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Thread: Weird split beam from Laser Tube. (Epilog Helix)

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    49
    Just wanted to complete this thread with a final update.

    Epilog has really come through. Jon and Terry at Epilog Canada had my new tube to me in 1 business day.
    I installed the new tube and did an alignment. The new tube was so freaking powerful I ruined a couple products with my old speed settings lol.

    Extremely happy with Epilog right now.

    Well... fun holiday but I guess now it's time to process back orders

    Thanks Guys!

    Kirk

  2. #17
    Great to hear everything went well!

    Had the same thing with the new tube: So much POWEEEEER. Had to recheck all my settings. It may be that they overpower the tubes and over time it might drop to the original settings, but so far cutting away with more power than with the old tube.
    Henri Sallinen
    Cardboard designer with a Epilog Helix 24 60w + Gunnar Matboard Cutter + Heidelberg Windmill letterpress

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    49
    Henri,

    Have you experienced a loss in power yet from the day you got the new tube? If so, how long has this been.
    I'm starting a log. Every month I'm going to engrave the same material with same settings and log out how it changes
    over time.

    And that's the thing... they do overpower them but how long until that drops. 6 months, 1year (assuming fulltime shop).

    Because I need this thing to run like this all the time so I can get high quality product out faster.
    I've considered just paying the 3-4k every 8-9 months to have it recharged. I can't stand when production has to be slowed because of a faulty tube.

    I've also considered looking into a Trotec with the ceramic tube. Apparently the gasses don't leak because it's completely sealed and
    fired in ceramic. And also the metals don't interact with the gasses because it's ceramic not metal. I just don't know how much of that claim is true...


    Anyway, the trotec 120 Watt is in my sights. Just need to grow big enough

  4. #19
    My LS900 I bought new in 2004, and the GCC Explorer I bought from Gary almost 2 years ago...

    About 3 years ago my NH rep gave me a new mirror for over the lens, it was a yellow-coated mirror, the original wasn't. That day, and every day since, it's had more power than day one. I know this because of saved settings from day one. I've had to speed up or power down every previous setting. So after 13 years, I can safely say the tube in this machine hasn't lost a step since new (knock on my head) ...

    The GCC, about 4 months or so ago, I decided to yank away from the wall and clean the bottom mirror-- this machine's tube is mounted horizontal at the bottom, so it has FOUR mirrors, and I hadn't touched that bottom one. HOLY crap, what a wake-up that was! So for at least the time I've owned this machine, it hasn't missed a beat either! (knock on my head again)...

    And the common denominator in keeping the power up-- Mirrors...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  5. #20
    5 months in and the power is still up with about 4-5h / day running time on weekdays. I'd suggest going with a trotec. I've got my on one myself but it might be too expensive and might have to go with a Laserscript machine instead. We do quite a lot of cutting and very little engraving so a cheaper machine could do the trick for us!
    Henri Sallinen
    Cardboard designer with a Epilog Helix 24 60w + Gunnar Matboard Cutter + Heidelberg Windmill letterpress

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    49
    Hey Kev,

    Yea I often wonder how much power is lost in mirrors and glass. I think my tech told me 5% on this lens. But I'm wondering how much mirrors come in to play.
    And how higher quality mirrors might gain a few extra wattage points.. Good point to keep an eye on these

    Henri, Yep trotec is what I'm excited about these days. Not cheap, but amortized over 10 years and the speed of the speedy... I think its a safe bet if you have the business
    to make use of it

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