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Dave Rawn
07-18-2006, 5:01 PM
I don't have a clue as to what is happening here. The laser cuts normaly and then powers down and then powers back up leaving the piece uncut in the area I have noted with arrows. I have checked everything I can think of incuding alignment, clean lens, and any software issues. I'm using
corel X3 as my laser software.

TIA
Dave

Mitchell Andrus
07-18-2006, 5:03 PM
Post the Corel file. Probably something stupid.

Mitch

Dave Rawn
07-18-2006, 5:06 PM
This pattern of cutting and non cutting is affecting every file that I use

Mike Mackenzie
07-18-2006, 5:20 PM
Dave,

What laser are you using that might help to get some answers for you.

Dave Rawn
07-18-2006, 5:25 PM
My laser is a Epliog Legend 32 75 watt

Dave Rawn
07-18-2006, 5:38 PM
I Forgot to mention that I cut baltic birch at 100% power and 50% speed

Joe Pelonio
07-18-2006, 5:52 PM
Is it cutting lines but not curves? Have you tried a file that worked before? I'd get on the horn to Epilog Technical Support, and e-mail them the file. When my tube went out it was cutting and not cutting randomly,
this is a really odd one.

Mike Null
07-18-2006, 8:27 PM
50% speed sounds pretty fast for vector cuts, have you tried slowing it down--maybe to 20 or 25?

Dave Rawn
07-19-2006, 7:12 AM
I have tried different speeds and does not make a difference I have cut all of the 1/8th inch baltic birch at 50% speed and 100% power and have not had a problem. I have used the same files for almost 2 years and they have all cut normaly untill last friday when the problem started. Last nite I started to cut a new pattern and the same problem started after the second sheet.

Rodne Gold
07-19-2006, 7:52 AM
I dont have your laser , so dont take what I say as gospel but it
sounds like a tube overheating issue , first thing to check is that the tube isnt overheating , open the tube enclosure and used canned air to blow all dust off tube fins , fans , vent holes etc , IE make sure you have the volume of air circulating and clean metal surfaces for any heat exchangers. Also check the motherboard and blow the dust of it and any driver ics etc. Check with your mnfgr if its ok before doing any of this!!!!

Bernhard Rameder
07-19-2006, 8:34 AM
For me it looks like your laser tube is not working correctly or you have any file transmisson problem. Does it happen after you pressed the first time start or after the job is already stored in your machine?

Dave Rawn
07-19-2006, 10:50 AM
I do routine cleaning on my laser twice a month and had just cleaned all of the cooling fins. the motherboard is clean and dust free. The laser is located in a air conditioned room with additional fans blowing cool air on the laser. When I start a job it cuts the 2 or 3 sheets out perfect and then it will begin to power down and power up first missing one or two pieces then on the next sheet it will miss cut 3 or 4 pieces and this will get worse with every sheet I cut.

Bruce Volden
07-19-2006, 11:06 AM
Dave

I tend to agree with Rodne, you have an issue with the tube! I've replaced several over the years and it was always the tube, it would start out fine and then as things "heated up" the cut quality diminished. I've even had the beam "glow" yellowish instead of white when engraving an object. On the other hand the tube could be fine and the laser electronics went sideways which is the same thing basically:mad: . Keep us posted.

Bruce

Shaddy Dedmore
07-19-2006, 4:49 PM
seems like too much of a fluke for the failed cut portion to be in the same spot for each object like that. Would the laser fail like that due to heat?

It's in different spots on the table, but same within the object, so it would appear to me to be a problem with the file. Maybe something's corrupting the data.

Shaddy

Lee DeRaud
07-19-2006, 5:25 PM
You've got a file that has a whole array of these shapes, and the same subcurve of some of them is cutting at a different power level. I've got to agree with Shaddy on this one: no way is that a hardware issue. Easiest way to tell for sure is to mirror the entire job both vertically and horizontally and rerun it...see what (if anything) fails.

Narrow it down:

First, go into the object manager and make sure there isn't some hidden cruft on that page that's confusing the driver: all you should see is a regular array of your shapes, anything else should stick out like a sore thumb. Then...

1. Copy one of the ones that fails to a different page (same position) and cut it by itself. If it works, the file is ok, so it's probably some kind of buffer overflow issue. If it fails, move it to a "good" position and see if it still fails: if it does, the problem is in the file...maybe that curve is getting set to the wrong color for some reason.

2. Copy one of the ones that works to a different page and move it to a "failure" position. If it works, move it back to the original page (replacing a failed one) and see what happens.

3. Flip the whole array vertically and cut it...see if the same ones fail.

4. (Assuming your driver supports it) Select one row at a time of the original array and cut it as a separate job. If they all work, problem is probably in the driver...if one or more of them fail, problem is in the file.

Al Mutairi
07-19-2006, 5:32 PM
To test if the machines CPU software processing is malfunctioning , do the following :
Send the file from the PC to the Machine every time you change sheets , don't use the stored file in the machine for more than one sheet. If the problem goes away then you know its a CPU issue , if doesn't , then you have a problem with the tube.

A message to the admin, please change my user name to Al Mutairi , thanks.

Mike Null
07-19-2006, 11:34 PM
have you tested a raster file. If it rasters ok it's probably not the tube.

Dave Rawn
07-21-2006, 9:09 AM
I have tried every thing all of you have suggested and none seem to help. I have contacted Epilog tech support and we are working on the problem. Thanks for all of your suggestions and I will let you know the outcome of the problem.

Dave

George M. Perzel
07-22-2006, 8:09 AM
Hi
There was a very similar problem posted on this site about a year ago by a guy in Canada who makes pieces for railroad layouts-will try to find it but some of you may have a better memory than I do.
George

George M. Perzel
07-22-2006, 8:17 AM
Just found it- check out post by Tim Warris on 3/31/2005.
Good Luck
george

Dave Rawn
07-22-2006, 8:53 AM
Hi George
It sounds like the same problem that I have and he checked everything the same as I did. I read all of the posts and he did not say if he got the problem fixed or not. Right now I am working with Epilog tech support to get the problem fixed. I will keep you posted and let you know what we find

Dave

Lee DeRaud
07-22-2006, 10:08 AM
Just found it- check out post by Tim Warris on 3/31/2005.
Good Luck
georgeTim's symptoms were a bit different: on his, it looked like beam power was fluctuating slightly over very short straight spans, rather than at transitions from one subcurve to another. And if it's a hardware/driver issue, his solution (if any) won't help, since he's using a different manufacturer's laser.

Ken Frazer
07-22-2006, 1:48 PM
Hi:
I had the same trouble with a 36 EXT and it ended up to be the table was warped causing the focus to be radical. Do some test pieces on anidized aluminum and see if the engraving is consistant across the board. The ones that don't engrave Re-focus and see if it comes out ok. I realize your vectoring but it really don't make any difference if your focus is out due to warpage. I replaced the table and the problem was solved. The warpage was only 1/16" and it made a tremendous difference. The warpage was in two areas of the table and the table was still reading level as well as the machine.
Thanks, Ken

Lee DeRaud
07-22-2006, 3:37 PM
Bruce Volden mentioned something in Tim Warris' thread that struck a bell:
are you running a screen-saver program? Could be it kicks in at a certain point in a large job and interferes with the driver.

Dave Rawn
07-31-2006, 10:56 AM
Good Morning to all
Well the problem is solved. It was the electronics in the tube that was going bad and creating all of the problems. With the help of tech support at Epilog in Denver (Peck) I got a new tube shipped to me next day air. After getting it installed and my laser back up and running all of the problems went away. I have been running for over a week now and it has not missed a single piece all cut out perfect. Thanks to all on the creek who helped to try to get the problem solved for me. A note to anyone who is looking into buying a laser make sure you have the best tech support. Over the years with my Epilog laser the tech support that I have recieved from them has been priceless.
Again Thanks To All!

Dave