What is wrong with this 150W?

[Patric Sandelin]

Hi everybody!

Can someone please enlighten a newbie what is wrong here. I seem to be getting the same power between 40 and 95%. Mirrors are aligned. Material is in focus. Settings have been checked by the manufacturer.

Cutting 12mm plywood:
IMG_2044.jpgIMG_2045.jpg


Did an engraving test and at 10-35 there are changes, 40-95 are the same. Unfortunately I didn't have anything to cut the board with so you can see it in profile.

IMG_2024.jpg

What seems to be the problem here?

[Bruce Volden]

Paul,

It would help us to know what type of machine you're using. On the rastered pic, what are the settings there. I'm saying more info would help.
The cutting part is quite puzzling 'tho..?

Bruce

[Patric Sandelin]

The machine is a Longtai 1390.

The settings on the rastered pic is 100mm/s on the first row, 500mm/s on the second row. Power number is on top of each "box".

[Keith Downing]

Did the laser previously work correctly, and now it doesn't? Or is it new?

Also, are you completely familiar with the software? It's not outside the realm of possibility that you've inadvertently used the same settings on all the blocks.

[Hannu Rinne]

Hi Patric,

To me it seems that you are using exterior plywood which is very hard to cut with a laser. Have you tried the same with any other material ?

Regards,
Hannu

[Wilbur Harris]

Your limits are set too low or the tube is going bad. Is there a mA meter on your laser? If there is, watch it to make sure the meter reading increases when you increase the power.

[Patric Sandelin]

Machine is brand new. All material is interior grade birch plywood (B/BB quality). The settings are not the same for all the blocks, it's been checked, rechecked and finally verified by the manufacturer via Teamviewer. Same min/max value.

I have done the test in 6mm acrylic also. 10-35 big changes, 40-95 barely any change.

[Keith Downing]

Your limits are set too low or the tube is going bad. Is there a mA meter on your laser? If there is, watch it to make sure the meter reading increases when you increase the power.

This was going to be my next question.

Assuming you have one, are you getting the same power output reading for all settings? If so, there is definitely a problem with the machine, tube or software. If not, it could be the material/focus/air etc.

[Patric Sandelin]

When the manufacture was logged in via Teamviewer, I saw a tube limit passing by on one of the screens and it was set to 99%.

Unfortunately I don't have a mA meter on the machine. If you measure it on the tube, I'm guessing it's very high voltage and not possible to use a regular amp meter?

Air assist is on.

[Keith Downing]

On my machine, the upper limit I have set to 95%, the lower limit I have set to 5%. Can you confirm your lower limit is not set to 99%?

And yes, if you are so inclined you can add an mA meter to your machine.

[Patric Sandelin]

Isn't the limits inside "Vendor settings", where you need a password? Quite sure that's where I saw the upper limit (when he logged in there remotely) or can you see it somewhere else?

But I'm quite sure it's correct. I've been testing how low you can go and the laser didn't fire under 8%.

[Keith Downing]

Isn't the limits inside "Vendor settings", where you need a password? Quite sure that's where I saw the upper limit (when he logged in there remotely) or can you see it somewhere else?

But I'm quite sure it's correct. I've been testing how low you can go and the laser didn't fire under 8%.

That's going to depend on the vendor. Mine, once activated, can be controlled by the user.

I also found this thread, 3 or 4 years old, but appears to describe a similar problem. He was vague at the end but said it was a wiring problem and he was able to fix it.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-watt-efr-tube

[Patric Sandelin]

Nice find! Thank you!
Too bad he didn't mention what wiring, but I will take a look tomorrow.

Also found the vendor password in that thread. My min power was set to 1%.

[Keith Downing]

Nice find! Thank you!
Too bad he didn't mention what wiring, but I will take a look tomorrow.

Also found the vendor password in that thread. My min power was set to 1%.

He hasn't been online in awhile, but he does list his skype username in his profile. He probably wouldn't mind answering questions via skype chat if you feel so inclined. Most SMC members are pretty helpful on and offline from my experience.

[John MacDougall]

Check out the Sarbarmultimedia YouTube channel. This guy is amazing. I can't find the particular video but he shows how the power output is not linear like the percentage numbers would suggest. The rise is very steep from 0 to 20 or 30% or so, then flattens out to a much lower slope from that point. That would explain the results you got in pic 3, 500 speed.