College of Built Environments at the University of Washington.
CBE Digital Fabrication Resources
Laser Cutters
Overview, Training, and Usage – Laser Cutters
Laser cutters for College-wide use are in Gould Hall, and are accessed through the classroom adjacent to the workshops, Gould 137. Two additional machines in the 2nd Floor studios of Architecture Hall serve only students and faculty with studios in that building.
Use of laser cutters is for students and faculty who have received specialized training from Digital Fabrication faculty (Assoc. Prof. Kimo Griggs), our Digital Fabrication Assistant (Jeff Hudak), or teaching assistants. This training is available on a course-by-course basis where use of laser cutters is recommended, and also on an individual basis by request. Please send your request to: belaser@uw.edu. Individuals who have received training will be given NetID access to the laser cutters. Without valid permission you will not be able to log onto any of the laser cutter computers. If you have been trained and find that you are unable to log on with your NetID, please send an email from another computer to belaser@uw.edu.
Every attempt will be made to group individuals together for training (5 to 8 individuals can be trained in one session) to allow our staff to spend their time efficiently. Grouping individual requests may take time so please be patient, and ask for training well before you will need to use a laser cutter.
Staff in the Gould Hall shops may need to remain in the workshops, and may not be specifically trained in laser cutter usage or maintenance, so do not expect them to be able to assist you. Questions should be addressed to the aforementioned Digital Fabrication Assistant or Digital Fabrication faculty, both of whom can be reached by sending an email to belaser@uw.edu.
Use of laser cutters is scheduled using an on-line reservation system (information below), and time slots are limited in order to allow for fair and equal access. The laser cutter in Gould Hall is generally available only during open workshop hours. They are not to be used during class in the workshops or Gould 137 without prior permission. Check the door of the workshop, Gould 132, for current hours.
Safety
Laser cutters produce smoke and odors, and may be a source of flame which can be dangerous. In addition to ensuring that no prohibited materials are being cut, all users should make themselves aware of the location of the fire extinguisher in each room and should check before cutting to ensure that it is fully charged. If there is any sign of excessive smoke or fire the laser cutter must be turned off IMMEDIATELY!
Tutorials – Laser Cutters
A series of Tutorial PDF's have been produced to assist trained users in the correct operation of the laser cutters and in the preparation of their digital files for cutting. Printed copies should be located near the laser cutters and the digital versions of the tutorials can be downloaded below. These documents are intended to be refreshers and DO NOT take the place of in-person training.
Tutorial 2 – Laser Cutter – Print from AutoCAD
Tutorial 5 – Laser Cutter – Laser Cut Process
Reservations – Laser Cutters
Once you have been trained you will be given access to make and edit events on the Google calendar seen below. Reservations should be for a MAXIMUM of 1-hour. You are permitted to have two hours of reserved time per 24-hour period. Any scheduling that does not follow this protocol, without prior permission, is subject to deletion by CBE Laser Staff.
Reservation Calendar
Below you will find the laser cutter calendar for all three lasers. You will not be able to make a reservation unless an approved laser-cutter staff-person has first trained you. To create a reservation you must first scroll to the bottom of the calendar and click on the "+google calendar" button. This will prompt you to add the calendar and will ask for your UW NetID credentials. Enter your yourUWnetid@uw.edu into the Google login and press enter. You will then be prompted to login using your UW NetID and password. When the Google calendar loads you will be prompted to add calendars, select "add all" in the dialogue box. Once this is completed you will be able to make changes and add new events to the schedule. To make a new reservation log in to your UW Google apps account at google.com as described above and go to calendars.
Note: You must have UW Google Apps enabled on your account to log in. For more information see the UW IT Connect webpage (www.washington.edu/itconnect/teamwork/googleapps.html). If you are still not able to create new events you may be logged into another Google account and may need to logout, close your browser, and try accessing the calendar again.
Calendars are coded by color of the laser cutter associated with the calendar. Red is located in Gould 137. Blue and Yellow are only available to CBE students with studios in Architecture Hall. The machines are located on the 2nd floor, Blue is in the North studios (room 260A) and Yellow is in the South Studios (room 230A).