Darkly Labs Emblaser Core User manual

Emblaser
-User Manual-
Revision 6.0

IMPORTANT
Read this manual carefully and save it for future reference.
The Emblaser is a cost eecve laser cung and engraving kit for the general hobbyist and maker. The
Emblaser is not designed for use in applicaons such as volume manufacturing.

Water and electricity are a dangerous combinaon. Do not use the Emblaser in wet surroundings
Always follow the recommended safety procedures outlined in this manual.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Always wearing appropriate safety eye-ware when operang the Emblaser.
Always ensuring your work material is safe to use in the Emblaser.
Always following the Safety Check List supplied.
Never use the Emblaser on reecve materials.
Ensure the Emblaser is not used in the vicinity of combusble materials.

The Emblaser is not intended to be used by persons (including children) with reduced physical, sensory or
mental capabilies, unless they have been given supervision or instrucon concerning use of the Emblaser
by a person responsible for their safety.
And/or
Children should be supervised to ensure that they do not play with the Emblaser.
The Emblaser is not intended for children under the age of 15 years. Teenagers aged between 15 and 18
years can use the Emblaser with the consent and/or assistance of their parents or persons who have
Parental authority over them.
Operaon of the Emblaser without the baseplate aached or any other modicaons that reduce
beam containment or safety interlock funcons inherent to the design place the user and bystanders at
increased risk of beam exposure and injury.

Never subject the Emblaser to heavy shocks and do not shake or drop.
Never leave the Emblaser unaended when it is switched on.
Always switch o the Emblaser aer use.
Never operate the Emblaser with the base plate removed.
All informaon in this Manual is subject to change at any me without noce and is provided for convenience purposes only.
Darkly Labs reserves the right to modify or revise the Manual in its sole discreon and at any me. You agree to be bound by
any modicaons and/or revisions. Contact the Darkly Labs support team for up-to-date informaon.


 1
 
 5
 
 
 
 
 
 11
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PAGE iv
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

PAGE 1
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs






PAGE 2
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

A4 A3
 490mm x 440mm
[19.3” x 17.3”]
630mm x 520mm
[24.8” x 20.5”]
 305mm x 210mm
[12” x 8.27”]
410mm x 285mm
[16.5” x 11.22”]
 45mm [1.77”] 45mm [1.77”]
 7kg 8kg
 Ambient Operaon 10-32 C
[50-90 F]
 AC input
DC output
100-240V, 50-60Hz
12V @ 3amps
 Chassis Material
Stepper Motors
Resoluon
Polycarbonate / ABS / PLA
0.9degree step angle
0.08mm / step
 9mm 445 nm laser diode (Class 4)
Or
5.6mm 445 nm laser diode (Class 4)

    
    
    
Vectric Cut2D-Laser Desktop 8
Vectric Transfer (VTransfer)
Ulmate GCode Sender
GRBL 9g (custom)

PAGE 3
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

FRONT
REAR
Control Panel
Laser Carriage
Laser Module
LASERPOWER
LASERPOWER
Power Indicator LED Laser Indicator LED
Laser Enable ButtonPower Button
Fan
Fan Shroud
Heatsink
Lens
Laser Shroud
SIDE

PAGE 4
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

PAGE 5
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs







PAGE 6
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs



The informaon outlined in this safety chapter are not intended to replace any exisng naonal or
internaonal standards as well as naonal or local Occupaonal Health and Safety (OH&S) regulaons.
These specic responsibilies should be followed. However, in the absence of any specic legislaon or
regulaons, the following constutes general guidance on responsibilies for the safe use of lasers.
It is crucial that a competant adult is always in charge of the Emblaser and its operaon. This individual
is responsible for providing laser safety training to users and for ensuring that safe methods of work are
always adhered to by users of the Emblaser.
Any potenal laser user should ensure that appropriate procedures are followed. This is cannot be reinforced
enough, not only to prevent possible irreversible injury to the laser user, but to protect visitors or others
who may inadvertently become exposed to any of the hazards of the laser equipment.
Users are encouraged to refer to the references for addional resources and are strongly encouraged to
conrm that they are in compliance with all local OH&S requirements.
Watch out for the following symbols to indicate specic laser precauons.

PAGE 7
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

The Emblaser uses a  laser to perform its cung and engraving tasks. This class of laser can injure or
aect the user in three main ways:
 
Unlike many light sources that dissipate their power rapidly with distance traveled, lasers produce a
collimated (focused) beam that remains concentrated even over long distances.
This concentrated beam of light entering the eye can cause some permanent damage to the rena.
Lasers can also quickly cause thermal injury (burns) to the skin. Connuous exposure to shorter wavelengths,
such as ultraviolet, can over me increase the risk of skin cancer.
Important: The danger of renal injury is always present when working with lasers. This can be from both
direct and also indirect (bounced light) beam exposure.
 
The heang which occurs during laser cung or engraving can cause charring, pyrolysis and even combuson
of the material being worked on.
Exposure to the fumes and parculates released during laser engraving or cung can cause irritaon to the
airways and potenally be extremely dangerous.
For example, exposure to Isocyanate from thermally degraded polyurethanes has the potenal to cause
hypersensivity to develop over me in predisposed individuals, which can lead to subsequent life
threatening asthma like reacons on re-exposure to even trace amounts.
Important: See Appendix for informaon on chemical reacons with various materials during laser cung
and engraving. Always research the material you plan to work with to ensure it is safe to do so.
 
A laser cuer / engraver works by amplifying light to such a degree as to either melt or burn material while
following a designated path. The heat generated during this process could potenally cause combuson
(re) within the material being worked on.
Important: We highly recommend keeping a Fire Safety Blanket within reach when operang the Emblaser.

PAGE 8
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs


Lasers operate at a specic wavelength. It is important to ensure the protecve eye-wear you are using is
designed to protect you against these wavelengths.
   
  
       
• Make it a habit to always wear appropriate protecve eye-wear when using the Emblaser.
• Make sure anyone in the vicinity is also wearing appropriate protecve eye-wear.
• If you change the laser diode in the Emblaser, ensure you have the correct protecve eye-wear for the
laser wavelength you will be using.
• Maintain your protecve eye-wear and do not use if damaged.

• When any part of the Emblaser is damaged or not funconing correctly.
• If anyone is standing within 5 meters of the Emblaser without appropriate protecve eye-wear.
• When the Emblaser cannot be constantly supervised.
• If children under the age of 15 are present and cannot be constantly supervised by a responsible adult.
• Where ammable solvents or gases are present.
• In wet surroundings.

• Do not engrave or cut materials containing .
• Do not engrave or cut  based materials.
• Do not engrave or cut materials with reecve surfaces such as glass or metal.
• Do not engrave or cut highly ammable materials.
• Do not engrave or cut any material you cannot ascertain is safe to do so.

• Materials containing melamine resins.
• Plascs containing nylon.
• High Density Foam or other material containing polyurethane.
• MDF or other materials containing either urea or phenol-formaldehyde.
• Foam-core board or other materials containing Polystyrene or Styrene foam.

Where you setup your Emblaser is as important as the materials you will be working on.
• The Emblaser should always be used on a dry, sturdy, at surface. The surface should be high enough
to avoid tampering from young children and pets. There should be no possibility of the Emblaser being
bumped or knocked causing it to dislodge or fall.
• The Emblaser should be placed in an area with adequate venlaon.
• The Emblaser should be placed away from any highly ammable materials.
• Ideally, a smoke / re detector should be installed in the area the Emblaser is being used.
• A re blanket and smoke exnguisher should always be readily accessible.

PAGE 9
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

• Do not leave unaended - Always watch your work
• Ensure children and pets are ALWAYS supervised. Never allow children and pets to have access to the
Emblaser without parental supervision. The Emblaser is not intended for children under the age of 15
years.
• If you see ame or re - Immediately stop the machine and exnguish. Not only could a ame grow into
a larger re, its heat will damage the laser guard and possibly the laser opcs.

• Ensure that you comply with local occupaonal health and safety legislaon. Failing to do so could put
you in breach of the law. Even if not being used in a business, owners may be in breach of the law if
injuries occur, since injury to a member of the general public could conceivably constute a breach of
the owner’s OH&S obligaon under law, subject to penales.
• Visit your local government website for OH&S informaon on laser safety requirements.
• Those operang the Emblaser within an established business should nominate a designated laser safety
ocer, responsible for the safe use, training, and upkeep of the Emblaser and associated personal
protecve equipment, administrave controls such as user credenalling and safe operang procedures
(SOPs), and engineering controls, such as venlaon


The small percentage of the populaon (0.01%) that have blue-yellow colour blindness (tritanopia) may
struggle to see the Emblaser’s laser beam at all, and may not realise they are being exposed although
permanent damage is occurring. Tritanopic users must therefore be parcularly careful.

Isocyanate exposure from thermally degraded polyurethanes has the potenal to cause hypersensivity
to develop over me in predisposed individuals, which can lead to subsequent life threatening asthma like
reacons on re-exposure to even trace amounts.
Recommendaons:
• Those with a history of asthma should avoid laser cung polyurethanes.
• If a wheeze develops during or aer cung polyurethanes in any user, further polyurethane cung
should cease and medical advice should be sought.
• Isocyanate by products from decomposion of polyurethanes can remain in exhaust ducng and can
sll cause sensisaon with skin contact.
• If you get a sore throat or eyes while laser cung polyurethanes, you have developed isocyanate
pharyngis and your precauons are not working eecvely.

Many of the chemicals liberated by laser cung and engraving have the potenal to cause airway irritaon,
but few, if any, permanent eects. Some of the chemicals are known carcinogens, but with appropriate local
or general exhaust venlaon, exposures are unlikely to add signicantly to background environmental
exposures (i.e. formaldehyde from MDF furniture, benzene in fuels).
If you are experiencing airway irritaon, your venlaon is not adequate.

PAGE 10
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Be vigilant with safety when using the Emblaser.

PAGE 11
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs






PAGE 12
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs


Before plugging in your Emblaser, you will need to install a soware driver.
 Windows drivers can be downloaded here: 
 Unzip the downloaded le.
 Run the appropriate installer based on whether you have a 32 bit or 64 bit operang system and
follow the installer prompts.

 is a powerful CNC design and tool-pathing program developed with the Emblaser in mind. It
will allow you to import/create vector graphics, dene how you would like them cut/engraved and send
them directly to your Emblaser.
 is the soware that forms the link between Cut2D-Laser and your Emblaser. It not only allows
you to seamlessly control the Emblaser within Cut2D-Laser, but also oers a number of useful features for
running cung / engraving jobs.

The latest install (Cut2D-Laser Desktop 8) can be downloaded through Vectric’s ‘portal’.
New and exisng customers will receive a link to access their copy and their new license le.
Installaon is simple. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
Aer installaon, two icons will be available on your desktop.

PAGE 13
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

 the  icon to start VTransfer.
Select  from the top menu bar. This will open up the sengs window.
Tick the  and ‘ check-boxes.
Press 
VTransfer is now setup.

PAGE 14
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

The soware opons available for OS X are somewhat limited compared to Windows.
We highly recommend either:
Using a Windows based computer for working with the Emblaser.
OR
Installing Windows on your Mac via Bootcamp or Parallels.
If these are not an opon, here are the steps for installing the required soware in OS X.

At present, the latest version of Cut2D-Laser is not OS X compable. To enable Mac users to use the
soware, we have created a Mac-Friendly version of ‘Cut2D-Laser V1.0’ which can be run under OS X.

The ‘Cut2D-Laser Desktop 8’ license you were issued with the purchase of your kit is not
compable with Cut2D-Laser V1.0. You will need to contact Vectric support and be issued with a
V1.0 license number. Please contact .

This can be downloaded from: 

Uncompress and copy the ‘Cut2D-Laser.app’ to your ‘Applicaons’ folder.

Double-click ‘Cut2D-Laser.app’ to run.


Enter your registraon and license details.

In order communicate with the Emblaser, a program to send data to it is required. ‘Ulmate GCode
Sender’ is the most common choice.
Please see the secon tled .
Follow the installaon steps in this secon.

PAGE 15
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

Step 1.
Thread the power and USB cables through the
circular opening in the back panel and plug them
into the main Emblaser PCB.
Step 2.

Run through the  before
proceeding.
Step 3.
Press the  buon to turn on the Emblaser.
LASERPOWER
You will see the LED above the power buon turn
green and the fan on the laser unit will now be
running.
 When powered up, the Laser Unit Fan and
Chassis Fan should always be running.
If they are not, do not proceed. Check for a
soluon on the Help Centre or contact
support.
LASERPOWER

PAGE 16
USER MANUAL Darkly Labs

 
  
is the process used by CNC machines to determine their exact posion. It needs
to be performed whenever the Emblaser is rst turned on or when the laser is moved by
hand.
On the VTransfer window, press the  buon.
Aer completed, the  will read .
You are now ready to start working directly through Cut2D-Laser with your Emblaser.

Please see the appendix tled ‘Connecng via Ulmate GCode Sender’.
Follow the steps in this secon.