased compared to vector mode.

Interlocked enclosures and laser classification

Never circumvent the interlocked enclosures on our laser cutters
Our laser cutters all contain lasers that would be considered Class 4 and subject to significant training and restrictions.
The laser cutters implement an interlocked safety enclosure that shuts off the laser if the enclosure is opened. This reclassifies the machines to a Class 1 laser for the purpose of the actual cutting laser that is interlocked.
However, the laser cutters end up being Class 2 laser because of the red dot pointer laser that can operate even with the lid open.

Housekeeping

When using Big Blue, Little Blue, and Big Red: Clean the lens before the start of your session. Monitor the lens throughout - cutting messy materials like rubber may require recleaning. Note that Big Red has one extra mirror that needs to be cleaned in addition to the one in the head.
When using Giant Blue, check the lens frequently for debris buildup and clean as required.
Always use a lens tissue when cleaning the lens - bare Q-tips are mildly abrasive and wear away at the coatings on the lens
Break down waste before bagging (pieces should be smaller than 6" x 6"). Blunt any sharp edges so they don't break the bag.

for all	that is a bigger garbage issue... see Todo

The Blue Laser Room vacuum is located by Big Red for your use.

edit these instructions at Instructions:Little Blue Laser (Epilog Helix 8000)

Equipment Damage

Autofocus Disabled

DO NOT ENABLE AUTOFOCUS - MANUAL FOCUS ONLY. Enabling auto focus in software will damage the lasers!

Raster Speed Problems

When using raster mode, high speeds will cause the motors to wear out prematurely. North Forge policy is to keep speed below 80%. Note that the existing tables may suggest speeds above 80%; in that case you will need to adjust them manually:

Find the recommended values in the speed/power table
If the suggested raster speed is greater than 80%, set the speed to 80%.
Subtract the same percentage from the power as you did for the speed. For example, if the recommended speed/power is 100/80, subtract 20 points from the speed to get to 80 and 20 points from the power to get 60. The adjusted speed/power is 80/60.
If the suggested power is already less than 20 points, set the power to 5 and the speed as close to 80% as possible. For example, if the recommended speed/power is 100/15, the adjusted speed/power is 90/5

Safety

In case of fire:

Briefly open the lid to cut off the power. See if the fire continues on its own or if the laser beam is fuelling it.
If it is safe to do so, remove any burning workpieces and extinguish them outside of the laser (smothering, water, fire extinguisher)
If it is not safe to remove the workpiece, use the fire extinguisher in the laser.

Things that can cause fires:

Passing over the same spot in vector mode when cutting wood (e.g. due to doubled-up lines)
Improper work surface (always use vector tray or pin grid when cutting)
Trying to cut multiple layers of fabric at the same time
Debris in the debris tray
Cutting non-suitable materials
Laser is out of focus

The Helix does not have an E-STOP; in case of emergency, turn off the power switch (located on the left side of the laser near the large grey power cord).

Housekeeping

Members must break down their materials before discarding them. Blunt sharp edges that may puncture the bag. TIP: Use the laser to break down any waste materials. Empty the garbage when it is more than 3/4 full and put the bags in the bin near the elevator/paint booth.

When done, always check the debris tray for small pieces and empty if needed. Small pieces can be ignited by the laser during vector cutting.

Preparing Files

Operations

Overview

Check the debris tray and empty if needed (open the front panel, flip the locking levers so they are perpendicular to the tray, then pull out).
Turn on the laser.
Clean the lens (at the beginning of your session).
Load the material.
Set the laser focus and home point.
Assign appropriate speed and power settings for the material type and thickness.
Send the print job to the laser.
Verify that the blast gates are open and air support is turned on.
Turn on the exhaust vacuum.
Close the lid.
Press GO to begin the job.
Monitor the job carefully, especially during vector operations.
Check the lens every 1-2 hours and clean if needed.

Moving the laser head

Move the laser manually:

Press X/Y OFF, then GO.
Manually move the head to the desired position. When touching the head, do not touch the lens or mirror (only touch the metal surfaces).

Cleaning the Lens

Note that Q-tips are abrasive and will wear away the coating on the lens. Always use a lens tissue.

Wrap a Q-Tip with half a sheet of lens tissue
Spray lens cleaner on half of the Q tip (block with your hand to keep the other half dry). Do not use Windex or anything other than lens cleaner.
Clean the top and the bottom of the lens. Do not press hard/scrub; treat the lens like you would an eyeball.
Dry the top and bottom of the lens using the dry side of the Q-tip.
Clean the mirror.
Dry the mirror using the dry side of the Q-tip.

Setting Home

Turn on the red dot pointer.
Press X/Y OFF, then GO.
Manually move the head to the home position. When touching the head, do not touch the lens or mirror (only touch the metal surfaces).
Press SET HOME.

Setting Focus

Hang the focus tool on the arms protruding from the head, lining the holes in the tool up with the pins on the arm.
Press X/Y OFF, then GO.
Manually move the head over top of the material
Press ▲ or ▼ to move the bed up or down until the top of the material just touches the bottom of the focus tool.

Running a Job

Select File → Print or press Ctrl+P.
Choose “Little Blue” from the printer dropdown menu.
Press the Gear icon/Settings button to the right of the printer dropdown menu.
Verify that Auto Focus is not selected.
Ensure Center-Engraving is not selected if Center-Engraving is not being used.
Ensure the Piece Size is the same as the workspace size in CorelDraw.
If using raster mode, set the DPI (typically 600 for wood).
Choose the operation type (Raster, Vector, or Combined)
If using raster mode, set the raster settings according to the provided tables.
1. Reduce the speed to less than 80% to avoid wear on the belts and motors
If using vector mode, set the speed, power, and frequency according to the table.

Ensure autofocus is NOT checked off in software

Press “Okay.”
Select the Layout tab in the Print menu.
Ensure “As in Document” is selected.
Press “Apply” then “Print.” The job will be sent to the laser. The laser will not start until “GO” is pressed on the control panel.

Final Checklists

Cut lines are red hairlines, vector etches are either a fill or a line thicker than 0.12mm
Piece size in Epilog driver matches page size in CorelDRAW
Speed, power, resolution are set per the manual
Aufocus is NOT checked off in the laser driver
In layout tab, “As In Document” is selected
Laser is focused
X/Y Home is set
Lens has been cleaned
Debris tray has been checked for debris
Vents are open (default position is OPEN)
Air support is turned on (default position is ON/handle parallel to pipe)
Hearing protection/PPE is worn
Vacuum/blower is on
User is prepared to monitor the job continuously

Running the Job

Press the JOB button.
Make sure the correct file name is shown on screen. If it is not, press ▲ or ▼ until the correct file is showing.
Verify that all pre-use conditions are correct (see checklist).
Press GO to start the laser.

Troubleshooting

Artwork isn't engraving in the right spot:
- Check that the page size in CorelDraw is the same as the piece size in the Epilog software.
- Check the layout tab and make sure that the position is set to "As in document."

for all	Safety1 Manual says "NEVER let the laser system operate if it will be unattended."

Little Blue Laser (Epilog Helix 8000)

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