Replacing Epilog Helix Laser with Chinese or other less expensive laser

[Tim Bateson]

I've removed my statements I had just posted here. Biting my tongue as I do so. Grrrrrr I hate being the bigger person!

[Paul Phillips]

Colby, here is another source for used lasers you might have a look at if you haven't already.
http://www.laserresale.com/?fa=app.alllistings
Also, if you find a used tube that needs repair, it looks like these guys might be a possible help, maybe even another source for used tubes.
http://photovaclaser.com/?page_id=212
BTW, I took no offense at what you said, but whole heatedly agree, in fact it seems like a horrible wast, for what?
Paul

[matthew knott]

Good tips from Paul there, unfortunately ours is not for sale as it goes on our EXT36 and one day i WILL get the bloody thing going and we spent 2$k getting the tube refurbished. We got a C70 coherent of ebay years ago for $600 and made a galvo co2 from it, still working well. The price of these things is truly shocking, there's is not much inside them but the market it pretty much sewn up but Trotech has started using a new supplier and their tubes look fantastic, hopefully the cost will go down but i doubt it, and that doesn't help you right now. I wonder where the removed tubes go,(like to find that skip) they might be sold on, also lasers can be used in the processing on radioactive material and the like so it might be the rules that they cant be sold on. I have purchased used lasers from the US Military in the past but years ago.
Found this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coherent-G...item5d3da8260f not sure what the power is (not 350 watts) but they look like this

PS Big respect to all the vets and troops, Im sure no one meant to cause offence.

[Colby Boles]

I figured you weren't selling it. I had already spoken to that Ebay seller - they don't know much about that "350W" laser, but from the specs I can tell is is likely a ~35W model. It might still be a good deal for someone.

[matthew knott]

Yeah if it was a 350 watt i would have it ! I thinks is a 30 watt, it needs to be longer and with 2 more fans for what you need. Having said that you dont have to put a 70 watt laser in it, depends what you plan to do with it. Also i think (i dont know) the collimator-beam expander might be missing from your machine as they attach it to the front of the laser tube (is the case on our epilog).

[matthew knott]

And Universal sell OEM tubes they make and they where much cheaper than DEOS and Synrad when i called, might be worth a call

[Colby Boles]

Yes - I will also need the beam combiner so I can put a spotting laser on it too. Synrad at least lists these optional parts on their website:

http://www.synrad.com/diodepointer/index.htm

[Richard Rumancik]

I tried to find some background info as to why the US government would remove the lasers from the systems offered for sale. I did not find a definitive source document, but the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, which is a US government lab, has their own Laser Disposal procedures. Other government agencies may be using similar logic in their disposal procedures. The lasers on eBay probably did not come from LBNL, but Berkeley Labs would probably have done the same thing according to their procedure.

Here are some excerpts from the document:

Laser Disposal Guide (excerpts)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/US Department of Energy

All lasers that utilize electricity as their main energy source and were manufactured prior to July 1, 2006, will most likely have Lead in their printed circuit boards. Therefore these boards need to be disposed of as electronic waste (e-waste). There are United States regulations such as export control and European Reduction of Hazardous Materials regulations, known as RoHS rules, that affect how and the manner surplus lasers are to be dealt with. Here in California there is the CA Dept. of Toxic Substances.

Government Regulations on Export Controls

Export controls are extremely complex and are subject to change at any time. Some technologies cannot be sold to sources outside the United States. Hence, lasers at LBNL surplus should be destroyed rather than put out for general public auction. They may still go on the DOE surplus property list for other national labs to use. Experience has shown questionable value of such lasers at the end of their lifetime to others.

Lasers, which are to be surplus or disposed of by LBNL are not to go to public auction. This is due to concerns over the misuse of the laser system; one example is lasers being used to expose commercial aircraft pilots while in flight. The laser must be rendered unusable.


ref: http://www.lbl.gov/ehs/safety/lasers/assets/docs/Laser-Disposal-Guide-2012.pdf

[Colby Boles]

Interesting.

The thing that is silly is that these particular lasers are not some military or other secret technology that is not otherwise publicly available - these are lasers the rest of us can buy and sell within the US without any issues. The misused lasers referred to in this document were publicly available units, not something left over from the "Star Wars" program or a fusion project. Also, the RoHS argument is a weak one - virtually all non-RoHS manufactured electronics have lead in them, yet I see plenty of other electronic devices from the government sold as surplus. For example, the motherboard on this Epilog machine does not appear to be RoHS, but they left that.

[Colby Boles]

I have found a source of numerous Coherent C70A lasers which should be adaptable to the Epilog and will probably purchase a few. If anyone else is in the same boat and has purchased one of these machines, PM me.

[Colby Boles]

Also, does anyone know the expanded beam size used on these machines? I guess I could just measure all of the optics and do something a little less. Just thought I would check.

[Dmitriy Pichugin]

If this source of Coherent C70A is still available, please PM me. Thank you.