Going going gone!

[Mark Ross]

Well it must have been about a year now...

Epilog 36EXT, 45W...laser is getting dim and we have had to slow down the speed. We cut with this thing at least 8 hours a day. I haven't been around this machine long enough to know how long I have between going, and gone. I know it will just continue to degrade, I am just wondering about how long from the time it is first noticed, to the time that we just can't use it anymore because it is just going to cause the machine to be set too slow.

Any hints?

[onur cakir]

8 hours a day and how many days a week ?

For a year is it 365x8=2920 hours ???? isnt it short lifetime for an Epilog ? I'm thrilled !

[Rodne Gold]

Are you sure it's the tube going , not perhaps misalignment or a bad mirror or lens.
In general if you lose 1/2 power in quite a short time , its an RF board issue and if you continue to use it after that its normally a total failure fairly shortly thereafter.
Regassing issues will result in loss of power quite constantly over a longer time..
Is there a warrantee?

[Peck Sidara]

Are you sure it's the tube going , not perhaps misalignment or a bad mirror or lens.

^^^ +1. Consult with tech support and keep us appraised. If it's been "about" a year, good chance it's still under warranty if it turns out to be the tube.

If it turns out to be the tube, there could be other factors affecting the life of your tube; humidity, room temp, dirt, dust etc.

HTH,

[John Noell]

If it turns out to be the tube, there could be other factors affecting the life of your tube; humidity....

Humidity also affects tube life? Just when running or contantly? (Living in the tropics near the ocean I always run only with Air Con running -- but there is no AC on it when not in use. MOST of the time it sits in high humidity.)

[Peck Sidara]

Humidity also affects tube life? Just when running or contantly? (Living in the tropics near the ocean I always run only with Air Con running -- but there is no AC on it when not in use. MOST of the time it sits in high humidity.)

John,

I should be more careful with my choice of words. The laser system is best used in environments where the temperature does not exceed 32*C or 90*F. Humidity is okay as long as the room temp does not exceed the manufacturer's specs. Humidity is okay as our lasers are air-cooled, not water cooled. Water cooled lasers in high humidity environments may cause condensation within the cooling lines/veins.

In your case, you will be fine because when in operation, the AC is on combating the humidity. Only when the humidity is extremely high causing the room temp to exceed the specs and the laser is operating should you be concerned.

[Mark Ross]

I'd post pictures of what this 36EXT looks like but I think I'd end up getting banned. This is in a manufacturing environment and we cut and engrave every day day after day on a production basis and from what they told me, 12-18 months is what the replacement schedule has been on this.

Now not having opened up the unit yet, (I have to have a nice day weatherwise because this machine is going outside to be cleaned) I am wondering since the unit is air cooled if I have a blockage.

We cut enough acrylic that there is a nice thick layer of "dust" all over the back wall near the exhaust ports. I think I might just take some pictures...kinda like the messy office contest, this could be the filthy laser contest.

Preventative maintenance schedules...if I ever work for a company that embraced that idea, I think I will have died and gone to heaven. PM is "Machine ain't working...fix it..."

[Jim Coffee]

If you haven't cleaned your optics you should start there.

[Mark Winlund]

My machine had power loss issues recently... turned out to be dust in the fan filters, cutting down on the cooling air. Washed them out, and we're back in business!

Mark

[Bill Cunningham]

When my tube went, it went fairly quick.. When we noticed a drop in power, a day or so later it was turning white/red romark 'brown'.. When we did a burn test using the target and tape, we could not even get a mark on the tape.. The new tube we installed, was, and still is, much more powerful than the old one ever was.. I think we had a low power tube right from the beginning, but was too inexperienced to know any different..

[Mark Ross]

Rate my dirty pictures...(why does that just sound SO wrong!). Anyone have a machine worse than this?

[Dan Hintz]

Rate my dirty pictures...(why does that just sound SO wrong!). Anyone have a machine worse than this?

Holy crap, Ross... I have three words for you:

MAIN TEN ANCE !

[Brian Robison]

Turn on the exhaust and then blow that thing out with compressed air. Wear a mask. Then clean the optics and grease the rods.

[Frank Corker]

Rate my dirty pictures...(why does that just sound SO wrong!). Anyone have a machine worse than this?

I doubt it Mark, that's looking pretty grim, you really need to flush out some of that dust there mate it's not good.

[James Stokes]

Unfortunatly my machine does look worse. I ran about 400 wood signs last week and it is nasty. But cleaning all of that off I still think it is worse.