Gutting and refitting an old ULS with new drives & tube- what recommendations?

While having some issues with a dodgy Y axis on our ULS M-300, I managed to buy an old ULS V-400, thinking that they were close in size and made-date (2002/2003), and perhaps the motherboards might be swappable.
But they're not!

The V-400 is a 600 x 450mm or 24 x 18" model.
It came with 2 dead ULS RF/ceramic air-cooled tubes, and a spare power supply, and a spare motherboard.
The original power supply is OK, as is the spare.
The sellers wanted to keep the lens.
But it won't boot up properly.
For $130, it's a nice solid box with rails, mirrors, and steppers and wires, safety sensors & a power supply.
(The drives for the 3 axes are all built into the single motherboard.)

I still figured it would be good value for parts of the M-300, but am now deciding that since finding a motherboard for it is likely to be too hard, and it won;t work in the M-300...

is there a recommended CPU card and drives like the Ruida 6442G, and a chinese tube that is worth getting, to make or retrofit the spare box into something useable again? Which drives would be best? Or is there a commercially available collection on Aliexpress etc?


I'd appreciate any recommendations or thoughts, thanks!

P.S. I do have an RDC 6442G controller here, bought for our 130w Chinese Goldenlaser, but at the moment, I'm content with that laser working OK with its own yukky software, and don't want to be without it while I change things there.

It would be useful to be able to get a ULS lens for it, rather than somehow fitting a chinese one to its chassis.

I purchased my used ULS laser from a local guy, who used to work for ULS back in the day (they are local to me also). He has a retrofit kit to speed up and replace most of the control stuff. Sounds like it might fit the bill for you. I can't say how well it all works as I am still running my laser with the stock components... but it might be worth checking out.

http://www.testra.com/laser/index.html

Thanks a lot Brian. I'll check it out.

So far they're not responded to my enquiries...

Has no one else here fitted new workings to an old shell of a laser?

I sent you a private email. He's in and out, so it might take a day or two for him to get back to you.

To be honest Ian the cheapest part of a machine is the superstructure. I've done a couple of retro fits on dead RF machines into DC machines and it's not really worth it. The parts you need will cost around the same as a Chinese laser of the same size and format.

Thanks, Dave - I did wonder...
but I also find the idea a bit tempting, not wanting to waste a good frame and servos etc.
What innards did you use, do you mind me asking - a kit from some supplier, or independent parts from several places?
And what drives & controller?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster

Thanks, Dave - I did wonder...
but I also find the idea a bit tempting, not wanting to waste a good frame and servos etc.
What innards did you use, do you mind me asking - a kit from some supplier, or independent parts from several places?
And what drives & controller?

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Was a Universal, one of the bigger ones that had a dead tube last time I did it.

I put a Leetro 6535 Controller in it, swapped out all the drivers and steppers to suit the Leetro card and PAD 03 control pad, an 80 watt (back then ZX laser tube) and an EFR power supply. The low voltage supplies were generic Chinese.A couple of bulkhead adaptors for the water supply and it was good to go.

All the Chinese cards will support servo motors (and RF tubes if needed) but ensure you wire it PWM if you want the best from the tube rather than the default analog

Rise times on DC tubes are a LOT slower than RF so engraving won't be great at the highest speeds and you still have the initial current spike (trigger) to deal with that you don't get on an RF unit.

It was fun, tedious and not really worth the cost but fun anways

Thanks, Dave, it gives me something to think about... though a working Universal motherboard would be nicer!

Dave, what X & Y axis drives did you use- Leadshines, or others?
Was the Universal power supply useable with the CO2 tube,
or did you need a fresh power supply for the controller and one for the tube?
Thanks!

There are usually 3 PSU's in a DC laser

One is the HV supply to trigger and run the tube (these are the most expensive) and output 20 - 30kV @ 20 - 35mA

One will be a mainboard supply that gives 24V / 12V and Possibly 5V

One will possibly be a replacement for the above, sometimes you get one to do the say 24V rail then another to do the 12V and 5V

Some setups have 2 (mine do)

Some have 3 and some redsails use 4 seperate supplies

An RF tube supply is no good, they are a far lower voltage (from 36 to 120 volts) but at a far higher current (20 to 150 amps)

Yup drivers are basic Leadshine DMA556's usually but you can get motors now with built in drivers (From CCM) that run at an incredible speed (easily keep up with a speedy 300) but figure on the set costing $1,500 for just the motors with built in drivers and high speed rails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlO0k23WFUc

Thanks, Dave.

Wow that's blindingly fast (on that Youtube video!) and is servos...

(This spare Universal here still has perfectly good stepper motors in it, though, but boy that CCA unit is fast!.)

Did you ever consider smaller cheaper drives , eg these 6600s ?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322800412033...MakeTrack=true