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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- There are many times when we all experience poor cut quality from our Co2 Laser machines. It may be all running well one day and then the next something has changed and you cannot seem to get a good quality cut. If you are not getting a good quality cut on your machine, this short troubleshooting guide may help get your machine performing well again.
Clean the lens at the end of the laser tube, this lens can be contaminated by smoke, dust and fumes, which will reduce the effective cutting power.
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Check the mirrors well aligned and clean. You may have performed a mirror alignment in the past and had everything spot on. Make sure the adjustment knobs are secure, if the locking nut is loose then vibrations and movements may result in the mirrors slowly going out of alignment. This de-alignment of the mirror may not be noticeable right away, but as they continue to move it will drastically decrease the quality and ability to cut effectively.
Dirty mirrors will not effectively reflect the laser beam light and this results in reduced power at the material being cut.
Co2 Laser Mirrors - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ArWXYz
When aligning mirrors, don’t forget to make sure the final alignment of the lens through the laser nozzle is coming out centered.
Check the nozzle for contamination. Remove the laser lens nozzle, and clean it. Dirt and splatter from materials being cut can start to clog the nozzle. As a result the laser beam will need to burn away this material, causing a reduction in power before the beam hits the material being cut, reducing the efficient power at the material.
Check the air assist. To reduce fouling of the laser focusing lens and build up of contaminants ensure you have a positive air pressure at the nozzle at all times while cutting and engraving materials, and clean the nozzle regularly.
Ultimate Air Assist Kit - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Adrayp
If using high pressure air for cutting check the pressure used is the same as you have previously used and tested on your material.
If a water trap is installed on the air line drain it regularly to prevent condensation on the focusing lens.
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Check the laser focusing lens is clean and correctly inserted, carefully remove the lens and clean with a lint free cloth. If possible do not handle the lens, use a holder or soft cloth.
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Co2 Laser Lenses - amzn.to/3vbqqC4
While cleaning the lens check to make sure it is not cracked or scratched. Check the correct focal length lens has been installed, and it is installed correctly.
Check your focus gap. This is more overlooked with machines that use an autofocus system, where users take for granted that the calibration and autofocus system remains accurate.
Co2 Laser Lens Selection & Ramp Test - • Co2 Laser Lens Selecti...
Auto Focus Sensor - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_99J349
Check that the laser bed is level, and make adjustments where required. A simple way to check this is using an engineers square, with one edge on the laser bed and then measure to the underside of the X Axis Rail in all areas of the worktable.
Engineer/Carpenter Square - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AdU0aN
Cutting speed and power settings. Compare the laser cutting and speed settings with those that you have previously known to achieve good cuts quality with.
If you have a milliamp (mA) meter installed, A good tip is to record mA from your laser tube and the power % for a known cut and monitor this over time.
Ammeter Analog - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AppDk5
Ammeter Digital - s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AMwJ9B
The lifespan of a standard Glass Co2 Laser tube is around 10,000 hours. So for a machine operating for 4 hours a day, this is 10,000 hrs / 4 hrs = 2,500 days or approximately 7 years. However the gases can permeate the glass even while the laser is not in use, so normally 3 years is the expected lifespan of a Glass Co2 Laser Tube if it is used in good conditions.
HM Laser - Glass Co2 Laser Tubes - en.hmlaser.com/
NOTE: This is not a paid production or advertisement.
Show your support for MW Laser by Buying Matt a Coffee.
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Until next time, take care
Cheers Matthew
Visit MW Laser www.mwlaser.com.au
Facebook / mwlaser
Email: askmatt@mwlaser.com.au - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Thx for the video Matt all your videos are so easy to listen to and are packed with great information.
Thank you
Great video, thank you very much for your tutorials Matt
Glad you like them!
Very timely video for me, I just came into the shop yesterday and was experiencing a decrease in cutting performance. I cleaned the lenses, mirror 3 & 2 but didn’t see anything on mirror 1 and didn’t think the laser could have anything on it. I will check today to ensure. I was thinking tube replacement as I have been running my stock K40 as a production machine for the past month and figured it wasn’t made for running 8+ hours a day like this.
I will be cleaning all surfaces that the laser beam comes in contact with or through and see if things change. I wish I had a way to test the power supply’s output to ensure it was operating correctly.
I know I have been pretty hard on my K40 this last month running it nonstop.
You're welcome, I hope you sort out your cutting issues. Cheers
Thank you, very, very , very much ! This will help us a lot !
Glad to hear that!
Great, thank you Matt!
My pleasure!
Thank you for the insight.
No worries!
Great Video and easy explanations..good job
Thank you!
Hi Matt and thank you for all the useful information you provide on this channel. Can you please advise how you go about lubricating the linear bearings? My machines bearings have these small grease nipples that I cannot find an attachment for.
most linear bearings are a sealed unit with packed grease, no additional grease required. keep linear rails clean with a rag. if you need more advice email matt@mwlaser.com.au
Hey Matt, thanks for the useful tips. Can I ask, are the screws for your Z axis ball screws or ACME lead screws?
I couldn’t quite tell from the shots but I suspect they are ball screws - do you find them to be better then the acme screws on the red and black? Less wobble when lifting the bed?
Yes they are Ball Screws. Much better than the Acme on Red and Black, definitely a smoother motion and provide better stability on the bed.
Morning. Hope you well. I so hope you can help me.
When cutting with my co2on any material Ihave an uneven cut. . If you stand in front of my machine. The 2 thirds to the right side cuts perfect. But the 3rd to the left is very bad and don't cut through what can be possibly wrong. TIA
Hi Matt, excellent explanation, as always, I replaced the motor and calibrated my laser, I have to organize myself with the times for your intervention. in the meantime, thanks again, I'll send you an email. Greetings
Thank you. Anytime 😊
G/day Matt , what's purpose of the Cone at the bottom of the lens.
Thanks for the video. I'm new and learning so every bit helps. I just got a Blue Elephant 5'x10' laser with a 175w RECI laser. It cuts wood, acrylic and cardboard great. I was rather disappointed to find that it won't cut 28ga sheet metal. Do you think something may be set wrong? I've seen other TH-cam videos of 150w co2 lasers cutting 16 ga mild steel like butter.
does your machine have metal cutting head ? you cannot cut with standard setup
i have a 150w-180w reci tube , i'm noticing huge drop in cutting effectiveness,
i've checked every detail, all mirrors and lens are clean and super alligned,
tempereture of chilled water always below 25degree celcius ,
and while cutting my milliammeter is showing 2 to 4 milliamps drop from previouses values,
and even after i increased the power or reduced the speed , it is not performing well,
i've had about 600 hours of laser ON time, but the age of the tube is around 4 years.
at first i suspected that my power supply may be the cause, but if my ammeter is reading good milliamps values
does that mean my power supply is definetly good ?
Hello Matt,great video like always and very helpfull.I have one question about my axis.On Y Axis my machine,when I start,it starts on Upper Left position.But it is 10mm almost shorter than it was in the beggining and X axis overlap honeycom also about 10mm on one side.When travels on controller it shows normaly 900x600 and on RD is adjusted work size to 900x600.I was thinking that limit switch is doing this but moving this switches nothing happens.What could be problem?Thanks in advance.
this is not something I can assist with via youtube comments. email info to askmatt@mwlaser.com.au
Hello Matt, when I cut a rectangle, the x and y (especially the y) are not perpendicular, is there a way to calibrate it? thank you very much and congratulations for your excellent videos and time spent.
you could check that the X & Y axis are at 90 degree angle to each other and not out of alignment
youre amazing! such a great teacher. are you in melbourne? do you do "house calls"
Yes. Located in Melbourne Eastern suburbs. Onsite service available, training also available in our factory.
Good day, I have a laser machine but the power interface switch keep blowing anytime I changed the fuse.
what is the solution to the problem of power interface switch keep blowing
Hi Matt!! I just found your channel and thanks for all information you chare with us. It's been very useful!!
We have a question and maybe you can give us a solution, please! We have a 300w fold CO2 tube, and we tried to install and fail. Used two diferentes power supply, but it doesn't start both of tube together. Always one or another. Giving to us half of the power. May be used the wrong power supply? We can even sent videos or whatever information you ask for!! Very expensive tube and nobody know how to turnt it on with full power...
They require 2 x psu to operate
6:55 my honeycomb bed has some mm(even 4mm) difference in many spots. How can i fix it?
another great video!. Thanks. Btw, I'm considering cloudray or reci laser tube 90-100w. Which one you will recommend? I know both come from same company but would need your advice. Thanks
From your two options, I would recommend RECI, I however have Cloudray Laser tubes in two of my machines and they are performing extremely well. Have you considered HM Laser tubes? they are also a high quality laser tube manufacturer and there may be a local distributor in your country. Cheers Matt
@@MWLaser thanks for your reply. I cannot find HM here in Indonesia but i can find hardray brand. Have you heard about hardray?
No I haven't
you prolly dont give a shit but if you are stoned like me atm then you can stream all the latest series on Instaflixxer. I've been streaming with my girlfriend for the last days :)
@Ronin Tate definitely, I have been using Instaflixxer for months myself :D
Hello Matt, I would like to know please how much the rear transmission shaft of your machine measures that is observed in the minute: 3:57
Approx. 1570mm from motor on the left to bearing on the right
@@MWLaser Thank you very much Matt, just what I needed
Hi matt, my machine is not producing laser while going to cut the sheet
3 years.. Wow.
Is there a way to check the output on the laser without having previous ma specs?
not sure what you are asking - askmatt@mwlaser.com.au
how many passes and power should it take to pass thru 1/4 (6mm) plywood? I have a 60w OmTech brand I think its not cutting like it should
My K40 used to have no issues cutting through 3mm birch at 15mA and 10mm
Not sure with a 60w, I actually have not attempted 6mm on one. Maybe this can be answered by someone who has. However for comparison on the 80w I have cut in single pass with low speed and power around 25mA. Cutting power and speed for different types of plywood vary, if it is a hardwood ply it will take more than a single pass.
Hi matt do you have the file for your lens focal gap? Thanks.
No I didn't save it but you can draw up in LightBurn in just a few minutes
Hello Matthew my laser was gutting fine showing 18 mA but now it just shows 10 mA on the mA meter no matter what power I'm using
May be laser power supply or tube issue.
what can I do? how do I check? what it is?
Hello sir,
I'm having some issues on my laser tube, if you can provide me your mail id I can send you video on mail.
On my laser tube the silicon pipe (water in on tube) having hole and laser power coming out from there. I replaced the water in tube after after 2 days again having a small hole laser power coming out from that hole. Can I fixed that? Please help
email askmatt@mwlaser.com.au - send photos too so I know what you are dealing with. Thanks
Honestly it’s hard to watch a video when 60 seconds in I feel like I’m being deceived when you insert a dirty swab into the laser lens and say “as you can see here that we’re starting to get some of that dirt out”