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Keith Outten
03-11-2005, 11:28 AM
Below is the picture of a situation everyone knows is in their future but just hates to think about. The picture shows the back of my engraver with the CO2 tube removed, its down on the flooor ready to be boxed and shipped back to Epilog for replacement :(

Sometime next week I should have the tube back and the alignment tool to reinstall the tube. I will take plenty of photos so those of you who have never been through this will have at least some kind of idea what you will have to do when it is your turn.

Lynn Kull
03-11-2005, 1:15 PM
Ouch! your right not fun.

Can I ask how long your tube lasted? Also did it just start losing power slowly?

I am surprised you have to wait so long for a new tube, thought they would overnight you a new one and you return the old one? Especially at the replacement price...

Lynn

Keith Outten
03-11-2005, 2:12 PM
Lynn,

My engraver is about 3 years old with less than 1000 hours of running time. The power loss happened within about 2 weeks. The cost savings from returning my tube first is significant. Shipping mine to Epilog was about $1250.00, read Peck's post below for more information concerning price and options for returning laser tubes to Epilog.

Lynn Kull
03-11-2005, 2:40 PM
My Versalasers about a year and a half old, when the tube goes, I am supposed to be able to call, get one here the next day and ship back my old one, all for around $850 for a 25watt. Guess well see in a year or hopefully two or three years. Lynn

Peck Sidara
03-14-2005, 4:35 PM
Hi Keith,

Peck here, with Epilog. I just wanted to clarify the replacement laser tube cost. Epilog offers two different laser repair prices. Return replacement & advance replacement.

The return replacement cost is 1250.00 and requires that the laser tube be returned to Epilog prior to a replacement laser being shipped out.

Advance replacement is 1500.00 and a core charge of 3000.00. Typically the replacement laser tube ships the very same day it's ordered, as long as it's ordered before 2PM MST. The core charge is merely a deposit to ensure that the defective laser is returned to Epilog. The core charge is 100% refunded when the defective laser tube is returned.

Essentially you can save 250.00 by sending your laser tube back to Epilog first.

This pricing is for the Synrad 25-35W laser tubes only.

Let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist in this matter.

Regards,
Peck

Keith Outten
03-14-2005, 4:49 PM
Thanks Peck for the information and for all your help with my laser engraver.

Peck, welcome to SawMill Creek :)

Mike Kurtz
03-14-2005, 11:11 PM
Keith,

Just wondering what is the Life expectancy of a tube such as yours in hours. I was hoping to get 2000 hours, mayby I was told to high.

mike wallis
03-14-2005, 11:48 PM
Hey Keith,
sorry to here about all the problems. A few months into owning my machine I went through about 4-5 tubes. Luckily mine was covered under warranty and they shipped each one next day air. Mine was fairly easy to change and after the 4th one it was a walk in the park. The hardest part was the alignment which can go fast or be very frustrating depending on how far out it is. The Epi-techs will be able to walk you through it no problem if its your first time (wear a headset).
Good luck and keep us posted.

Dean Flannery
12-22-2005, 4:43 AM
Hi Keith,
I'm new to this forum and am expecting to get my 1st laser within the next week,
I wanted to ask if your laser has set for long periods of time unused.
The folks I'm buying my rebuilt laser from told me that I should run it at least once per week or the laser tube could fail prematurely.
Any truth to that anybody?
Thanks

Ed Lang
12-22-2005, 8:46 AM
Keith,
I didn't know the Epilogs took some alignment when replacing the tube!

When I got my ULS, I unboxed the tube and placed it in the location slot and it locked into place. I can pull the tube and have it out in less than 30 seconds. To reinstall it (or a new one) is just the reverse and is just as fast.

I'll take a few pictures of mine and post for you to see soon.

Joe Pelonio
12-22-2005, 8:53 AM
My 24tt 45 watt tube died in just under one year, still on 2 year warranty.
(Epilog sales brochures for mine show 10,000 hrs life expectancy) If I had to pay would have been $2,300. Epilog was really good on helping with the replacement and alignment procedures. There was also a $150 deposit on the "tool" for alignment which overrides the interlock and has a button to manually fire a beam. After getting it all back together it took me close to an hour to get the alignment right. When you think you have it right, place some inexpensive material in and run a rastor job that uses the entire area including the corners, to make sure of even output. Don't return the tool until you're sure it's right. In my case shipping back that tool was the scariest part, I wouldn't want to try moving those mirrors without it.

Keith Outten
12-22-2005, 9:09 AM
Joe,

Good advice, I remember the alignment procedure well although it was simple it did take some patience.

Ed,

You are fortunate that your machine doesn't require an alignment step to install or replace the CO2 tube. Not having to rent a tool also is a plus, the procedure can be done on an Epilog without a tool but it would take a very long time.

My next engraver will have a longer warranty and hopefully a cummlative hour meter.

.

Mike Mackenzie
12-22-2005, 12:56 PM
Kieth,

The cumulative hour meter would be a nice addition to any laser system. However It probably won't happen. When the laser tube MFG's do a rated hours test they simply turn the laser on full power and shoot it at a brick in a controlled setting.

They simply bench test them this way. Once they are installed into a system there are a lot more variables into how they operate (power supplies, heat, electrical, environments,etc).

So these numbers that come from the Mfg's can and are misleading if they say that you should get 10,000 hours from a tube then it is only really a little over a year and a half based on 365 days at 24 hours per day and if you figure it out based on 8 hours per day it is only about three and a half years.

The real data comes from the field with the return rate and the failures of what components. Over time this data is collected and analyzed and then they can figure out the overall life span of a laser tube.

What most people don't know is that when a tube fails Most of the time it has nothing to do with the gases but instead with the electronics and there is no way to put time meters on those components.

My point being it would not make much difference if the cumulative meter still had 4500 hours left if the RF supply was the problem with the tube failing.

The only thing that is a given is that one day you will need to deal with your laser tube whether it be one year or ten years that day will come and all laser owners should be prepared for that day.

Keith Outten
12-22-2005, 5:38 PM
Mike,

From my prospective your description of the issue is dead accurate. It was the electroincs that failed in my tube not a problem with the gas. I have tried many times to make the point that you just made however your description is more clear than my effort.

In a nutshell I have warned everyone to include overhead costs with each and every job they do so they will be able to afford the repairs to their machines when the time comes. Your brand new laser engraver will break down one day and it may be sooner than your think.