When to NOT use air assist?

[James Terry]

I assume that the ventilator should always be used with the engraver but I thought I would ask those of you who are more experienced out there when to possibly NOT use the air assist or perhaps when to adjust it to a lower rate.

I have thus far always used my air assist on full blast. But I havent done plastics yet, just wood, a little glass.

[Lee DeRaud]

It's not like it's mandatory...in fact some of us don't even have it.

[Larry Bratton]

James:
As a general rule, I don't run air assist unless I am vector cutting. Some people run theirs on all operations though, but whether you run it or not with rastering, I don't think it matters either way (probably some instances where it's needed) but for sure run it anytime you are vectoring. My epilog doesn't have adjustment for the air flow so I can't speak to that, I just turn on the pump as needed.

[Dee Gallo]

I run air assist whenever I'm cutting of course, but when I am rastering plastic, I keep it on at 10 psi because I usually have fine detail and it seems to keep the lines finer for me. And requires less cleaning afterwards.

If I see smoke on a wood piece, I turn it on.. doesn't hurt anything but might save you a problem and definitely keeps the laser cleaner inside.

I have good exhaust pull, but the air assist is a big help to me. I don't like to see ANY smoke or flames.

cheers, dee

[David Fairfield]

On lightweight materials, I often don't run air assist. The problem is it blows chads into the tool path, then the material might not cut all the way through.

Also on some materials, it seems to add to the particulate matter I have to clean off the surface of the finished part.

I don't really notice much difference in cut quality on or off. But I do run it when possible, as a flame damper.

Dave

[James Stokes]

I always use it unless I am cutting paper or something extremely light. To me it seems to help keeping the lens clean.

[Mark Ross]

Anytime I am cutting anything flammable. We use our air assist as insurance against a fire starting and ruining the machine. Plus it seems to keep the lens cleaner.

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Gang;
I run it all the time except when rastering certain Rowmark Lasermax colors.
Best regards;
George
LaserArts

[David Fairfield]

Anytime I am cutting anything flammable. We use our air assist as insurance against a fire starting and ruining the machine. Plus it seems to keep the lens cleaner.

This goes without saying, but its worth saying anyway-- The only real insurance against a fire starting in the machine is you paying attention to it and not walking away for a minute while its operating. If you see your material starting to combust, and you catch it in time, you can just blow it out like a birthday candle. But keeping a fire extinguisher handy is also a must!

I've had birthday candle sized fires start in the machine, and Murphys law applied every time -- it was always from something unexpected, during a moment's inattention!

Dave

[Gary Hair]

Anytime I am cutting anything flammable.

Mark,
By the very nature of how a laser works, anything you cut IS flammable. More on point, almost anything you laser is flammable - with the exception of glass, rock or metal anyway.

Gary

[David Fairfield]

I just remembered... some flame incidents occured actually because of air assist. Cutting paper, the airstream can go underneath the sheet and blow it in such a way that it folds over itself, and due to being out of focus, it will ignite as soon as the laser passes over it. I know because its happened more than once.

The potentially bad flame out I had was because I allowed a heap of chads to pile up, and the laser touched 'em off. Air assist would have made no difference in that case. But I was watching. Learned my lesson, keep it clean!

And then there was the time when I thought the machine would be rastering only... figured it was OK to just let it do its thing... but a whole bunch of close-together vector lines crept into the drawing and that set the paper on fire. Fortunately I had an ear open and looked over when I heard it was vectoring and saw that little flicker

Yes, air assist does keep flames down. Just don't let it give you a false sense of security.

[Mark Ross]

Mark,
By the very nature of how a laser works, anything you cut IS flammable. More on point, almost anything you laser is flammable - with the exception of glass, rock or metal anyway.

Gary

Yes, I kind of made my reply to short. Anytime we are vector cutting anything we have the air assist on. When we raster, we typically do not.