01 Prerequisites
- Hardware: Ender 3 v2 3D printer (working and fully assembled)
- Hardware: ComGrow 5W FD+LAC laser
- Hardware: spare microSDHC card
- Material: Honeycomb Laser board or flat scrap board to use as your base (strongly recommended)
- Software: Creality Workshop
- Software: Archive extraction tool (7-zip, winRar)
- Tool: Micrometer (digital or analog) the one I purchased
- Tool: crv-20 hex key thingy (comes with the 3D Printer)
- Tool: Box cutter (optional)
- File: an image file saved as .jpeg
- Data: which firmware is currently installed
- Data: which mainboard revision is currently installed
- Hardware: laser eye protection goggles
02 Determine Which Firmware Version Is Flashed Onto Your Ender 3 v2
- startup 3d printer
- The next screen will show the firmware version
- Make a note of the Firmware version.
- Optional: If you want to have a backup of the current firmware version that is installed, you will need to first know what is currently installed and download a copy of the same firmware from creality.
- Knowing the currently installed firmware version will help you to determine if your firmware flash is successful.
03 Determine which Mainboard Revision is installed on your Ender 3 v2
- Prerequisite: crv-20 hex tool and 5 minutes
- remove the cover from the bottom
- one short screw on the top
- three screws on the bottom, note the sizes
- I took a picture of my mainboard @5:08 PM
- My mainboard is v4.2.2
- It is a 32 bit mainboard, which makes updates easier as it comes with a Bootloader built-in
04 Find, Download and Extract the firmware file for your printer
- Prerequisite: Find out which Mainboard Revision is installed in the printer
- go to creality3dofficial.com
- click Explore
- Click Firmware Download
- you have to select the correct firmware for your mainboard
- For each mainboard revision, there are at least three files available
- Variant #1: Main firmware for boards without BL Touch
- Variant #2: Main firmware for boards with BL Touch and adapter
- Variant #3: Main firmware for boards with BL Touch and without an adapter
- Review firmware files available and compare to what is already installed on your board.
- If the firmware version available on the site is the same as you have on your mainboard and you are not installing an accessory that requires a new firmware such as BL Touch, you do not need to update your firmware.
- Download the correct firmware file
- If the firmware is in a .RAR or .ZIP format, extract the .BIN file
- Official Creality download site: https://www.creality.com/pages/download
- The Official Creality site for Ender 3 v2 has downloads for the Manual, Firmware and Slicing Software
- The official ComGrow firmware download
05 Firmware update steps
- Prerequisite: a microSDHC card that is ok to format
- Format a microSDHC card as MS-DOS Fat32
- copy the downloaded / extracted firmware .BIN to an empty micro-SD card
- safely remove the micro SDHC card from your computer
- insert card into powered off printer
- turn the printer on
- The screen will appear and turn black while the Firmware is Updating
- The firmware update should take approximately 15 seconds
- When the firmware update is complete, the system will start up normally.
- Troubleshooting: If the screen stays black for more than 60 seconds, Power off, Remove and reformat card as a different file system, Copy the BIN file and try again
06 Obtain Creality Laser Software
- Download official Creality workshop software
- You need to register for an account
- Install the software
07 Configure Laser software
- Prerequisite: You need a micrometer to measure your height.
- On the top middle Menu, you will see two options: CNC, Laser, ensure to select Laser
- Select outline
- select open file
- open a .jpg file
- zoom into the file
- on the top left side, under controller
- ensure that Width is set to 100mm wide and 45.5598 Height mm for your material. Consider changing to: ensure that Width is set to how wide your want your image to be engraved, the height will automatically adjust for you.
- on the top left side, select export GCode settings
- Laser On Cmd: M106 S255
- Laser Off Cmd: M107
- to dial down the power, reduce 255
- CNC Travel Z: 50. (Laser Focal Point 20mm, two boards 15mm thick each)
- CNC Print Z: 50. (Laser Focal Point 20mm, two boards 15mm thick each)
- travel Speed: 120 (this is when its not in motion)
- Laser speed: 20 (20 = light line, 12 = will cut deeper and go a little slower)
- Click Export Gcode
- save the file (filename.gcode)
- Open the file
- Remove line at the end: “GO Z6 F4000” (right before ;end. It lowers the ZHeight, we don’t want that)
- save the file to SD card
- Adjusting laser speed
- Set laser speed based on your needs for each material
- 5 can almost cut through thin wood
- 2-3 can definitely cut through thin wood
08 Install Laser head
- remove one screw on top
- remove three screws in the bottom (two short screws with grip and one long screw for the back of the motherboard cover.
- unplug Fan 1 (see picture on phone)
- Plug in Dual red/black Cable (see picture on phone)
- One cable will be for your laser and the other is for accessories
- run cables towards the back
- close the mainboard cover
- connect the black wire with the rubber cover to the one sticking out of the machine
- ensure these wires do not run through the track
- use zip ties or cable management to keep the wires out of the way
- The shield gives the 20MM gap and can cause a lot of smoke. It can be removed (optional)
09 Prepare Laser Head
- This is where you need to set/configure the Z-Axis prior to using the laser
- The formula for Z-Axis is: (Scrap + targetMaterial + Laser focal point= Z-Axis)
- Use 3D printer control panel to change Z-Axis
10 Definitions
- Gcode: A file used by 3D printers and lasers which is used to m9ve the hard to exact coordinates for printing, engraving or cutting.
- Mainboard: The brains of the 3D printer. It can also be called a motherboard.
- BL Touch: A device to assist with automated bed leveling with used with OctoPrint.
- Gcode: A file used by 3D printers and lasers which is used to m9ve the hard to exact coordinates for printing, engraving or cutting.
- Mainboard: The brains of the 3D printer. It can also be called a motherboard.
- BL Touch: A device to assist with automated bed leveling with used with OctoPrint.
- Archive: A single compressed file with multiple files inside of it. You need to extract the files in an archive before you can use them.
- BIN file: Code that used to replace the firmware.
- CNC: CNC is an acronym that stands for Computer Numerical Control. It is a term that is used in reference to either the automated specialized machinery (sometimes called machining centers) that can remove material from a stock piece (also called a workpiece or blank) or to the service that performs those machining operations.
- Z-Axis: Distance measured up or down.
- Firmware: permanent software programmed into a read-only memory.
- Micrometer: a tool used to measure very small items with mm or inches.
- FD+LAC: fixed distance
- Jog Dial: The primary way to physically control the Ender 3 v2 3D Printer functions.
- Benchy: A small boat used to test 3D printers.
- Slicer: an application that can turn human readable STL file into machine readable GCode file for 3D printing, laser engraving or CNC.
- STL file: a file that can be opened by a slicer application that allows you to view, change and export a 3D design to be used an an array of devices.
- mm: millimeter, a standard measurement used to measure 3D print size for laser engraving, laser cutting or CNC for small objects.
- STL search engines: Thingiverse, MyMiniFactory, Cults3D.