Your first safe fiber test cut¶
Use a small geometric coupon in known, clean, uncoated material. The purpose is to validate the system in layers, not to find maximum thickness on day one.
Controlled laser area required
Close all guards and use every interlock. Wear protection selected by a competent laser-safety assessment for the actual wavelength and exposure path; ordinary tinted glasses are not laser eyewear. Run extraction, keep a suitable extinguisher immediately accessible, and never leave the active job unattended.
1. Establish the material and process¶
Identify alloy, thickness, surface condition, and whether any coating/oil is present. Choose the correct laser source (fiber, not CO₂), gas, nozzle, and a Gweike-supplied process row for that material and thickness. Treat internet settings as test hypotheses, not safe universal values.
2. Inspect the machine¶
- clean, undamaged protective window, ceramic, and nozzle;
- nozzle fitted squarely and suited to the process;
- stable chiller, no leaks or alarms;
- gas hardware compatible/rated and leak-free;
- sheet supported flat with a clear path below the cut;
- extraction running;
- no loose object in the motion area.
3. Prove motion without emission¶
Import a simple square with a circle and a small X/Y reference mark. Confirm units and dimensions. Sort the path, run the software simulation, choose the intended origin, and use the framing function with laser output disabled. The frame must remain entirely on the coupon and clear clamps/table edges.
4. Calibrate and verify height behavior¶
Run the documented floating-head/FTC calibration for the fitted head. Confirm a normal result and a stable stand-off over the test area. If the head alarms, dives, touches the sheet, or reports an FTC signal fault, stop and use the FTC calibration guide—do not defeat height sensing.
5. Run one controlled cut¶
Confirm the correct layer/process is attached to every path, gas is enabled for that process, doors are closed, and the area is watched. Start the job. Keep a hand near the normal stop control while staying outside the hazard area.
Stop immediately for fire that follows the head, excessive back-reflection/sparks, collision, abnormal sound, loss of cooling/gas/extraction, a protective-window alarm, or unexpected motion/emission.
6. Inspect before tuning¶
Wait for hot metal to cool or handle it with suitable tools. Compare the commanded X/Y dimensions, kerf, lead-in/lead-out mark, top/bottom edge, dross, and whether the slug separated cleanly.
Change only one variable per test and label the coupon. First rule out wrong material/thickness, dirty/damaged optics, nozzle damage/centering, calibration/focus, gas delivery, and speed. Only then adjust process values within an understood test plan. See cut-quality troubleshooting and check scale and kerf.
Commissioning record¶
Save the source/mode, material, thickness, gas, nozzle, focus reference, software version, process values, photographs of both faces, and measured dimensions. A repeatable modest cut is a better baseline than one spectacular but unexplained result.