laser tube lifespan question

[Kasey Maxwell]

My question is, will a tube last longer if you never use it to cut and only use it to engrave, I'm assuming that it you engrave at 70 power it would use less tube power than if you were to cut at 70 power ?

just curious......

Thanks

[Dan Hintz]

Not an easy question to answer (or prove) as it depends upon so many factors... but one basic generalization can be made, and that's tube lifetime can be extended when it remains at the same temperature for long periods of time rather than constant heating/cooling cycles. Seals last longer, electronics last longer, etc. Not taking the unit to max power helps with longevity, so one could make the conclusion that running at some non-max power level for long periods of time is better than running short jobs at full power with long lag times in between.

[Gary Hair]

Not an easy question to answer (or prove) as it depends upon so many factors... but one basic generalization can be made, and that's tube lifetime can be extended when it remains at the same temperature for long periods of time rather than constant heating/cooling cycles. Seals last longer, electronics last longer, etc. Not taking the unit to max power helps with longevity, so one could make the conclusion that running at some non-max power level for long periods of time is better than running short jobs at full power with long lag times in between.

That's all good but you forgot the phase of the moon and the magnetivity of mars - I KNOW they both have an effect on the lifespan of a laser and I can prove it! (not really but didn't that sound convincing?)

[Rodne Gold]

RF tubes will last as long if you run at 100% power or 1% power (in my experience)..their reliability is a crap shoot..some last 10 years + , some fail 6 months from new....
Glass tubes will have severely shortened life running at 100% power... as with RF tubes , reliability is a crap shoot...however they have more finite lifespans then RF tubes..cheapys at about 1000 hours , better quality tubes , maybe 5-8000 hours...
Heat is the enemy of both types , make sure your cooling systems are up to snuff.

[walter hofmann]

Hi for 40W glass tubes there are many factor but the most important are: - the cooling water temperature should never go higher then 28C ( 83F) it should stay between 20 to 22C, - the max current should never excite 18mA better around 16mA, - this factor need a gauge not eye balling or finger testing. greetings waltfl

[Mike Null]

As others have said, there is no data to support any of the theories so I guess mine is as good as any. I am a believer in keeping your laser in a moderate atmosphere, 50F-90F and moderate humidity, 30-70%.

I keep my machine in my basement which is heated and cooled and my current tube is in its 7th year. My competitor, a short ways away, has the same machine and he's completing his 7th year with the same tube. His is in a retail store.

I have seen no evidence that cutting vs. engraving reduces tube life--at least from anybody who I believed was credible.

[Ken Baker Overland Park, Ks]

We run the heck out of a 45 watt 2005 Epilog still on original tube with no sign of output degradation. We burn 6-7 days a week at max power. The techs at Epilog have repeatedly told me that one of the biggest factors in prolonging any tube's life is actually regular and frequent usage. Before we got so busy we used to run it in vector at 100% for several minutes every day or so empty.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Large body tubes have a max temp requirement of between 20 and 22 degrees to get the best life, warranties are also affected by the current applied to them.

Evidential issues that support Rod's post are that Chinese PSU's are unstable, running a PSU (Glass Tube) at 100 % all the time can result in over current being applied to the tube and burning away the electrodes.


Not taking the unit to max power helps with longevity, so one could make the conclusion that running at some non-max power level for long periods of time is better than running short jobs at full power with long lag times in between.

Supported by the fact tubes have a strike power requirement, they are hit with max output when they first fire so lots of short starts will apply higher average current over time (again leading to electrode burn)

This *could* confide that engraving would do more harm than cutting (lots of strike times applied) but that is simply deductive logic and may not be real world when you take into account engraving is done at a lower overall power.

On a normal narrow body tube running it at 18 to 20 or 26 to 28 *probably* isn't going to make much difference if the temperature is kept stable.

My last narrow body EFR F2 80 watt did 5,500 hours cut time running on a chiller that ran 24/7 and never went outside of 17 to 20 degrees.It was still running fine when I swapped it out for a ZX1850 earlier this year.

cheers

Dave

[Kasey Maxwell]

i picked up my zing in 2009 new and i noticed that it is having difficulty in the cutting mode, I used to be able to cut 1/8" baltic birch comfortably at 50s 65p @ 500f but now I need to use 25s 90p @500f, im assuming this is a sign of the tube failing ? it seems to be engraving just fine. if I use 50s 65p it simply won't cut all the way through the wood.

thanks

[Dave Sheldrake]

Tube degradation or wood variation Kasey, both can do it. Could also be the final lens coming to the end of it's life or even the mirrors. The parts of the optical train can make a huge difference to cutting ability. That said at 4 years old, it is likely the tube (source).

cheers

Dave

[Michael Kowalczyk]

i picked up my zing in 2009 new and i noticed that it is having difficulty in the cutting mode, I used to be able to cut 1/8" baltic birch comfortably at 50s 65p @ 500f but now I need to use 25s 90p @500f, im assuming this is a sign of the tube failing ? it seems to be engraving just fine. if I use 50s 65p it simply won't cut all the way through the wood.

thanksKasey,
2 simple things
1 digitally check the thickness of your material. some 3mm comes in at .123" some at .119. it makes a difference.
2 check ALL mirrors and make sure they are clean and alignment is spot on.

[Kasey Maxwell]

is there a way to check the life of the tube, like a gauge or meter that wont break the bank, maybe rent one ?

Thanks

[Michael Kowalczyk]

I know there is one that I rented from Trotec. Not sure who else has it but I would check with your salesperson who sold the laser to you and go right to the source but if you didn't check it before, you have no benchmark to check it against. although you will know where you stand now.

[Kasey Maxwell]

as far as I understand the sales person company that sold me the machine went out of business, I believe the name was A.C.E.S. (Advanced cutting and engraving services)

[Dan Hintz]

The Power Wizard is what you're looking for to check the power level... I believe LaserBits still rents them for $100.

[Rodne Gold]

Your optics and alignment will make a significant difference , but you would soon see if the mirrors or lens is damaged enough to make you have to cut at effectively 1/2 the speed you were doing so when new. Alignment will show by cutting a thickish piece of acrylic (8mm) and looking at the cut edges , if they slope alignment is probably out , but that too should not make the laser work at 1/2 the speed. If the laser is cutting at one point and not thru at another , most likely alignment too.
We take a piece of exact 3mm thickness acrylic and cut it at the usual power/speed at all locations on the table , if it doesn't cut thru at a corner etc , we then know alignment is probably out , if it does not cut thru at all points , even after optics are cleaned , we then know its a tube issue..we do this about once or twice a month on all our lasers.

[Bill Cunningham]

My first tube lasted 4 years, but I may have shortened it's life by sucking the vent air through it from another room/floor using a metalized plastic 4" vent line. The inside liner collapsed and the laser shut down once due to over heating, although it may have been running for a while in a over heated mode. When I installed the new tube, and one mirror, I moved the blower to the machine and installed metal vent lines in a short route to the outside. The current tube has lasted 6 years now and shows no sign of slowing down. I'm running on the same lens and encoder strip. However besides the tube, I have burned out two x-motors. and a lcd display modual. I keep a spare lens,encoder strip and x-motor, on hand just in case. Epilog is now selling direct into Canada (at U.S. Prices they say!) and The old dealer was bought out by Trotec. A new, bigger machine will be in the works soon, just have to decide which one.