Smart Rotary: MIRA Pro

Applies to: MIRA Pro (MIRA 7 and MIRA 9)

This guide shows how to install and use the Smart Rotary with your MIRA. The Smart Rotary lets the machine engrave or mark around the circumference of cylindrical or rounded items, such as cups, glasses and bottles.

What you need

• Smart Rotary
• USB drive that came with the machine (attached to the ignition key)
• 20.5 mm focus gauge
• 2.5 mm Allen key
• Cabinet key
• Laser safety glasses

Set up the Smart Rotary

1. Lift the lid and remove everything sitting on the honeycomb. Carefully remove the honeycomb and set it aside somewhere safe. Do not stand it upright, against a corner or in any position that could damage it.

2. Power the machine on and let it reset fully.

3. Press the Z/U button on the keypad so “Z Move” is highlighted. Press and hold the RIGHT arrow key until the table is fully lowered.

   

4. Press ESC to exit the menu.

5. Carefully place the rotary in the center of the bed, with the motor on the right as seen from the front of the machine. With the Smart Rotary unplugged, spin the rollers by hand until the set screws on the wheels face upwards.

   

6. Use a 2.5 mm Allen key to loosen the set screws on all four wheels by 2 to 3 turns, until the wheels slide freely along the rollers. Do not remove the screws.

   

The size and shape of the workpiece decide how to position the wheels. Make sure bumps, ridges and raised logos on the workpiece are not in the direct path of the wheels.

Choose the wheel setup

Different cups need different rotary settings. A tumbler with a sharp taper from base to mouth needs a different setup from a perfectly cylindrical cup, to get the engraving surface level. Work out which setup and settings you need before you go on. This guide uses the 2 wheel setup.

4 wheel setup

Best for perfectly cylindrical workpieces, which rest on all four wheels and stay level.

1. Slide the left 2 wheels to the left end of the rotary, away from the motor. Adjust the spacing as you place the workpiece on the wheels.

2. Position the mouth of the workpiece towards the wall of the rotary to stop it shifting, but do not let it touch the frame. Leave a gap just wide enough to slide a piece of paper in, which helps prevent binding. Keep adjusting the wheels until the weight of the cylinder is evenly spread.

2 wheel setup

For a workpiece that is not a perfect cylinder. The widest end sits directly on the metal rollers, instead of on the other 2 wheels.

1. Slide 2 of the wheels to the far end of the rotary, away from the motor, against the wall of the Smart Rotary.

   

2. Rest the mouth of the workpiece directly on the metal bars, against the sides of those 2 wheels, to stop it shifting. Adjust the other 2 wheels under the opposite end until the area to engrave is level.

0 wheel setup

For a cylinder that is too large to sit on all 4 wheels, or is unstable on them. The workpiece rests directly on the metal bars, and the wheels hold it in place.

1. Slide the left 2 wheels to the left end of the rotary, away from the motor.

2. Rest the cup directly on the bars of the rotary. Slide the right set of wheels towards the end of the cup, where they act as a rear clamp to stop the cup shifting.

For every setup

Once all 4 wheels are in position, use a 2.5 mm Allen key to tighten both set screws on each wheel. Do not overtighten them: the wheels only need to be snug enough not to slide. Remove the cup for better access if you need to.

Load the rotary settings

1. Plug the USB thumb drive that came with your laser into an open USB port on your computer.

   

2. Connect your computer, with LightBurn installed, to the machine. This guide uses a USB connection.

3. In LightBurn, click Edit in the top toolbar, then Machine Settings.

   

4. In the Machine Settings window, click Load from File at the bottom left.

   

5. Go to the machine USB drive, open the Settings folder, then the Rotary Settings folder. Select the .lbset file for your wheel setup and click Open.

   

6. Click Write to write the settings to the controller. A message near the buttons at the bottom of the window should say “Controller settings written successfully”. If it says “Communication with controller failed”, click Read at the bottom right, then go back to step 4.

   

7. Click Read, then scroll down to the Rotary Parameters section and check that Enable Rotary is set to True.

   

8. Click OK to close the Machine Settings window.

   

Prepare a file in LightBurn

The settings here are suggestions and examples. Do your own testing to find the settings you prefer.

Open or import your design in LightBurn and scale it to size. In most cases you need to rotate the design to match the way the workpiece sits in the machine.

Cuts / Layers settings

For glass, see Glass Engraving.

1. In the Common tab, select “Fill all shapes at once”.

2. In the Advanced tab, make sure “Flood Fill” is off.

3. Make sure “Air Assist” is off. We recommend using only the internal air pump with the rotary.

4. Click OK.

5. In the Laser window, set “Start From” to “User Origin” and select the center button for “Job Origin”.

   

6. To check the settings, click Window, then Preview, then the Play button. The whole job should sweep from the front to the back of the machine (bottom to top of the screen) in one fluid motion. Click OK.

7. In the Laser window, check that the connection says “Ready”. If it says “Disconnected”, make sure the laser is on and connected by USB, Ethernet or Wi-Fi, then right-click the Devices button to reset the connection.

8. Click Send, name the file and click OK. The job is now saved in the memory of the machine.

Install the Smart Rotary in the machine

1. Plug the rotary into the Rotary Port, at the front right corner inside the machine.

   

2. Carefully push or pull the gantry over the rotary by hand, until the red dot just hits the edge of the rotary.

   

3. Route any spare cable clear of the rollers, gantry and laser head.

4. Align the Smart Rotary with the gantry, using the front edge of the silver baseplate as a guide. Position the red beam at the center of the baseplate edge. Move the rotary itself, not the gantry.

5. Using the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys, jog the laser head to the far left of the rotary and line the front edge up exactly under the red dot.

6. Jog the laser head to the far right. Watch whether the red dot travels parallel to the whole front edge of the rotary.

   

7. Adjust the Smart Rotary as needed. It is aligned when the red dot stays parallel to the front edge as you jog the laser head along it.

8. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to spin the rollers until the Y coordinate on the keypad is about the middle of the travel, within 5 mm:

   Machine	Y coordinate
   MIRA 5	150 mm
   MIRA 7	225 mm
   MIRA 9	300 mm

Set up the workpiece

These steps assume the center Job Origin button is selected in LightBurn. The way you position the laser head, the origin and the workpiece depends on that selection.

1. Jog the laser head out of the way and put the workpiece back on the rotary. Turn it so the center of the area to engrave faces up.

2. Gently push or pull the gantry until the red dot is over the highest point of the workpiece.

3. Use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to jog the laser head over the area you want to engrave.

4. Press the Z/U button so “Z Move” is highlighted. Raise the bed until the workpiece is a few mm from the laser head.

   

5. Focus manually with the 20.5 mm focus gauge. Press the RIGHT arrow key to lower the table a little at a time, until the step for your focal distance fits snugly between the workpiece and the nozzle. A focus of 8.5 mm is recommended for most items. A couple of mm out of focus, such as 10.5 mm, gives better results on heat sensitive items like glass or metal cups with thick coatings, and prevents flash back and possible tube damage.

   

6. Use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to move the red pointer to where you want the center of your artwork.

7. Press ORIGIN on the keypad to set the starting position. It corresponds to the Job Origin (the small green square) in LightBurn.

   

8. Press FRAME on the keypad to check that the perimeter of the job matches where you want to engrave. If it does not, move the origin and frame again.

   

Watch both rollers and the workpiece closely as the laser frames. If the workpiece wobbles, slips or binds, reassess how it sits on the rollers or how the wheels are positioned. You may need to remove the cup and readjust.

If you get a Y Slop Error

1. Press ESC to exit the error screen, then ESC again so the laser returns to the origin point.

2. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to jog the rollers back to the center of the Y axis, using the values in the table above.

3. Press ORIGIN to record the new starting position, and frame again.

4. Adjust the Y coordinate up or down as needed until the design frames. Press ORIGIN after each adjustment.

Pre-launch checklist

• The correct rotary settings are loaded on the machine, and the cup is set up to match them.
• The Smart Rotary is plugged into the Rotary Port, and its cord is clear of the rollers, gantry and laser head.
• The Smart Rotary is aligned with the gantry.
• The red dot is over the highest point of the workpiece.
• The file was sent to the machine. Its name shows at the top right of the keypad display.
• The laser is focused for the workpiece.
• The origin is where you want it, and the design frames in the right place.
• The workpiece is level, and bumps, ridges and raised logos are not in the path of the wheels.
• The workpiece turns smoothly with the rollers without losing traction.

Launch

1. Gently close the lid, turn on the exhaust system and put on your laser safety glasses. Press START/PAUSE on the keypad and keep your finger on the button, in case you need to pause.

   

2. When the job is complete, push the gantry out of the way by hand and remove the workpiece.

3. Carefully clean the piece.

Return to flat engraving settings

1. Plug the USB thumb drive that came with your laser into your computer, and connect the computer to the machine.

   

2. In LightBurn, click Edit, then Machine Settings.

   

3. Click Load from File at the bottom left of the Machine Settings window.

   

4. Go to the machine USB drive, open the Settings folder, then the Rotary Settings folder. Select Flat Settings.lbset and click Open.

   

5. Click Write. The message should say “Controller settings written successfully”. If it says “Communication with controller failed”, click Read, then go back to step 3.

   

6. Click Read, scroll down to Rotary Parameters and check that Enable Rotary is set to False. If it is not, the settings did not load properly: go back to step 3.

   

7. Click OK to close the Machine Settings window.

   

Tear down

1. Unplug the Smart Rotary from the Rotary Port.

2. Remove the rotary from the bed, along with any other material.

3. Check that the laser head is not on a collision course with anything, then press RESET on the keypad and let the machine reset fully. A collision can damage the machine or knock the laser head and Mirror 3 out of alignment.