Air Assist Handle (05/13/2018)

Laser
#1

Saturday afternoon, the air assist on Big Thunder was turned off. Please…remember to turn the air assist back on if you turn it off for a cut. Turning off air assist is an approved procedure, sometimes used to improve the appearance in acrylic cuts, but it’s really important to turn the air assist back on when your done.

This is a good time remind everyone that one of the steps on the pre-flight list is verifying that air assist is on.

As a reminder, the air assist handle is the orange lever in the middle of the gantry. Horizontal position means air assist is ON. Vertical position (the same direction as flames) means the air assist is off.

Thanks to all for helping keep our lasers safe and working.

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#2

Orange Flag Down = Good
Orange Flag Up = Bad

LaserPSA_AirAssistFlag
LaserPSA_AirAssistFlag.jpg797×960 381 KB

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#3

Maybe like 3 more so it surrounds it and print it on neon paper? I’m sad for laser this is the second thread in a week about this

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#4

As it stands now we’ve:

Installed those super bright orange flame tags shown in the above photo

Created notifications and posted on workstations; PC monitors; the white board; the Laser Wiki; and Talk

Created laminated placards specifically designed to remind users about Air Assist and placed them all over the Laser area

Emphasized it in our current Laser Basics class

Spoken directly to users about their use of ‘Air Assist-Off’

I’m not sure what else can be done, but I’m sure I speak for the Laser Committee when I say “If anyone has ideas for how we can better enable the consistent management of the Air-Assist flag by trained members, we’re all ears,”

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#5

systems > social solutions.

install a pressure sensor in the line connected to a blinking light/noisy beeper.

or replace the valve with a solenoid connected to a button with a timeout.

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#6

Thank you. All intriguing ideas.

‘Everyone, keep those brainstorming ideas coming!’

(I’m wondering if a screen prompt on the SQUARE payment kiosk might be helpful…)

#7

I used Donner the other day and having read these various threads, I was sensitive to looking for the air assist but didn’t know where to find it. I asked the person who was just coming off the laser and he didn’t know either. The “wallpaper” on the screen was helpful.

I didn’t realize that the air assist is inside the laser !! Silly me … I was tracing all the exhaust lines looking for orange handles. :blush:

I can’t imagine what else you could do to make it more obvious …

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#8

At its root, this is the same system-wide problem facing all our Committees and the Board: how to push critical new information to our members.

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Wiki Improvements and Search
#9

I really like halachal’s suggestions, because it is a physical/tech approach that complements the social/training approach. Both have points of failure, but likely not at the same time.

Should we pursue it? don’t know how to the do the blinky or timeout deal, but if the Laser Committee were to approve it, I can participate in whatever way we need.

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#10

We will add this to the upcoming Laser Committee Agenda.

#11

If you can somehow implement a sensor, maybe it could do a FLASH screen and prevent logout … “YOU CAN’T LOGOUT BECAUSE THE AIR ASSIST IS CLOSED”

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#12

I know y’all are doing a ton to bring attention to it, hell I’m worried I’ve left it in the wrong position and have never done anything in laser other than walk by the outside of it lol.

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#13

Have a reminder gizmo that is 3D printed and has a gentle blinking light. It is activated when the air assist is turned off. That is when it starts blinking. Something that has to be moved to turn off air assist.

The person using it sees the blinking light. The next person to arrive would see a blinking light.

When it is put back in it’s “home” position. It would turn itself off.

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#14

gentle blinking light

Or a solenoid actuated air horn… :smiley:

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#15

Tagging our sensor team, @motopilot and @bpamplin.
Adding to our Google Sheet “Action Items” list as “unassigned”.
They are currently occupied with a counter to measure run and burn times and to calculate total owed for multiple jobs/one visit.

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#16

WOOHOO! oh man that would be great! No more having to add up 39 seconds here, 1:04 here, 2:23 here, carry the four…

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#17

As long as it can determine whether the laser is actually firing or not. I hate to get charged for auditioning my cut with the red dot.

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#18

From the history repeats itself department, Laser Cutter Usage Timer wanted

My only involvement with that project was some soldering as Carl was not comfortable doing that.

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#19

Isn’t the red dot a laser, though? :wink:

#20

Amen, or whichever other gender you may identify with (Awomen, Apersons, etc.)

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