ULS Air Assist CFM Rate

[Robert . Payne]

Hi All,

We have a VLS 4.60 and we're having to replace our air assist source. The manual states 3.5CFM @ 50PSI but we normally run it at 10-15PSI. 3.5CFM just seems extremely high to me, I know it blows air on the mirrors and sorts but it still doesn't feel like it's draining 3.5CFM.

Has anyone actually taken a valve and measured the CFM drain rate on their air source when the laser is going? I'm betting it's closer to 0.25-1 CFM but I could be horribly mistaken it's hard to judge.

Cheers,
Robert

[Robert . Payne]

I have to correct my original post, ULS states 2.5 CFM @ 50 PSI not 3.5.

Anyways, I did an unscientific test using a loaner compressor we have and turns out @ 10 PSI on the machine gauge it does actually drain about 2-2.5CFM as the 1.77 CFM this compressor is rated for cannot keep up.

[Lee DeRaud]

Actually, both the 2.5CFM and 50PSI sound high to me, given the tiny tubing and orifice on the ULS air-assist plumbing. You might need that volume for the air-sweep attachment, but the pressure still sounds higher than necessary.
(Full disclosure: I don't use air-assist on my ULS.)