Lightobject Falcon User manual

LASER MACHINE
Operation Manual
Model: Falcon
Address: 21 Blue Sky Court, Sacramento CA 95828
Phone: (916) 383- 8166
Email: [email protected]

rev. 1
P. 2
Read and understand operation
manual before using this machine.
Failure to follow operating
instructions could result in death or
serious injury.

rev. 1
P. 3
Table of Contents
CO₂Laser Safety & Policies 4
Fire & Hazardous Materials 5
Accessories 6
First Time Laser Setup 7
Unpacking and Setting up the Machine 8
Installing Other Accessories 15
Connecting Laser Machine to Computer 17
Sending files to your Laser Machine 21
Control Panel Keypad 22
Focusing the Lens 24
Maintenance 25
Troubleshooting 26

rev. 1
P. 4
CO₂Laser Safety & Policies
WARNING:
The safety precautions below are mandatory guidelines that
must be followed. LightObject will not be held responsible for damages or
injuries resulting from improper use of the laser machine.
DO NOT
operate the laser machine until you have been properly trained.
DO NOT
make contact with any exposed wires on the machine.
DO NOT
use any unapproved or unsafe materials such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
which emits noxious gases that can harm your central nervous system.
DO NOT
operate the laser near flammable/explosive substances.
DO NOT
engrave on shiny metal or mirror as the laser beam can be reflected and
deviate that may result in blindness or burn.
NEVER
look directly at the laser while in operation and avoid exposure to laser.
NEVER
set anything on top of the laser and/or on the worktable when not in use.
NEVER
leave the laser machine running while unattended. Monitor the machine when
it is running at all times to be able to hear and observe abnormalities and potential
hazards.
NEVER
push or pull on the laser head housing or gantry while the laser is running.
NEVER
dismantle the laser machine as there are laser and high voltage parts that could
harm or result in injury.
NEVER
open the upper cover of the laser machine while it is running.
ALWAYS
wear proper goggles during machine operation.
ALWAYS
unplug the machine before making any further adjustments.
ALWAYS
keep hands away from machine while operating and stand clear from laser
tube area.
In Case of an Emergency:
TURN OFF
the POWER SWITCH of the machine OR
Press the EMERGENCYSTOP button

rev. 1
P. 5
Fire & Hazardous Materials
WARNING: Leaving the machine unattended while in use can result in a fire and
substantial damage to the machine and the building it resides in. Any damage caused
by fire that is not due to defects in workmanship or the machine itself will NOT be
covered by the LightObject warranty.
Hazardous Materials: Any materials considered hazardous are NOT recommended to
etch, cut or engrave. These materials can produce toxic fumes or cause the machine to
not function properly.
Materials that should
NOT
be used on the machine:
Polycarbonate
PVC Compounds
Vinyl
Fumes produced by above materials can cause irritation to eyes, skin and the
respiratory tract. This material should not be exposed to elevated temperatures.
Laser Safe Materials:
Acrylic, Wood, Leather, Plastics (ABS, POM, Polyimide, PP, Styrene), Fabric, MDF,
Cardboard, Paper, Foam, Fiberglass, rubber

rev. 1
P. 6
Accessories
Air Exhaust Fan
(optional)
Air Pump
(optional)
Air Exhaust Hose
(6” dia.)
Exhaust Hose
Clamps
Tubing for Water
Chiller
Laser Tube
Water Chiller
(sold separately)
Air compressor
regulator
pressure gauge
moisture filter
Other accessories
1) Spare tubing
2) Ethernet Network LAN cable
3) Sets of Keys
4) USB cable
5) Other tools for adjustment
6) CD (software)
NOTE: Software LightBurn is sold separately

rev. 1
P. 7
First Time Laser Setup
The following components are required for operating the laser machine:
Air Assist:
to blow smoke away from the beam, preventing damage to the lens and
preventing burning the material.
Water Chiller:
to circulate cool water into the laser tube to prevent the tube from
overheating. The laser tube needs to be at a cool temperature of 15°C - 25°C or else the
laser tube may overheat and potentially crack.
Silicone Tubing for Water Chiller and Air Pump:
2 hoses to transfer water for cooling of
the laser tube and 1 hose to blow air around the laser head.
Air Exhaust Hose and Air Exhaust Fan:
to provide ventilation removing fumes from laser
machine.

rev. 1
P. 8
Unpacking and Setting Up the Machine
1) Uncrate/unwrap the laser machine
2) Open up the laser machine and retrieve all accessories that may be inside the
machine when shipped.
3) Once all of the accessories have been removed, you are now ready to begin
setting up the machine.
4) Depending on the size of your laser tube, you may need to remove the side panel
and install the laser tube extension case.
5) Place the laser tube on the laser tube mounts.

rev. 1
P. 9
6) Connect the water tubing to the laser tube.
7) Be sure to connect the silicone tubing on both sides of the laser tube. Connect
water tubing between chiller and machine. Chiller’s outlet goes to machine’s inlet.
Machine’s outlet goes to Chiller’s inlet. The correct direction of water flow is from
high voltage side (red wire) of the laser tube to the low voltage side.

rev. 1
P. 10
(Chiller’s back side for reference only)
Note: The water temperature should always be between 59-77 degrees Fahrenheit
when running the machine. (15-25 Degrees Celsius). Some default temperature
setting of water chiller is 25 degrees Celsius.
8) Fill up the water chiller with distilled water and power up, observe the water flow
direction. Switch the input/output if it is wrong.

rev. 1
P. 11
9) Check air bubble trapped in the laser tube.
Squeeze the water tubing or tilt the
laser tube carefully to get rid of the big bubble.
Small bubbles are acceptable.
IMPORTANT: the tube can overheat quickly if large bubbles are present when the
laser is firing which can cause the tube to crack.
10) Secure the laser tube on the laser tube mounts. Make sure the laser tube is
horizontal by using a level.

rev. 1
P. 12
11) For screw type connection, clamp the wire under the screw. Put the rubber cap
back on the tube on the high voltage side.
For wire type connection, make a twist like a hook and clamp the hook under the
screw.

rev. 1
P. 13
OR
Wrap the wire around the tube’s metal pin. Fix the connection by proper soldering
OR applying silicon glue. Make sure to shield it with a piece of silicone tubing to
prevent arcing.
12) Hookup the power cord of the machine and power up the machine. Flip the main
switch to ON position.
Twist

rev. 1
P. 14
13) Release the emergency stop button.
14) Press the machine power button. The laser power button can be pressed later,
when it is time to fire up the laser.
Power
Machine

rev. 1
P. 15
Installing Other Accessories
Exhaust Fan Installation
Some materials such as leather or wood generate larger amounts of smoke than other
materials. The exhaust is necessary to remove harmful fumes and smoke. The exhaust
must be ducted to the outside and away from any area where animals or humans
congregate.
Connect the air exhaust hose by using the hose ring clamps provided, connecting the
exhaust hose is done in the rear
or underneath
(varies based on machine). See picture
below.
Turn the exhaust fan on when doing any cutting and engraving to remove the smoke
and fumes.
Note: Avoid excessive length, kinks and turns when installing the exhaust pipe/hose.
Air Assist
Connect the air pump to the laser machine air input. Turn on the air before doing any
cutting or engraving to prevent any clouding on the lens and to prevent the material
from burning.
Some CO2 cutter model come with high pressure tubing to enable easy upgrades for
larger air compressor. An air pressure regulator is used along with an air compressor to
adjust the air flow from your compressor to your laser machine.
air out
blows air out
**
*

rev. 1
P. 16
Air Pump / Air Compressor
The Air Compressor (sold separately) are used to blow air through the laser head. This
will blow away debris and smoke from the laser beam while allowing for a cleaner cut
and protecting the lens.
The air compressor on/off switch should be close by and preferably on the same circuit
as the water chiller and exhaust fan to ensure it is in operation while running the laser
machine. New models come with a 110V outlet for air pump. When air assist is on, it
will turn on the air pump at the same time.

rev. 1
P. 17
Connecting Laser Machine to Computer
The laser machine (with Ruida controller) work with below software
a) RDWorks (for Windows only)
b) LightBurn (for Mac and Windows)
Set up with RDworks
1) Download and install the software RDWorks from http://www.rd-acs.com/
2) Connect the USB cable.
3) Click on “Setting” in Device. It should show the device is connected.
Set up with LightBurn
1) Download and install the software LightBurn from https://lightburnsoftware.com/
2) Connect the USB cable.

rev. 1
P. 18
3) Follow the instruction from the screen, and it will guide you connecting the
computer to the laser machine.

rev. 1
P. 19

rev. 1
P. 20
NOTE: Please refer LightBurn instruction manual and tutorials in their site for
configuration and usage
If you are using LAN connection, input the same IP address set on the laser controller.
NOTE: Please make sure LAN cable is connected between computer and laser
machine.
4) Press Menu on the controller panel
5) Select “System config”
6) Select “Read”
7) IP address should be shown e.g.169.254.164.041 (depends your network)
8) Click “Devices”
9) Click “Create Manually”
10) Select “Ruida” in New Device Wizard”, click “Next”
11) Choose “Ethernet/UDP”
12) Input the IP address you have seen in the DSP control panel e.g.169.254.169.041
13) Input the Name you would like to call it
14) Input the dimensions of the work area e.g. 1300mm for the width, 2500mm for the
height
15) Select the origin, then click “Next”
16) It will show the setting, then click “Finish”
Table of contents
Other Lightobject Measuring Instrument manuals