Unboxing and Setting Up Your MIRA

Applies to: MIRA 5, MIRA 7 and MIRA 9

Read these guidelines through fully before you unbox and set up your machine.

Watch first

In these videos, AEON Laser USA Brand Ambassador Emily Caroline shows what to expect when unboxing and setting up an AEON MIRA 5 CO2 laser.

What you need

• Razor blade
• Side cutters or scissors
• Work gloves
• Hammer
• Pry bar
• Phillips screwdriver
• Allen key set
• 1” blue painter’s tape, or other low tack tape that is not clear
• Distilled water, less than 1 gallon
• Thin funnel
• 3 acrylic targets (in the clear tote)

Uncrate your machine

1. If possible, position the crate directly in front of the workbench the machine will sit on. Leave enough room all the way around the crate to work comfortably.

2. Put on safety goggles and keep them on for the whole uncrating process. If you bought the optional stand, it arrives assembled and strapped to the top of the crate. With a partner, lift the stand off and set it to one side.

3. Using scissors, carefully cut the black binding straps around the crate. The straps are under tension and may recoil suddenly as they are cut.

   

4. Using a pry bar or the back of a hammer, wedge and pry along the border of the lid until it comes loose and can be removed easily.

   

5. Wearing thick work gloves, and with a partner, lift the lid straight up so it does not scratch the top of the machine. Exposed nails can cause injury or damage the machine.

6. Lean the lid at a slight angle against a wall, with the nails facing the wall and away from heavy foot traffic.

7. Use a hammer to gently tap the top corners of the shorter side panels from the inside out, until they begin to separate from the longer panels.

8. Once the gap is big enough, use a pry bar or the back of a hammer to keep separating the shorter panels, working down towards the base.

9. Lean the two shorter panels at a slight angle against the lid, with the nails facing inwards.

10. With the same care, use a pry bar or the back of a hammer to remove the longer panels from the base of the crate.

11. Lean the two longer panels at a slight angle against the shorter panels, with the nails facing inwards.

    

Lift your laser onto a stand

1. If your machine has to travel through a stairway, hallway or doorway, follow Lifting, Turning or Moving Your MIRA first. Continue here once the machine is in front of your stand or workbench.

2. With help from friends or professional movers, and using the proper lifting technique, carefully lift the machine off the crate and onto a workbench or stand. If you use your own workbench, make sure it is strong enough to hold the weight of the machine. Follow the instructions and safety guidelines in Lifting Your MIRA onto a Stand or Workbench.

Unpack and remove the contents

1. Use scissors to cut the tape around the foam padding, and remove the padding to reveal your laser. Take extra care around the lid and keypad, which scratch easily.

2. Remove the wrapping from the machine and inspect the shell again for shipping damage.

3. Open the laser tube bay at the back of the machine and inspect the laser tube for damage.

4. Check that the wires attached to both ends of the laser tube are still secure. Close the laser tube bay.

5. Open the lid and flip down the pass-through at the front of the machine. Remove the honeycomb table, exhaust hose and rotary device.

6. Use scissors or side cutters to cut the zip tie that holds the clear tote to the side of the machine. Set the tote aside.

   

7. Cut the zip tie at the laser head that holds the keys and the silver USB stick. Put them in the clear tote for safekeeping.

8. Cut the zip tie that secures the gantry to the rear vents. Do not let any pieces of zip tie fall into the vents.

Fill the water chiller

1. Remove the silver cap from the chiller reservoir at the rear of the machine.

2. Place the thin funnel in the opening and hold it steady while you slowly pour in the distilled water with your other hand. A MIRA 5 needs 48 fl oz of distilled water rather than the usual gallon. A red Solo cup holds 16 fl oz, so three cups filled to the top line are plenty.

3. Quickly clean up any water that leaks, particularly below the water inlet, where water can seep into the machine.

4. Remove the funnel and replace the silver cap.

Vent the fan

1. Position the opening of the duct hose over the flange opening. Fit the duct hose clamp over it and tighten the clamp with a screwdriver.

2. Connect the other end of the duct hose to the fresh air source. You may need to cut the duct hose to give your machine the best ventilation.

3. Keep the number of bends in the hose to a minimum.

Power on the machine

1. Check the work area. Make sure nothing is left inside the cabinet that could cause a collision during initialization.

2. Take the power cord from the clear tote.

3. Connect the power cord to the back of the machine and to a standard 120 V / 60 Hz outlet.

4. Find the red Emergency Stop button on the right side of the machine.

5. Push the Emergency Stop button in, then turn it clockwise so it pops back out.

6. Find the ignition key on the right side of the machine.

7. Turn the key a quarter turn counterclockwise. Do not force it. You should feel it click. If it does not, stop turning the key and contact support immediately.

8. The laser now has power and homes towards the back right corner. The control panel reads “Initializing”.

9. Once it finishes, use the arrow keys to jog the laser head carefully to all 4 corners, checking that it does not collide with any part of the machine.

Check the alignment

More often than not, the laser keeps the alignment done at AEON Laser USA. We highly recommend that you simply follow the alignment video in Aligning Mirrors on Your MIRA without making any adjustments.

If you feel something is off, email support with photos of each burn mark, labeled M1N, M1F, M2N, M2F, M3 UP, M3 DOWN and M3 Target. Our support team will compare them with the photos we took before shipping.

Set up LightBurn

See the LightBurn documentation to get started.

These are suggestions. AEON Laser USA is not responsible for any damage or injury that may occur from moving the machine.