Going for Ray-Fine 6090; Need thoughts on config

[Animesh Ray]

Hello everybody!
This forum with it's brilliant members has been a god-send for me. Decided to go for a Chinese laser and this forum has by far been the most informative resource on the internet. So before I press the button on this deal, I would very much like to seek the advice of the learned elders of this forum.

Initially I shortlisted the following companies:

• G.Weike: Rejected due to a huge amount of recent bad press regarding quality control and support.
• Shenhui: Contact person stopped responding after some time
• Thunder: A little too costly for me.
• Sinjoe: Slightly cagey about their parts with most of them being self-branded. Also their machine couldn't be opened up to get it through my front door.
• Longtai
  
• Ray-Fine

Yarde from Ray-Fine and Blanca from Ray-Fine were both great over emails, and it was a very close contest between the two with almost same configurations. In the end I am tilting more towards the Ray-Fine because of Hiwin linear guides (which I have heard are good, Longtai can only provide PMI) and also due to the fact that Ray-Fine machines look better (silly me!). It must be kept in mind here that Longtai's quotation is $200 cheaper.

The Ray-Fine RF-9060 config:

• EFR F2 80W laser tube
• 900X600mm working size;
• Hiwin linear guide rails;
• Ruida RDC-6442S DSP controller
• CW5000 chiller
• Leadshine 3 phase stepping motor with driver
• Honeycomb working table
• Motorized Up and down working table
• Red dot pointer

The FOB Qingdao price has been quoted at $3100. Shipping to Kolkata (India), my home port through them is $100 extra.

Spare parts I am keen on ordering:

• 1 63.5 mm lens - $35
• 1 38 mm (1.5") lens - $35
• 1 76mm (3") lens - USD35
• 1 spare nozzle for 38mm lens - $15
• 1 Spare nozzle for 76mm lens - $15
• 3-piece set of mirrors - $30
• Drive belt for the x-axis - $10
• Spare power supply unit - $130

I would really like your views on this config. Am I missing anything? Is there anything I can discard (Motorized Up and down working table / Red dot pointer)? Am I paying a fair price for all the items?

Regards
Animesh

[Mike Null]

Animesh

Welcome to Sawmill Creek.

I have never owned a Chinese built machine but I think I would probably not buy some of the extras you have listed. For example, I would not buy the 76 mm lens nor the extra nozzles. I doubt that I would buy the power supply unit but that would depend on advise from others more knowledgable.

On the other hand, I would definitely go for the red dot pointer and the motorized table.

Good luck with your purchase.

[John Lifer]

I'll say that the longer nozzles probably won't be worth the money either. I bought a 38, 50 and 63. The 50 stays in 95% of the time. I've used the 38 on rare occasions, probably need to use it more, but the 63 is still wrapped up. I'd buy one extra of 38, and if you buy the 63 maybe an extra there. I WOULD by an extra tube. cheap and it would be easy to swap tube with extra mirror inside to save some time. The Red dot that comes with the laser is cheap and not well fixed. I converted mine to a dual linear red "dot". Getting it wired is worth it. Just be prepared to change out. Not sure if I would pay for the extra power supply, unless you don't think you can obtain in reasonable time frame. If you expect to use for anything that is cylindrical, get one of the rotaries. Way cheaper now rather than pay for extra shipping.

[Animesh Ray]

Animesh

Welcome to Sawmill Creek.

I have never owned a Chinese built machine but I think I would probably not buy some of the extras you have listed. For example, I would not buy the 76 mm lens nor the extra nozzles. I doubt that I would buy the power supply unit but that would depend on advise from others more knowledgable.

On the other hand, I would definitely go for the red dot pointer and the motorized table.

Good luck with your purchase.

I'll say that the longer nozzles probably won't be worth the money either. I bought a 38, 50 and 63. The 50 stays in 95% of the time. I've used the 38 on rare occasions, probably need to use it more, but the 63 is still wrapped up. I'd buy one extra of 38, and if you buy the 63 maybe an extra there. I WOULD by an extra tube. cheap and it would be easy to swap tube with extra mirror inside to save some time. The Red dot that comes with the laser is cheap and not well fixed. I converted mine to a dual linear red "dot". Getting it wired is worth it. Just be prepared to change out. Not sure if I would pay for the extra power supply, unless you don't think you can obtain in reasonable time frame. If you expect to use for anything that is cylindrical, get one of the rotaries. Way cheaper now rather than pay for extra shipping.

Thanks a lot for welcoming me and for your response, Mike and John! Advice from experienced users like you guys are solid gold for people like me. I guess I will ditch the 76 and maybe get a 50 then. I was under the impression that the 76 would be helpful when cutting through slightly thicker materials like 8mm to 12mm plywood. Will the 63 work fine for that?
I guess I will also go for just a single extra tube, and maybe skip the power supply.

[Mike Null]

I agree with John on the rotary device. I wouldn't be without mine.

I am not sure what "net" power your 80 will deliver but my thought on eliminating the long lens is that you may not have enough power to be efficient with it. Longer lenses dissipate power.

[John Lifer]

I cut 5mm decent quality plywood pretty easily with the 80 watts I have. 8 or 12mm would be very slow and difficult. If you really are using 8mm a lot, I'd think about 100 watts or even 120.....

[Jeff Body]

I would be alittle different.
Get the lens they mentioned above
Keep the power supply
And add a stepper motor to the order to have an extra.
As far as the tube, I've always read that they have a shelf life even when they aren't used. So it'd be better to buy them when needed.

I prefer to have extra parts on hand in case something breaks.
Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.

Oh and definitely get a rotary.

[Animesh Ray]

I agree with John on the rotary device. I wouldn't be without mine.

I am not sure what "net" power your 80 will deliver but my thought on eliminating the long lens is that you may not have enough power to be efficient with it. Longer lenses dissipate power.

Thanks for the explanation, Mike. Do you have any advice on what kind of rotary device I should go for, since as I understand there are multiple kinds to choose from?

I cut 5mm decent quality plywood pretty easily with the 80 watts I have. 8 or 12mm would be very slow and difficult. If you really are using 8mm a lot, I'd think about 100 watts or even 120.....

Hi there John! I will be mostly cutting plywood 6mm thick 95% of the time. Cutting 8mm-12mm will be a once in a blue moon affair.

I would be alittle different.
Get the lens they mentioned above
Keep the power supply
And add a stepper motor to the order to have an extra.
As far as the tube, I've always read that they have a shelf life even when they aren't used. So it'd be better to buy them when needed.

I prefer to have extra parts on hand in case something breaks.
Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.

Oh and definitely get a rotary.

Hi Jeff! Thanks for your comment and advice. Can you also suggest which specific type of rotary I should go for?

[John Lifer]

I would NOT get the 'hotdog' type rotary. too much math involved and you are limited by what would fit. I have the 4 Roller version, similar to Epilog's machine but much cheaper built. Works well. I ended up building a simple direct drive chuck type.
Was pretty easy and cheap except for the 3 phase motor. Ask what phase motors are installed for the Y axis. If 2 phase, then motors are cheap, if 3 phase, motors are double to triple the cost. I'm biased, would buy the 4 roller again. I don't change anything no matter the diameter (once I figured out the settings that is.....)

[Mike Null]

Some people have a problem with the hot dog type as they are not usually accurate if you have to make a second pass on a job.

[Kev Williams]

I'm admittedly biased here but the simple fact is, I couldn't get by with any sort of roller rotary. Very rarely do I NOT have to make second engraving passes when using a rotary, particularly true with powdercoated flasks. If your rotating work isn't married to the unit doing the rotating, there's no way to insure matching engraving passes. I can't think of a single instance where a roller rotary would've been easier or better than my 'chuck' rotaries. And FWIW my GCC's 'chuck' rotary doesn't even have a chuck, its headstock is fitted with a rubber cone. While it has its limitations, I can remove it and be free to 'improve' it any way I see fit. (as of yet that's not been necessary!) Not a lot of upgrade options with a roller. And more food for thought, the main reason I bought the GCC was because I had too much rotary business coming in for one machine to handle.

You never know if/when business will find you, have the right piece of equipment when it does

[Bert Kemp]

I'll also mention not to get a tube for the same reasons. They are warrantied from day of manufacture , and they have a shelve life, so if your tube dies in a year and you put the new one in and its DOA then what you have a tube you can't use and is out of warranty .

[Erik Goetheer]

Hi Animesh, welcome here. I have the same RF 9060 laser machine, bought it about a year ago. I wish I could add something new, but everybody above gave already some good advice. Indeed get an extra stepper motor (they are cheap), an extra stepper motor driver (at least, I did), probably a complete belt set instead of only for the X-axis (cheap too), possibly extra lenstube with air fitting and with nozzle for the 1.5" lens, extra 2" lens.

About the rotary, I bought it also, but I hardly use it. I think that the finish, especially on glass, is not that great. I much more prefer to etch glass (and stone, wood) with the sandblasting cabinet, which gives a far superior result.

As John said, I don't know if you will use the 3" lens a lot, I bought it also, never used it so far.

Quote from John: "I WOULD by an extra tube. cheap and it would be easy to swap tube with extra mirror inside to save some time." John means an extra lenstube, with extra lens (not mirror). I also advice this, as mentioned above. And I would advice not to get an extra lasertube (they have a shelf life).

I don't know what the advantage is of the ERF F2 series compared to the EFR ZS series, but the ZS series seem to have a much longer lifespan, 10,000 where the F2 is good for 6,000 hours.

Some other things to consider:
- There are counterfitted, non-S&A CW5000's being sold and although I don't think that Blanca will sell you a non-genuine one, it never hurts to ask her about this. BTW, I was also offered a CW5000, but there was a CW5200 in the box.
- Although I think, as many others, that Rayfine is a good company to deal with (Blanca sure is), it still is a Chinese manufactured machine with poor quality control. So be sure that you check all bolts etc. on arrival and that you give the machine a good clean. Yes, there will be greesy areas and you will find metal filings, metal splinters etc. I even had splinters under the brackets of the Z-table belt, causing those brackets not to be quite level.
- I would not get the little air assist compresser and for sure not the very loud centrifugal exhaust fan. The compressor is pretty worthless (you will feel an upgrade to a serious compressor is necessary within a few months) and the exhaust fan makes the same sound as an airjet, taking of from your garden. Better get a silent compressor that fits inline with your exhaust tube channel (don't know how it is called in English).
- Don't take the effort getting familiar with RDWorks, there is a better alternative available, Lightburn. Lightburn is new, it exists only since early this year, but it is already very good, heavily maintained and new releases with fixes and extra features are being spitted out almost every week. There is a webiste and a pretty active Facebook support group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1190357787764055/)
- Be sure to also get the knife bed (is it already included?). Just the honeycomb table won't be enough, for one thing this table sags a bit in the middle and if the knife bed is underneath it, the honeycomb table will be more flat. And for me, I hardly use the honeycomb table.

That's about it. I think that you will make a good choice with Rayfine. Oh, and the price sounds good too.