Brooklyn Industrial Arts

OMTech Laser Cutter

The shop has a laser cutting and engraving machine. The model is: AF2440-100 - 100W CO2 Laser Engraver Cutting Machine with 24" x 40" Working Area and Auto Focus

⚠️ Safety

Operation guide

  1. Turn on the water cooler to the left of the laser.
  2. Turn on the laser with the main power button.
  3. Open the laser door
  4. Place your materials inside
  5. Press the Fn key to enter Z move mode
  6. Use the laser focus piece (on the keychains) as a reference between your material and the laser head, while pressing Left/Right on the keypad to calibrate the laser focal point.
  7. Close the laser door
  8. (optional) Send your job to the laser, and watch it do a dry run to confirm it behaves as you expect.
  9. Insert the key and enable the laser by turning the key to ON.
  10. Send your job to the laser
  11. Watch the laser! Do NOT leave it unattended.
  12. Disengage the laser by turning the key to OFF.
  13. Let the piece ventilate until no fumes and smoke are visible.
  14. Open the laser door and remove your piece.
  15. Turn off the laser.
  16. Turn off the water cooler.
  17. Return the key to where you found it (Brad and Gabe’s areas each have one).

Software

Materials

Approved materials

Extra materials?

Any scrap material near the laser is available for use in projects. Laser cuttable MDF, wood or acrylic can be stored with the wood but please mark it with your name or it may be used.

Generally, bring your own, or make sure to ask others when using their materials.

Power settings

Refer to the test cut pieces near the laser area for power settings. Generally, use the following procedure to determine the settings:

  1. Find a test cut piece that is close to your material.
  2. Experiment with those settings on a throwaway piece of your material. Monitor closely!
  3. If in doubt, use less power with more passes, or simply repeat the job until you achieve the desired results.

Example files

OMTech provides a Material Test Card Lightburn file which can be used to run a test cut on your material.