FSL Galvo lasers are different from Gantry machines in that they can raster along any axis. These instructions show how to set up the raster axis and engrave on a galvo machine.
Chuck Base Configuration:
Remove the Chuck Base Assembly from the box and set it on its side. Remove the 4 screws and install the galvo chuck base so it looks like below:
Step 1: Secure rotary + Focus the laser:
Place the rotary into position and secure it to the table. Pick a rotary position so the engravable part looks approximately center to the lens. You can adjust the engraving line in software in the next step so it doesn’t need to be exact. For a UV laser on glass, the focal height is extremely sensitive so tilt the rotary by loosening the two thumbscrews to present a flat edge if the glass is tapered. This will warp the image so we recommend you pick a glass that is not too tapered or use the 3D mode instead of rotary mode if it is very tapered.
Using a height gauge measure the height and enter into the Z box. Using a height gauge like this one is the easiest way to focus even though FSL galvos have autofocus because autofocus depends on being able to see the red reference dots with the camera and these are typically invisible to the camera on clear items like glass. Run the height gauge on the left and on the right to show that the height is the same on the glass (effectively using the height gauge as a kind of level). If the height variation is more than 1mm, it will likely fade out on one side using a short focus 160mm UV laser so instead of rotary mode use 3D mode so check this carefully.
In this example we measure 120mm. Next we focus the laser by enter “f+120” into the Z box as shown below. The “f” is interpreted as the base focus position which is saved during laser calibration. Here we enter 120 instead of 120.28 as we know from experience glass engraves better slightly below focus. You can experiment from 0-2mm below the surface focus for best results.
Step 2: Setting up Rotary Mode and Rotary Line
The rotary device on an FSL laser rasters along a line while spinning the rotary. Unlike gantry machines, on an FSL galvo, the rotary is capable of rastering along any line. For example, you can position the rotary vertical or horizontal or at 45 degrees as convenient and it will raster at this angle.
However, to do so, you must define the raster line to match the intended angle. This is done by turning the rotary mode off through the slider (blue circle). Next, jog the laser using the arrow keys or the jog panel to the highest point of the cup using the Y direction arrows (up/down). Check this with a piece of paper. On a FSL chuck rotary, the dot should be centered so that a horizontal line formed with a piece paper subdivides the QR code sticker indicating the correct Y direction like the below picture - notice how the blue dot is on the edge of the paper and the paper splits the QR code in half indicating it is centered:
Next jog using the X arrow key to the edge of the left edge glass. This is the position of the first marker point.
Press the “M” keyboard key or press the Set button from the jog panel and a red marker point circle will appear in the workspace.
Repeat this for the right side:
Notice here we do not go all the way to the far right side of the glass. The reason for this is the two marker points define the rotary workspace coordinates. So the center between the two dots is the center of the workspace. Eg if you created some text and aligned it with the center align buttons then the image will raster in the center between the two dots. Because we want the image centered between the top lip and the edge of the thick part of the glass, we set the right point here. If we wanted the image to go all the way down to the bottom we could pick the right marker point at the far right edge. In addition, we want the alignment of the rotary to be straight with the X axis so we simply jog using the left/right arrows to set the second marker point. However if we were going to raster at 45 degrees, we can also use the up/down buttons to set a different Y axis.
Again the two points define the raster line. The center point between the two dots is the raster coordinate center which corresponds to the RE3 workspace center. Your image should look similar below with 2 red dots in the workspace.
Step 3: Measure the diameter of the glass in inches
In this case we measure 3.12”
Step 4: Go to Menu/Edit/Settings/Rotary
Change the object diameter to 3.12. Check the “Reverse Rotary slider”. Press the “Set” button. Then press the “Save” button. The other parameters are not necessary to change. If your image is backwards during engraving, your rotary may need the “reverse rotary” to be unselected - do not simply flip the image in the workspace to compensate for backwards images but instead use the slider in the settings as otherwise the result will be poor because the FSL galvo rotary depends on the movement direction to compensate for shifting errors and needs to know if “Reverse Rotary” is correct.
Step 5: Check the rotary line
Press the rectangle button which will show the rotary line and verify it runs through the center of the glass at the top.
Step 6: Prepare image
Ensure the image is rotated like below + centered using the center vertical buttons + aligned to the top using the buttons below:
For glass engraving, we normally prepare the image with a black background and use the INVERT button to flip the image. The laser fires on black spots in the workspace but we know when a laser hits glass it produces a WHITE spot. So the image is inverted and where it is white in the workspace, no laser fires eg it will be clear.
While running rotary mode, the top of the workspace is where the job will begin. Notice position X=19.704 and Y=0 in above image. If you set Y=10 then the rotary will move 10mm before starting to raster. This allows you to position the image as you desire with empty space respected, eg if you wanted to do marks around a dial. Click off the image then you can press the Up/Down arrow keys to spin the rotary if you so desire.
Step 7: Preview and Run Job
Hit the eyeball button next to the square box next to the blue play button and the job will run a preview. Press the play button and the image will engrave.
For glass, with a 160mm lens, with a 5W UV laser, we recommend Speed=250mm/sec, 45Khz, DPI 500 for images. For 254mm lens with a 5W UV laser we recommend Speed=100mm/sec at 45Khz, DPI 1000. The 160mm lens is much faster but has shorter focus depth so needs to be more carefully focused.
Galvo Ring Engraving
In order to engrave on your machine you will need to know the focus distance of the peg hole base. This number should be written on your laser but can be found by using the focus test with the focusing card on the base plate.
Make sure that the rotary is placed so that the holes in the rotary are aligned with the ones in the work area. Use the provided screws to secure the rotary in place.
Remove the jaw attachment from the rotary and install the rod attachments. Position the ring onto the attachment so that it is held securely.
Setup The Object Diameter
You must measure the diameter of the ring with calipers. Use inside diameter for inside rings and outside diameter for outside rings. Change your rotary settings in the Edit Menu/Settings/Rotary. Select FSL Chuck Rotary V2 Type. Enter the Object Diameter in Inches and hit save. Do not change the other settings - only modify the diameter whenever your object diameter changes.
Measure Ring Height
The machine is ready to engrave the outside of the ring. In order to engrave the inside of the ring, adjust the tilt angle to 15 degrees. Adjust the position of the rod attachment so that the inside of the ring is centered (as shown below).
Once the ring is positioned, use a height gauge (or something similar) to find the height difference between the ring and the base plate focus.
For engraving inside the ring make sure to place the gauge arm inside.
If you're doing the outside of the ring, then place the arm on top of the ring.
For engraving inside the ring make sure to place the gauge arm inside. If you're doing the outside of the ring, then place the arm on top of the ring.
Move the Laser Into Focus
Move the Z-stage by the distance the height gauge recorded so that the ring is in focus by entering into the Z text box: f + height of ring. For example if the height of the ring is 181mm you may enter into the box: f+181, instead of doing the math.
Enter RetinaEngrave v3’s designer page by inputting the machine's IP Address into the web browser or by scanning the QR code on the touch screen.
Placing and removing markers:
Use the camera capture button to better help with ring alignment. Press CTRL+left mouse click a point on the inside of the ring.
Clear the previous marker points if any by pressing the clear markers button.
Inside Ring:
Using the arrow keys, jog the red laser pointer so that it is positioned at the far left of the most bottom position of the inside of the ring.
Press the M keyboard shortcut key to set a reference marker here.
Jog the red pointer to the other side of the ring on the right and press the M key again to create a second marker point in the workspace (note that the view on RE3 will not be equivalent to that of the work area).
For individuals using the UV Galvo, we recommend using white paper or something similar to make the visibility easier to see.
Outside Ring:
Using the arrow keys, jog the red laser pointer so that it is positioned at the most top position of the outside of the ring.
Press the M keyboard shortcut key to set a reference marker here.
Jog the red pointer to the other side of the ring on the right and press the M key again to create a second marker point in the workspace (note that the view on RE3 will not be equivalent to that of the work area).
Once the reference markers are set up, turn on Rotary mode using the slider. Enter the Settings page by selecting the setting icon.
Select the Rotary tab. Then locate the Set Rotary Location and select the Set icon.
By selecting the Set Rotary Location button the two marker points will be used to create the engraving axis and the center of the two marker points will be mapped to the center of the workspace.
Return to RE3, you can now import or make the project you plan to engrave. After you are done designing, ensure you rotate your work 90 degrees using the Orientation tools.
The laser will engrave the image from left to right, while it advances the rotary from top to bottom.
Note- If you end up uploading a vector image you will need to rasterize it within the software by selecting the following button under the vector fill and rasterize tab - otherwise the software will report “Workspace Invalid”
Make sure to select your work object and press the “Center Middle '' for the vertical axis, followed by the “Center Middle” for the horizontal axis then it will be moved to the center of the workspace. Objects centered in the workspace will now be perfectly centered between the two marker points. If you want to move it off center, move your object slightly to the left or right to move it along the rotary engraving axis. For example, if you want to move it 1mm to the left, change the X position to -1mm. The Y position in the workspace doesn’t matter as it will always engrave from top to bottom advancing the rotary but the taller the object, the more it will wrap around.
Run a preview job to make sure your item is exactly centered on the ring then run the laser.
If your image doesn’t look correct then the most common problem is that you did not clear out the previous marker points before selecting the new ones. Note that you can only add the marker points with Rotary mode turned off.
Troubleshooting:
Common errors: If it says “Workspace not valid” it means you have only vector images and not raster images in the workspace. Rotary mode works only with rasterized images.
If it says “Feature Locked” you need to contact FSL to enable rotary operation.
Still having Issues?
Please create a Support Ticket by using the button below or sending an e-mail to support@fslaser.com stating you've done all previous troubleshooting steps.
- When submitting via an e-mail you may attach any pictures, videos and project files needed for support to see.
- When submitting a ticket using the button below please either respond to the automated generated email stating we have received the ticket with your pictures, videos and project files or upload these to a Google Drive or Dropbox folder and include this link within the support ticket "Your Issue" dialog upon creation.