PDA

View Full Version : Epilog EXT beam alignment...did it!



Larry Bratton
06-16-2008, 9:30 PM
My machine was not cutting or engraving properly in the bottom left corner of the table. First time or two, I blamed material etc. The more acrylic I cut, the more times I came out with uncut material in the bottom left. Engraving also was suffering in that area, the depth was not consistent.

So I called tech support. He advised that I should get out my target and test it. I replied that I didn't have a target. Well, seems they sent me one with the laser some 14 months ago. Anyhow, I didn't have it, so they sent me another one. Today, we did the alignment. Have to put the panels back on and try it out tomorrow.

Dan, from Epilog, walked us through the procedure. He is a patient man is all I can say. My help had gone for the day and trying to move a 500 lb machine ain't easy for an old man and an old woman (who didn't want to be there in the first place). Anyway, if you have an EXT and have need to align the beam, be sure you have help and patience.
In case anybody is interested, here's how it goes.

Procedure amounts to removing the right side panel and a couple of the panels on the back. The machine in placed in Maintenance mode from the keypad. Then the target is placed in the hole in front of the mirror on the lense carriage. The bar is free to move as the XY is disabled at that point. So, you move it and the lense carriage to each corner, placing a piece of transfer or other brown tape on the target. Fire the beam by pressing the UP arrow key(caution here, beam is exposed, so don't place body parts close to it) Check the burn to see if it is off center. If so, turn on the red dot pointer and turn the allen screws behind the mirror to center to the target. Once done, then repeat to check and see if the burn and the pointer are in the same place. If not, you'll have to adjust the pointer to the burn. That is done on the bottom left (or right if your facing the machine). Find a little black wire and a red one and your close to the adjustment screws for the pointer. Takes some fiddling around with that, but once you have them aligned your done.

My suggestion would be not to follow this as instructions, but call tech support. I just wanted to impart that it is not really easy, but a bit involved and I certainly suggest two people doing it.

David Harvey
06-17-2008, 9:04 PM
Hi Larry,
We both received our machines within 1 week of each other.... and since then I have had to replace the laser tube (~6-8 months back). This meant I had to go thru the whole alignment procedure...including removig the periscope tube, etc.
It was a real involved procedure as you now know too, but if it is done correctly, in the end, you will be well rewarded. Since the new tube and alignment it has performed the best ever!

Out of the box was never this good or even close.

Bill Cunningham
06-17-2008, 9:50 PM
Hmmm funny.. I just replaced the tube and a mirror in my TT a few weeks ago, and my laser has never had this much power.. I would estimate by my old settings, and previous old samples I had put away, my laser has gained a good 30% more power than it had right out of the box.. I lucked out, I never had to touch the periscope, just a preliminary setup using the red dot to make sure the new mirror was not firing it out of the room, and just a minor tweak and the burn hit the center of the target at all four points.. I can clean cut 1/8 plexi mirror at 100p 20 spd through transfer tape on both sides.. It's like a different machine!

Larry Bratton
06-18-2008, 10:44 PM
David:
Well I haven't had to replace my tube. I still have 10 months left on the warranty and if it is going to go, I hope it's within the period. The beam alignment was a pain BUT, it cut acrylic today as never before. I think I may be able to increase the cutting speed a bit from the 6% I normally use for 1/4" acrylic. I'll do a little testing and see.

Epilog also sent me some instructions on resetting the autofocus. If level is out just a little bit your power can suffer. I use autofocus a good bit and this procedure insures focus based on level of the machine. I haven't performed this yet, but intend to when I get time. I have so much work right now,I'll do it asap.

Lisa Walter
06-19-2008, 10:12 PM
I have an Epilog EXT Legend and the few times I have had to call in to tech support they have been great. It's a long distance call which sucked......but I now have a long distance plan that is unlimited (we are in the boonies and they didn't have that plan at that time). Anyway, what do you think happened that you had to re-align the beam? I am curious since I haven't had to do this yet (knock on wood). I also do not have that target they mention......

Lisa

David Harvey
06-20-2008, 8:03 PM
David:
Well I haven't had to replace my tube. I still have 10 months left on the warranty and if it is going to go, I hope it's within the period. The beam alignment was a pain BUT, it cut acrylic today as never before. I think I may be able to increase the cutting speed a bit from the 6% I normally use for 1/4" acrylic. I'll do a little testing and see.

Epilog also sent me some instructions on resetting the autofocus. If level is out just a little bit your power can suffer. I use autofocus a good bit and this procedure insures focus based on level of the machine. I haven't performed this yet, but intend to when I get time. I have so much work right now,I'll do it asap.
I saw the same thing...everything seems to cut/engrave better with faster settings. 1/8" acrylic I'm blasting thru at 100% power-30% speed, 1/4" acrylic 15% speed, 100% power....well above their recommended settings. I can even cut thru 3/4" thk cedar now! ...nice kerf on the cedar though;) I'm cutting through at all 4 corners equally too!

What this tells me is that on the 1st install a full alignment should be done after leveling and placement of the machine. I didn't do this on the EXT nor on the 24TT. My 24TT, I know now, needs alignment badly, and I thought for a long time that the tube was simply getting weak. Now, I'll bet 100 bucks that it is only an alignment problem.

One day I'm going to do it, but right now, I don't use the 24TT very much so it will just have to wait for some free time...and initiative:confused:
The autofocus I never really use...not saying it's not up to par, but it's the confidence factor here..and manually setting the focus is really easy.

Larry Bratton
06-20-2008, 8:42 PM
I have an Epilog EXT Legend and the few times I have had to call in to tech support they have been great. It's a long distance call which sucked......but I now have a long distance plan that is unlimited (we are in the boonies and they didn't have that plan at that time). Anyway, what do you think happened that you had to re-align the beam? I am curious since I haven't had to do this yet (knock on wood). I also do not have that target they mention......

Lisa
Lisa:
I honestly cannot say. It may have been that way all along and I just accepted it and went on. Lately though, I have been cutting lots and lots of acrylic. A lot more than in the past. I have been cutting full table size sheets of 1/4" acrylic and we would get good cutting on the letters on the right side of the table, but in the bottom left of the sheet, it would not cut all the way through. I did meticulous leveling of the table and I was still getting the same thing, both in engraving and cutting. I know that is the most distance from the beam origination and would expect their to be somewhat less power on that side, however, it was too much for sure.
Anytime the machine is moved, it should be re-aligned per Epilog. You could check the alignment anytime with that target. It fits in that hole that's on the front of the lense carriage. Put the machine in maintenance mode from the keyboard, the XY is then disabled. Move the carriage to each corner. Place a piece of tape on the target and fire the laser by pushing the up key. Don't hold it long, but you'll get a burn on the tape. Check to see how close the burn is to the center of the target. If it's outside the second ring, then your going to have to remove the panels so you can adjust the mirrors or beam. Again, I would talk to tech support at that point.
I'm sure Epilog would send you a target for free if your in warranty. It comes with the machine originally, but if your shop is like mine, a gremlin lives in there and anything like that just disappears off the face of the earth!!

Oh, PS..call THEM and leave a message. They will call back and it's THEIR nickle, not yours!

Bill Cunningham
06-22-2008, 10:20 PM
I know in my case, it was the tube that finally gave out.. When I tried to burn a spot on the target, there was not enough power to make a mark on the tape anywhere on the table.. After going through the lense, the power was focused enough to work, but way... way..down, it would even turn a piece of red/white romark brown where it burnt through the red cap....

Larry Bratton
06-23-2008, 6:59 PM
After doing this initially, I went back and tweaked it a little more on Saturday. The machine cuts better now than it ever has. I used to get partial cut throughs a lot of times on 1/4 acrylic. I cut acrylic on Saturday and Sunday and every single piece cut out cleanly. I also did a very miticulous leveling job on the table. It was a pain to do but I am glad I learned how and how to keep a check on it. Makes my work a lot easier.