HV arc around ceramic and glassware Byspeed 4400

[aws04]

Hi All,
During a standard PM service
our service tech has noticed excessive arc spots
all around ends of glassware and ceramic insulators
there is even black arc spots on the brown painted
steel tray below the ceramics I think that means
HV must be jumping about 2 - 3 inches , the ends
of the ceramics are getting black on the outside.
could this be because of a poorly seated oil filter
in the vaccum pump at some point that has cause oil
carry over the the laser cavity and then cause
excessive tracking The machine has 22000 run hrs
and has always had maintenance and is spotless
The service tech siad he has never seen such bad
arc tracking on the outside of the ceramics

Regards
Steve

 

[krugtech]

Things are kind of tight in the top of the 4400, this doesn't help when high voltage is involved. Dirt and moisture are the biggest contributors to what your seeing. I also have never heard of one arcing like yours, is there any chance you could take a picture and post it here or email it to me. If the vac pump is putting out oil vapor you'll have problems. The oil isn't conductive but it does help lots of extra dirt stick to everything some of the dirt may be conductive dust from the cutting process. Has it been humid where the machine is? Is the resonator sealed properly?

I hope he vacuum checked it. Stray HV likes to burn notches in the o-rings in the ceramics.

Make sure the dehumidifier in the bottom of the resonator is working. These resonators do not like humidity. In addition to arcing, the humidity will seep into the backs of the mirror mounts (especially mirror mounts where the mirror is facing down)and start to corrode things. It gets ugly but it's not like a Trumph were the whole resonator has to be replaced.

Chris Krug

http://krugtech.com/

Maximum Up-time, Minimum BS