Focal lens

[Ray Beaty]

Can somebody please tell me why I can't get a strong beam to cut, I have cleaned all mirrors and lens and laser beam aligned but it still won't cut. Just get small spot from lens you can barely see!

Thanks in advance,
Ray

[Dan Kozakewycz]

Is it the right way up?

Convex face should be upwards, easy way to check this is if your reflection in the lens is the right way up, it's OK. If it's upside down, flip it over.

[Kev Williams]

While the convex IS supposed to be up, it will still work upside down. In some cases I get better cutting results with the lens upside down. The actual focal distance does change, it's about 2mm farther to focus mine upside down.

That said-- you say the beam is aligned but you get a small spot you can barely see, so how did you test the beam alignment? Do you have a lens cone, and is it on? Take it off and see if that helps. My beam is aligned perfectly but with my 4" lens and the cone on, the beam hits the cone so badly I couldn't cut squat. A longer cone is probably needed, but I just quit using the cone altogether. One time I had zilch for power, turns out a miller-moth had parked itself inside my lens tube! Check your lens tube and any other hollow spots in the beam path for moths, bugs, or spider webs...

[Martin Boekers]

What type of laser and power do you have? If you add this to your Signature block it helps us. :)

Are you using auto focus? If so can you double check after it focuses with the manual focus tool.

Did it work before and something changed or is this the first time cutting?

I'm not sure what mean by saying you get a small spot you can barely see, CO2 laser beams are invisible
to the eye.

Let us know what you find.

If you have a tube type air assist check to make sure the tube isn't blocking the beam path.

Is the beam size smaller than it's been before?

Do you have a red dot pointer? Some times this can lose alignment from the laser depending upon brand
if your using that and not the "Live" beam on alignment that could cause trouble. Did you test alignment
by putting a piece of masking tape over the entry point to the lens carriage an fire the laser manually to
see if it is burning in the center?

[Ray Beaty]

Thanks for the replays, I have a Hurricane 60w with no auto focus just manual. It was cutting fine and just quit like it has done before so I cleaned the focal lens which I have done before but it won't cut now. I just get enough beam that marks the material no matter what power I use it won't cut through. I put masking tape on the nose cone fired the laser and I get a burn spot you can hardly see. I have read where the nose cone will leave a 1/4 circle with a hole in the middle you can see, I don't get this. I put a piece of masking tape over the entry point of the lens carriage and the burn mark is slightly to the left inside the circle. I don't think it is the lens since I tried a spare I have and same think won't cut!

[Dave Sheldrake]

Hi Ray,

Try the tape test right in front of the tube exit coupler, see how the burn looks on at that point.

If it's still no use that will rule out the flying optics and final lens

cheers

Dave

[Ray Beaty]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the advice, I'll will have to wait till tomorrow to try this but I'll definitely will.

Ray

[walter hofmann]

hi there
how old is your tube? maybe your tube is gone and you need a new one. make the suggested test right in front of the tube if there is no real round burn mark then your tube is gone
greetings
waltfl

[Ray Beaty]

Hi Walter,

The laser tube is only 2 yrs. old and I have done the burn test in front of tube and have a good burn mark. Thanks for your suggestion!

Regards,
Ray

[Jerome Stanek]

Can you remove the cone and see what happens. the beam may be bouncing off the side

[Michael Reilly]

Even if the mirrors are clean, are they good quality? On my old Epilog, I found they degraded over time losing their silvering. I put a block of acrylic in front of the last mirror and found it was no longer the slightly oval shape but a really erratic one. I inspected the mirrors more closely and found they were in bad shape.

[john passek]

Does it raster ok.

[Ray Beaty]

Found the problem in the exit tube, the beam was on the right edge of the tube so I moved it to the center and now the laser is cutting perfectly. Thanks everybody your help!

Ray

Hurricane Ivan 60w
Corel Draw x5
Corel Draw x6