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FAQ

How to use Laserbox

Q1: Is Laserbox safe?
Laserbox is designed to be fully enclosed to ensure the safety of operators. Besides, Laserbox can stop working the moment its lid is opened, which protects operators from being hurt. In addition, Laserbox is CE, FCC and FDA certified. All Laserbox’s electronic components are China CCC standard certified. According to the existing international standard, Laserbox is classified by FDA as Class I laser product, meaning Laserbox is as safe as laser printers commonly used in offices and is not hazardous to human body.
Q2: How does laser cutting work?
Laser cutting works by having a high-powered, highly-focused laser beam radiated from a laser generator run through a material, leaving a clean cut with a smooth finish. To put it more clearly, the laser beam heats the surface of a material to its melting or boiling point, and meanwhile the high-pressure gas in line with the laser beam blows molten or vaporized materials from the cutting area. As the laser beam runs through the material, it finally leaves a cut on the material.
Q3: What types of files can be engraved by Laserbox?
Image (bitmap) engraving is a common design method. Using Laserbox, you can engrave photos or pictures (BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG and other formats) onto materials such as wood, medium-density fibreboard. Photos taken by mobile phones and most of those pictures you find on Internet are bitmaps. Specifically speaking, bitmaps are pictures which are composed of the smallest possible units – pixels. And the image quality of a bitmap is determined by the resolution (the number of pixels per inch). A larger number of pixels per inch means a higher resolution, and a higher resolution means a better image quality.
Q4: What types of files can be laser cut by Laserbox?
Graphics (vector) cutting is a common design method. Using Laserbox, we can cut graphics, such as DXF and SVG formats on materials like wood and acrylic. Most of the graphics designed by AI, CAD and CorelDRAW are vector graphics. Vector graphics consist of dots, curves, lines, rectangles, and circles, which together make pictures.
Q5: How do the speed and power settings influence engravings/cuts?
For engraving:
Lower speed = Deeper engravings
Higher speed = More shallow engravings
Lower power = More shallow engravings
Higher power = Deeper engravings

For cutting:
Lower speed = Wider cuts
Higher speed = Slimmer cuts
Lower power = More shallow cuts
Higher power = Deeper cuts

Q6: How can I ensure the best performance of the Bring Sketch to Life functionality?
We recommend you use black/red oil-based markers (Deli S550 recommended) to draw pictures on the 3mm (1/8 inch) basswood (with white paper attached) which is officially provided by Makeblock. While drawing, you should not draw images on the edge of the basswood or the barcode.
Q7: Any requirements on computer configurations if I want to use the software Laserbox?
The performance of Laserbox has little to do with the speed of the computer. However, a faster computer could indeed save you much time on processing images. So, for a smoother experience, the recommended/minimum configurations include:
Operating system: 64-bit Windows7/macOS Mojave10.13
Processor: Core i3 / AMD A6 2.4Ghz
RAM: 4GB RAM
Storage: 5GB available
Q8: Is Laserbox difficult to get started with?
Laserbox is quite easy to get started with. From feedback of some customers, it only took them about 3 minutes to complete their first cutting/engraving project.
Besides, Laserbox comes with a User Manual that’s designed to help you quickly pick up. You can also join our Facebook groups to communicate with other Laserbox users and learn from each other.
We’d like to help you out whenever you run into issues.

Laser Cutting Capabilities

Q1: Which materials can be laser cut/engraved by Laserbox?

Laserbox can cut/engrave the following materials:
 Cardboard
 Wood board
 Acrylic
 Cloth
 Leather
 Base plate
 ABS double color sheet
 PET
 Rubber
 Wood veneer
 Glass fiber
 Plastic
 Corian
Most of non-metal materials can be laser cut/engraved by Laserbox.
However, if you would like to cut/engrave other materials that are not listed above, you could send your material to Makeblock for a further test.

Q2: Does Laserbox only support official materials provided by Makeblock?

Materials supported by Laserbox include but not limited to Makeblock’s official materials, but only official materials have been repeatedly tested by us. Using official materials, you can easily obtain the best experience and engravings/cuts without manually configuring parameters such as focus, speed or power because they are already properly set.
NOTE: The Bring Sketch to Life functionality only supports Makeblock’s official materials.

Q3: What's the thickness range of Laserbox?
Laserbox can cut paulownia wood board of up to 15mm.
Q4: Can metal be cut/engraved by Laserbox?
Laserbox cannot cut metal because all the laser beams radiated from CO2 laser tubes can’t cut metal.
Despite this, Laserbox can engrave metal. You can use Laserbox to engrave your iPhone case (anodic aluminum oxide).
Q5: Which materials are not recommended to be engraved by Laserbox?

 Leather including Chromium VI and artificial leather
 Carbon fiber
 PVC
 PVB
 PTFE
 Beryllium oxide
 Or materials containing halogens (Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, and Astatine), epoxy resin or phenolic resin
Laser cutting or laser engraving the materials above might produce dust or gas which endanger operators or the laser cutter. Therefore, using laser equipment to process those materials is not recommended.

Besides, DO NOT cut/engrave the following types of materials:
 Uneven materials
 Wet materials
 Dirty materials
 Oversized materials

Note: The use of poor-quality materials may result in poor cutting/engraving or damage to the laser cutter. It is recommended to use Makeblock’s official materials.

Wear and Tear

Q1: How often do I need to change filters?
The frequency of filter change depends on the type of engraving materials and processing method (cutting/engraving) that you actually use, because the amount and composition of smoke exhausted during operation can vary on engraving materials that are being cut or engraved. For instance, the amount of smoke generated by cutting paper is different from that generated by cutting wood boards; also, the amount of smoke generated by engraving wood boards is different from that generated by cutting wood boards.

In short, the frequency of filter change varies greatly on what engraving material and processing method is used. Light users could change the filter every six months, while heavy users may need to change it about every month. Also, we recommend you change the filter if it gets clogged. When the filter is clogged, the smoke purifier will blink red, that’s Laserbox prompting you to replace the filter, and the companion software will also display a prompt.

Q2: How often do I need to change the laser tube?
Laserbox is equipped with a RECI CO2 laser tube. This type of laser tubes has a lifespan of approximately 10,000 hours, but the actual life is dependent on the actual usage. Keep the ambient temperature between 0 to 35℃during operation because a high-temperature environment may accelerate the aging process of laser tubes.
Q3: Why do my basswood sheets warp?
Basswood sheets are a kind of wood composites. They, like most types of wood materials, are likely to warp due to the change in moisture content (MC). An inherent property of wood materials is that they warp when they absorb humidity. The structure of basswood sheets helps mitigate the warping due to MC change, but it is still necessary to store them in the right way. Avoid placing basswood sheets in an environment that is excessively humid or where they are directly exposed to sunlight. In addition, stress on the wood sheets may also cause warping so please avoid factors that may develop stresses on the materials.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Maintenance Videos

Caution

The laser tube needs to be replaced only when the laser tube is broken or is not sufficient for cutting.Under normal circumstances there is no need to change the water in the water tank. When there is no water in the water tank, you can refer to the water change video.