Laser Cutter

GCC Spirit GLS Hybrid Laser Cutter/Engraver
Laser Cutter
Make	GCC LaserPro
Model	GLS Hybrid-80Ti
Specs
Manual	User Manual Support Page
Requires Certification	Unknown
In Shop	Digital Fab. and Electronics Lab

Material Settings

Material Name	Cut/Engrave	Power	Speed	Passes	Air?	Notes	Tester
Polyester Interfacing	Cut	50	100	2	Yes	Burned a bit, and still needed to be torn out (but this did not damage it)	Adam.goldsmith (talk)
Polyester Ribbon	Engrave	15	100	1	No	Very brittle, breaks extremely easily	Adam.goldsmith (talk)
Polyester Ribbon	Cut	50	100	1	No		Adam.goldsmith (talk)
80 Lb. Drawing Paper Medium Surface	Cut	30	35	1	No	Burned very slightly on back of paper.	Don.Fitzpatrick (talk)

Laser Cert Info

Safety

Fire Hazard

Never place flammable materials or liquids on or in the Laser Cutter when it is on or in operation. Liquid acetone, alcohol, and other chemicals are, and can release vapors that are, flammable.

Pinch Hazard

When the printer is in operation do not put your fingers near any moving parts including belts, motors, or gears. Tie back long hair, jewelry, or clothing that can get caught in the moving parts of the machine.

Blinding Hazard

The GCC Spirit uses a CO2 laser to cut materials. The CO2 laser is not in the visible light spectrum, but can cause permanent damage to eyes. Do not disable any of the machine’s safety features, designed to prevent its operation while doors are open. This can result in damage to eyes.

Electrical Shock Hazard

Don’t attempt to service the machine while the power is on.

Material Safety

Because the laser vaporizes/burns material to produce results its is important to never cut a material that releases caustic or poisonous gases. Refer to the materials list for examples of what can and cannot be cut. If you are not sure what a material is that you wish to cut or your material does not appear on the list ask/contact a shop lead or the CMS Director.

The list does not include all materials or materials that have “Trade Names”.

Never cut any variety of Vinyl or any material containing Chlorine

Anatomy of a Laser Cutter

-User Interface

-Power Switch

-Laser Switch

-Exhaust Switch

-USB Port

-Belts

-Stepper Motors

-Lead Screws

-Lens

-Mirrors

-Bed

-Gantry

-Air compressor

-Air supply line

Operations Checklist:

In order to be certified to use the GCC Spirit, you must show that you:

-Are familiar with common materials that are safe to use.

-Can prepare a file for printing using CorelDraw or another software and export the file for printing.

-Confirm the Lens and Mirrors are Clean.

-Confirm that your material is secured to the bed

-Can upload a file to the Printer

-Are able to focus the laser for a given material using the manual focus.

-Can start, pause, and stop a print

-Recognize irregular operation

-Know the location of the emergency shut off

-Know what to do in the event of a fire

-Know how to position the head for your print

-What parts need regular cleaning

You should be able to answer the following questions:

How would you test an unknown plastic for chlorine?

What material are you using?

How would you find settings for speed/power for a material?

What does the software mean by Raster and Vector?

Have you correctly set the starting point for the operation?

Is your material flat/secured to the bed?

Are you multiple operations at once?

When should you use manual focus vs Autofocus?

How do you turn on the air compressor and exhaust?

If you’re performing a Vector are the line widths correctly set?

In the event of a fire, what should you do?

How do you clear the bed of debris after the cut is finished?

Before you press start

Is your material safe to cut?

Is the Laser Focused?

Is your material secured?

Is the head in the correct starting position based on your settings?

Do you have the correct speed and power levels for your process?

Is the Exhaust on?

Is the Compressor on?

If you have a Vector are the line widths set correctly?

Have you chosen the correct Mode for your operation?

After the operation:

Did you wait for the machine to vent?

Has the material been cut all the way through? If not, what do you do?

Common problems with the GCC Spirit

If you encounter a problem with the machine, double check your settings, Software settings, and Page Layout for common mistakes.

If you can’t identify the error or suspect an issue with the machine turn it off and place an out of order tag on the printer and notify the shop lead.

Fire: Do not leave the laser unattended. The laser is burning material, it is not uncommon to see flames following the cutting head while its is performing a Vector. You should not see fire/embers anywhere but the location the head is currently cutting. If the Lasers fire sensor detects to much light it will cancel the print and shut off. In the event of a small fire be aware that opening the door will fan the flames. You should attempt to smother the flames or blow it out using canned CO2.

When cutting the laser seems to be underperforming.

The Lens and Mirrors most likely need to be cleaned.