Beam Bench Docs

Interval test

Find the widest scan interval that still produces an acceptable solid fill.

For filled engravings, scan interval (line spacing) trades detail and fill coverage against the number of scan lines. The Interval Test sweeps from a minimum interval on the left to a maximum interval on the right at fixed speed and power. Choose the largest interval that still meets your quality requirement.

What you need

  • Scrap from the same material and batch as the job.
  • The machine connected and ready to run safely.
  • A fill speed and power already verified for the material.
  • A narrow interval range based on manufacturer guidance, a trusted preset, or an earlier test.

Steps

1. Open the Interval Test

2. Pick a material preset (optional)

If you pick a preset, the dialog seeds speed and power and centers the sweep around the preset's stored interval. Treat shared or imported values as a starting point and recalibrate them on your machine.

3. Set the interval range

  • Min Interval: the narrowest spacing to test.
  • Max Interval: the widest spacing to test.
  • Samples: how many cells the test generates between those endpoints.

Choose a known-safe bracket for the exact laser, material, and lens. The Min Interval and Max Interval controls each display their equivalent DPI; individual generated cells are labeled with their interval.

4. Set engraving parameters

  • Speed and Power: use values already tested for a Fill operation on this material.
  • Cell W / H and Cell Spacing: size the row so it fits completely on the scrap. The application defaults are 15 × 15 mm cells with 4 mm spacing, shown in the current Display Unit.

5. Preview, frame, and start

  1. Click Preview and confirm the full row is within the configured bed bounds.
  2. Secure the scrap, enable ventilation, and follow the machine's eye-protection requirements.
  3. Click Frame to confirm the actual position on the scrap.
  4. Click Start and supervise the laser for the entire test.

6. Inspect the cells

The cells run from Min Interval on the left to Max Interval on the right.

  • Narrow intervals usually overlap more and require more scan lines.
  • At some wider interval, visible bands or gaps may become unacceptable.
  • Choose the widest cell that still meets the required fill and detail quality.

7. Save the result through a Fill layer

The Material Library edit form has no direct Interval or DPI field.

  1. Configure a target layer as Fill and set its line interval to the tested value.
  2. Select that layer and click From Layer in the Material Library panel.
  3. The preset row is created immediately. Click E to edit its name, material, thickness, and notes, then save.

Why this matters

Across the same engraved height, changing the interval from 0.10 mm to 0.15 mm produces about one-third fewer scan lines (for example, roughly 1,000 versus 667 lines over 100 mm). Total job time does not necessarily fall by the same percentage because acceleration, overscan, travel, and other operations also contribute.

Verify it worked

  • The row shows a useful transition between acceptable fill and visible banding or lost detail.
  • You selected the largest interval that still meets the job's quality requirement.
  • The saved Fill preset was created from a layer carrying the tested interval.

On this page

What you needSteps1. Open the Interval Test2. Pick a material preset (optional)3. Set the interval range4. Set engraving parameters5. Preview, frame, and start6. Inspect the cells7. Save the result through a Fill layerWhy this mattersVerify it workedRelated