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View Full Version : Dot size on a 60 Watt vs 80 Watt Reci Tube



Bill George
02-20-2015, 9:43 AM
Thinking of getting another machine. Happy with the one I have now but thinking the new machine should be 60 to 80 watts. I think anyway the 60 watt glass or metal tube is as large as I want to go for engraving. But I thought someone said the 80 watt Reci can be turned down to equal the smaller dot size of the 40 or 60??

Thoughts. New machine would be used equally for cutting and engraving.

Dan Hintz
02-20-2015, 12:33 PM
Are you talking about the final, focused dot size? If so, that's due mainly to two items... the focal length of the lens and the diameter of the beam hitting the lens (with respect to the lens' diameter). Generally, the 80W tube is going to have a larger beam diameter, and while larger diameter beam can often lead to a smaller focal dot (if handled correctly), it's typically not of as high a quality as one would like and leads to the opposite. 80W is definitely the tops you'd want to go if engraving is your thing... they're difficult to get a stable lase at low powers, so you can easily overpower "power-light" substrates.

Bill George
02-20-2015, 12:56 PM
Are there any "special" longer life 60 watt glass tubes? I understand the RECi tubes start at 80 watts and I am trying to avoid the metal tube $2,000 recharge cost.

Scott Shepherd
02-20-2015, 1:01 PM
Bill, wasn't there another brand of tube being mentioned around recently, that was better than the RECI? I can't recall the name, but I thought Dave S. was mentioning them not too long ago.

John Noell
02-20-2015, 1:33 PM
Dave Sheldrake has said he likes the EFR tubes. He has also commented on 60 watt tubes.

Bill George
02-20-2015, 1:37 PM
That is what I was trying to remember, the EFR tubes. But as I recall very little info online about that tube.

Rodne Gold
02-20-2015, 3:43 PM
Im using a 60w EFR tube right now , exceeds the reci 80w in terms of sheer cutting power and equals any of our RF tubes for resolution..

Bill George
02-20-2015, 5:11 PM
Im using a 60w EFR tube right now , exceeds the reci 80w in terms of sheer cutting power and equals any of our RF tubes for resolution..

Hi Rodne, So did it come with a LaserPro or GCC machine or did you source it someplace else? Does it require a special power supply or controller?
I don't want to lose resolution when engraving but would like the extra power of a 60 watt tube.

Dave Sheldrake
02-20-2015, 10:02 PM
That's the one chaps, the 60 watt EFR tubes are amazing, bang for buck they easily outstrip the 80 watt RECI by a good margin. You will need to check the PSU output to see if it will run the 60 watt tube Bill, many supplies do but some of the cheaper ones won't.

I'll give a distributor buddy a call if he's about tomorrow and get the exact power figures for you.

Tubes in general...it's EFR every time for me from 80 watts to 210 I've yet to find anything under GSI spec that can match them in DC drive.

cheers

Dave

Rodne Gold
02-21-2015, 12:01 AM
I cant remember if we had to change the PS , we were running a cheapy 60w tube in the machines and I think we just swapped the tube...delighted with the 60w EFR and when our reci 80w machines tube goes poof , we will run a 60W EFR in it