Laser Cutter Operational: 2018-Feb-19

The chiller failed and the laser tube burnt out. It will be non-operational until a new tube can be ordered and installed.

The laser tube requires a constant supply of chilled water to remove the heat generated by the lasing process. The tube connecting the pump to the laser cutter had slipped off inside the chiller. Too much heat is generated, tube cracks, no more pew.

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Oh shit!

Wow - that didn’t last long. Thanks for getting on that @jdmc and laser committee.

Ouch. Is there a “lesson learned” here? I. E. something that could be
improved/modified/added etc. to make things run smoother?

A new tube has been ordered, as well as a water flow pressure sensor. ETA unknown.

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In the mean time, maybe we could design a simple heat sensor to connect to the tube at the water cooler.

Cheap uni or something. Just needs a thermister and buzzer.

I also suspect it’s seen a lot more use than the previous tube did. I can’t follow that up with stats but it just seems busier and we do have more members. t does make me wonder about tracking use down the road so we could look at metered models or even getting another laser if needed. That’s a QGM discussion though for sure.

Not trying to stir anything up but, perhaps it’s time to starting thinking about and saving up for an air-cooled laser cutter.

I realize that an Epilog or Trotec are too $$$$ for the hackspace budget. I’ve been working with a Universal laser for the past few months and I’ve been impressed. It’s been running 4 to 6 hours per day without a hiccup. I have no idea what they cost other much less than an Epilog or Trotec.

Just food for thought…

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Can we upgrade to a “Fiber Laser” (Solid State Laser)? They operate at higher efficiencies => Less Heat Generated, Lower Cooling requirements. This is my layman’s view of the laser technologies.

Any idea about the costs? Couple of years back they were expensive, how are they now?

Any update on getting parts ordered/installed?

The replacement tube, a water flow sensor, and a spare lens have been ordered, shipped, and picked up. It will likely be a few more days to replace the tube and install the water flow protection.

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Thanks Jake! We muchly appreciate the efforts of the volunteer laser committee! :slight_smile:

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Thanks for all your hard work laser committee!!!

100% grateful for all those on the laser committee. Feel free to let me know if there’s anything I can contribute now or in future to maintenance, materials or training.

The replacement laser tube has been installed and some improvements have been made to the chiller, including the addition of a water flow/pressure sensor.

The optics were also aligned and cleaned, and the damaged focus lens was replaced.

Please note that the lid is still not functioning properly and does not remain open on its own.

The laser cutter is now available again for use. This tube is a from a different manufacturer, so you may need yo adjust the power and speed settings to which you are accustomed.

Please report any issues to the LCC.

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Awesomest sauce! Did you folks happen to take any pictures? :slight_smile:

Is the laser tube the same wattage as the previous tube?

Thank you @JDMc!

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