deep cleaning a laser cutter

The laser is an integral part of any modern Maker Space, and the Georgia Institute of Technology\'s invention studio is no different.
We had 3 laser cutting machines running throughout the semester and they saw consistent and ruthless use during our work week, evening and weekend.
The laser cutting machines are very cool because they focus the light on a fine point and then cut or engrave the material with high precision.
These very versatile machines are very easy to learn and use, and can operate with minimal maintenance in addition to lens cleaning and occasional calibration.
But these popular and beloved machines have the dark side: soot.
When you use a laser cutter, you are actually burning the material you don\'t want, which causes smoke and soot residue to spread in the laser cutter.
The better your ventilation, the less left in the machine.
The better the training your users receive, the less likely they will be to cause a fire in the machine.
Even if you are all good
With trained users and a good ventilation system, you will need to clean up the laser cutting machine.
Soot and other flammable residues can clog the ventilation system, cover all the items of people and make your makerspace look dirty and unsafe.
Fortunately, with a little elbow grease and the right equipment, you can clean the laser cutting machine in depth.
Deep cleaning your laser cutting machine is a satisfying experience that brings your equipment back from the disaster areanew!
Today, I will illustrate my process with a semi-clean of our Trotec Speedy 400.
If you like this guide, please vote for it in the spotless race!
You need some scrubbing/scraping supplies: you need something like soap: You also need a brush and dustpan.
You should find a friend, too.
This will become very confusing.
Even though this laser cutter is only 6 months old, we have done a lot of work.
Between users who are not familiar with good cutting settings and our powerful high usage flow, our laser cutting machines accumulate a lot of soot, smoke, particles and shame.
In addition to the normal dust, we have a lot of smoke that is basically baked on all surfaces.
It turns out that the fast 400 bed is very easy to disassemble
Just click on the pitch and take out the tray.
We also unscrewed the two lids under the tray so that we could better clean the lid and the surrounding area.
Bend the pipe cleaner in half and turn them around.
They did a great job cleaning up the hard-to-reach spaces that attracted a lot of extra dirt.
I cleaned the interior of the grille at the back of the laser cutter in this way. .
Pour everything with the detergent you like.
I like to use Gojo to deal with dirt that is particularly stubborn and not very long lasting with simple green.
It will be rough.
I would especially recommend using stiff bristles to clean up the grilles at the back as they are not torn up like napkins or paper towels.
Make sure you are careful with the moving parts of the laser.
When I go to the gantry, I pay special attention not to scrub too hard so that I will certainly not damage it.
When you try to clean the napkins, some patches that are clogged with smoke and soot actually start to crush them.
If you find this happening, just take out a paint scraper and scrape off the dirt.
Once you break the elastic block, you can go back and clean it with a napkin and a stiff brush.
Look at all the trash you just cleaned up from the laser and feel accomplished and a bit disgusting.
Then throw it away!
Once you \'ve cleaned up your laser, it\'s time to build a new job and start creating chaos again!