Epilog Zing problems still occur...

[Ron Chapellaz]

Well time for an update here with my quest for consistant depth when engraving....
I am lasering into 1/8" baltic birch ply, all taped down to keep things flat. I am engraving 24 identical pieces: 4 columns X 6 rows on a single sheet. I am still using the old mirror as Epilog sent me the wrong one this week. I cleaned everything up and rotated the damaged mirror to see if that would make a difference. I did an alignment and leveled the table as well. The rails and lens carriage were all cleaned up as well before this project was started.What I see now is the engraving is looking distorted or bold looking going up the column from piece to piece in the exact same spot. Looking over to the next row is the same thing but in a different area of engraving. SO it appears almost like a band that runs up the entire row. The vertical bands occur every 1 1/2" across the table. So it definitely has a repeating pattern at the exact same spot running through it. Has anyone seen a vertical banding effect with their laser? I did 4 sheets of 12" X 16" and they are all identical as far as the placement of the banding.
I know I will eventually get this pinned down with the help of the members of this forum... New mirror should be here this week, but not sure if that will solve the problem.

[Dave Russell Smith]

I have banding issues with my laser for quite awhile now, even though they have not disappeared it seems to a problem most laser suffer with them now and then. Its more noticeable on larger pieces of work :(.I've ran through all the trouble shooting ideas but to no avail so its a case of living with it and limiting my self on the size of work that I engrave

[Mike Ireland]

Vertical banding is usually mechanical based; check the belts and bearings for uneven wear. Horizontal banding is usually laser tube based.

[Peck Sidara]

IMHO, Any type of banding that isn't caused by the artwork, PC or peripheral is not normal and shouldn't be something you should have to live with.

Samples with pictures and time for trouble-shooting should be directed to our technical support group for resolution.

We have an awesome group of experienced laser users from different backgrounds/fields here who can help diagnose technical related inquires and offer their valued opinion but ultimately, resolution comes in the form of the manufacturer.

recommendation: Keeping all things the same (artwork, material, firmware, driver, PC etc.) Run a job & keep the sample for future reference. When the new mirror arrives, run the same job with new mirror and compare. Keep both samples for technical support to review and continue working with them until it's resolved to your satisfaction.

[Ron Chapellaz]

Thanks for the input. I received a call from Epilog this afternoon. The Zing is a very different beast compared to other Epilog lasers, and still a relatively new system, even for the tech guys. The Zing is run by pulleys and has no encoder strip. I was told today to look into a pulley that may be dirty on the right hand side of the unit. Because this is happening every 1 1/2" it must have to do with the mechanics of the lens carriage moving back and forth. I will take things apart tonight and clean things up, and tomorrow I will run the same job again to see what the results are.

Dave, I agree with Peck, you shouldn't have to work with a machine if it causes you to have limitations in what you can do. You should really look into the issue. It may take finding the right tech at Epilog to figure things out, but well worth it in the end... So far, I am happy with the tech support I've received at Epilog and here on the forum!
I'll post my results tomorrow...

[Dave Russell Smith]

recommendation: Keeping all things the same (artwork, material, firmware, driver, PC etc.) Run a job & keep the sample for future reference. When the new mirror arrives, run the same job with new mirror and compare. Keep both samples for technical support to review and continue working with them until it's resolved to your satisfaction.

You are right in every aspect, but the above quote can get spendy if you are running a large job 2'x3' granite job, and yes you do run a good tech dept but some things do get missed or not replied too.No body is perfect

[Bill Cunningham]

You are right in every aspect, but the above quote can get spendy if you are running a large job 2'x3' granite job, and yes you do run a good tech dept but some things do get missed or not replied too.No body is perfect

Dave find a local monument (Gravestone) company, or a company that does granite countertops. Sometimes their the same company. They always have tons of scrap pieces in a pile out in the yard. Any of the companies I have talked to, are more than willing to let you sort through it, and haul off as much as you want. I always root through a pile a couple of times a year, and pick up some interesting shapes, sizes and colours. I usually run a portion of a job photo on this stuff, whiten it up a bit, and if it looks ok I drop in the real stuff and run it.. If there is going to be a problem, I know about it before I ruin a good piece of stone.. No need to run tests on stone you paid good money for..

[Ron Chapellaz]

I finally figured out what the problem was with my Zing. The 3 little wheels (attached photo) that run back and forth across the X axis were dirty underneath...
I had cleaned the sides that roll along and make contact with the Axis, but never thought to actually remove them. There was a fine powder that had formed underneath about 1/32" in height. It must have been rubbing and this is what made my text looked bolded every 1 1/2" across the table. 1 1/2" is what one revolution of the wheels on the X axis amounts to. Once I cleaned it all up my engraving looked even. No more bold looking. I contacted Epilog to let them know as they hadn't suggested this and were very appreciative that I took the time to call and let them know what the fix was.
I thought I would post this for future Zing users as this seems to be a unique issue with the Zing model. It is not a big deal to do, as it only took me about 5 minutes to take them off and clean them up.
I want to thank everyone here at the forum for their tips and suggestions. It is greatly appreciated.