Epilog Fusion Pro Laser Cutter
This article goes over the Epilog FusionPro Laser in the DigiFab lab. The laser has a dedicated workstation computer next to it that will be used to run cutting operations. If you have been granted access to the workstation, you will be able to see the login information at: stache.utexas.edu
Prior to using the Epilog Laser, please familiarize yourself with the locations of the:
- Fire Extinguisher
- Exhaust Fan Control Knob
- Emergency Stop (On the laser itself)
and have read over the Laser Safety section.
The Exhaust Fan Control is next to the south door and can be set between 1 and 10. While operating the laser, make sure to set the fan to 10. When finished, turn it down to 5. The exhaust fan should never be set below 5 to ensure that air continuously blows. Please remember to turn this back down before leaving, once you're finished with the laser cutter.
NOTE: Laser Cutter is Only Available from Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.
Do NOT use the laser outside of approved operation hours.
I. Laser Safety
The Epilog Fusion Pro laser cutter has many safety features built into it to ensure user safety, however there are still some procedures that should be followed to ensure the safety both of the user and of the laser itself.
Firstly, never operate the laser outside of the approved time frame (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm).
Secondly, never leave the laser unattended while it is running. If you need to leave the laser for any reason, make sure to pause the job and wait for the laser to stop moving before leaving the laser. The laser cutter should never be in operation without someone monitoring it in the room.
Only cut materials that are either on the approved material list (see below) or have been approved by a shop manager. Using unapproved materials can release dangerous chemicals and cause damage to the user as well as to the laser.
Monitor the cutting of material in the laser to ensure that the cut material does not catch fire. Note that flames may occasionally come from the laser when cutting, but a continuous flame should not exist on a material. This sustained flame indicates that the material itself has caught on fire and should immediately be put out. If this happens, either immediately blow out the fire or in the case of a larger flame, use the fire extinguisher to stop the fire. While this event is unlikely, monitoring the cut operation and ensuring safe cutting practices will prevent potential fire hazards.
The Epilog Fusion Pro laser will never fire the laser while the laser door is open. Do NOT try to bypass this feature or any other safety features on the laser.
In the event that the laser needs to be immediately shut down, press the Emergency Stop button located directly on the control panel of the laser. This will immediately cut power to the laser and cause all functionality to stop. To reset, twist the red button clockwise until it pops back up.
If you notice the laser is cutting abnormally (lower power than usual, making a strange noise, etc), contact a shop manager and do not continue to use the laser unless OK'ed by the shop manager.
If you have any further questions about safe operation of the laser, make sure to talk to a shop manager to clarify any points of confusion.
II. Approved Materials
The Epilog Fusion Pro laser is capable of working on a wide range of materials. Below is a list of all approved materials. If you have any questions about potential materials that are not listed below, contact a shop manager to see if a material is safe to cut on the laser. Do NOT use materials that are not approved as they may cause damage to the laser as well as to the health of the user by release of dangerous fumes.
- Acrylic
- Birch Plywood (Or other Laser Grade Plywood)
- Leather
- Cardboard
- Paper
- Fabric
- Matte board
- Delrin
- Corian
- Glass (Engrave Only)
- Coated Metals (Engrave Only)
Explicitly, the following are NOT allowed to be cut on the laser:
- MDF and Construction Grade Plywood
- PVC and PVC Materials (Such as Vinyl)
- Any material that is known to release toxic fumes when laser cut
III. Getting Started
To get started, first log into the workstation next to the laser. If already have your laser cut file (.svg), feel free to proceed to section V to run your job. Otherwise, proceed to section IV to go over how to design your .svg file for laser cutting.
IV. SVG Design Basics for Laser Cutting
The Epilog FusionPro laser uses .SVG files to interpret what to cut and engrave. There are a handful of softwares you can use to create these .SVG files, such as CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator and Inkscape. Both CorelDraw and Inkscape are available on the laser workstation. Note that CorelDraw is a subscription based software while Inkscape is free, so if you wish to download one on your personal computer, Inkscape may be preferable. Feel free to use whichever vector design software you prefer, but for the sake of simplicity, this walkthrough will be using Inkscape to design a simple cut/engrave file. Download Inkscape here:
Inkscape (Windows / Linux / Mac)
Creating a Vecor Cut Part
In Inscape, create a shape using the tools on the right. For the laser to iterpret a part as a vector cut, the part will need to have a stroke line (outline). To do this, right click on the part and select "Fill and Stroke." You should see a menu open on the right side of the window.
A "Filled" image will be interpreted by the software as an engrave, so if you only wish to perform a cut, turn off Fill. To perform a cut, turn on the Stroke to display the outline of your shape. Note that the laser will only cut when the stroke thickness is 0.003 inches wide or less, so make sure to adjust this. If the line is thicker than 0.003 inches, then it will be engraved instead of cut. (On other softwares, you can simply use the "Hairline" feature to get an appropriately thin line)
Creating an Engrave Part
As mentioned earlier, if you wish to engrave, simply input the image that you wish to be engraved. Note that the laser only engraves in greyscale, so any color will not show up as actual color on the final image.
Optional Color Coding
The Epilog software also allows the user to split operations up by color. For example, if you wish to cut one shape before another, or you wish to engrave a shape with different settings than another, you can set these objects to have different colors. Once you open the dashboard (in the next step), simply select "Split By Color" to seperate your operations by color.
Importing a File from PDF
If you ahve a PDF file that you wish to import, first make sure that it is a high resolution image. If it is a Solidworks drawing file, make sure that all of your draft and mesurement settings are set to "Max" and "High Quality" to allow it to import properly.
Then simply import your PDF into Inkscape, at which point it will automatically be converted to an SVG. If done properly, you should be able to select the individual elements of the drawing and move, scale, and delete as you see fit, leaving only the part that you wish to actually cut. Again, make sure that the stroke thickness is <= 0.003 inches.
V. Running a Job
Once you have designed your part, open the .svg file on the laser workstation. Select File < Print < Epilog Fusion Pro to launch the Epilog Dashboard. You should see your part file appear on the screen, and if the laser is on, you will see the live video feed from the cameras.
If the laser is not on yet, start by turning the exhaust up to 10 and then turn the key on the laser control panel to turn the laser on. The Epilog laser will run a short configuration process, after which the digital screen will display "Idle" in the botton left corner. At this point, the laser is ready to begin operating.
Looking back at the Epilog Dashboard, you will see your operation(s) on the right side of the page. These operations will be split into Vector and Engrave if applicable. If what appears in these sections do not match what you anticipated, double check your .svg file.
For each operation, select the top right button to "Import Material Settings." From here, you will be able to select settings for the given material. This will automatically adjust your speed, power, and frequency/resolution for that material. If necessary, you can also adjust these values as you see fit.
If you have not done so already, focus the laser to the material. On the laser touchscreen, press the joystick button to move the laser head over the material. Then press "Auto Focus." The laser bed will move to contact the material and determine it's thickness and thus, the appropriate bed height for proper focus. At this point, you are ready to start a job.
On the dashboard, align your part with where you wish to cut/engrave using the live video feed. When ready to print and all of your settings are finalized, press "Print" to send the job to the printer.
On the printer screen, you should now see your newly sent job in the queue. Tap on the job and press the Play button to begin.
IMPORTANT: Do not leave the laser running without supervision. If you need to leave the room, pause the print before leaving.
Once your print is complete, remove your part and any leftover stock, and enjoy your laser cut/engraved part!
To see the manual for the printer, click here:
VI. Additional Information
Note that the laser does not currently have a reservation system. The laser currently does not get used to the point that this has been an issue, but if finding an available time to laser cut becomes an issue, contact a shop manager to help resolve this.
In addition to the standard grid bed that is on the laser, users may prefer to use the engraving bed, which is mostly solid and very flat. To change beds, users must remove the current bed and place the new bed on the table, making sure that it sits properly on the laser. When done with a bed, please replace the standard grid bed for other users. Do not use the engraving bed for vector cutting operations as it can damage the bed and potentially release unwanted chemicals.
Feel free to reach out to a shop manager if you have any further questions about the Epilog Fusion Pro laser cutter.