Instructional- DIY
Replacing Parts On My Machine
Belt Replacement For MVX and VLS/PLS platform
Remove the belt clamp from the side of the lens housing by removing the top screw and bottom screw. The belt will still be clamped together.
Loosen the belt clamp and remove it from the end of the belt. You should have the two separated ends of the belt.
Staple the new belt to one of the ends to form a continuous long belt consisting of the old belt and the new belt.
Pull the belt (FISH IT) through the arm making sure the belt does not get twisted inside the arm.
Move the lens carriage off to the side, with the belt behind it.
Remove the old belt.
Put the ends of the new belt together and slide the clamp over it. Using needle nose pliers, push the belt clamp all the way towards the arm and tighten the clamp using an allen wrench. If done properly, the belt tension will be very close to what you need. With the lens carriage still not attached to the belt mount, you should be able to fit your index finger between the belt and the arm. It should lightly hold your finger in place without cutting off the circulation to it. If the tension is incorrect, adjust it with the left side idler pulley belt tension mechanism.
Reattach the belt clamp to the lens carriage.
Cut off the excess belt material sticking out of the clamp.
X-Arm Removal
Disconnect ribbon cable from right end of x-axis arm.
Remove 2 screws from right end of x-axis arm
Remove 2 screws from left end of x axis arm
While pressing levers on far right end of x-axis arm (refer to Fig. 4), raise that end out of machine
Left end should come loose, remove arm from laser.
Replacing Universal Laser System & Versa Platform Right Side Belt Tensioner
Turn machine OFF.
Remove #2 mirror cover by removing the thumbscrew and sliding the cover to the right and up.
On right end of arm remove 3 Phillips screws and cover
Remove 3 screws holding green circuit board and gently lift up circuit board
Detach wire from motor from circuit board and lay circuit board aside.
Identify 4 screws holding motor to tensioning bracket and tensioning bracket set screw.
Loosen 4 motor screws ½ turn.
Note belt tension if no tension scale is available.
Loosen belt tension set screw.
Loosen, do not remove, the 2 screws that attach to the bracket that holds the ends of the belt together. Slide the bracket off of the end of the belt. DO NOT PULL THE BELT OUT OF THE X-AXIS RAIL AT THIS TIME. JUST LEAVE IT HANGING.THE PURPOSE IS TO RELEASE THE BELT TENSION COMPLETELY.
If you need to replace the X bearings, do so at this time.
If you need to replace the X Idler, do so at this time.
Using a stapler, attach one end of the old belt to one end of the new belt. Do not overlap the belt and make sure that the teeth are in the same direction.
Slowly pull the other end of the old belt, allowing the new belt to be pulled through the inside of the X-axis arm. Make sure that you do not twist the belt going through the rail. The teeth of the belt should be facing the inside.
Once the new belt is completely through the X-axis rail, remove the staple and discard the old belt. Leave the new belt hanging at this time.
Re-attach the belt clamp to the ends of the belt. Make sure that the rounded side of the clamp faces inwards. Gently pull the belt through the clamp until the slack in the belt is reduced. Leave the belt slightly loose because we will tension the belt by adjusting the setscrew on the tensioner bracket on the left side of the X-axis rail. Now, tighten down the screws on the clamp. DO NOT TRIM OFF THE EXCESS BELT AT THIS TIME, WE WILL DO THAT LATER.
For the next step, you will need a spring scale and a ruler n which the end of the ruler is actually the "0" point. Some rulers "0" point is offset from the end so you would not want to use that kind of ruler. If a scale is not available, just adjust tension by feel to same tension that was on old belt.
Push the focus carriage all the way to the left and push the belt clamp all the way to the right, on the X-axis rail. Place the end of the ruler up against the middle of the X-axis arm (NOT inside the belt groove). Hook the spring scale onto the middle of the belt and pull the scale until you reach 1/2 inch. You should read 100 grams (X Class) or 150 grams (V Class). We are expecting you to be loose at this point so you will probably read less than what is required.
To tighten the belt, slowly tighten the setscrew on the tensioning bracket (the one that we loosened earlier) and keep re-checking the scale until you have the proper tension. After proper tension is achieved, tighten down the (4) tensioning bracket mounting screws and re-check the tension to make sure that it has not changed.
Using scissors, trim off the excess belt material but leave at least 1/4 inch of belt protruding out of the belt clamp. DO NOT trim the belt flush with the clamp. Although this may look cleaner, trimming it flush will eventually cause the belt to slip out of the clamp and would require the replacement of the entire belt (refer to photo above).
Re-attach the belt clamp to the side of the focus carriage.
Re-install the #2 mirror cover and thumbscrew.
X-axis belt is now complete.
Replacing Universal Laser System & Versa Platform Left Side Belt Tensioner
Turn machine OFF.
Remove #2 mirror cover by removing the thumbscrew and sliding the cover to the right and up.
Remove the two screws (upper and lower) that attach the Belt Clamp to the Focus Carriage. Slide the Focus Carriage off to the left.
Loosen the three screws (1/2 turn) that mount the tensioning bracket. Also, back off the setscrew until the tip does not make contact (this will partially release the tension on the belt). Do not remove the screw completely.
Loosen, do not remove, the 2 screws that attach to the bracket that holds the ends of the belt together. Slide the bracket off of the end of the belt. DO NOT PULL THE BELT OUT OF THE X-AXIS RAIL AT THIS TIME. JUST LEAVE IT HANGING.THE PURPOSE IS TO RELEASE THE BELT TENSION COMPLETELY. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO REMOVE THE MOTOR HOUSING IN THE NEXT STEP.
Detach the flexible cable from the X-axis motor housing by pressing your fingertip on the underside of the cable, depress the locking tab, and gently pull the cable out. Be careful not to make contact with the Y-axis Home Sensor, it is made out of plastic and can easily break. Remove one of the (2) mounting screws with a 3/32 Allen wrench. It is a tight fit back there and is very dark so you may need to use a flashlight to see it.
The other mounting screw is on the front side of the motor housing. Also remove this screw with a 3/32 Allen wrench. Lift the motor housing off of the arm and put it on a table in a safe place. Be careful not to drop it or touch the Y-axis home sensor.
Using a stapler, attach one end of the old belt to one end of the new belt. Do not overlap the belt and make sure that the teeth are in the same direction.
Slowly pull the other end of the old belt, allowing the new belt to be pulled through the inside of the X-axis arm. Make sure that you do not twist the belt going through the rail. The teeth of the belt should be facing the inside.
Once the new belt is completely through the X-axis rail, remove the staple and discard the old belt. Leave the new belt hanging at this time.
Working at a separate table, place the X-axis motor housing upside down. You will now see the drive gear, the retaining clamp, and it's mounting screw, but you cannot obtain access to the screw until you remove the motor mounting plate. To do this, remove the (4) screws that mount the plate to the motor.
Although it is not necessary to disconnect the plate from the X-axis motor at it's connector, you can if you want to, or simply place the plate off to the side.
Before removing the gear, notice it's position on the shaft. Next, loosen the retaining clamp screw and slide the drive gear and the retaining clamp off of the X-axis motor shaft. You will re-use the retaining clamp, but discard the old screw and replace it with the new one provided. Re-install the old retaining clamp, new screw, and new drive gear. Position the gear and clamp on the shaft so that it is approximately centered on the shaft just like it was when you took it off. There should be a small gap between the retaining clamp and the motor, no gap between the retainer and the gear, and the shaft should be slightly protruding out of the gear similar to the picture shown. The concept is to center the assembly on the shaft. Tighten the retaining clamp screw. Re-attach the plate with the (4) screws.
Re-install the motor housing onto the X-axis rail with the (2) screws. Make sure that the belt loops around the drive gear. From experience, it is easier to loosely attach the screw in the back first, then loosely install the screw on the front side. Once both screws are started, then you should tighten them down.
Re-attach the belt clamp to the ends of the belt. Make sure that the rounded side of the clamp faces inwards. Gently pull the belt through the clamp until the slack in the belt is reduced. Leave the belt slightly loose because we will tension the belt by adjusting the setscrew on the tensioner bracket on the left side of the X-axis rail. Now, tighten down the screws on the clamp. DO NOT TRIM OFF THE EXCESS BELT AT THIS TIME, WE WILL DO THAT LATER.
For the next step, you will need a spring scale and a ruler n which the end of the ruler is actually the "0" point. Some rulers "0" point is offset from the end so you would not want to use that kind of ruler.
Push the focus carriage all the way to the left and push the belt clamp all the way to the right, on the X-axis rail. Place the end of the ruler up against the middle of the X-axis arm (NOT inside the belt groove). Hook the spring scale onto the middle of the belt and pull the scale until you reach 1/2 inch. You should read 100 grams (X Class) or 150 grams (V Class). We are expecting you to be loose at this point so you will probably read less than what is required.
To tighten the belt, slowly tighten the setscrew on the tensioning bracket (the one that we loosened earlier) and keep re-checking the scale until you have the proper tension. After proper tension is achieved, tighten down the (3) tensioning bracket mounting screws and re-check the tension to make sure that it has not changed.
Using scissors, trim off the excess belt material but leave at least 1/4 inch of belt protruding out of the belt clamp. DO NOT trim the belt flush with the clamp. Although this may look cleaner, trimming it flush will eventually cause the belt to slip out of the clamp and would require the replacement of the entire belt (refer to photo above).
Re-attach the belt clamp to the side of the focus carriage.
Re-install the #2 mirror cover and thumbscrew.
X-axis belt and drive gear replacement is now complete.
Replacing ULS E Series & PS Series X Bearings
Make sure laser is off
Gather tools – set Allen wrenches, Crescent Wrench
Note tension on Tension Springs
Remove both Tension Screws and Springs
Remove Lock Down Screws
Top Bar of Lens Carriage is free. Remove and replace top X bearings and set aside Top Bar for the moment.
Remove and replace the bottom X bearings.
Re-install Top Bar.
Reinstall Tension Screws and Springs to same tension as originally (see step 3)
Reinstall Lock Down Screws
Replacing ULS E Series & PS Series X Belts
Make sure laser is off
Gather tools – set Allen wrenches, scissors, stapler
If a belt tension gauge is not available, pull belt away from x axis arm and put finger behind belt, feeling the amount of belt tension
On left side of focus carriage loosen belt tension screw.
Remove belt grips on face of focus carriage
Staple the end of the old belt to end of new belt. The belts should be end-to-end rather than overlapping.
Makes SURE (ABSOLUTELY SURE) that the belts are attached firmly to each other.
Fish the new belt through the arm using the old belt.
- If the x axis bearings need to be replaced, do so now
- If the x axis idler needs to be replaced, do so now
- If the x motor or gear pulley needs to be replaced, do so now
Connect the ends of the new belt to the focus carriage.
Adjust belt tension to 190 grams using belt tension screw on left side of focus carriage. If no tension gauge is available adjust it by feel to the same tension the old belt had been.
Trim the ends of the belt leaving about ¼" sticking out on each end.
Configuring Software
AutoCAD 14/15 and AutoCAD LT 97/98 for Windows
Open AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT. Click CANCEL if the Start Up window appears.
Click File, then Printer Setup, then New, and then System Printer ADI 4.3. Type in a printer name in the Add a description box (M-360 for example) and click OK.
In the AutoCAD System Printer Configuration dialog box DESELECT all three check boxes, Default to Control Panel Settings, Allow Dithered Output, and Update Pen Table on Device Change, and then click OK. Type "N" and press ENTER when AutoCAD asks if you want to change anything. Click OK to finish the printer setup.
Pen Assignments
It is recommended that line and text color be set to any of seven colors within the ULS Printer Driver (black, red, green, yellow, blue, cyan, and magenta). These colors correspond to the AutoCAD standard colors assigned to pens 1 through 7. Colors can easily be changed or checked using the DDMODIFY command. AutoCAD White color corresponds to ULS Black color. Any other colors may cause errors during engraving/cutting. If other pen colors are used, the ULS printer driver will try to match the color that most resembles the pen color used, although some colors may not be recognized at all. It is also necessary to check (and possibly modify) pen widths within the Pen Parameters settings window. From the Print/Plot Configuration window select PEN ASSIGNMENTS. Set pen widths to 0.001 inches for vector output or above 0.008 for raster output.
Printing Files
The ULS Printer Driver can be accessed through the PRINT command. Select Device and Default Selection and select the printer that was just set up. Select CHANGE, under Device Requirements, and then Properties. The only way to consistently print properly is to access the ULS Print Driver every time you print a file, even if you do not change any settings, and click OK when exiting. For output viewing and proper printing, select WINDOW, type in the coordinates of the maximum engraving field and click OK. Since AutoCAD cannot plot the entire field, the field size will be smaller by 0.07" in both X and Y axis. This is normal and not adjustable. To preview the file, click "FULL" and then click "PREVIEW" before clicking "OK". Sometimes, objects moved from outside the printable area into the printable area will not print correctly. If objects are moved, the first step when running into printing problems is to see the full print preview of the file. If there are printing problems, generally it is due to objects outside of the printing area. This problem can be identified by picking the print window coordinates (using PICK, after clicking on the Window box) and by drawing a box around the objects that are to be printed, then looking at the actual coordinates that AutoCAD has chosen for the print window. Likely, the print window coordinates will be well outside maximum engraving area. If this occurs, the file will need to be printed by picking the window rather than typing in the desired window coordinates. Drawing a box on another layer, the size of the maximum engraving area, which is set to be "unprintable" at a size of 31.93 x 17.93 (or 23.93 x 11.93) and selecting the lower left and upper right endpoints during the Pick Window routine is commonly done to properly place graphics on the laser cutting/engraving area.
Troubleshooting
Set all lines to one of the standard (pens 1 through 7) colors. Always check pen width in pen assignments.
Locate lines to within the engraving field area (ex: 24 x 12 inch area).
AutoCAD origin (0,0) is lower left corner of machine.
Set print area to print Window of appropriate size (ex: 24 x 12 inches).
Set the ULS Print Driver print area to match the AutoCAD print Window area.
Always preview print as full preview.
Make sure scaling is set 1=1.
Keep in mind that lines will be cut in the order that they are drawn. If objects are copied, then drawing order is randomized.
Draw objects as POLYLINES for best results!
AutoCAD 2000i, 2002 and 2004 for Windows 2000/XP
NOTE: AutoCAD version 2000 is not compatible with ULS laser systems. You must upgrade to version 2000i or higher. Also, we recommend installing ULS printer driver version 1.07F or higher.
Make sure the ULS Printer driver is installed prior to setting up AutoCAD.
If AutoCAD is already installed and you are just upgrading ULS printer drivers:
Start AutoCAD and open a new drawing.
Click File>Plotter Manager, and double-click Add a Plotter Wizard. If the Autodesk Hardcopy System window appears, select the version of AutoCAD you are using, and then click Continue.
Click Next. Select System Printer, and then click Next.
Select the appropriate ULS Printer Driver, and then click Next.
DO NOT click the Import file button, simply click Next.
You may edit the plotter name, if desired, and then click Next.
Click on Modify Standard Paper Sizes (Printable Area) in the Device and Document Settings Tab window, and then click the Modify button. Change ALL margins to 0.00, and then click Next.
Edit the PMP file name if you desire then click Next. DO NOT click the Print a Test Page button, click Finish. Click OK to exit the Plotter Configuration Editor window and then click Finish.
Click File>Page Setup, and then select the Plotter Configuration name, pc3 name (not the driver) from the dropdown list.
If you would like to change the drivers settings, click the Properties button, then click the Custom Properties button. Make your changes and then click OK and then OK again.
Click New to create a new Plot Style table to set your pen widths. As a default, the ULS print driver produces vector output when pen widths are set to 0.001 inches (0.025 mm). If the pen widths are set between 0.002 – 0.008 inches (0.050 – 0.20 mm), then the ULS print driver may or may not convert the lines to raster images – this will depend on the image being plotted. Therefore it is recommended that for colors requiring vector output, set the pen widths to 0.001 inches (0.025 mm), and for colors requiring raster output, set pen widths greater than 0.008 inches (0.20 mm). So now, select Start from scratch, and then click Next. Enter a name and then click Next. Click the Plot Style Table Editor button. Click Color 1, hold the shift key on your keyboard and click colors 2 through 7. You can only use colors 1 through 7 with the ULS printer driver. With all 7 colors highlighted, click the Edit Lineweights button and then select the units desired. Add a lineweight of 0.001 inches (0.025 mm) to the Value column by clicking on Edit Lineweight and entering 0.001 (or 0.025 for metric settings). Click OK, click Save & Close, and then click Finish.
Click the Layout Settings tab and set the Plot Scale to 1:1.
AutoCAD is not set up properly to work with the ULS printer driver.
