3DFabLight

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3D FabLight 3000 Watt sheetmetal cutting LASER
3D FabLight 3000 Watt sheetmetal cutting LASER
General Info
Make	3D FabLight
Model	3,000 Watt
Serial	30450
Specs	Specifications
Manual	Operation Manual
Asylum Info
Location	Metal Shop
Rubric	TBD
Training	TBD
Testing	TBD
Restrictions	red

Unknown

Description

This tool uses a LASER and air pressure to cut thin sheets of metal

Use for:

• Steel (CRS): 0.15" (3.8mm) 9ga.
• Aluminum: 0.083" (2.11mm) 12ga.
• Copper: 0.048" (1.22mm) 18ga.

Do Not Use for:

• Stainless steel. We do not have sufficient fume extraction to cut this material safely.
• Any sheet metal exceeding the maximum thickness for the type of metal.
• Any galvanized metal.
• Any painted or plastic coated metal.
• ANY NON METAL MATERIALS.
• Any metals incorporating heavy metal components (lead/cadmium/etc)
• Any metals incorporating silver (vaporized silver is highly toxic)
• Corroded metals will cut less effectively

Hazard Analysis

• Materials can catch on fire while being cut.
• Coated metals will produce toxic gasses while being cut.
• Cuts/scrapes from sharp cut edges of work.
• Parts will be hot after cutting. Burning hands may result when removing parts.

Operation Notes

• This machine requires fume extraction. Make sure both AC line cords are plugged in.
• This machine requires shop air. Instructions for starting and stopping the Antwerp Shop Air
• The blue Miller fume extraction unit will be started and stopped by the Fablight automatically. If you don't hear it when a cut starts, check the ON/OFF switch on the blue unit to the right-side of the Fablight and check that the second AC line cord is plugged in.
• if properly focused, this laser should produce a 0.004-0.005" kerf

Quickstart guide

Read pages 19-39 of the Laser Operation Manual

Read the whole 33 pages of the FabCreator Manual

Basic Operation Instructions

Link to: FabCreator executable download

Link to: FabCreator Manual

Link to: FabCreator Database

Link to: Laser Operation Manual

• Verify both AC plugs are plugged in to the AC outlet to the left of the machine
• Verify the white air hose is plugged in to the shop air supply.
• Verify front door is closed
• Turn on the main power using the white rocker switch on the panel at the lower left side of the machine.

• The machine will be in an Offline state.

• Enable the EStop by rotating it clockwise until it pops out.

• Turn on system power by turning the key from Off to On. The key will return to the Off position.

• Wait 1-2 minutes for the system to initialize. System state should change from Offline to Machine Not Homed.

• Select Home Machine
• Verify the machine is ready to home and press the home machine button.

• Wait for the machine to home.

• Machine is homed, press "Continue"

• Machine is ready to load a job

• You can jog the head by clicking the "Jog button and dragging the blue squares.

• you can jog to a precise location by double-clicking a blue box which will bring up a keypad.

Things that go wrong with this machine during cutting

• Sometimes during cutting, metal material splashes up on top of the sheet and this can confuse the Capacitive Height Sensor (CHS) and can result in the machine stopping and reporting "Too many tip touches".
  • This means the tip has brushed the top surface of the material and is getting ticked off at it.
  • The Start and Stop buttons on the front panel will start flashing and the machine will pause.
  • If you feel there's nothing sticking up that the head will collide with, press the "Start" button to continue the cut.
  • There's no need to close the popup image on the HMI.
  • The blue "Jog" rectangles will not be at the origin coordinates of (0,0). DO NOT MOVE THEM. Just hit the "Start" button.
  • It's fine to continue the cut many times if this keeps happening.

• Sometimes during cutting, a piece of material may drop out of the sheet. This can confuse the CHS and can result in the machine stopping and reporting "No material found".
  • The Start and Stop buttons on the front panel will start flashing and the machine will pause.
  • If everything looks OK, press the "Start" button to continue the cut.
  • There's no need to close the popup image on the HMI.
  • The blue "Jog" rectangles will not be at the origin coordinates of (0,0). DO NOT MOVE THEM. Just hit the "Start" button.
  • It's fine to continue the cut many times if this keeps happening.
  • Manually adding tabs when processing in FabCreator can prevent cutout materials from dropping out.

Preventative maintenance/cleaning

PM video

Other reference documents

We have a "Low pressure" regulator installed. Keep that in mind as you read this document. Assist Gas Guide

Videos

FabCreator tutorial

(Recorded livestream) Build a flatpack grill

Images of things produced by this machine

• The first thing cut by our machine. Rusty steel sheet. Laser was not centered and this produced a non optimal cut.

• A nice 1" diameter circle in aluminum plate showing the laser's kerf size.

• Thin aluminum plate cut into an animal shape.

• 3/4" thin wall aluminum tubing cut. The CAD wrap around the tube is not perfect and the holes are not centerd on the tube face. This is an issue with the design and not the machine's cutting or pointing ability