Epilog Mini Laser

The Epilog Mini 24 is a fast and convenient 2D Cutting Tool 

Table of Contents

SAFETY DO’S AND DON’TS

DO’s:  

DO stay with the system while a job is being processed.  Never leave the room unattended while the laser is operating.

DO keep the area clear of clutter.

DO be prepared by having a Fire Extinguisher nearby.

DO Power on both the Air Assist feature and air compressor prior to operating the laser.

DO clean the laser.  Regularly remove the Vector Cutting Table to clean any small pieces that have fallen through the grid.

DON’T’s:

DO NOT disassemble the system or remove any protective covers while the system is plugged in.

DO NOT attempt to operate the system while the lid or doors are open.

DO NOT attempt to disassemble the safety interlocks.

DO NOT look directly into the Laser Diode Pointer (red dot pointer).

DO NOT operate the Laser Diode Pointer without the system focus lense in place.

DO NOT make or break any electrical connections to the system while the unit is turned on.

DO NOT bring combustible materials, explosives, and volatile solvents (acetone, alcohol and gasoline) into the MakerStudio.

DO NOT run the system without ventilation.

DO NOT engrave or cut PVC.  This will give off Chlorine Gas.  You will die.

Specifications

• 50W CO2 laser cutting tube
• Fires beam at .02mm increments (up to 1200 dpi) providing crisp, clean images (.02mm is about ½ the diameter of an average human hair)
• Red Dot Pointer to assist in determining exactly where the laser will fire
• Air Assist to reduce flair-ups (pass compressed air over the cut to remove heat and combustible gasses from the cutting surface)
• Auto Focus adjusts the table height to maintain the smallest diameter spot size at the point where it contacts the material
• 3D Engraving Mode adjusts power applied based on the greyscale in the artwork
• Raster/Vector Color Mapping enables mapping speed and power settings to colors in your file.
• Rotary Attachment for Cylindrical Items
• Engrave material up to 5.5” thick
• Cut wood or plastic to ~10mm (3/8”)

Cutting/Engraving Terminology

• Vector = Cutting
• Raster = Engraving

CO2 Laser Compatible Materials

NO PVC – Cutting PVC will give off poisonous Chlorine Gas.

* CO2 lasers will mark bare metals when coated with a metal marking solution. 

Operating Procedues

Startup

1)     Log on to the Desktop PC next to the Laser Cutter

User-Id :           ITS Shared Account

2)      Start CorelDraw X8

3)     Create or Import the file you want to work with

4)     Turn on the Quatro HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance) filter

5)     Turn on the air compressor

6)     Turn on laser cutter (wait for it to initialize)

Operation

1)     Either import your file or draw your pattern in CorelDraw. 

2)     Set up the page size to “Width 24, Height 12”

Click “Layout/Page Setup” in the menu bar. You will be presented with the “Page Setup” window. 

In the Page Setup menu, click on Page Size. 

Select the size “Laser Engraver Bed”.  This will set the Width to 24 inches and the Height to 12 inches.  (Manually setting the Width and Height is discouraged as it will cause problems).

3)     Also note that in Corel Draw, the x,y 0,0 axis is the Bottom Left Corner of your page.  The  0,0 axis on the Epilog is the Top Left Corner of the cutting table.  So, the Top Left corner of your page in Corel is 0,12.

4)     When your file is ready in Corel, select “File/Print” from the menu bar at the top of the screen.  You will be presented with the Print Menu.

5)     Click on “Preferences” in the Print Menu to open the Epilog Laser Dashboard. 

6)     In the Epilog Laser Dashboard, select the Job Type, (Vector = Cutting, Raster = Engraving)

7)     Select the Speed and Power for Raster and/or Vector using the recommendations on Page 141-142 of the Epilog Laser System Manual.  Our laser cutter is 50 watt, use the appropriate settings.  “s” and “p” in the chart refer to Speed and Power. 

8)     Set the “Piece Size” to Horizontal = 24, Vertical = 12 (the table size of the laser cutter)

9)     Make sure the “AutoFocus” box is checked in the Laser Dashboard

10)  Set the Resolution (if appropriate)

11)  Click OK in the Laser Dashboard, then click Print from the Print Menu.

Test a Print without actually Cutting or Engraving

There are three ways to “Test Print” a job without actually cutting or engraving the object.  For all cases it is recommended that you turn on the pointer.  The pointer is a red dot that shows you where cutting will occur.  In a test situation, this is helpful because you can verify that you will actually be cutting where you intend.  The pointer is activated by depressing the “Pointer” Button (Button 9) on the Epilog Laser Engraver keypad.

To perform a Test Print do one of the following:

a)     Depress the “Power” button (Button 4) on the Epilog Laser Engraver keypad and adjust the power to zero.

b)     Adjust the power to zero on the Epilog Laser Dashboard.

c)     It should also be noted that raising the lid of the engraver will disable the laser.

Manufacturer's Documentation

The Manufacturer's Documentation can be found by clicking here.