Help SOS! My Laser Isn't Firing

[Tracey Bakewell]

Or whatever it's called! So I was up late last night playing with my logo, engraving with different settings, then finally went to bed. Turned everything off. This morning, jumped back into working with my settings and sent my first job to the laser, and there's no beam. Cleaned everything, tried again, nothing. The cartridge on the arm is doing it's thing, just no beam is firing. I'm going to try to see if the red line laser comes out if I open the door... just thought of that.

BUT since it's Saturday, I really have no one to call, and I know someone here will come to my rescue;)


UPDATE: So, I just tried it with the red line, and that works, tried the job again... nothing, no bright white laser beam.

[Mike Hood]

Door interlocks?

Sometimes mine will take a few minutes to fire up if the laser has gone into standby.

I'd reboot everything and start with the simplest checks first.

[Tracey Bakewell]

Thanks Mike... don't think that's it. Did the reboot, powered everything down, back up again, sent the job, did the red line, now even just trying to send a simple box with a red vector line. The red line will work tracing the box outline, but when I close the lid and run the same job, the laser does the motion of the box outline, then beeps successfully at the end of the job, but no beam.

[Mike Null]

I second what Mike said. On the interlocks check that they're all in place and not loose. There should be interlocks on the top door and the front door matched up to small magnets in each place. Your manual will have a picture.

Check your printer cable.

[Bill Stein]

Do you have a solid green light on the control panel before you start the job? If so, you should be good to go. If you have a flashing red light, one of the safety interlocks on the doors is not actuated. When I have a problem, it is usually with the front door and not the top door. Did you open the front door to clean, etc.? If so, try pushing the door around -- left, right, up, down, etc. -- to see if you can get a green light.

Bill

[Tracey Bakewell]

Printer cable is good, solid green light, all doors closed tight. Still nothing.

The job is making it to the laser, it shows up on the display -- currently only sending a small job that is a square box. The laser will go through all the motions of the entire job, it will raster the image, it will vector the image, everything -- just no image, no laser firing the entire time.

Any luck Universal will help me on a Saturday? I had a ton of weekend warrior work to get done! :(

[Tracey Bakewell]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
So, I just walked away from it as some one was suggesting earlier to give the door interlocks some time to warm up (still not sure) -- but I just left the machine on, sent the box job again and AHHH! A Box!!!! I will try again, the real job, keeping my fingers crossed!

[Tracey Bakewell]

OK! So, I'm back in business! It's just really cold in here this morning. Could that have anything to do with it? I thought these big machines liked cold climates? I know computers do.

Anyway, I won't be turning this guy off until I finish everything this morning!

THANKS EVERYONE!!!

[John LeBlanc]

It's just really cold in here this morning. Could that have anything to do with it? I thought these big machines liked cold climates? I know computers do.

You may want to check the specifications page in your laser manual. My manual states an operating temperature range between 50F and 90F, and 73F to 77F for best performance.

John

[Dave Jones]

Lasers do not like cold or heat.

[Tracey Bakewell]

I will do that. It was probably an easy 35F to 45F in here this AM.

[Scott Winstead]

It's probably the temp. - the ULS manual states the operating temps should be 50 - 95 degrees. I had a small issue with my interlocks during initial set-up but that was corrected pretty easily. Haven't had a problems since ... I think the ULS laser likes an environment similar to an office like your PC and printer.

[Dave Jones]

If you are keeping your laser in an unheated garage or workshop, you should rethink that. Many modern devices can be damaged when turned on in low temperatures, and can be damaged simply by storing them in very cold places.

[John LeBlanc]

Not to mention condensation...

John

[Tracey Bakewell]

We've converted our garage into part of the house actually, it's just not totally finished. We found the wall that is leaking cold air in and my "honey do" list guy is on the job!

[Mike Hood]

I don't think there's any true harm that come come to your laser if it's too cold in your garage, but like any ionized gas, temperature has a big part of power capability. If the tube won't light off... you won't get any output (or greatly reduced output).

Think along the lines of a flourescent bulb... the principal is the same.

[Tracey Bakewell]

That definitely makes sense! It's a steady 70 in here right now and holding!!! We're still working away. I'm about to post my project on pine that I've been working so hard on creating the past couple weeks. I would have just died if my laser wasn't working this AM!

[Ed Lang]

As well as room temp, a blast gate in the vent hose will prevent the cold from entering the machine via the exhaust.

Glad all is well.

[Pat Kearney]

I found a lot of cold air was coming back in to my laser so i put a blast gate in the pipe as well and it works great.

[Carol VanArnam]

BLAST GATE- where do you put it?

I have my laser---- then vent hose--- then exhaust fan----then vent hose to the outside. Where do I put the blast gate on what part of the vent hose?

[Mike Null]

I put mine right at the machine then to a 4" flexible metal line to the 6" line. I vent from a six inch line to a 4 inch line through the outside wall into a dryer vent. The dryer vent has a flapper which opens with just the slightest air pressure and closes when not in use.

Helps to keep out cold air and bugs. Using for more than 8 years now so I know it works.

[Joe Pelonio]

I use a dryer vent outlet too, the kind that has like 5 rows of louvers. Not only keeps out the cold, but also bugs and birds. When it turns black I know it's time to clean out my vent pipe.