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Thread: Galvo Fiber questions

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    68
    I though of another question for everyone... What additional fees do you pay separate from the $500ish shipping to get your Galvo Fiber from DHL, Fedex, or whomever delivers it?

  2. #17
    I bought my fiber 6/16, my shipping was $555, duty & taxes was $261.
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  3. #18
    For what it's worth, I have a larger job (physically and count wise) to do that is powder coated. It's double sided, round, about 5" in diameter. I do them on a CO2 on the rotary and I have to take 2, sometimes 3 passes to get them clean. The powder is very thick and some colors are just brutal. Getting this order dropped on us on Wednesday wasn't what I wanted to hear because it's a week or more of engraving, which ties the machine up, and it's already booked solid into January. While one was running, I fired up the fiber, and put a setup piece in to try and do some of the smaller work that's on one side. I figured if I could cut out 1 side of the work, then it would lighten the load on the engraving.

    I put a dark blue one in and it engraved down to the metal beautifully. The area of engraving was a little long and it started to slightly distort the letters some. Not an issue, I have the ability to resize that if necessary. Cool. After a few more tests, I decide to try another one, this time an orange one. Well, it was not having it at all. Same settings as the blue and it cut into the coating, but didn't get to the metal. I ran it about 5-6 more cycles (3 passes each cycle), and nothing. I changed the frequency. Nope. Changed the speed down to almost nothing. Nope. Overall, I ran it about 20 times, 3 passes each cycle, so 60 passes, and when finished, there was a layer of orange that look like it was about .0005" thick and it just won't come off. You cannot see the metal under it, it's that thick, but no settings or passes will remove it.

    So be careful betting the farm on being able to do it, not all powder coating is the same. So it looks like we're back to having them all cross the CO2 on the rotary.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    68
    It's interesting that Fiber is so color sensitive just like Rodne mentioned with some laminate colors. Powder coating is a strange thing in itself. I know when I started engraving them a year and a half ago I was using settings that got great detail. Then part way through 2016 I picked up tumblers for an order and pulled the first one off and there was no detail in it. I compared an old tumbler to the new ones and the coating was double or more.
    I know some of you mention that you only use customer supplied tumblers. I have a entity that I do engraving for with a detailed logo and any less than 3 inches it looses too much detail. Because of the variance in tumblers I hand pick each one by flipping them upside down and finding the ones with the largest upper portion. I've found that if I don't had pick them I get tumblers that have too small of upper area and the 3 inch logo hangs over on the bottom. Other logos and things aren't as critical but like Steve said getting through certain coatings is a lot harder that others.

    So soon I shall join the force... After much research, many quotes, and lots of middle of the night back and forth with China, I finally chose to purchase a Ray Fine laser. Everyone here seems to really like theirs and speak highly of them. It's in build and hopefully will ship next week. I was told 7 days but I'm not sure if they meant from today or when it ships next week.

    I had a request today for engraved pens and though that figures! They want them for Christmas so I'll be doing them on the co2 but I can't wait to get my settings dialed in and try them on the fiber.
    Thanks to everyone who provided input and insight.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    68
    What is the thread size for the laser and x-y worktable?
    What does everyone use for work stops and holding?


    I'll be at a Copper State Nut and Bolt later and thought about seeing if they have threaded pins but don't know the size. Thanks

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    68
    So I finally settled on a Ray Fine 30 watt with a JPT MOPA M6 source with a Rotary, X/Y table and 100,200,300 lenses. I had to drive an hour to pick it up from DHL after a multitude of screwups on their end. My duties/customs/fees totaled $350. $250ish for the Duties and $100 one time bond, which I did see anyone else mention. I guess if you import a lot you can pay $500 for a anual bond that covers you up to $50000 worth of import. The container was obviously pryed open and retaped shut. The only obvious issue I saw from it being opened was there were supposed to be three glasses and while there were three cases only two had glasses in them, the other case was lying on top open and no glasses inside. It was sealed up with tape well enough that I don't see how they could have 'accidentally' fallen out.
    Learning settings is so fun and frustrating, but rewarding when you have that eureka moment when something works and you get it dialed in.

    The only real issue I've had so far and am going back and forth with Ray Fine techs is the Rotary has .05" of run out. It's enough that when testing on a copper pipe it's overlapped on one side and gapped on the other. Has anyone else had a rotary that was out of alignment? My is visible in the head and back to the step down in behind the head. The shaft coming off the motor was within .0015 run out with a indicator gauge so I think the external part of the issue.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
    Posts
    4,441
    So you ordered three lens and one box was empty, that was the one on the machine?

    Welcome to DHL screw up club mine took nearly a week more because of them and my box was never opened. My duty was something around $200 or so and no bond, DHL was suppose to be acting as your agent so that should have been covered. I am assuming your in USA however.

    My rotary seemed fine, but I rarely use. Have fun.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    68
    Hi Bill, The lenses were all there and were inside the plastic wrap around the laser. I ordered three pair of safety glasses and there were three cases on top of everything, like they were added last minute, but one of the three cases one was open and empty. DHL said I was the importer and that's why they asked for my social security card and info and I was responsible for the bond.
    From the DHL website pdf...
    If the entry is made with DHL as the Importer of Record, then DHL’s Customs Bond will satisfy the requirements and there is no need for the customer to post their own bond. However, if the customer is the Importer of Record, then the IOR is required to have a Customs Bond.

    I was able to fix my rotary myself. Ray Fine tech wanted me to send video which I did but then they wanted video on the machine and though I had settings wrong. Nope it was just major runout that was visible to the naked eye. I'm sure they would have figured out what I was telling them eventually but I didn't want to waste any more time for what could be and identical replacement. I searched Chinese 3 Jaw Chuck Run Out and came up with a wealth of information on getting them to run true. I took the Chuck off the backplate and noticed there was so much burring that wasn't removed when they crammed the shaft in that it looked like tin foil being used as a shim. I took everything down, removed the shaft which was the hardest part, and got the burs out. I went over backplate hole where the burs were with 1200 grit sand paper then polished it and reassembled everything. I left out the wedge that was holding the shaft in so that I could use a rubber mallet and tap everything into place. I took the runout from 0.03" down to 0.002" That I can live with. It could probably be tapped a little more or holes lightly sanded to get it tighter but not the jaws are the weak spot and a project for another day.

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