MDF wood on an AMADA FO3015 Laser?????? 4

[LaserSpyder]

Ive never cut MDF wood before and all I know is to turn sensor off and set material thickness to give me the correct nozzle gap. anyone have any cutting conditions or tips on this they could share??? THANK YOU!!

 

[ausman]

Hi LaserSpyder,

We cut a bit of MDF from time to time, what's the thickness?
One this I can say is be carful with your extraction.

We lost the lot of 18 filters in the extraction from a fire, the MDF dust caked around the filters, the next mild steel job was enough to ignite the MDF residue and for the next hour we were extinguishing the filters & the collection tray at the bottom.
The filters were destroyed.

Cheers

 

[laserdog]

You have to use nitrogen with wood to keep it from catching on fire.

 

[mikeybob125]

turn off the dust collector and use nitrogen. clean the scrap trays after. I use cut e003 and e004

 

[evans1089]

What thickness are you cutting with those conditions Mikeybob?

 

[ausman]

I would recommend pulling the filters & dumping the smoke out the factory with unfiltered extraction.
From memory the burning resin on MDF is carcinogenic? or maybe it's not I can't remember.
MDF pumps too much smoke, so much it gets in the bellows & hazes over the optics (this is my experience with a few machines & MDF)

 

[mikeybob125]

1 cut 3/4" with that setting

 

[kltex]

mikeybob125,your settings shows thickness 1.16" but you are only cutting 0.75".
Are you using this clearance to keep the nozzle above the wood because the height sensor isn't working?

Will it be correct to guess that the total nozzle gap will be 0.06"+(1.16"-0.75")?

 

[mikeybob125]

I keep it high because the wood is not always flat, if the head hits it will drag the wood or error with a head connection

 

[kltex]

But keeping the head high by "lying" on the thickness will put the focus point way off your intended point.
Why not just add the inches to the nozzle gap?

 

[jetrep]

Does that thickness value actually do anything? I thought it was only to indicate what the settings are for I didn't think it altered how the machine runs (nozzle height).

I've cut wood a couple times. You want it to be very flat and flat/even slats otherwise nozzle gap will vary a lot. Filled the shop with plenty of smoke so plan on that. Removing filters and running the dust collector sounds like a good idea.

 

[mikeybob125]

I would just turn off the dust collector, there is a soot that builds up inside the collector, if a piece of wood comes off that is still on fire it can catch that soot, it is best to just turn it off and open all the doors and roof fans on.

 

[LaserSpyder]

ok ThankS guys!... I tried and could only get it to pierce and then the head would start rising up I was told to turn off the sensor off did they mean "trace off" or how do I turn material sensor off?? THANKS GUYS!!

 

[LaserSpyder]

or does anyone know of some written instructions on this??

 

[ausman]

trace button off.
Bring the head down manually to a height were you have sufficient nozzle clearance all over the sheet.
The Z value at this height is the height you enter into the material thickness setting.
It's the butting with a picture of a nozzle, up down arrow wavy line under the nozzle.
(above the WACS button, or middle row left side) hope this is clear enough.

 

[mikeybob125]

the button must be light up for the trace to be off.