28 de julho de 2022 11:26:53 ART
I am a CNC machine tool service engineer and share tips/lifes/errors on the job with like-minded people. One of the most important topics today is the maintenance of laser machine optics.
The quality of your
CO2 laser machine depends on several parameters and one of them is machine maintenance. And the operation that you should do most often is cleaning the lenses and mirrors.
Let me remind you where the optics are in a CO2 machine
The structure of a laser machine
Where does the dirt come from?
Laser cutting is a thermal treatment of materials for cutting and engraving. Roughly speaking, the beam burns or vaporizes the material. Many times we have seen how fire affects something: there is smoke, burning droplets and particles, these are all called "products of combustion". ( As a child, many probably dabbled with a magnifying glass in the sun and scorched wood.)
So, when working with plywood and rubber, a lot of dust and these combustion products accumulate on the surface of the machine, lens and mirrors.
Burned-out mirror.
Why is this important?
"The beam is there, but it doesn't cut through, got worse, uneven spot and ...."
With excellent alignment (alignment-beam adjustment), dirty optics can be the cause. It has a bad effect on machining accuracy and leads to equipment failure and shortened machine life.
Leaving the lens in a dirty condition will cause the laser beam to burn off dust and dirt on its surface. This will cause the lens to smoke, crack or burn. If handled with care and cleaned regularly, the lens will last much longer and the equipment will work as efficiently as possible.
What to do?
We'll need a lens cleaner. I recommend isopropyl alcohol. It's the best way to get rid of fouling. And if you sincerely love your machine, get a special optics cleaning fluid from a photo equipment store. We also need soft cloth napkins without lint, cotton swabs or disks.
It is recommended to start cleaning the optical system with the focusing lens. It is located in the laser head.
Before you start, move the laser head to the extreme point, position it where you are standing so that it is comfortable to work with. Turn off the power to the machine and disconnect the blower.
- Remove the lens from the laser head, some models have it fixed in the tube, some have it mounted directly into the nozzle. Unscrew the clamping ring that secures the lens. Hold the lens by its edges, do not touch it with your fingers or tools so as not to scratch the surface.
- Wipe the lens with wipes and cleaning fluid. If you are using a cotton swab, wipe the lens in a center-to-center motion so that no dirt accumulates in the center. And to avoid scratches, don't press down hard on the lens: it's better to go over it 100 times lightly than 10 times hard.
- Return the lens head: do all the operations in reverse order. Hold the lens with the convex side up during insertion. It's easy to remember which side to put the lens on: The beam should come to the convex side, just as light comes to the human eye.
Then proceed to cleaning the mirrors. Start in any order.
- Unscrew the mounting screws and remove the mirror. The mirror has a stopper, a round ring, you can unscrew it with a screwdriver and the mirror will fall out into your hand.
- Hold it by the edges and carefully clean the glass surface with cotton swabs and optic cleaning solution.
- Tighten the screws and put the mirror back in.
Do the same with the other mirrors
Keep an eye on the optics of the machine and you won't have to spend money on new consumables more often than necessary. A dirty knife cuts poorly, and a beam that goes through debris and dirt cuts poorly.
Este post foi editado por Keneth Small em 29 de julho de 2022 09:15:45 ART"
