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Thread: Please Help! Laser wont fire - but will with power supply test fire LED D18 flashing

  1. #1

    Please Help! Laser wont fire - but will with power supply test fire LED D18 flashing

    Hi, I have a major issue with my laser and am unable to get help due to Covid-19 restrictions preventing our Australian technician from being able to come to my state and troubleshoot it. This is for my business and we've had ongoing issues for 4 months.

    GCC X380 glass tube 100 water later

    BACKGROUND

    Issues 2 blown X motors - not sure if related or if due to x motor belt tension being too tight but assumed belt tension as both motors went about a week after service and x motor replacement.
    2 power supplies blown
    1 laser tube died (almost 3 years old so understandable). New one replaced but water inlet tube snapped when rotating tube into position (broke under tube weight as it rested on the inlet tube) We repaired the water inlet hose by using pvc tubing inserted into the hole and securing with silicone and cable ties. No leaks and were able to start cutting with the laser again.

    2 weeks ago while cutting the laser made a 'tick' sound and stopped cutting in it's track, the head didn't move from it's last working position and the control panel brought up the firmware number suggesting it reset.
    After this happened the laser power supply would struggle to turn on, with the fan flicking every second. Sometimes it would turn on, but now it wont at all.
    We have replaced the motor.

    CURRENT ISSUE
    The laser tube will fire when pressing test fire on the power supply the laser will fire and burn the test wood.
    When doing glass laser tube test the laser will NOT fire.
    When running a cutting file, the laser will NOT fire, despite the red laser LED light going on, on the control panel, suggesting it's working.
    On the high voltage control board, when turning laser on, LED D18 will turn on green, then start flashing radily. The flashing slowly to a slow blink before turning off all together.
    I replaced the high voltage control board and on the new control board NO led D18 would light at all.
    I made a 3 amp and 15 amp connection wire to override each of the circuit breakers and this did not fix the issue.

    The laser is connected a 10 amp single powerpoint with surge protector. No other equipment was running at the time of the 'tick' noise when the laser shut down.
    PLEASE HELP

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
    Posts
    4,441
    You need the technician and is this a New machine? Just from reading your post I'd say you have power source issues and need to put on some kind of line and power supply conditioner to feed your machine.
    Last edited by Bill George; 08-15-2020 at 8:36 AM.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill George View Post
    You need the technician and is this a New machine? Just from reading your post I'd say you have power source issues and need to put on some kind of line and power supply conditioner to feed your machine.
    Thanks Bill. Yes, I really do need the technician but due to Covid-19, he can't travel to my state and the people he was training don't know enough yet. Im up ship creek without a paddle.

    We have tried different power points and a different power source from a different fuse box.

    I'm wondering if the EMI filter could be the issue?

    The laser is about 3 years old.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
    Posts
    4,441
    You need something LIKE this or with a battery back up from Tripp Lite but you need 220 volts, this is just a suggestion... https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-LC...tronics&sr=1-4
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  5. #5
    Yeah, we have always had it on a surge protector which its always been on until last week where we had taken it off to test if the x motor issues were mechanical or electrical. The x motor was due to the belt being too tight, but we think now its been hit by an electrical surge, so bought this protector yesterday and have plugged it in https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/b...power-board-2m

    We need to figure out what is stopping the laser from firing now though as its not getting power to the power supply.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
    Posts
    4,441
    Is the water flowing in tube cooling system and are all door switches working? Your damage may already done, the protector you purchased is better than nothing but with all the problems I would go with a Tripp-Lite one with the UPS protection. At 200 USD it would have saved a lot of issues with your machine.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  7. #7
    GCC X380....

    Wish I could say this is the first time I've read of trouble with those...

    Need a bit more info

    What cooler/chiller are you running?
    Do you have a 3/4 pin flylead from the machine to the cooler?
    Does your 380 have a water flow sensor?
    Does your 380 have door switches?
    What is the average ambient temperature like where you are?
    Where is the "tick" originating? is it from the electrical system around the controller board or from the area of the high voltage connection on the laser tube?

    cheers Dave
    You did what !

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sheldrake View Post
    GCC X380....

    Wish I could say this is the first time I've read of trouble with those...

    Need a bit more info

    What cooler/chiller are you running?
    Do you have a 3/4 pin flylead from the machine to the cooler?
    Does your 380 have a water flow sensor?
    Does your 380 have door switches?
    What is the average ambient temperature like where you are?
    Where is the "tick" originating? is it from the electrical system around the controller board or from the area of the high voltage connection on the laser tube?

    cheers Dave
    Hi Dave, I don't think it's the chiller as it's working fine and we have good flow. Both the door alarms and water flow are functioning which the laser picks up and allows the control panel to turn on as if it's letting the laser cut... but no power getting to the laser power supply to trigger the fire.


    What cooler/chiller are you running? WE HAVE THE S&A INDUSTRIAL CHILLER CW - 5200
    Do you have a 3/4 pin flylead from the machine to the cooler? I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS SO I'D SAY NO..
    Does your 380 have a water flow sensor?YES BUT THE ALARM IS NOT TRIGGERED AND WE CAN SEE WATER FLOW MOVING
    Does your 380 have door switches? YES. THE DOOR ALARM TEST WORKS. ALL 3 LED LIGHTS RELATING TO DOOR AND CHILLER TURN ON AND CONTROL PANEL DOOR LED TURNS OFF MEANING THEY ARE NOT PREVENTING THE LASER TURNING ON. THE RED LASER CONTROL PANEL LED TURNS RED WHEN LASER IT MEANT TO BE FIRING WHEN CUTTING, BUT NO BURN IS TAKING PLACE.
    What is the average ambient temperature like where you are? AT THE MOMENT ITS ABOUT 15-18Deg CELCIUS IN THE WORKSHOP
    Where is the "tick" originating? is it from the electrical system around the controller board or from the area of the high voltage connection on the laser tube? THAT 'TICK' NOISE ONLY HAPPENED THE ONCE AND WE ARE NOT SURE WHERE IT CAME FROM AS WE WERE A FEW METERS FROM THE LASER AT THE TIME.

  9. #9
    sounds good,

    If the HT PSU ignites the tube on test then that is ruled out as that bypasses everything in the safety system.
    Leaves the Low voltage rail supply and the main controller card

    Do you have the means to test the outputs from the low voltage supply? (ie: stick power into it and probe the outputs)

    If it's not the LV supply that will likely mean the controller card. They can be easily damaged by a short of voltage spike (and ironically a spark out is usually heard as a tick or low volume crack as one of the tracks pops)
    You did what !

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sheldrake View Post
    sounds good,

    If the HT PSU ignites the tube on test then that is ruled out as that bypasses everything in the safety system.
    Leaves the Low voltage rail supply and the main controller card

    Do you have the means to test the outputs from the low voltage supply? (ie: stick power into it and probe the outputs)

    If it's not the LV supply that will likely mean the controller card. They can be easily damaged by a short of voltage spike (and ironically a spark out is usually heard as a tick or low volume crack as one of the tracks pops)
    Spot on Dave.
    I got hold of our technician and we went through checking the power supply. There was no power going through to the orange wire. We then tested the cables from the main board to the high voltage control board.

    Ive picked up a new main board and am about to install it.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Clare Taylor View Post
    Spot on Dave.
    I got hold of our technician and we went through checking the power supply. There was no power going through to the orange wire. We then tested the cables from the main board to the high voltage control board.

    Ive picked up a new main board and am about to install it.
    You get used to it after a while Clare
    You did what !

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sheldrake View Post
    You get used to it after a while Clare
    I've now replaced the main mother board and the laser is back working.
    However, we do still have the original bugs/gremlins/glitches that we suspect caused the initial electrical power surge... assuming the EMI filter, circuit breaker and surge protectors would prevent external surges from frying the laser (nothing else electrical was running at the time of the laser's internal power surge that caused the laser to stop in its tracks)

    When in test mode and testing glass test tube, the control panel will freeze after the first power up test.
    This happened before changing motherboard and is still happening.

    When running in normal mode with new motherboard, the control panel now does the following new issues:
    - fades intermittently
    - constantly has the Laser red LED on
    - glitches and removes some text and/or
    - flicks between version number to operating screen (suggesting connection issues, but only did this once so far)
    - intermittently cuts out the air compressor despite correct settings to turn ON air compressor.

    Ive attached a copy of the control panel cable end that goes into the motherboard - I dont think they're in good condition as the are bent up and have been pulled through the little hole twice since the issues started, due to removing the lid to replace the x motor. We copied what the local service technician (who's learning) did to remove the lid.
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