Laser Cutting
Our laser is a Trotec Speedy 300, 80W, CO2 laser capable of cutting, engraving, and marking a variety of materials.
Certification
The Laser Basic Usage and Safety class is a required certification to use this machine.
Trotec Speedy 300
| Laser Type | CO2 |
|---|---|
| Work Area | 736.6 × 431.8 mm (19 × 17 in) |
| Max. Workpiece Height | 149.9 mm (5.9 in) |
| Laser Power | 80 W |
Note: Cutting operations have reduced maximum work area, i.e. cutting along work area perimeter is reduced from listed work area (~1 cm).
File Preparation
Drawing files must be sized in mm's.
Software
Jobs are "printed" to Trotec JobControl.
Approved Materials
These listed materials are tested and approved by Fat Cat Fab Lab for lasering. Not every material on this list can be laser cut, some can only be engraved or marked--see "Considerations / Uses" for details.
| Type | Material | Considerations / Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Cardboard | |
| Cardstock | ||
| Chipboard | ||
| Foamcore | ||
| Museum Board | ||
| Paper | ||
| Velum | ||
| Plastic | Acrylic | Mirrored acrylic: Laser mirror side down, or cover top with tape if there is no dull side. |
| Cellulose Acetate | ||
| Delrin | Provisonal. Needs a test to be accepted. | |
| Kapton | ||
| Melamine | ||
| Mylar | ||
| PET | Not PETG! | |
| Polypropylene | ||
| Rubber | For stamps. Johnson Plastics Low Order Laser Rubber only! | |
| Wood | Balsa | |
| Birch | ||
| Cedar | ||
| Cork | ||
| Maple | ||
| Oak | ||
| Plywood | ||
| Tape | Kapton Tape | |
| Masking Tape | ||
| Painter's Tape | ||
| Textile | Cotton | |
| Leather | Vegetable tanned only! | |
| Linen | ||
| Polyester | Best with 5% cotton blend. 100% polyester may catch fire. | |
| Wool | ||
| Stone | Concrete | |
| Granite | ||
| Marble | ||
| Glass (engrave) | All Glass | Engrave only. |
| Engraving Laminate | ADA Applique | Rowmark brand. |
| ADA Substrate | Rowmark brand. | |
| FlexiBrass | Rowmark brand. | |
| FlexiColor | Rowmark brand. | |
| LaserLIGHTS | Rowmark brand. | |
| LaserMag | Rowmark brand. | |
| LaserMark | Rowmark brand. | |
| LaserMark Reverse | Rowmark brand. | |
| LaserMax | Rowmark brand. | |
| Textures | Rowmark brand. | |
| Metal (mark) | Anodized Aluminum | Mark only. |
| Brass | Mark only. Must be treated first. | |
| Ferrous metals | Mark only. Must be treated first. | |
| Miscellaneous | Borax + Water Solution | Treatment to create dark black engravings on wood. |
| Dry Moly Lube Spray | Treatment for steel to mark it. |
Prohibited Materials
Do not laser any of these materials, especially anything with Chlorine (Cl). Cutting materials with Chlorine will generate chlorine gas which is known to do undesirable things to the human body.
| Material | Notes | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| ABS | Possible death. Releases cyanide gas and will likely catch fire. | |
| Coated Carbon Fiber | Noxious fumes. | |
| Fiberglass | Noxious fumes and can't be cut. | |
| HDPE | Catches fire. | |
| Polycarbonate/Lexan | PC absorbs IR light. | Cuts poorly and can catch fire. |
| Polypropylene Foam | Melts and catches fire. | |
| Polystyrene Foam | Catches fire. | |
| Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) | Includes vinyl, artifical leather, etc. | Possible death and destroys laser. Releases chlorine gas which quickly corrodes optics and metal machine components. |
Troubleshooting
- Job Control error "No more room left for jobs"
- Make sure your job is smaller than 27" x 17"
- Make sure you're sending your job in the correct orientation.
- Laser decides not to cut all, or certain vectors:
- Make sure you don't have overlapping cut lines. This can be caused by using the "Paste in Place" function in Illustrator.
- In Illustrator:
- Check your Document Color Mode (duh).
- Check the dropdown menu in the color tool pallate. Confirm that RGB is selected, and not Greyscale or other.
- Select your vectors and bring up the color dialog. Edit menu -> Edit Colors -> RGB
- Laser chamber fills with smoke.
- Check that the air filter is working, by manually toggling the air filter power button. On the airfilter console, this button's icon is a circle with a line through it. If it's not running, stop working and notify the Board.