Tool Guide - Flat Cutting and Engraving

Trotec Laser Speedy 300

The Trotec Laser can cut and engrave a variety of materials from a digital file in fine detail. 

Usage Highlights

Bed size is 21 x 17" 

Personal Protective Equipment

• Noise cancelling headphones
• Clothing and closed-toed shoes of natural materials that will not melt to skin (i.e. cotton, denim, leather) if they catch fire.
• Gloves may be useful to keep hands clean and avoid cutting skin on sharp edges.

Tool Anatomy

1. Power Switch - on/off switch, located on the back left of the machine

2. Stop button for emergencies

3. Maintenance Tag - will be posted only for Yellow (caution) or Red (do not use) 

4. Exhaust fan - pulls smoke from the bed to outside, controlled by power strip on left of desk.

5. Lid

6. BedBed, gantry, Lens carriage

7. Control panel

8. Desktop computer

Add phots here!

CONTROL PANEL

Tool Safety

Common Hazards

• The lid of the machine protects against stray emissions and eye damage. The lid should always be shut when in use, there are switches to automatically turn the laser off when the lid is opened. Immediately report any problems with the lid.
• Ventilation: Make sure the fan is on before cutting.
• Flames: Watch for flames and pause the laser and use spray bottle with water if a flame develops.
• Cuts: Bodily hazard of being cut by your own sharp material.
• Toxicity: Only use approved materials on the machine to avoid creating toxic gas. 
• Noise: The combined sound of the Trotec motors and the Rabbits is LOUD! Noise cancelling headphones recommended.

PROHIBITED MATERIALS

File Setup

Using ADOBE Illustrator

1. You can use any vector based software to design your artwork as long as it can export files using file types .svg or .ai. Save your file to a USB thumb drive and bring that to the computer. 

2. Open Adobe Illustrator on the desktop computer. 

3. New from template> Desktop > Template Trotec*. This template contains the palette below as well as the Graphic Styles palette where red and black are already set up.

4. Copy and paste your artwork into this document.

5. The software that this machine is picky about the line types it can use. Make sure your cutting lines are 0.001 stroke width and the colors are as listed as in the chart below for them to be read. 

6. Print - Job Control will start 

Using Corel Draw

1. 1. Save files as svg

   2. Open Corel Draw
   3. Check line weights for cutting are 0.001 and any other colors are the same as the chart below.
   4. Print - Job Control will start.
      

Document color setup

The TROTEC JobControl allows the selection of 16 different colors in the material templates to specify 16 different power levels during cutting or engraving. When using this function, the colors in the graphics program must match exactly the colors listed in the TROTEC JobControl (on using Corel draw make sure that color management is OFF). In some graphics programs these Basic colors are already predefined, with other programs, you must define each color separately with its RGB components first. If the 16 driver colors are not automatically available in the software, use the values in the following list:

* This set of colors can be found in the Trotec template on the desktop. Corel Draw RGB defaults to these. (double check) 

Machine Initial Setup

Job Control

The Job Control software functions more like a driver for a desktop printer, in other words, you can't open files directly in Job Control, they need to run through a vector draw program "Print File" dialog boxes. There are three levels to this:

1. PrintPrint, click on the "Preferences" button.
2. You will see Printing PreferencesPreferences, size will be "User Defined" or Bed Size" 
3. (Optional) Material Setup (also available in Job Control, the two will talk to each other)

Materials Settings: Use a thickness and material that best matches.

1. To see an actual preview of your job on the bed, click the WYSIWYG button  (Ctrl + I)
2. Set the speed/power settings for the material & line colours in the Material Templates window 

1. Your artwork will appear on a panel on the right hand side in the “Jobs” panel. Click and drag to add it to the bed. The art can be placed on any of the intersections of the crosshairs or directly on center.If the 

2. 
   

Add more here! 

COMMON SETTINGS

Settings for this machine are stored in an internal database. 

Add more here! 

CONSUMABLES

Some approved materials can only be etched and not cut using this machine. You may purchase your own material, purchase from our consumables store, or use material from the laser scrap bins.

Basic Operation

OPERATION BREAKDOWN

1. Power on the machine. The switch is on the back of the machine on the left side, near the circuit breakers.

2. Power on the exhaust fan by turning on the power strip on the front left leg of the desktop computer table.

3. Connect the machine and Job Control by clicking the USB port button in the bottom right corner.

4. Add your material. Open the lid and place your material on the bed. You can secure the material using wood clips. This bed is made of aluminum and therefore is both delicate and not magnetic.

5. Move the head over the material. Hang one of the focus measuring pieces on the laser head and raise the bed slowly until the piece falls off. 

6. Move the head to your origin

7. Close the lid

8. Cut using Job Control

9. Watch your job to make sure it goes smoothly. If you notice a problem, you can:

A. pause the job with the pause button on the control panel. 

B. Pause using the Job Control Software. (the pause button on the machine panel will not allow a restart of the job, using pause in the software will let you finish where you left off.

If your material catches on fire, pause the job and use the water spray bottle to extinguish it.

Cleanup

SCRAP BREAKDOWN

There are two black scrap bins reserved for laser waste. Maintaining these is a shared, communal responsibility.

When you notice the scrap bins are full, it’s time to take it to the dumpster out back. Feel free to enlist a helping hand. 

If you notice valuable material while emptying the bins, use your judgment to selectively save a few pieces or take it home for your personal use. 

MAINTENANCE REQUESTS

1. Update the physical Maintenance Tag at the machine

   • Yellow can be used with caution

   • Red cannot be used without hazard to either the user or the equipment

    

2. Record issues at protohaven.org/maintenance. This notifies our staff and volunteer maintenance crew of any issues

Troubleshooting

Special Setups

Rotary tool - this is a separate class and clearance.

Additional Resources

Where can one find materials, tools, or other consumables (either local or online vendors)?

What helpful video tutorials are there where one can dive deeper into operating this tool?

If this is a CNC tool, where can one learn more about the CAD, CAM or CAD software?

Staff-Use

AUTHORIZED MAINTENANCE CREW ONLY

If you are part of the maintenance group please log on to the #maintenance channel of our Discord server to:

• Perform a Maintenance Action

• Request a Maintenance Purchase

• Review complete Maintenance Logs for each machine

• Generally chit-chat about maintenance

What preventative maintenance areas does the manual indicate? For example, a regular oil schedule, how often to tension belts/blades, and when to change a filter.

This is the area to simply name the topic, frequency, and page number where more information can be found in the manual.

Links to helpful videos or additional resources would be a helpful secondary source.