Versalaser Air Assist Cone

Hi All!

I'm using a Versalaser VL200 with air assist cone and a SENSEN brand air compressor - model number ACO-818. This compressor is 385W, 220VAC/50Hz, 300L/min.

Previously I would often do vector cutting of acrylic (1 - 5mm) without the cone, only using it when cutting wood or leather. I realised that by doing this I have to clean the lens pretty often.

When I tried using the cone on all vector cutting jobs, I notice the prolonged cleanliness of the lens. However there is a quick built up of white crusty 'dust' around the mouth of the cone. It appears after a few jobs even when I have my air aperture on full. Inside the cone, this white dust creeps in about 1cm and stops. I have to clean the mouth of the cone after every few jobs.

I did my intuitive investigations based on my meagre technical knowledge and realised that when the compressor's air tube is disconnected from the VL unit, the air pumped out is strong and the air intake hole of the compressor is working totally fine. However when connected to the VL unit, there is a backflow of air coming out of the compressor's air intake hole. There is still air coming through the cone and when i place my fingers at both ends of the cone and can still feel some pressure.

I cleaned out the compressor's filters, check the tubes for holes, half dismantled my cone to clean the aperture holes and even vacuuming the hole at the back of the VL unit where the air tube is plugged, hoping desperately to clear any blockages and enhancing the air pressure. All these but to no avail.

Can someone advise me? My sales rep hasn't gotten back to me which leaves me to believe he has no solution either :confused:

You didn't say in your post, but did you adjust the air pressure at the valve where the air assist cone screws into the lens assembly?

Yes I've checked that. My valve is turn on to the maximum exposure.

I cut with the nosecone on all the time. It gets build up on it. The beam cuts it's path through it, but at the end of each sheet of plastic, I do take it off and clean it before putting a new sheet in.

Hey Scott, many thanks for your feedback. Any other cone users experiencing the same? If it's normal and not harmful to the lens, I guess I'll just clean the cone regularly then. I hope to hear from more cone users, do you experience built up on the opening of the cone???

IT seems to be the norm. Mine has always done it.
On some jobs I will pause and wipe the cone tip with a brush.

Howard Garner
VersaLaser 30 W

A compressor will not suck in any more air than it's capable of pushing out and will not push out any more air than it's capable of sucking in. I'm not familiar with your particular compressor, but if air is coming back out the intake while a restrictive nozzle is in place, the intake valve of the compressor is leaking back, I'm assuming it only has one stage, so this may normally be acting as a safety valve, and with extra wear, it may be leaking back at a lower pressure than normal spec.. Do you have a pressure gauge between the compressor and the laser, and if so how much does it rise when you put the nozzle on?