Laser Head: Laser Engraving and cutting

The scope of this tutorial is to illustrate an engraving procedure with a sample raster image.
The procedure is still valid for DXF files, but CAM params will be different when selecting the profiles.
For this tutorial we have chosen the Make More sign on the left.
first of all we’ll log in to the Online laser App, in order to generate the Gcode used for laser cutting.

Unique username and password to log on the Laser App tool are to be found on the “First setup guide” sheet provided with the Laser Head.

Let’s then follow the instructions provided in the following slideshow.

Upload the image
Click or drag and drop to select the desired image.
When using the online application you can Upload *.DXF *.PNG and *.JPG file types. The app will show different options for each one selected. For the purpose of this tutorial we’ll use the provided image sample.
Press upload
Depending on the file size the upload will take from a few seconds to a full minute.
Once the file is loaded, you will be presented with the CAM interface. Notice that at this time you can’t see any preview unless the Gcode is Generated.
For this job we’ll select laser engraving on wood. Press Generate Gcode to see a preview.
Changing the params
As you can see, the shades are not shown correctly as in the original image, that’s because we choose a Black and White profile, that only uses two colors.
let’s change the profile to Engraving -Greyscale (wood) and regenerate the Gcode by pressing the Regenerate Gcode button on the top right side of the page to see how it changes.
Download the Gcode
Lets download the Gcode by using the Donwload gcode button.
Select the folder where you want it to save it.We’ll later upload it in the FABUI Object manager.
Save your config
If you made changes to the profile you can download it locally and keep it on your computer.
Start the Laser Engraving Job
As usual, go to the FABtotum address on your browser and upload the Gcode to the FABUI object manager page. Then , from the main Menu run Make>Laser to list all available laser-related files.
Choose the one you want to run and click next.
Select the Gcode you previously uploaded and press “Laser”
Get ready
Safety check: please read carefully what prompted and wear safety goggles as instructed. The Laser Head will be turned on at 5% intensity to allow positioning in the next step.
Proceed when ready.
Position the Laser Head on the 0,0 of the object
You can now calibrate the Laser Head to be on the XY origin of the file.
All files are created in the first carthesian quadrant so the 0,0 origin is in the bottom left corner of the drawing.
Jog to the desired position.
Once that is done you can manually or automatically level the Z height accordingly. Read the instructions and choose if you want to be assisted or you keep the current position (good if the Z is already calibrated or if you are doing a second pass).
Press the Home button and ok to proceed.The job will start in a few seconds.