Problems with my laser engraver.

[Vitor Brito]

As it seems nobody can say anything (even technicians) about this issue till now, i made a small list of what i’m experiencing in the hope i can get an answer or at least an opinion just to make my sleeping easier. :lol1:

1. Drivers suddenly stop accepting more jobs
Memory not full
No problems with last job.
Machine restarted to solve problem.

2. Y Axis
Suddenly after a few jobs, same settings no changes made on options, only diferent job, the machine starts to do about half the size of it’s regular course in his Y axys, everything is fine with X axys but job comes half size on Y.
Restart of computer solves problem, aparently some problem with spooler or something.

3. Decrease power
When doing medium/large simple jobs (squares, rectangles usually with round corners) after the first corner and after the laser reduces it’s power to compensate desaceleration (my guess) it won’t increase properly again. Seems like on first vector the power is consistent, and that after that is very inconsistent.
Could be problems with power supply or laser frequency range?
Any interferences could be causing this at motherboard level?

4. 3D Feature
Not available, in version 1.47 or 1.49 (currently in use).

5. Rotary
Happened a few times, the rotary assumes a +/- 10% larger course again on Y axys then the design itself. Solved by decreasing only in Y axis (in Corel) the size of the design.

Rod, i would like your opinion on this one no commitment to it tought 😉
Any inputs would be apreciated.
Regards
Vitor Brito

[Rodney Gold]

Ok , here goes , but I don’t know your laser.
There are too many things goinf wrong , imho , for it to be a tube proble, , to me it sounds computer and driver or firmware related.
The loss of power over time however sounds ominous , it if loses 1/2 it’s power , its an RF board. Deos has had problems with it’s lasers , we have gone thru quite a few. Check for overheating , get canned air and blow out the fans , vents and the fins of the source and its enclosure as well as the power supply feeding it.
I think the scaling problems and not accepting jobs has to do with a few possible things.
1) The cable might be faulty , try a USB or another one if possible
2) The memory in the machine had gone bad , if you reseat it , if it has memory , it might help
3) The firmware chip or the firmware has become corrupt reflash it if possible
4) The motherboard has gone bad
5) Thgere is a driver firmware clash or the driver is buggy
6) Your host computer is playing up
the decreasing power also sounds like a software/driver hassl e , if you have an option to turn ramp on or off , change it
Ramp is controlled by the laser motherboard firmware and it sounds like it’s playing up
Scaling or other jitter/sizing problems can be caused by a dirty encoder on a motor , dunno how yours work , but if they do have shaft encoders , take out the x and y motor and blow dust etc off the decoder and the sensor.

[David Rowland]

Hi, I got no experience on laser cutters or how they work, but have used 2 other types before.

Just coming from another approach…

1: Can you drive your cutter manually? with a control panel Left right up down cutting on / off etc. Does it die on you when manually driven, this will remove the computer from the equasion (well almost).

2: Is it HPGL or G-Code? HPGL if i recall accepts the scaling command at beginning of the stream and then it cuts to that scaling. Not sure on G-Code. The way I have diagnosed a router before is to send the same program to it over and over again, if it stops/weakens in the same place then u can diagnose from that.

3: Is this intermittent fault or always.
4: Does it effect other materials / power levels etc?

[Vitor Brito]

First of all, thx for your concern and time to help me out.

Rod, with your permission i’ll send your answer to the tech team, at least it will let them know that maybe i’m a bit more informed then my local tech team and i truly think they will be embarassed enough not to try asap to solve the problem.

Dave, all approaches are valuable at this time.

your answers:
1 – Yes i can drive it manually, haven’t found any problem about it.
2 – 😳 I couldn’t find your answer (but i’ll ask them tomorrow morning). Anyway in any case i’ve found any consistency on the problems, meaning always diferent spots in the “losses”, diferent files when scale related problems.
3 – In the cases of losses it is always, i compensate it on thinner materials reducing speed, but can’t do the same in thicker materials, speeds already near lowest limit, tryed multiple passes on several times, but for ex in white acrylic (8mm) today i needed 4 passes at minimum speed to completely cut 1 rectangle round corners with aprx 45×22 cm, it toke about 2.15H to cut it .
Scale and rotary problems this ones till now i found them completely random.
4 – Yes i found similar problems in wood and other materials.

Once again, thank you both of you, for trying to help me.

Anyone that as an opinion about this issue will be welcome. It’ll help me now or in the future and maybe someone experiencing something similar to any of this various problems.

Best regards
Vitor Brito

[Rodney Gold]

Dave , most of the laser engravers us proprietory code to drive them , they might accept hpgl or g-code , but not directly – one would generally go thru a software program. Most act like printers with 2 types of engraving , a scanning raster type (prints like a dot matrix) and a vector type (like a vinyl cutter)
Vitor – 8mm acrylic should be a breeze with 30w and a 2′ lens , single pass and the size rectangle you are cutting should not take longer than 5 -7 minutes , if that!!!
There is something SERIOUSLY wrong for it to require a 4 pass cut and over 2 hrs.
Just one other thing , how good is the power supply to the laser? You might have had a spike or something like that that has scrambled or blown something on the motherboard.
Is your laser still under warrantee?

[Mark Shipley]

Hi Vitor,

Just a thought and I know this might be stating the obvious – sorry, but;

Have you checked and cleaned the lens? If it were to be used dirty wouldn’t the result be a hot lens and reduced output? Which of course would then expand a little, defocus and offset the beam as well.

Mark

[Vitor Brito]

Rod,
the machine’s running over an industrial power supply, we have in the same space something like, 1 DGI 2.50 mtrs digital printer, 1 mutoh 1.60 digital printer, 3 canon color laser printers (CLC3200, 2xCLC1130), 1 Canon Black Laser Printer (IR5000),laminators, vinil cutters, 6 PC’s and several other machine’s, none of them had any problem during this time, soo i’m not pointing to that direction at this time.

About the warrantee, yes it is still in warrantee, but i’ve only paid till this moment about 75% of the machine and the supplier,is willing to swap this machine for a new one but only after the remaining payment is done, i’m struggling with myself about that, because i haven’t been served fully yet soo i’m feeling like i’m making a pre-paid buy. (Is it possible that i’m seeing this the wrong way?). I’m feeling like they are completely blind about this problem and really just want to change the machine to solve it or they just want to get paid and after that i’ll probably wait for a long time till i get my problem solved if i get it solved

Mark, as i said to Dave before all aproaches are valuable at this time.
Yes, lens and all other components “user friendly” components are cleaned, even if they haven’t been used we have kind of a rule about regular maintenance in all our machines.

Thx for all comments, all of them serve to eliminate possibilities and eventually help me to push a bit harder on the supplier.

Regards
Vitor Brito

[Rodney Gold]

Vitor , the deal should be a new machine and when its delivered and proved to be working correctly , then the final payment.
which model is it?

[Vitor Brito]

http://www.lttcorp.com/english/general_marketlils-3.asp
this is the model 30W

my supplier:
http://www.indimco.com/

i’ve choosed them cause they are the most closer supplier i had, and my toughts we’re in that direction, thought they could be more helpfull when it came to solving any problem, realised already that maybe not the best choice.

Vitor Brito

[Vitor Brito]

Hi all, i’m updating this one just for a matter of justice, i asked for some advice here while at the same moment, i was pressing my supplier to solve the problem.

All helps have been unvaluable, particularly Rodney as he’s toughts helped me to give them a real hard time, (chat.) :wedgey: till they solved the problem (TODAY).

Solution found: a Brand New Machine. 🙂 (hot)

Now i’m having that feeling again: OMG this is soo cool. :lol1:

Just tought you guys deserved to know how this all ended.

Once again thank you all for your help.

[Nicola McIntosh]

well done vitor glad you got a new machine 😀
and for rodney giving you some valid advice 😉

nik

[David Rowland]

Well done Victor… new machine is always a good answer… question is… was you supplied a brand new machine 😕 or one they got out of their stores due to a prevous customer complaining.

hope it works well.

[Vitor Brito]

Thx Nik.

Dave, i tought the same till today but i’ve received the package directly from factory in Taiwan, with all paper from customs etc, soo i believe it’s really a brand new one.
Inclusive there are a few minor changes, that i believe where like recent probs that the machine had and they improved in the meantime.

[Russell Pavey]

Hi Vitor

I’ve recently had probs with my laser engraver as well after using from new for about a year and half (just out of warranty 👿 ). Took it back to the supplier who had it for 3 weeks testing etc only to get it back with cable tie holding a new part in place. It works fine now but I’m a little annoyed that a 12k precision machine is fixed with a cable tie. Not sure whether to kick off and make a fuss with them about it or not??

[Vitor Brito]

Hi Russel, well mine was under the warranty (2 years warranty).

I was assuming all Europe had 2 year compulsory warranty in electronical equipments, but maybe up there it’s diferent, maybe someone can check it for you.

I can assure you that i can make a lot of noise 😀 when some1 ****** me off, so i think that’s the main reason why they decided to bring a new machine instead of replacing one part after another till they have the problem solved. (chat.) :nag4: :nag4: :nag4: :nag4:

Just another point is they did wanted to take the machine to their office to try to solve the problem, but that wasn’t an option at the moment coz i really needed it, even if it wasn’t on full capabilities, soo they just got tired of traveling too, i think.

If it was me i’d ask them to try and make some diferent holder for that part, but if not possible that’s not a beauty/fashion machine, soo the important is that it is working fine.

Best Luck

[mark walker]

Hi Vitor and Russell, glad to hear you got a result Vitor, out of interest what sort of engraver do you have Russell?

Cheers Mark.

[Russell Pavey]

Thanks for advice Vitor – I guess if it works it works so probrobaly no real reason to fall out with them over it. Have to say they were very good at loaning me a replacement machine whilst mine was being fixed and delivered it back to me FOC.(well I haven’t received an invoice yet!!)

Mark not sure I really want to mention their name on here as up until now the machine has been faultless – but it is an US built machine.

[Vitor Brito]

I might sound a bit off topic here but, have you had before any experience with laser engravers?

I’m asking this coz’, i didn’t soo till the major problems come to my machine i tought everything was ok with it, but now only a few days after receiving this new one, i can assure that the previous one had low power problems since day one, but as i didn’t had any experience except from seeing it working in someone else’s hands, i couldn’t imagine how faulty mine was.
Keep an eye open or both, that’s my advice. 😉

Best Regards

[mark walker]

Hi both of you, I run an epilog laser which has been brilliant since I got it. Has limitations as do all types of machinery in all types of industry but I get very fast and superb results from the machine. I have to as I can get so many orders for stuff that ‘has to be ready asap’ as usual the customer forgets until last minute and we have to make good for them! 😕

Cheers, Mark