Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Laser cutting- Beginner/How to Laser Cut in the Makerspace/Zing

Epilog Zing

The Epilog Zing is a 40 W CO2 laser with the ability to cut through a variety of materials such as MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard) and acrylic which are commonly used during laser cutting projects at the Makerspace. While the procedure to operate an Epilog Zing remains mostly similar to the steps taken to operate the Epilog Mini and the Epilog Helix, there exist some differences that should be taken into account when dealing with the Epilog Zing. For example, the Epilog Zing is part of the maker mobile found in the Maker lab.

The Maker Mobile

The Maker Mobile is a makerspace on wheels. Most of the equipment that can be found in a makerspace, can be carried directly to schools, libraries and even birthday parties.  The Epilog Zing is one of the equipment that is carried on the Maker Mobile making it a portable machine. Apart from the laser cutter itself, there are other components that are required for its smooth operation. The elements are shown in the image below.

Laser Cutter Components

Laser Cutter Components

In order to use the Epilog Zing laser cutter, the 4 components that you need are:

• The Laser Cutter: Machine that will cut the material
• Computer: The computer is used to upload the design that need to be cut to the laser. It is also used to configure all the necessary setting of the laser.
• Air Filter: The filter should always be attached while performing a cut, the laser cutter is not to be used without the filter, this ensures that the air in the room is safe for users and limits potentially hazardous debris
• Air Compressor (compressed air): A steady flow of air to blow smoke and cutting residue away from the beam path and optics of a laser cutter. It's simple, but critical; without it, smoke can obscure and reflect the laser beam, foul lenses and mirrors, and severely degrade cut quality.

Control Panel

One way for the user to interact with the laser is by using the control panel. The list below describe the properties of each button found in the laser cutter control panel.

Troubleshooting Laser Cutter Issues-To edit

1. File not sending to the Laser Cutter
   • Try unplugging the USB-A Cable from the laser and plugging it back, the files should now be available on the Laser Screen
   • Make sure to choose the Printer that has a "(USB)" at the end of the printer name in Adobe Acrobat Reader
   • Try turning Off and On the laser
2. Vector not working: When sending a vector file, if the Laser Cutter does a sound right away and doesn't start, it means something is probably wrong with the file.
   • Make sure the line thickness is actually 0.001 inch
   • Make sure opacity is at exactly 100%
   • Make sure that the Vector or Combined setting in the Epilog Driver is selected
   • Try opening the file back in inkscape or your preferred vector software and make sure the lines are a solid color
3. Laser starts shifting on the side
   • Stop the print and make sure the size doesn't exceed the size of the laser's bed (Zing 12"x12")
   • Ask staff to check the laser, but this issue will probably mean that the laser needs to go Out of Order for maintenance
4. Only part of the file gets printed
   • Check your canvas size is the actual size or bigger that everything that is in that document
   • Make sure that in the Epilog Driver, the "Piece size" is bigger than the size of your document

Resources

• Laser Safety
• Material Settings: If a material is unlisted in the allowed materials list, please consult a Makerspace employee for further guidance.
• Makerbox:Makerbox is a web-based case generator for laser cutting. It allows for the creation of boxes with live hinges at the corners. Unfortunately, it only outputs .DXF or .DWG file formats and does not support the export of 3D CAD models for modifications in a 3D CAD software.