¶ Nesting, lead-ins, micro-links, and obstacle avoidance
Nesting, leads, tabs, and obstacle avoidance are drawing tools. They will not fix a bad process row. Get one coupon right first, then pack the sheet.
¶ Layout nesting
The official nesting clip shows packing multiple parts on one sheet inside mLaser. Treat nesting as a packing tool, not a quality tool:
- Confirm units and the sheet size in software match the sheet on the slats.
- Keep a margin from clamps, slat edges, and previously cut holes.
- After nesting, simulate, then frame. Nesting can place a part where the head will hit a clamp.
¶ Lead-in / lead line
A lead-in starts the pierce off the finished edge. The factory clip adds a lead to the selected contour. On thick oxygen-cut carbon steel, a bad pierce is a common blowout — move the pierce into scrap, not into a tight internal corner. Do not add leads to geometry you have not simulated.
¶ Micro-link (tabs)
Micro-links leave small uncut bridges so parts do not fall into the slats or tip into the head. The official clip enables the function on selected contours. Use enough tab width for the thickness; remove tabs with a hand tool after the sheet is cool. Tabs are not a substitute for a failed cut.
¶ Automatic obstacle avoidance
The factory clip shows mLaser planning a path that lifts or reroutes around already-cut regions. Enable it only after a normal job runs. It does not detect a clamp you failed to model. If the head still dives into a hole, stop and inspect height control rather than stacking avoidance on a crash.
Related: cut and engrave, flight cutting, cut quality.