Warning! 

• Wear safety goggles during the entire aligning process.
• Avoid attaching the tape directly to the mirror.
• 8 mA or 11% should be sufficient to leave a clear mark without setting the testing tape on fire.
• Always make sure the path is clear between the laser and its target. Never allow foreign objects between the laser and its target. Always close the cover before firing the laser. Do not look directly at the active laser through the cover during this procedure.

Tools Needed: Masking Tape

The laser emitted from the laser tube bounces off Mirror 1, 2, and 3, eventually passing through the laser head lens. Once in the laser head, it is focused and fired into the working material.

To align Mirror 3 with the work bed:

Step 1: Unplug the air assist hose from the laser head.

The part indicated by the red arrow: Air Assist Hose

Step 2: Attach a piece of tape to the laser head’s aperture and apply mild force. This will form a ring on the tape and help check the alignment.

Step 3: Put on safety goggles, turn on the machine, and set the power level to 11% or lower.

Step 4: Close the cover.

Step 5: Fire the laser.

Step 6: Check that the burnt hole on the tape is at its center.

If not,

Step 7: Cut the power to your laser.

Note: If the last burnt hole is way off-mark, you may need to loosen the mounting bolts of Mirror 3 to slide it into a better position before fine-tuning the setscrews.

The part indicated by the blue arrows: Mirror 3 Setscrews
The part indicated by the green arrows: Mirror 3 Mounting Bolts
The part indicated by the red arrows: Mirror 3

Step 8: Carefully turn the setscrews on Mirror 3 to adjust the angle and position of Mirror 3.

Note:

• Each screw adjusts to a different position or angle.
• Keep track of which screw you are adjusting and the direction of adjustment.
• Do not turn the screw more than ¼ turn at a time. Test the position of the laser after each adjustment so that you learn the effect of each change.

Step 9: When finished with adjusting the setscrews of Mirror 3, repeat steps 3–8 until the burnt hole falls perfectly at the center of the tape.

Step 10: Gently move the laser head along the X-axis to the far right as shown.

Step 11: Repeat steps 3–8 until the burnt hole is at the right center of the tape.