Chinese laser purchase/Shenui/Laserworks tips and tricks thread

[Walt Langhans]

If you get the following error message:

No Enough
Extend Space
Please Esc

It's a rastering error. Depending on your rastering speed setting the machine needs a certain amount of space within it's working area to accelerate and decelerate the nozzle and if you are to close to the edge it will give you this error.

To fix it you have two options, reduce the speed or move what ever you are rastering further from the edges of the work space. So far (key words "SO FAR") if seems better to move you stuff away from the edges vs adjusting the speed, but if you at the edge and have no where else to go then adjusting the speed is your only option.

[Johan de Waal]

Hi guys, Rodne directed me to the forum as i am about to get myself one of these machines. After reading all the threads on this topic posted here and several emails and engagements with te suppliers i have decided. To go for the G1290 (new model) but i'm battling to make up my mind if i should go for a 80W RECI laser or just go full out and go for the 120W RECI laser. I'll be mostly cutting 3mm material.(wood and plastics) and will do some wood engraving as well en perhaps some etchings /engraving on coffee mugs and glasses etc for my wife's gift shop. Can you guys give me some pointers on what the pro's and cons are on the 120W vs the 80W and is it really worth the additional $600?

Thanks!

[Mike Null]

Johan

Welcome to Sawmill Creek. I'm on my second machine having been at it for a little more than 15 years. I would advise going for more power as I will do on my next machine. You can probably do everything you want with 80w but you can do it so much faster with 120W and it opens up more materials for you to work with.

[Johan de Waal]

Johan

Welcome to Sawmill Creek. I'm on my second machine having been at it for a little more than 15 years. I would advise going for more power as I will do on my next machine. You can probably do everything you want with 80w but you can do it so much faster with 120W and it opens up more materials for you to work with.

Hi Mike, thanks for the prompt response. The supplier spec'ed the CW5000 chillir for both the 120W and the 80W. Will it. Be sufficient for the 120W?

Also is it more difficult to do delicate low power engraving with the 120W than the 80W? Or will they both be able to do the exact same jobs in the low power ranges?

Thanks!

[Rodne Gold]

The 120w is not suitable for engraving, keep to 80w if you want a dual duty machine. All the chinese suppliers will tell you the same , despite the fact it would be to their financial advantage to sell a 120w ....

[Dan Ashlin]

Hay All, I'm looking for some advice on job positioning within lasercut 5.3 What I would like to do is set the artwork to a specific location on the table in lasercut, that way i can accurately make a jig for repeat part marking. Is there anywhere within the program I can tell it to place an artwork file at say x850/y250?

[john banks]

Our x axis went very rough yesterday and at low power would not move but just vibrated. Tried various things to narrow it down, eventually found a loose connection on one wire where glue was holding it in to the plug rather than the screw being tight enough. This is the plug where it goes into the stepper motor driver. All smooth again.

[Hermes Sandoval]

I helped a friend with the installation of his laser machine after a local dealer sold him a shenhui 120w. The chiller kept overheating above 38°, shutting the machine down. It's a CW3000 (I don't know why they call it a "chiller", its just a water recirculator). I have a used Neslab CFT75, but it can't work with the laser machine because of the sensor installed in the CW3000 is not present in the CFT75. Even if I set water protection in RDCAM to NO, it won't shoot the laser. It will move, it will accept the job from the PC and go around, but it won't shoot. With water protection set to YES it won't start, gives me the water protection error msg on the machine's LCD.

Pls advice.

[George Carlson]

The water protection output of the CW3000 is generally tied directly to the laser power supply, it may also be tied to the controller depending on the system. It's the connection to the laser power supply that shuts off the laser. For a machine that size, you should be using the CW5000 which is a refrigerated unit. You could put a shorting plug in place of the water sensor, but you would totally loose the protection.

[Clark Pace]

Hi All. I'm in the process of trying to get a laser cutter from China to the USA. Things are working out so, far. But there are many questions I should have asked had I known what to ask for. My broker has been good, but there are still things I wish I would have known. I will be doing a thorough review on my experience and what process you should be aware of for those of you who are thinking about getting a laser from China.

Just a heads up on that. I want others experience to go as smooth as possible.

[Hermes Sandoval]

Thank you for your response, sheds some new light on the subject.

Shouldnt it overlook the connection of the power supply to the chiller after changing the vendor settings's water protection to "NO"?

I can't connect the neslab chiller to the laser machine's power supply, it's a 220 vac.

[Khalid Nazim]

There is no electrical connection between the CW3000 chiller and the Laser. The control board on the laser detects water flow through a water flow switch - (its installed in the left hand bottom panel of the laser if you are facing the laser). The water flow switch needs to make contact to enable the controller to allow the laser to fire. Check the water flow switch and the connection from the flow switch to the controller.

Regards
Khalid

[john banks]

We have an electrical connection between our CW5000 and our laser, it covers the event in which there is flow but the cooling has failed, it did not come like that but came with a plug that could be used to wire up this facility as did the control board. Sometimes my operator is not the most observant or skilled at preventative maintenance or fault finding so it is good to have electronic protection.

[George Carlson]

I was assuming it was similar to my Redsail laser, which uses the water flow sensor built into the CW3000. If this laser has a built-in sensor, it is probably wired the same. The sensor directly controls the laser power supply preventing it from operating if there is no water flow. It may also connect to the controller, but more as an information device than anything else.

There is no electrical connection between the CW3000 chiller and the Laser. The control board on the laser detects water flow through a water flow switch - (its installed in the left hand bottom panel of the laser if you are facing the laser). The water flow switch needs to make contact to enable the controller to allow the laser to fire. Check the water flow switch and the connection from the flow switch to the controller.

Regards
Khalid

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Guys;
I did not think that the min power setting had any effect when cutting-most of the time I have set it at the same as the max setting or a bit below. On the last job, min was set at 25% and Max at 90%-noticed the cut was very poor. Checked the current meters (twin head) and noticed it was down around 6ma on both tubes when it should have been up near 21ma at 90%. Cranked the min setting up to 70% and all OK now.
Best Regards,
George
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