18-How to control the laser machine from the software

How to use RDworks software control the laser machine

Hello, this is Ken from Thunderlaser. Today, we will learn how to control your laser cutter using RDWorks software. Here are the simplified steps:

Basic Controls

1. Moving the Laser Head:
   • Use Y+/Y- and X+/X- to move the laser head in the respective directions.
   • Use Z+/Z- to move the Z-axis up or down.
2. Resetting Axes:
   • Click the Home button to reset the X and Y axes.
   • Click the Home button to reset the Z axis.
3. Setting Offset:
   • The Offset determines the distance moved each time you click a directional button.
   • Ensure the offset is less than the maximum length of each axis (e.g., for a Z-axis max length of 170mm, the offset should be less than 170mm).
4. Setting Speed:
   • The Speed controls the movement speed of the axes.
   • For the Z-axis, set the speed to less than 10mm/s due to its limited movement capacity.
5. Laser Power:
   • The Power setting adjusts the maximum laser beam power when moving the axis.
   • This works only if the If light option is selected.

Advanced Controls

1. Move from Origin:
   • This function moves the laser head to position 0,0 (machine zero), then to the specified offset position.
   • Example: To move to x=100, y=200:
     • Set the Offset to 100, click X+.
     • Set the Offset to 200, click Y+.
2. Auto Focus:
   • Click Focus to automatically adjust the work table to the correct focus distance by moving it until it touches the auto-focus sensor.

Job Controls

1. Starting and Managing Jobs:
   • Click Start to begin the laser cutting job.
   • Use Pause/Continue to pause or resume the job.
   • Click Stop to cancel the current job.
2. Frame Tracking:
   • Click Go scale to have the laser head trace the frame of the object.
   • Click Cut scale to cut the frame of the object. Set the speed and cutting power in this dialog.
3. Saving and Loading Files:
   • Click SaveToUFile to save the current job as an *.rd file, which can be loaded directly from a U disk.
   • Use UFileOutput to load an *.rd file from your computer or U disk.
   • Click Download to send the current design to your laser cutter. You can name the file before sending it.