JPT guide/pointer laser issue

[Aaron Greenwood]

I just joined the forum and this is my first post. I have a JPT 100w fiber laser with the red pointer or guide laser. Up until about two weeks ago the red laser was working fine and then nothing. I was on vacation when it happened, so I'm not exactly sure what went down. The guy that was running it said that it just stopped working. I can still mark just fine, it's just annoying/time consuming to set up now because the lack of a quick alignment. I already went through the software (Prolase 7) and couldn't find anything there that would cause this. I may have missed something though. From what I can tell, the red laser is inside the main laser because it runs through the galvo mirrors to create the preview. Again, I could be wrong. If it helps, I am using a JPT YDFLP-100-LP1+-L1-R laser with a Sino Galvo SG7110 scan head. If anyone has any advice or ideas it would be greatly appreciated.

[Bill George]

I would contact the folks you purchased from or the maker of the machine.

[Kev Williams]

Could be the LED just died, I've had an LED on 2 different machines go bad recently-

The LED on these things, at least MINE ;) - is mounted in front of the laser's 'snout', and shines downward into a laser-transparent mirror- the fiber beam passes thru the mirror, the red beam reflects 90° to follow the same path to the galvo mirrors...

This machine is a 'portable', the galvo head is just a few inches right of the front of the machine
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overhead shot--
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If your setup is similar to this, as you can see changing out the LED isn't a big deal.

Finding one might be?

[Darren Wilson]

I have a 60W JPT and I asked my supplier if I could upgrade the red laser to make it brighter, he advise that would not be possible as it is built in the the source. You may have to go through your supplier to get serviced.

[John Lifer]

If it is the preview red laser, then it is built into the source and can't be changed without changing the source. (and that is what I read it was_) if it is the external alignment laser, then it is inside the horizontal section and can be replaced.

[Kev Williams]

The pics above are from my Triumph--

Because I couldn't stand it ( ;) ) I just now I pulled (for the first time) the cover of the scan-head housing off the eBay machine in my garage--
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and there's the LED in essentially the same place as on my Triumph, between the laser's snout and the scanhead.

All 3 of my machines have MAX lasers installed... And I'm confused about the difference between the 'preview' laser and the 'alignment' laser (not to be confused with external 'focus' lasers) because, they're the same laser, or at least mine are! 2 red LED's aren't needed... Once your machines fiber laser output is sized and shaped to your liking, you then burn the outline of your favorite square or whatever, then you adjust the red laser output to match it. Once matched up, your done. The red laser will now accurately display exactly where the fiber will mark when previewing. But while actually engraving, you'll likely notice the red beam during engraving isn't aligning to the actual fiber beam path, this is because the red laser is running it's un-adjusted path.

And speaking of brighter, while a brighter LED would be great for lighting up black materials, my Triumph (in the pics) has a DIMMER knob, and I use it extensively to dim the light for aligning to marks and previous engraving, the dimmer light makes it very easy to align to marks, vs the bright light making the mark near invisible. Also, the dimmer will just turn it off, which is also handy. Now that I have access to the LED wires, I may add a dimmer to this machine... ;)

[John Lifer]

460220No Kev, At least on both of my JPT lasers, I have NO vertical red lasers external to the source. See picture with hole.
I have an external focus point or line red laser and there is an INTERNAL to the laser source the laser that outlines the image.

[Aaron Greenwood]

Here is what i am working with. it does not look like i have the LED that was mounted behind the scan head like the other pictures. it does look like one could be installed and powered though. what is this missing LED supposed to do? i do have the two LEDs on the front of the scan head though. one other question, is the preview/pointer LED in the laser housing itself, or on the other end of the optic cable at the controller?
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[Kev Williams]

Pretty cool John--

I can't access your pics, Aaron, but since yours and John's machines are JPT's, and John's has no external 'tracking' laser, then it stands to reason yours doesn't either. I don't know how they accomplish it internally, but I'm guessing one benefit may be that the fiber optic cable aligns both the fiber and red laser output to each other by default, which would eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, correction of the red laser output to match the fiber laser output.

Any LED(s) on the front of the machine or on the scanhead are strictly for focus assist. They're okay but better is a measuring stick :) (especially if you use other lenses)

[Aaron Greenwood]

I tried re-uploading my pictures. Hopefully it works this time. Kev, it totally makes sense that the tracking laser would be internal. I am guessing there is no easy way to fix this. As far as focusing, I currently use a plastic "T" square as opposed to the two external lasers suggested by Jim at Jimani. How does the LED or external alignment laser on top work? Does it just give a visual outline of your image, or an actual preview? I work in a machine shop and we mainly use the laser to mark part numbers on small runs of parts. A lot of the parts are oddly shaped and are difficult to align in a reasonable amount of time without the alignment laser. I have used the tape and sharpie method, but the alignment laser was considerably faster. Plus, using ProLase 7, it has a galvo tracking which is super handy for initial alignment. Anyways, I appreciate everyone's help and insight. Hopefully I can get something figured out. Thanks again.

[John Lifer]

I'd go back to whoever you purchased laser from. When my source of my 50 watt died, the red outline died also. That was my first indication of an error. I expect it was the internal power supply dying rather than just the source, but It is a guess. I didn't break into the box, so I have no idea how they generate the red led on the JPT source. I DO know without that outline, I'd have a tough time doing a lot of my work too.

[Kev Williams]

A fiber without a red marker my fiber's would be as useless to me as chrome plated turd, I live and die by that red light- Just this morning I noticed on my Ebay1 machine using a 220 lens my red light is about .004" low from where the laser actually fires. So when I engraved the first part, which circular engraving that surrounds a hole with only a .015" margin, the 12-o'clock lettering was touching the hole while the 6-o'clock lettering was too low. I adjusted for the parts, but soon as they're done I need to re-align the red light! Yesterday I guy just shows up with an old Army belt buckle, that had been diamond etched years ago and very hard to see, he wanted to know if I could 'make it deeper'. I just letter-by-letter positioned new, bolder characters right over the old characters. Without the red light pointer, there's no possible, 'reasonable' way to do that! And I don't know how many times I've taken something off the machine only to find my lighting sucked and didn't look right once off the machine- with the red light, a loupe and some patience I can usually nail the original engraving dead on.

As to your snout Aaron (and John), that square hollow block seems to be made JUST for a pointer & mirror setup to be installed into, so if you could find a source for one (Cloudray on Ebay comes to mind), it would be a simple matter of installing a new one there and a little wire soldering to one of the controller connector plugs...

[Aaron Greenwood]

I've contacted JPT and since my laser is out of warranty, they suggested using an external guide laser. I also contacted Bescutter ( the machine manufacturer) and they have been more helpful, but we are still going back and forth checking different things. They wanted me to check the voltage of the power source to the missing diode in between the scan head and the laser body, but i can't seem to get a reading even after turning on the preview through the software. They also wanted to know the dimensions of the diode, but since it is missing, ill give them what i can measure from the epty bore. Kev, i did check cloudray, and a general ebay and amazon search for a diode and mirror, but i couldnt find anything. Of course i may not know exactly what i need, but i tried. thanks for the info anyways. ill wait and see what Bescutter has to say after i send the info they asked for. thanks again everyone for the help.