LaserPro Mercury - problem

[Jan Mrovec]

Hello
I have problem. I must changed the mainboard on laser.
But if I do 500DPI and 500PPI is all OK. But if I do 1000DPI and 1000PPI I thought that the quality will be better ..... but laser doing gap.
Please ..do you not know where is the problem?
Thanks

[Craig Matheny]

Jan,
I do not know why this is happening but is it the photos or is the text in the 1000 not as good also?

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Jan;
I assume that you are trying to mark the material, not cut it. If so, your ppi setting is virtually meaningless as it has a much greater bearing in the cutting process. In this case, why are you running at such a high dpi? Dpi applies to the number of vertical increments being engraved, i.e, 500 dpi means that your laser will make 500 back and forth passes in one vertical inch (vertical being the y axis). It is difficult to tell the relative size of your text/design from the photos, but guess that 300 dpi would be fine for everything other than very fine small text. At 1000/1000, I sense you are near the DPI imits of the Mercury. However, I also have a Mercury and ran the same text/pattern at 1000/1000 and results were fine-no gap at end.
Why did you change your mainboard-assume problem did not exist prior to the change? Wonder if your tickle voltage is a bit off and needs a slight adjustment?
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[Jan Mrovec]

Hello
Thanks for the reply.
Yes...this is only mark.
It's a new machine 4 months old.
I had problems with communication USB - Windows XP 32 bit.
LPT and Win 64bit are OK.And so was the exchange motherboard.
I have more problems ... (see the picture - 500DPI 500PPI 10%speed ....it´s mark to). Technik exchange engine X.
Resulte is better .... But not 100%.Still be exchange engine Y. He recommended me to work at 1000dpi.
foto_laser_2.jpg

[Mike Null]

Jan

Welcome to SMC.

If this is a vector line as it appears to be then it is not likely that your dpi setting is relevant. That said, it is a poor example and I think the problem lies in the adjustment of the belts, bearings, rollers etc. Also, be sure that your mirrors and lens are focused and secure.

It would be interesting to see a rastered example as well.

[Jan Mrovec]

Hello
Thanks. Yes...vector line is on engine and belts.
But I do not know why laser does after replacing the motherboard at 1000DPI gap.
Before not do it (first post)
thank you

[Richard Rumancik]

Jan, a few people are confused here (me included). You said both images were "mark" images. But sometimes people say "raster marking" and "vector marking" so it is confusing. It would be better to tell us if an image is a vector image or a raster image.

Please clarify - are the 2 images shown created by raster or vector?

[Rodne Gold]

The first picture appears to be a ramping problem , the laser is engraving less on corners and "slow" sections because of some ramp setting , either turn on or off ramping and see if it gets better. I forget where the ramping setting is on the mercury , either its in the driver (software) or its on the front lcd panel settings.
The 2nd picture is not the same , that is very bad engraving and poor curves and that is , as mike points out , either a slipping cog on one of the motors , a bad motor , a dirty shaft encoder , something sticking or loose belts or dirt on the rollers , a loose mirror or a loose or cracked lens.

[Jan Mrovec]

Hello
I'm sorry but this is my first machine, and I now everything learn.
All images are "vector"
Engineers do not know what it is. They ordered the replacement parts so we'll see.
Thanks

[Richard Rumancik]

Thanks Jan. Now at least we know what you are doing. People here will try to help.

. . . I have more problems ... (see the picture - 500DPI 500PPI 10%speed ....it´s mark to). Technik exchange engine X. Resulte is better .... But not 100%.Still be exchange engine Y. He recommended me to work at 1000dpi.

I don't understand why they asked you to work at 1000 dpi for vector marking. Either they don't understand the machine or you misunderstood the instruction, because the dpi setting shouldn't affect the quality of a vector mark. Only the ppi should have an effect. I suggest that you ask them to explain.

Yes, the second engraving looks bad. What parts are they planning to send you to replace?

[Jan Mrovec]

Hello

It was a change of engine X. It's better but not 100% Now waiting for motor Y.

But why does the laser gap yet nobody knows. After replacing the motherboard and started to do it.

[Richard Rumancik]

Since this started after the mainboard was changed it seems unlikely that the x-motor or y-motor was causing it. Unless you had more problems than the mainboard going on at the same time.

Did you download the correct firmware into the mainboard? Or did your dealer to that? When you start the machine, the control panel should display the firmware version. Record that and tell us what it says.

What LaserPro machine do you have? I assume it is the Mercury II as you say it is new. What year was it made?

Did you try to turn off ramping as Rodne suggested? Ramping used to be a control-panel setting but I think it is now all done in the driver. Check your manual. Originally it was either on or off, but now I believe it can be set for each color in the driver. If ramping is tuned on (checked) then uncheck it for the colors used and see what it does. The fact that the energy is fading at each corner suggests that possibly the ramping function is not working right. It is supposed to reduce power to prevent over-burning on corners but in your case it almost seems that the laser is turning off on corners.

[Andrea Weissenseel]

Richard, on some GCC Machines it seams like that DPI settings affect vector cutting. When I bought my Spirit it was not like that, but when I had troubles with the machine and the firmware was updated, DPI all of a sudden influenced vector cuts.

I just looked at the picture in post #4 - this is exactly the problem I had with my machine. They never found out what caused this. X- and Y-motors, belts and wheels were changed, finally also the mainboard. I don't know what helped, but I'm getting clean cuts again now, except the edges of acrylic are not as good as they used to be. IMHO all troubles started with the firmware update.

[Rodne Gold]

Andrea , why don't you revert back to the old firmware?

[Andrea Weissenseel]

Lodney, they don't know which firmware version was installed previously We did try a couple older versions, but I think that once you install a newer version which includes code which is not covered by the older version, that those parts will not be overridden when you install the older version again. That's why we exchanged the MB, because I hoped that the pre-installed firmware will be the old one but since it was newer also the newer Firmware was on it.