Speedy 300 air assist

[Glen Monaghan]

Someone I've helped in the past with laser issues recently destroyed their Universal laser when an (unattended!) acrylic cut job caught fire. Fortunately for them, the damage was contained to the laser, and they had already purchased a new Trotec Speedy 300 to replace the aging Universal. I had installed the Trotec software for them earlier but they hadn't transitioned from the Universal to the Trotec due to work load and lack of familiarity with Job Control; now they've been forced to switch over abruptly. Anyway, they asked me yesterday (Saturday) if I knew how to set up the Trotec's air assist. I don't. Looking at the machine and their paperwork, I don't think they got a built-in compressor but there is what appears to be an air line going to the head (and they have the nose cone). However, I couldn't find any obvious connection on the back, although there is a hole that might be it toward the left side on the back. I checked the manual they had and it talked about how to use air assist but nothing about how to hook it up. Googling the subject, I found references to air assist on Trotec's site and that it could either use an onboard compressor or external air, but again nothing about how to hook it up.

I'll call Trotec on Monday if need be, but wondered if someone here could post a photo today showing where to connect an external air source on a Speedy 300 and tell me what the appropriate connector is? Thanks.

[Mike Null]

I'm pretty sure Speedy 300's come with pre-installed air assist with the compressor being located at the front of the machine under the right hand side panel. On the two that I bought I don't recall air assist being an option but rather standard equipment.

[Glen Monaghan]

I don't know if they all come with the compressor, but their website mentioned connecting external air and the properties associating colors with laser settings has an air assist setting that can be off, air, gas1 or gas2...

Regardless, you were spot on. Once I found a large enough hex key to unlock the side panel, I spotted the compressor right away. It vibrated when it was supposed to be pumping and the pump became slightly warm after a while, but no air was coming out at the head. Turned out that there is a valve on the end of the compressor where the thin black air hose connects, and it was cranked tightly shut. After I got the valve opened, the air assist function began to work as expected :^)

[Mike Null]

Glen

There is a white paper on adjusting air assist. You can try to get it from Trotec or if you'll pm your email I'll send it to you.

[Dave Garrett]

Mike Null I'd love to see what that document has to say on the matter. One piece of advice I can give the OP is to hold shift + fan to turn on the air assist while no job is currently running and the lid is open. that way you can get a feel for the intensity and adjust your in-line trim accordingly. FYI im on a speedy 360 so this may not apply. Too bad the assist value isnt computer controlled and linked to profiles in your material database beyond the on/off value. I will say that thru-the nose-cone air assist is the best thing to happen to consumable lenses. trotecs in-pack concept is also pretty darn good against downtime.

[Mike Null]

Dave
I'd be happy to send it to you but you need to be a contributor to send pm's. Since you have a 360 I'm sure your machine was pre-adjusted at the factory.

I agree with your points on Trotec reliability which is why I bought a second Trotec.

[Glen Monaghan]

The white paper basically says to open the compressor valve three full turns. Before seeing that, I spoke with their Trotec rep and he said that "most customers just open the valve wide and leave it there" so that's what I did. I use an external compressor on my Epilog, sitting a few feet away from it, and I do adjust the pressure knob up or down for certain jobs; it WOULD be a nice feature to have the pressure linked to material properties in those niche situations so that the adjustments become part of the automated workflow and not a potentially-forgotten or overlooked manual adjustment that you only remember when something flares up because the pressure was left too low, or blows/flutters because you forgot to turn down the pressure.