BOSS LS-3655 150w Laser Engraver

BOSS LS-3655 150w Laser Engraver

Owner/Loaner	PS:One
Serial Number	SERIAL NUMBER
Make/Model	BOSS LS-3655 150w
Arrival Date	January 2017
Usability	yes
Contact	CNC Area Host
Where	CNC Shop
Authorization Needed	yes
Hackable	no
Estimated Value	$17,000
Host Area	CNC

About

The BOSS LS-3655 is an industrial CO2 laser engraver with a 36" x 55" bed, supporting over-sized material pass-thru on four sides and up to 7 inches of table depth. Originally shipped with 100W tube, but that has been replaced with 150W tube in May, 2017.

Status

• (2017/05/20) 150W Tube & Power Supply installed. Alignment & focusing pending.
• (2017/06/12) The laser has been aligned and focused. 2" Laser lens focal depth set to 5.1mm.

Authorizations

Authorizations will be limited to small groups, e.g. 4 or less, due to nature of the equipment. To qualify for Boss Authorization, each member must be authorized on the Epilog for at least three months and must demonstrate suitable proficiency operating the laser cutter.

• Power-On & Safety Check

1. Check Wiki for status updates
2. Check if Cutting Material is Safe: check wiki for a list of safe and unsafe materials for cutting
3. Check Fire Extinguisher: Make sure it is close by and charged
4. Release Emergency Stop: Rotate red button until it releases
5. Turn Power Key: Display will load up
6. Turn on Air Assist & Chiller: Flip the switch and ensure exhaust & chiller are on and functioning. Double check chiller temp with laser temp.

• RD Works

1. Load Program & Check USB Connection Status
2. Importing Files: Importing AI, DXF, SVG, & images
3. Introducing User Interface: quick review of UI including Drawing, Grouping, Preview, Work Tab, Layers, Laser Work, & Head Position
4. Detailed Overview of Work Tab: major cutting settings & parameters reside here
5. Starting a Job
6. Saving a File

• Boss Laser Operation

1. LED Keypad Overview
2. Adjusting the Z-Height: raise and lower bed
3. Autofocus: Setting focal height for material
4. Setting Origin
5. Jogging the Laser Head in XY
6. Adjusting High Pressure Air Regulator: Changing the compressed air flow
7. Loading a File via USB Port
8. Load & Unload honeycomb
9. Cleaning Up & Clearing Catch Tray

• Individual Walkthrough: each member is required to perform the following:

1. Start-Up the machine
2. Turn on exhaust, air-assist, & chiller
3. Place Material, autofocus, set origin
4. Load RDworks, create 3 layers (Cut, Scan, Dot) & run laser job
5. Shutdown machine & clear catch tray

Settings

• Honeycomb vs. Aluminum Lamella : The honeycomb is used for engraving and pieces that benefit from precise leveling. Use the aluminum lamella (slats under honeycomb) for cutting through to reduce flashback and improve airflow (warning small pieces will fall through).

• 4" Lens Focus Depth 38.5mm (this is a just an approximate, FD calibration must be performed each time the lens is changed)
• 2" Lens Focus Depth 5.3mm (this is a just an approximate, FD calibration must be performed each time the lens is changed)

Procedures

Powering On Machine

• Check Fire Extinguisher
• Release Emergency Stop button
• Turn power key
• Turn on air assist & water chiller Switch & ensure both are functioning

Material Safety & Information

Safe Materials for Cutting

• • Plastics:
    • ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)
    • Acrylic (also known as Plexiglas, Lucite, PMMA)
    • Delrin (POM, acetal)
    • High density polyethylene (HDPE) – melts badly
    • Kapton tape (Polyimide)
    • Mylar (polyester)
    • Nylon – melts badly
    • PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol)
    • Polyethylene (PE) – melts badly
    • Polypropylene (PP) – melts somewhat
    • Styrene
    • Two-tone acrylic – top color different than core material, usually for custom instrumentation panels, signs, and plaques.
  • Foam:
    • Depron foam – often used for RC planes.
    • EPM
    • Gator foam – foam core gets burned and eaten away compared to the top and bottom hard shell.
  • Other:
    • Cloths (leather, suede, felt, hemp, cotton)
    • Papers
    • Rubbers (only if they do not contain chlorine Teflon (PTFE, Polytetrafluoroethylene)
    • Woods (MDF, balsa, birch, poplar, red oak, cherry, holly, etc.)

MATERIALS NOT SAFE

• • Polycarbonate (PC, Lexan) due to the fumes.
  • Any material containing chlorine such as PVC & Vinyl

Aligning Materials

• • The table is not aligned with the laser's X-Y axis
  • To align your material use the laser pointer by holding one axis constant while moving along the other axis to align corners of your material

Resources

The proprietary LaserWORKS software can be downloaded from BOSS here - https://www.bosslaser.com/laser-software/

Manuals for the BOSS laser and the LaserWORKS software are located here - https://www.bosslaser.com/download-manuals-guides/

BOSS test files are available here

Some laser settings from Boss

Youtube Channels

Following are a couple good YouTube Channels with lots of information on the software and machine

• SarbarMultimedia
• Thunder Laser

Cleaning & Maintenance

• When changing the lens, make sure the convex/domed side of the lens is facing upwards (towards the ceiling)
• Focus Lens should be cleaned once a week with Acetone or Denatured Alcohol

List of Currently Certified Users

Qualified Member	Trained By
Andrew Camardella	Danger Committee
Matt Keith	Danger Committee
Skylar Nova	Danger Committee
Jason Araujo	Danger Committee
Ray Doeksen	Danger Committee
Matt Meshulam	Danger Committee
Ashish Jasani	Danger Committee
Joe Juhnke	Ashish Jasani
Casey Olson	Ray Doeksen