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View Full Version : Time for a Tune-up?



Mark Sipes
02-17-2014, 7:04 PM
Oil, filter, timing ,valve lash, tire rotation.......oops wrong forum..

Well with all the concern over centering and focus I figured it was about time to put my Trotec through a gauntlet of tests to see what needed to be adjusted and or replaced. I guess you could call it a tune-up. My Trotec is a model Speedy 25 created in 2001. So after 13 years of 6-8 hours a day 5 days a week... etc etc.... a good going over was in order...... Now this is not to say I have not maintained the machine. Daily lens cleaning, monthly beam alignment, x-motor replacement (3) , x axis end bearing set (1) , and CO2 recharge (1) one broken lens (operator error) (note to self - "always make sure you clean your lens with a cloth under the lens in case it slips out of your grip")

I ran a test for text readability from 24 pt to .5 pt to look for clarity and line definition. The lettering looked fine down 7 pt. Not that I ever go under 9 pt But the line straightness (tracking) was all over the place. Wow looked like a drunken sailor on a Friday night...... Called Trotec and got tech to provide the instructions for X-Axis Linear Bearing adjustment. after inspecting and tightening the 12 Hex head screws that hold the linear x-bar to the x axis and making sure the laser head and belt were set to specs it came down to a x-linear bearing replacement. Took a modest 2 hours to pull the x-axis and replace the linear bearing. Re-ran the aforementioned test and the laser was tracking like a Canadian trapper (that's good) I then leveled the table and ran a wedge (slope) test to make sure the Focus Fixture was measuring correctly. 12" x 2" Black anodized Alum with a line scribed in center, sloping from table height to 3/4" up (trophy marble). Used focus tool to adjust laser height to scribed line ....in theory this should be optimal focus. Created a single Vector line in Corel 12" long and ran a cut line up the middle. The laser beam did not vary in thickness but gave a good clean 3.5" line through the center scribed line with a center shift 1/4" down the slope. So with a slight mod to the Focus Tool..... We are back to a near factor machine. 3pt text is now possible again.

An average over a 13 year period about $300 per year in maintenance cost.......Less than my truck and more profitable..:)