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Repeat Marking

Quick Reference: Repeat Marking

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    Enables the use of a rotating or linear axis table with Galvo lasers to repeat identical jobs.

The Repeat Marking tool enables the use of a Rotating or Linear axis table with Galvo lasers, to move parts past a laser while running repetitions of identical jobs.

By specifying an Increment of movement as well as a desired number of repetitions, or Count, you can command your laser to mark a design, move an external axis by the specified increment, then run the project again, and repeat that process until it has completed the set number repetitions.

To open the Repeat Marking tool, go to Laser Tools → Repeat Marking.

Warning

The Repeat Marking tool is separate from, and incompatible with, Rotary Mode. When using Repeat Marking, make sure that Rotary Mode is disabled.

External Axis Setup

Before you use Repeat Marking for the first time, you must configure the settings for the Rotating or Linear axis table connected to your laser.

Click the Setup button in the Repeat Marking window to open the External Axis Setup window.

Repeat Marking Setup button

Click any option in the image below to jump directly to the relevant section for that option, or scroll down for a list of options and descriptions.

Motor #

If your laser has two motor outputs, select which is connected to your Rotating or Linear table.

Axis Type

Select whether your device is a Rotating table that can make continuous, complete revolutions, or a Linear table that moves back and forth along an axis.

Reverse Direction

Enable Reverse Direction to tell your device to travel in the opposite direction it travels by default, without changing its orientation or rewiring it.

Steps Per Rotation / Steps Per MM

  • For Rotating tables, the Steps per rotation value is the number of commanded steps required for the table to make on complete rotation.

  • For Linear tables, the Steps per mm value is the number of commanded steps required to move the table one millimeter.

Your device's manufacturer should provide you with the correct value for your device.

Test

For Rotating tables, when the Test button is pressed, and Steps per rotation is correct, the table will rotate a full 360 degrees, pause, then rotate back to the starting point.

For Linear tables, when the Test button is pressed, and Steps per mm is correct, the table will move 50 mm, then back to its starting point.

Min Speed

The minimum speed at which in the table will travel, in Steps/second.

Max Speed

The maximum speed at which in the table will travel, in Steps/second.

Acceleration Time

Time to accelerate the table to full speed, in milliseconds. Lower values mean the table will accelerate faster.

Return to Start Position

Enable Return to starting point to have the table return to its starting point after the job is complete.

Return Speed

The speed at which the table will return to its starting position, in Steps/second.

Homing

Home on Start

Enable Home on start to have LightBurn send a command to home a Linear table at the start of a job.

Speed

The speed at which the table will home.

Timeout

Amount of time before the table will abort the homing process.

Repeat Marking Window

Use the Repeat Marking window to jog your table into its starting position, set the number of repetitions it will run, and determine the amount of movement between each repitition.

Click any option in the image below to jump directly to the relevant section for that option, or scroll down for a list of options and descriptions.

Count

The number of times (repetitions) your laser will mark a given set of graphics.

Your laser will mark a single set of graphics once, then the table will rotate or move, and the laser will mark the same set of graphics again, and so on until it reaches the Count you've set.

Increment

For Rotating tables, the angle, in degrees, to rotate the axis between repetitions.

For Linear tables, the distance, in millimeters, to move the axis between repetitions.

Calculate

The Calculate button is only available if the axis type in External Axis Setup is set to Rotating, and can automatically determine the correct rotation Increment based on the number of positions in your Rotating table. To use it, set Count to the number of positions in your table, then click Calculate.

Afteward, you can change the Count to any other number of repetitions, but make sure not to click Calculate again, or the correct Increment value will be lost.

Pause After Move

If your Rotating table wobbles when it stops, adding a pause here gives it time to settle before marking starts again.

Completed

The total number of runs of a given project, from the time you first open the Repeat Marking window, until you close it. Use this number to track the total number of parts you have marked.

Clear

Resets the Completed count to zero.

Positioning

Position

The value displayed next to Pos. shows the current location of the Rotating or Linear table.

Go to Zero

Commands the table to return to the zero point on the axis.

Jog

The Jog << / >> buttons command the table to turn (or move) forward or backward in the increment set in the field above the Go to Zero button.

Set Zero

Sets the current position of the table as the zero point.

Start, Pause, Stop

These options work exactly as they do in the Laser Window during regular marking operations to begin (Start), temporarily pause (Pause) a job until your press Resume, or permanently halt (Stop) a job.

Frame

Framing works as it does with regular marking operations.

Tip

The Rotating or Linear table will not jog to Frame each repetition — to verify that your Increment and Steps per rotation or Steps per mm values are correct before running a job, try Jogging the table by the amount you've set for your Increment, and Framing multiple positions on the table.

Setup

Click the Setup button to open the External Axis Setup window and configure the settings for your table table.

For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.