Mike Lysov
09-21-2013, 5:43 PM
Hi guys,
Does anybody knows what this part a standard laser tube called?
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/coasterdynamix/IMAG0636.jpg
It is not my tube picture, just found a sample picture to show what I am talking about.
It is an output window of a laser tube. I have been trying to find diagrams that explains all parts of CO2 laser tubes designs and some of them say it is a mirror.
To me it looks like a lens. Anyway I just need to know its name to explain my problem so I will call it lens below.
One day I found out that there was some residue from smoke left on the lens of one of my laser tubes. I may be responsible for this to happen to my tube because I have been covering the tube output window with the wrong material while I have been trying to align optical path of two tubes.
I did not know about all this residue from the beginning so I was running my laser for at least 300-400 hours before I discovered it. After I found out that the lens was dirty it was very hard to reach it for cleaning it because of the tube position but I managed to clean it with alcohol.
I thought I removed all residue except of a couple of small black dots. So yesterday I moved the tube back a bit, removed the gold colored ring from the tube end and cleaned the lens again. I could remove these two black dots and it looked quite clean but when I inspected the lens with a flashlight I could see there was something wrong. It looks like lens coating burnt showing some spots with rainbow colours. The second tube I have installed in my laser has nothing like this with its lens seems to be completely clean and not showing any other colours on its lens coating.
I do not know if its on outside or on inside side of the lens and I am not even sure if that's a coating problem or lens is dirty from the inside but I believe this problem affects cutting at the shortest distances laser beam traveling from the tubes. The kerf is quite thick there. No problems with cutting if the beam travels extra 30cm or so. It seems it affects the top left corner(the shortest beam path) and a 30cm square area from the top left corner. After that area I have a nice thin kerf.
I do not know if this problem with the lens will shorten the tube life or it just affects the quality of the beam. I was wondering if it is possible to remove the lens assembly from the tube and try to clean the lens from the inside. If it is possible I will either be able to clean it or I will at least know for sure that I have problems with the lens coating.
The tube I have is a GSI 140W model and it looks similar that the one shown on the picture below, The only difference that the ring on my tube is in gold colour. The one on the picture has a silver colored ring.
http://image.made-in-china.com/43f34j00HKuEZvPrJhqT/2013-Hot-140W-Laser-Tube-Water-Cooling-for-CO2-Laser-Cutting-Engraving-Machine.jpg
And on this picture you can clearly see what type of lens I am talking about.
If I can remove it and it happens to be a problem with the lens coating can this part be replaceable by a consumer or it is kind of job can be done by manufacturer only?
If I can do it by myself what are steps involved in order to remove this assembly and to put it back? These four screws look like they are responsible for beam alignment.
Does anybody knows what this part a standard laser tube called?
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/coasterdynamix/IMAG0636.jpg
It is not my tube picture, just found a sample picture to show what I am talking about.
It is an output window of a laser tube. I have been trying to find diagrams that explains all parts of CO2 laser tubes designs and some of them say it is a mirror.
To me it looks like a lens. Anyway I just need to know its name to explain my problem so I will call it lens below.
One day I found out that there was some residue from smoke left on the lens of one of my laser tubes. I may be responsible for this to happen to my tube because I have been covering the tube output window with the wrong material while I have been trying to align optical path of two tubes.
I did not know about all this residue from the beginning so I was running my laser for at least 300-400 hours before I discovered it. After I found out that the lens was dirty it was very hard to reach it for cleaning it because of the tube position but I managed to clean it with alcohol.
I thought I removed all residue except of a couple of small black dots. So yesterday I moved the tube back a bit, removed the gold colored ring from the tube end and cleaned the lens again. I could remove these two black dots and it looked quite clean but when I inspected the lens with a flashlight I could see there was something wrong. It looks like lens coating burnt showing some spots with rainbow colours. The second tube I have installed in my laser has nothing like this with its lens seems to be completely clean and not showing any other colours on its lens coating.
I do not know if its on outside or on inside side of the lens and I am not even sure if that's a coating problem or lens is dirty from the inside but I believe this problem affects cutting at the shortest distances laser beam traveling from the tubes. The kerf is quite thick there. No problems with cutting if the beam travels extra 30cm or so. It seems it affects the top left corner(the shortest beam path) and a 30cm square area from the top left corner. After that area I have a nice thin kerf.
I do not know if this problem with the lens will shorten the tube life or it just affects the quality of the beam. I was wondering if it is possible to remove the lens assembly from the tube and try to clean the lens from the inside. If it is possible I will either be able to clean it or I will at least know for sure that I have problems with the lens coating.
The tube I have is a GSI 140W model and it looks similar that the one shown on the picture below, The only difference that the ring on my tube is in gold colour. The one on the picture has a silver colored ring.
http://image.made-in-china.com/43f34j00HKuEZvPrJhqT/2013-Hot-140W-Laser-Tube-Water-Cooling-for-CO2-Laser-Cutting-Engraving-Machine.jpg
And on this picture you can clearly see what type of lens I am talking about.
If I can remove it and it happens to be a problem with the lens coating can this part be replaceable by a consumer or it is kind of job can be done by manufacturer only?
If I can do it by myself what are steps involved in order to remove this assembly and to put it back? These four screws look like they are responsible for beam alignment.