Multicam Laser Cutter

Multicam 2000 Laser Cutter

Technical specifications

• Slew speed: 800”/min (0.33 m/sec) in X axis, 2400”/min (1 m/sec) in Y axis
• Cut speed: 800”/min (0.33 m/sec)
• Repeatability: +/- 0.001” (0.025 mm)
• Raster speeds up to 1800”/min (0.8 m/sec) using up to 256 gray scale with up to a 1200 DPI resolution
• Precision servo drives with helical rack and pinion and linear ball bearing guide ways on the X and Y-axis
• Ball lead screw and linear ball bearing guides ways on Z axis
• Gantry clearance 1.875” (48 mm)
• Z axis stroke 3.25” (82 mm)
• Y axis stroke 60” (1524 mm) and 80” (2032 mm)
• X axis stroke 50” (1270 mm), 100” (2540 mm), 120” (3048 mm),144” (3658 mm), 168” (4267 mm), and 240” (6096 mm)

Materials and configuration

Wood:

• Plywood is a manufactured wood panel made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured.
• Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) is an engineered wood product formed by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibres, often in a defibrator, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure. MDF is denser than plywood.

0.5mm

CUT

• Speed: 100
• Power: 52

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 100
• Power: 15

3mm

CUT

• Speed: 30
• Power: 190

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 70
• Power: 60

Plywood:

4mm

CUT

• Speed: 40
• Power: 180

Bent Plywood:

5mm

CUT

• Speed: 90
• Power: 130

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 110
• Power: 40

MDF

4mm

CUT

• Speed: 30
• Power: 185

ENGRAVE

• Speed:
• Power:

4mm

CUT

• Speed: 35
• Power: 150

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 60
• Power: 50

5mm

CUT

• Speed: 20
• Power: 185

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 60
• Power: 50

6mm

CUT

• Speed: 20
• Power: 220

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 60
• Power: 60

7mm

CUT

• Speed: 15
• Power: 260

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 60
• Power: 60

10mm

CUT

• Speed:13
• Power: 330-340

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 60
• Power: 60

RASTER

• Speed: 600
• Power: 80

12mm

CUT

• Speed: 15
• Power: 370

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 50
• Power: 60

12mm

CUT

• Speed: 15
• Power: 380

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 50
• Power: 60

13mm

CUT

• Speed: 10
• Power: 370

15mm

CUT

• Speed: 5
• Power: 375

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 50
• Power: 70

IN HIGH DENSITY WOOD SUCH AS MDF THE MAXIMUM THICKNESS IS 15 mm

Poplar Plywood / Contraplacat Pollancre

4mm

CUT

• Speed: 35
• Power: 150

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 90
• Power: 30

5mm

CUT

• Speed: 20
• Power: 185

ENGRAVE

• Speed:
• Power:

10mm

CUT

• Speed: 20
• Power: 375

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 90
• Power: 30

15mm

CUT

• Speed: 5
• Power: 375

ENGRAVE

• Speed:
• Power:

25mm

CUT

• Speed: 22
• Power: 255

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 100
• Power: 60

RASTER

• Speed: 500
• Power: 150

Cardboard:

• Cardboard is a generic term for a heavy-duty paper of various strengths, ranging from a simple arrangement of a single thick sheet of paper to complex configurations featuring multiple corrugated and uncorrugated layers.

1mm

CUT

• Speed: 100
• Power: 80

1.5mm Grey

CUT

• Speed: 70
• Power: 100

2mm Grey

CUT

• Speed: 110
• Power: 115

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 100
• Power: 80

3mm Grey

CUT

• Speed: 50
• Power: 90

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 100
• Power: 35

1mm Black

CUT

• Speed: 90
• Power: 90

4mm Rippled

CUT

• Speed: 100
• Power: 150

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 100
• Power: 65

6mm Rippled

CUT

• Speed: 100
• Power: 160

Acuarela

CUT

• Speed: 100
• Power: 96

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 100
• Power: 48

Cartulins Común / Generic Cardboard

CUT

• Speed: 120
• Power: 90

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 200
• Power: 46

Metacrilato/Methacrylate:

• Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate.

2mm

CUT

• Speed: 12
• Power: 290

3mm

CUT

• Speed: 20
• Power: 90

3mm Verde Opal

CUT

• Speed: 45
• Power: 112

4mm

CUT

• Speed: 10
• Power: 85

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 120
• Power: 80

5mm

CUT

• Speed: 15
• Power: 100

5mm Blanco Opal

CUT

• Speed: 33
• Power: 200

6mm

CUT

• Speed: 40
• Power: 200

8mm

CUT

• Speed: 15
• Power: 275

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 120
• Power: 160

10mm

CUT

• Speed: 10
• Power: 270

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 110
• Power: 40

Polypropylene:

• Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles (e.g., ropes, thermal underwear and carpets), stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes.

0.5mm

CUT

• Speed: 90
• Power: 90

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 90
• Power: 60

0.8mm

CUT

• Speed: 90
• Power: 140

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 110
• Power: 40

1.5mm

CUT

• Speed: 70
• Power: 350

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 90
• Power: 90

Fabrics

Cotton

CUT

• Speed: 90
• Power: 15

ENGRAVE

• Speed: 70
• Power: 40

Suede

RASTER

• Speed: 600
• Power: 32

Felt/Fieltro

CUT

• Speed: 60-70
• Power: 110

Other:

Plastico dos capas con aire 4mm / Plastic 2 layers with air

CUT

• Speed: 90
• Power: 200

Acrylic 3mm

CUT

• Speed: 40
• Power: 170

Plastic sheets welding

ENGRAVE

• Cut pressure 6
• Pierce pressure 6
• Power 80
• Pierce power 80
• Speed 30

How to prepare and send files

• 1. Open EnRoute. If it's already open – go straight to step 2
• 2. Open a new file ( File; New ) and set your sheet size (in mm)
• 3. Import your .dxf file: File – Import – find your file
• 4. Make sure that your drawing is inside the red border. If you need to scale or move your drawing: select everything and press F2 on the keyboard
• 5. Select everything and go to Transform – Merge selection… and click OK
• 6. If you are using two strategies (engraving and cutting) then go to Layers and turn the engraving layer ON and the cutting layer OFF
• 7. Click on the 'Engrave' button, in the drop-down menu select your Strategy – 'engrave' and click OK. You will see the generated paths for your design
• 8. Go to Layers again and switch your cutting layer ON and the engraving one OFF
• 9. Go to Engrave again but this time choose 'cut' in the drop-down menu
• 10. Switch all the layers ON. You will see all your paths together
• 11. Click the 'Output option' icon. Go to the 'Tool Order' section and make sure that 'engrave' is the first. If not – drag it up. If you have smaller pieces inside bigger pieces (holes, openings, etc.) then in 'Object Order' check 'Inside out'. Also check 'Small parts first'. Press 'To File'
• 12. Save your file inside 'Dnc files' folder. Use one of the existing folders (MAA, FabAcademy, etc.). You can also create your own folder
• 13. Done! Your file is sent to the machine

Notes

• • Bring your files in .dxf 2004 format so that you can import them directly to EnRoute.
  • You are not allowed to edit your files on this computer.
  • Do not open EnRoute multiple times, you can just open a new file in the same window.
  • If you have engraving and cutting you should have them in different layers.
  • Do not change material thickness.
  • All the dimensions are in millimeters. Your file units have to be millimeters.
  • If you have a grid put all the horizontal elements in one layer and all the vertical ones – in another.
  • If you are using AutoCAD or Grasshopper: use Rhino command 'Make2D' in all your layers separately.
  • Your file has to be flat (on 0 in Z axis).
  • Your home is in the lower left edge of your sheet and has to be in 0, 0, 0.
  • If you have an AutoCAD file do not double-click it, right-click it instead and select "Open with – AutoCAD'.

How to turn on the machine

• On the control panel:
  • Turn System to 'ON'
  • Turn Laser to 'ON'
  • Turn Shutter to 'OPEN'
  • Turn Mode to 'MAINT'
  • Fume collector to 'ON'
  • All the light should be on except for RUN MODE
• On the wall:
  • Turn on the main compressor (there's a small box on the wall with two blue caps and two red caps: the switches inside this box have to be up)
• On the remote:
  • SHIFT + HOME to home the machine (SHIFT is button № 20 and HOME is button № 1)

Multicam 2000 interface pannel

How to cut

• 1. Place your material on the bed of the machine. The X axis is the longer part of the laser cutter and the Y axis is the sorted one. Home (0,0,0) is on the lower left corner.
• 2. Set material thickness and surface height. Press SET SURFACE (button № 6) and ENTER (button № 30) and set the thickness of your material. The values are in millimeters. Press ENTER again, then button 0 and hold it until the sensor touches the surface to automatically set the height.
• 3. Set home. Move the machine with the arrow buttons 2, 4, 6, 8 and place it at the point where you want your zero. Press SET HOME (button № 11) and ENTER to set home for your file.
• 4. Set speed and power. In MENU (button № 15) choose Params_2d by pressing ENTER. Set speed (X Y feedrate) and power for your material according to the table.
• 5. Find your file. By pressing button № 16 you will enter the DNC files folder on the computer. Use the up and down arrows to find your file and choose it by pressing ENTER.
• 6. Start the job. Press GO (button № 10) twice.
• 7. If something goes wrong hit PAUSE to stop the machine (button № 5).
• 8. To continue press ENTER.

What not to do

• Do not use materials that are not suitable for laser cutting! Ask the FabLab operators if you're not sure about your material.
• Do not stand on the side of the machine! Only in the front. The machine can move suddenly and quickly and can hit you.
• Do not continue cutting if something is going wrong! For example: if there is flame or a lot of smoke or it's not cutting or the material is melting. Pause the machine and call a FabLab operator.
• Do not change the material on the remote! It has to be "cardboard" always.

Advanced commands

• To make a test on a new material you can cut a small square or circle. Set the surface, set home on the place that you're not using, set speed and power that you want to try and then go to MENU, select Cut_utils, choose a square or any other shape, set dimensions and press GO.
• After you paused the cutting you can navigate with arrows and choose Params 2d to change any settings before continuing.
• I you need to adjust something while cutting: press PAUSE, then cancel the job, do whatever you need (reset the surface, move to continue from another place, etc.) Then to continue your cutting press SHIFT, GO, ENTER, GO.

Downloads

• Media:EnRoute Instructions.pdf: how to prepare and send your files to the big laser cutter using EnRoute.

• Media:EnRoute instructions in .dxf.zip: EnRoute instructions in .dxf format (e.g. for engraving).

• Media:MultiCam Instructions.pdf: how to turn on and use the machine.

• Media:Multicam instruction in .dxf.zip: MultiCam instructions in .dxf format (e.g. for engraving).

• Media:MultiCam Settings.pdf: settings for different material types and thickness.