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Thread: Epilog Helix 40w Raster Problem

  1. #1

    Epilog Helix 40w Raster Problem

    Hi, all...
    I have one problem ...
    My machine started doing this :
    EPILOG.jpg
    What is wrong?
    Is it a laser ? Optics? Mirrors? linear encoder strip??

    I have a big order but I'm stuck!
    Please help!

  2. #2
    Not sure what we're looking at- looks like the masking is still on whatever the substrate is?

    What I DO se is top half of bears head looks to be engraved with power varying, bottom half not so bad...

    What is engraved appears to be aligned, so (to me) that rules out encoder strip. Usually the engraving will 'walk' left or right when encoders are dirty-
    But if it IS showing misalignment that I can't make out, then it could be encoder... Cleaning them usually isn't tough, good place to start-

    Can you post what it's supposed to look like, and more info?

    Based strictly on the top half of the bear, to me, that looks like a tube not firing correctly...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  3. #3
    Same effect at different speeds? Different power?
    If you engrave that same design at a different Y position
    do the band stay in the same position on the table or go with the engraving. If moved then dirty mirror and misalignment. From your picture it looks like it is position dependent.
    Do two engravings in the same position come out exactly the same? That would almost confirm the above.
    If not the then did you take out your lens and look for loose debris that might be jiggling around in there. I have had it happen. Metal filings left over from the manufacture of the head came loose and partially occluded the lens. Looked clean when tipped down but flying around in there while in use. I wasn't engraving but my cuts were inconsistent.
    Last edited by Joseph Shawa; 09-14-2016 at 9:38 AM.
    Chinese 6040 by NiceCut. Originally 60 Watt upgraded to 150 Watt.....I thought I had pretty much every problem in the book of laser cutting. It turns out that there is a set of books.

  4. #4
    My friends im sorry i havent reply to your messages i had some issues! I was moveing to another apartmdnt ! And i dont know why but i didnt get warning on my email for the messages here in SMC! ! I just saw what you wrote and ill bring you all the answers during this day! Thank you very much!!

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    Not sure what we're looking at- looks like the masking is still on whatever the substrate is?

    What I DO se is the top half of bears head looks to be engraved with power varying, bottom half not so bad...

    What is engraved appears to be aligned, so (to me) that rules out encoder strip. Usually, the engraving will 'walk' left or right when encoders are dirty-
    But if it IS showing misalignment that I can't make out, then it could be encoder... Cleaning them usually isn't tough, good place to start-

    Can you post what it's supposed to look like, and more info?

    Based strictly on the top half of the bear, to me, that looks like a tube not firing correctly...

    The engraving is on Plexi sheet!
    It's not the encoder strip because there is no "walking" left or right of parts of that picture and I have cleaned the encoder strip, I cleaned the encoder reader lens and I bought new X axis flex cable just this morning!
    But the results are the same!





    U asked me to upload what is supouse to be, but i dont know what u mean? Do you want me to upload older pictures of the same engraving, before i had issues or something else?

    As for more information about this poroblem i know that if i change the position the mistakes are on diferent parts!

    If i put it in low speed (of course i low down the power depending on the speed ) i get the better results!

    Smaller shapes with reduced S and P are good as u see on pic 1:
    Picture 1 ____ epilog 2 resize.jpg

    Also if put raster on bigger engraving (with the reduced speed and power) the engraving is better but not 100% good as u see on pic 2:
    Picture 2_____epilog 1 resize.jpg

    If u need more informations please contact me !

    Thank you in asvance!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Maple, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    1,010
    Ivica,

    If you are getting better results when lowering raster speed I would suggest to look for loose mirror or lens. Also check that belts are tight to the mfg. spects.

    Gdje ti je lokacija

    Pozdrav is Kanade
    Trotec Speedy 300 - 60w, with Quatro CSA-626 fume extraction
    Xenetech 1625 x2,
    New Hermes TX pantograph, CG4 cutter grinder
    Brady Globalmark2 label printer,
    Assortment of custom tooling , shears & punches, heat bender.
    Software: Xenetech XOT, Corel X3, Bartender label software

  7. #7
    QUOTE=joseph shawa;2603730]Same effect at different speeds? Different power?
    If you engrave that same design at a different Y position
    do the band stay in the same position on the table or go with the engraving. If moved then dirty mirror and misalignment. From your picture, it looks like it is position dependent.
    Do two engravings in the same position come out exactly the same? That would almost confirm the above.
    If not the then did you take out your lens and look for loose debris that might be jiggling around in there. I have had it happen. Metal filings left over from the manufacture of the head came loose and partially occluded the lens. Looked clean when tipped down but flying around in there while in use. I wasn't engraving but my cuts were inconsistent.[/QUOTE]


    As u said effect varies depending on position and if the speed is lower (and of course power reduced depending on speed) the result is much better!

    epilog 2 resize.jpg as u see here the circle and ellipse are not 100% good but ok and they have been engraved with reduced speed and power!

    And here :

    epilog 1 resize.jpg u see raster on the upper bear head that was done with reduced speed and power and below that, you see the same picture a little bigger size with the same speed and power but lower quality!

    So sometimes my machine does the same thing with the same preferences different!

    I have changed focus lens just a while ago ( i bought a cheaper one ) but it was working very good and it stays firmly in position ! As for the cleaning of the lenses and mirrors I do it on a regular basis and depending on how many jobs I do! So everything is ok from that side! I had a problem while ago also with alignment , I still have some issues but I will try doing again all over!
    I had a problem while ago also with alignment , but everything is ok with that also!

    As I mention it now...I do have a little problem with alignment ... The thing is I have a suspicion that one of the guiding rails ( those round bars on the left and right side of the machine that for the Y movement ) that they are not leveled good, so when I tried to do alignment last time I had big problems!! The red dot ( aligned first with the laser beam of course) have been going too much left and right, up and down from the center of target!! I did all sort of moving mirrors in all directions until after 3 hours i made id and did like 95% of precision ( i hope u understand me on this) !
    example .. when I start the alignment the red dot is ok on positions 1 and 3 and on 2 but on 4 is way off! but as I told u after 3 hours I found a combination of the mirrors that put the beam just a little off the center!

    I hope I gave u enough info but if I was confusing please write to me!!

    Thank you in advance!

  8. #8
    pozdrav Toni! Ja sam u Srbiji!
    Pozdrav iz JAgodine!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Maple, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    1,010
    Ivica,

    I have a good friend (Dragan) with same last name but he is originally from Sarajevo.

    Hope you sort out the issue you are having with your laser. I never worked with Epilogs before so not much to offer from here.
    Trotec Speedy 300 - 60w, with Quatro CSA-626 fume extraction
    Xenetech 1625 x2,
    New Hermes TX pantograph, CG4 cutter grinder
    Brady Globalmark2 label printer,
    Assortment of custom tooling , shears & punches, heat bender.
    Software: Xenetech XOT, Corel X3, Bartender label software

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