New to Lasers & need serious help!

[laserchick87]

Hey guys,

I'm new to laser cutting as my company has asked me to learn and run their new cheap Chinese laser cutter.

We got the laser in January. It is now June and I still haven't cut anything out of it. It's been nothing but hassle! (no thanks to the company we bought it off). It hadn't been assembled properly or anything. It's been one problem after another. I'm learning how to fix it before I can even learn how to use it!

I've just received repaired parts back from them and have installed them back onto the laser. Since installing them back onto the laser, the laser path was out and I had to re-adjust it. Now that I have the laser going completely straight out of the nozzle, When i go to cut, the laser is not even trying to cut. All I get is air blowing out of the nozzle. The laser lamps aren't even lighting up.

I have cut one circle out of 1mm stainless steel in the 5 months we have had the machine. except for the height control sensor being faulty at the time, I cut through the sheet fine (except for a bit of burring, which I can fix later on). Now that i have installed all the parts again, and everything has been thrown out, I can't even get the laser lamps or the laser beam to come out of the nozzle to cut the sheet. It follows the path of the circle and just blows air. The only communication i have with China is email once or twice a day (as non of the engineers speak english).

Could anyone help me figure out what it might be? Or do you have any tips for me, as I have literally been thrown into the roll of laser operator. I operate a water jet as well, but this seems way more complicated and complex than the water jet!

Any help or suggestions or advice would be appreciated! I'm desperate! 5 months of trying to fix it so I can actually get a proper go of running it and fine tuning it is driving me nuts!

Thanks heaps!

Jen

 

[IRstuff]

I suggest you hire someone to do this. There is no way that ANYONE can help over the internet. Perhaps krugtech, who is a member here, can help you:

http://www.eng-tips.com/userinfo.cfm?member=krugtech

http://www.krugtech.com/

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

 

[JayMaechtlen]

your company must have been raving optimists or hopelessly naive to buy a 'system' from an outfit that doesn't have support and expect a newbie to figure it out and run it - and them ask said newbie to fix it too!

You only get what you pay for if you are careful and a bit lucky.

get professional help. Krug is one, there are several others depending on your geographical location.
Regards
Jay

Jay Maechtlen

http://www.laserpubs.com/techcomm

 

[laserchick87]

Yes - well unfortunately I had no say in which one they bought. They saw a cheap one, and bought it. After-sales help is terrible!

I'm communicating via email to their receptionist in China, who barely speaks English. She translates what she understands to the engineers, who give her instructions to send back to me! This happens most days (haha).

It's at a point now where we have asked them to send someone over. (at a cost of $2000 to us is what they will come over for), and they have to wait a month for a visa to get approved.

Krug. Are they in Australia at all? I can't seem to find them online. I have suggested getting someone in to look at it (who knows what they are doing and who isn't across the other side of the world). But the big boss wants the Chinese to sort it out. I don't really get a say.

Thanks for the advice Jay. I'll do my research!

 

[Foostrap]

What control does this machine have? What resonator brand are they using? Who's the manufacturer?
I would assume looking at beam release signal in the PLC somehow might help. There might be a signal or sensor that prevents to beam to come on (door switch or other safety switch?). Finding the right signal, and how to get to the PLC is the question; hopefully the tech support people can give you that info. If it's a Fanuc control, some signals are standard no matter who the manufacturer is, so we might be able help.
Is there a way that chines company can remote connect to the control, so they can look at signals and troubleshoot the issue?

 

[laserchick87]

WE ARE IN BUSINESS!!

After a few hiccups this morning, I have it running now. Just need some fine tuning as I'm getting burrs on the underside of the parts that come out. Currently using Argon gas (my company decided to go this way). We will be cutting 1.2mm-3mm MAXIMUM stainless steel.. I'm thinking Nitrogen or Air Compressor instead?

Better cut quality? Thoughts? I thought maybe the focal length is out too. If i can adjust it correctly, I should be able to burn the remaining burrs off as it cuts. What would be a good setting for 1.2mm stainless steel? This will primarily be what I'll be cutting.

Doing alright for a newbie! considering it's a cheap Chinese machine and have no experience! I've spent 5 months fixing it from photos and email instructions. Now time to run it! Excited!!

 

[GrouperGenius]

We cut mostly stainless in that same thickness range. All we use is nitrogen.

 

[Foostrap]

You can cut stainless with Argon, but Nitrogen is cheaper. I guess that's OK as your company saved so much on the machine purchase ;-) The real benefit or Argon is when cutting titanium. Being an inert gas, it doesn't react the titanium.
If you get a hard burr, lower your focal point. If you get a small fine burr, go higher. Could also be your gas pressure too low, or your cutting speed too low.

 

[JayMaechtlen]

ok, congrats!
Krug and others I'm familiar with are here in the US.
I expect there are some capable service techs in Oz- if not, I'll bet someone from over here or in Europe would at least speak your language!

regards
Jay

Jay Maechtlen

http://www.laserpubs.com/techcomm