G Weike Storm 600 Review


Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: G Weike Storm 600 Review

  1. #1
    Registered
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default G Weike Storm 600 Review

    I recently purchased a Storm600 from G Weike. My experience …

    The Storm600 laser system as advertised is actually quite nice – a 40 watt laser system, 600x400 cutting table, water pump, air pump, air exhaust included – “delivered in 5 days” – for a very reasonable price. I inquired about the options and was sold “Red Dot Pointer” for an additional $50 and “Auto Focus” for an additional $150, and a chiller for about $200. I place my order and sent payment.

    About a day later, I was informed that my system has been put into production. 2 days later, I was informed that do to space problems, they do not install red dot pointers or the auto focus option. Instead, they would be shipping me two additional sets of lenses and mirrors. I was not pleased about this, but what were my options – I had already paid. Definitely not pleased about the price paid … $150+50 ($200) for two sets of mirrors & lenses that can be purchased on ebay for about $65 each. So, with that trade I lost about $70.

    FYI … Lost in translation … “Delivered in 5 days” means that it will finished and ready to ship in 5 days. But, to be fair, I was not expecting the machine to be delivered to the USA in 5 days. Regardless, the laser was put into production, and about 10 days later I was informed that it was “ready to ship”. 10 days later it was actually put on a ship. 6 weeks later, it arrived at my door.

    The shipment took 4-5 weeks longer than anticipated, but it was now in my possession. Also, for those of you that have never had anything shipped from overseas, I was quoted $190 for freight. That is the sea freight and the rail transportation to the city nearest my house. It does not include port fees, broker fees, import bond, duties, etc. In this case, and additional $500 in shipping costs.

    The unit was packaged quite nicely in a fully enclosed crate. I unpackaged it and set the machine up on a stand, installed the blowers, water chiller, etc. A minor point, but the unit was missing a 1 large clamp and 2 small clamps. There were also a few screws that fell out during the shipment. As a word of caution, the machine when shipped is sprayed with an oil mist to protect it during shipment. Keep this in mind when moving it around.

    I should note that during the setup process, you are required to clip power leads to the CO2 tube. That is when I noticed that the tube (model #D32) is rated at 32 Watts – Not 40 watts as advertised. The tube clearly states “Agreement Power = 32 Watt” and “Peak Power > 32 Watt”. If the manufacturer of the tube sets the power at 32 Watt, why is it being advertised and sold as a 40 watt system. It is entirely possible that the system will generate up to 40 watts of power, however, the tube is not designed to continuously produce 40 watts of power. In addition, written on the label next to the power meter is a statement not to exceed 22ma of power to the tube or it will shorten its life. As an aside, I will mention that the power supply installed in this machine will handle up to a 60 Watt CO2 tube.

    Also included in the kit were a software CD and a tote box with various bits and pieces. NO INSTRUCTIONS on what those bits and pieces are to be used for. NO INSTRUCTIONS on how the machine is to be set up. A lot of searching later, I found an assembly and setup manual listed on another manufacturers website that closely matched with the Weike system.

    I installed the software and ran into quite a few problems – basically, it would not connect and work. After a number of days sending emails back and forth to China, we finally determined that I had been sent outdated software for a different machine. New software installed – and I now had a working machine. Note that although they have many downloads on their website, the website is down more than it is up. In addition, the download page is ambiguous at best. Regardless, software for the Storm 600 was no where to be found on their website.

    Because my first project involved working with 1/4" ABS, that is where I began. Test cutting simple 1” squares at various power and speed settings. I ended up with 50% power and a speed of 3. This setting kept the meter at about 22ma. Not full power, but more than adequate to cut the part. I then setup my first project … cutting a roughly 10” square shaped piece out of 1/4” black ABS. The project took about 6 minutes to cut – and both my customer and I thought it looked great.

    At first glance, the machine appears to be aligned properly. Good cut around the entire part. After about 10 parts I noticed that the bottom right corner did not cut as well at the top right corner. It was not cutting completely through at that spot. Upon further inspection, I found that the bed was not level. I looked for something to adjust and found that the nylon block that was supporting the table was completely stripped and had dropped about 1/8” down the lead screw. I dismantled the top of the bed exposing the lead screws and support blocks – 1 block was stripped out, 2 were sloppy loose, and 1 was tight. At this point I also noticed a couple of screws that were holding the adjustable Z bed lead-screws were loose. Tried to tighten them up and found out that they were not long enough to bite into the frame. Note that the screws holding the lead-screws to the frame were different lengths. Some barely long enough to reach the frame, others that penetrated completely through the frame. Needless to say, I purchased some longer 4mm screws. Talked with Weike and they are suppose to send me some nylon blocks. However, even when I get the blocks, this will be a major undertaking. The lead-screws are pinned between an upper and lower frame. Therefore, the frame must be dismantled to install the blocks. I am trying to find out the specs on the lead-screw. Looks like a trapezoidal 12mm with a 3mm pitch RH. Since I need to go through so much work to replace the blocks, I am considering purchasing brass or steel ones.

    In the mean time, the next day I put a block of wood under the bed and shimmed it into position. Started cutting again – same program – same settings. This time, I got a much poorer cut. After the cut I was left with about 0.5mm of flash. I adjusted the speed to 2.5 and everything cut as planned … just took a little longer. Cut a little while longer and quit for the night.

    Next morning, turned on the machine and was greeted with a blank control panel / LCD screen. Backlight worked. Buttons worked. Program worked. Just nothing displayed on the panel. Cut another part and again, I had about 0.5mm of flash. Slowed the program down to 2 and it ran fine – but now I was up to a 10 minute cut. I reset the system a couple of times, but I could not get the screen to display anything. I shut everything down and sent my latest laser update to Weike.

    2 days later, I turned everything on and the panel lit up. Nothing changed – everything working – No idea what caused the problem.

    So it was back to cutting parts. Started running – and again, the part did not cut through. This time I was left with 1-2mm uncut. I had to slow the speed down to 0.75 to get a good panel. My original 6 minute cut was now taking almost 25 minutes.

    Thinking that maybe some screws were loose on the mirrors (because I had experienced loose screws before), I took a stab at adjusting them. Putting a small piece of cardboard in front of the #2 mirror and pulsing the laser for 2 seconds put an almost imperceptible mark on the cardboard.

    It is apparent that the problem is not with the alignment – but with the CO2 tube itself.

    I have sent my findings to Weike. They told me I was not using the correct settings to cut 1/4" ABS. They asked that I set power=100% and speed 10-15. Tried power=100 and speed=10. It barely marked the ABS (less than a 1 mm cut). They then asked for some videos of the laser tube, a test cut of a piece of paper, and pictures of the control panels. It has been about 48 hours – and still not a word from Weike.

    Trust me, I was not expecting a flawless machine. I have designed and built two 3-axis CNC routers from scratch. Nothing goes as planned. But one would think that if your business is building CNC laser equipment, one should have a better control of the manufacturing process.

    Has anyone else had these kind of problems with Weike laser system?

    Has anyone had this kind of problem with a new laser tube?

    And to answer the obvious question, the system has never been run without water-cooling. There are no bubbles in the tube. The chiller I installed beeps incessantly until it detects water flowing (ie for about 3 seconds during start up, or if you pinch a hose).

    I have also looked through the settings in the control panel. Very limited control settings – and nothing appears to be amiss – nor has anything changed since I cut my first part.

    I am open to suggestions … but I can only assume that I have a defective (ie leaking) tube.

    Similar Threads:


  2. #2
    Registered
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    135
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: G Weike Storm 600 Review

    First of all sorry to hear about all of your troubles.

    Thanks for posting this honest review. Sadly it's not the first I've heard of this from G Weike, there seems to be trouble with every single laser they ship, some are smaller issues, some are larger. That being said I'm not going to beat you over the head with what did you expect for $2000 type replies. However I do want to point out a couple things I found really alarming in your review, so maybe others can avoid this.

    1) The bed is held up by nylon posts? What the hell are they doing building main supports on the bed out of nylon, that's absurd!
    2) They promise you a red dot and auto focus when they clearly had no intention of ever adding those. That's just plain bad business.
    3) 32w when you ordered a 40w, ancient Chinese trick... Gotta watch on this and specify the model # of the tube you want, otherwise they will do this, every single Chinese laser company, not just Weike.

    Best of luck, hopefully Weike will make this right by replacing the components damaged/missing


    Quote Originally Posted by jp1957 View Post
    I recently purchased a Storm600 from G Weike. My experience …

    The Storm600 laser system as advertised is actually quite nice – a 40 watt laser system, 600x400 cutting table, water pump, air pump, air exhaust included – “delivered in 5 days” – for a very reasonable price. I inquired about the options and was sold “Red Dot Pointer” for an additional $50 and “Auto Focus” for an additional $150, and a chiller for about $200. I place my order and sent payment.

    About a day later, I was informed that my system has been put into production. 2 days later, I was informed that do to space problems, they do not install red dot pointers or the auto focus option. Instead, they would be shipping me two additional sets of lenses and mirrors. I was not pleased about this, but what were my options – I had already paid. Definitely not pleased about the price paid … $150+50 ($200) for two sets of mirrors & lenses that can be purchased on ebay for about $65 each. So, with that trade I lost about $70.

    FYI … Lost in translation … “Delivered in 5 days” means that it will finished and ready to ship in 5 days. But, to be fair, I was not expecting the machine to be delivered to the USA in 5 days. Regardless, the laser was put into production, and about 10 days later I was informed that it was “ready to ship”. 10 days later it was actually put on a ship. 6 weeks later, it arrived at my door.

    The shipment took 4-5 weeks longer than anticipated, but it was now in my possession. Also, for those of you that have never had anything shipped from overseas, I was quoted $190 for freight. That is the sea freight and the rail transportation to the city nearest my house. It does not include port fees, broker fees, import bond, duties, etc. In this case, and additional $500 in shipping costs.

    The unit was packaged quite nicely in a fully enclosed crate. I unpackaged it and set the machine up on a stand, installed the blowers, water chiller, etc. A minor point, but the unit was missing a 1 large clamp and 2 small clamps. There were also a few screws that fell out during the shipment. As a word of caution, the machine when shipped is sprayed with an oil mist to protect it during shipment. Keep this in mind when moving it around.

    I should note that during the setup process, you are required to clip power leads to the CO2 tube. That is when I noticed that the tube (model #D32) is rated at 32 Watts – Not 40 watts as advertised. The tube clearly states “Agreement Power = 32 Watt” and “Peak Power > 32 Watt”. If the manufacturer of the tube sets the power at 32 Watt, why is it being advertised and sold as a 40 watt system. It is entirely possible that the system will generate up to 40 watts of power, however, the tube is not designed to continuously produce 40 watts of power. In addition, written on the label next to the power meter is a statement not to exceed 22ma of power to the tube or it will shorten its life. As an aside, I will mention that the power supply installed in this machine will handle up to a 60 Watt CO2 tube.

    Also included in the kit were a software CD and a tote box with various bits and pieces. NO INSTRUCTIONS on what those bits and pieces are to be used for. NO INSTRUCTIONS on how the machine is to be set up. A lot of searching later, I found an assembly and setup manual listed on another manufacturers website that closely matched with the Weike system.

    I installed the software and ran into quite a few problems – basically, it would not connect and work. After a number of days sending emails back and forth to China, we finally determined that I had been sent outdated software for a different machine. New software installed – and I now had a working machine. Note that although they have many downloads on their website, the website is down more than it is up. In addition, the download page is ambiguous at best. Regardless, software for the Storm 600 was no where to be found on their website.

    Because my first project involved working with 1/4" ABS, that is where I began. Test cutting simple 1” squares at various power and speed settings. I ended up with 50% power and a speed of 3. This setting kept the meter at about 22ma. Not full power, but more than adequate to cut the part. I then setup my first project … cutting a roughly 10” square shaped piece out of 1/4” black ABS. The project took about 6 minutes to cut – and both my customer and I thought it looked great.

    At first glance, the machine appears to be aligned properly. Good cut around the entire part. After about 10 parts I noticed that the bottom right corner did not cut as well at the top right corner. It was not cutting completely through at that spot. Upon further inspection, I found that the bed was not level. I looked for something to adjust and found that the nylon block that was supporting the table was completely stripped and had dropped about 1/8” down the lead screw. I dismantled the top of the bed exposing the lead screws and support blocks – 1 block was stripped out, 2 were sloppy loose, and 1 was tight. At this point I also noticed a couple of screws that were holding the adjustable Z bed lead-screws were loose. Tried to tighten them up and found out that they were not long enough to bite into the frame. Note that the screws holding the lead-screws to the frame were different lengths. Some barely long enough to reach the frame, others that penetrated completely through the frame. Needless to say, I purchased some longer 4mm screws. Talked with Weike and they are suppose to send me some nylon blocks. However, even when I get the blocks, this will be a major undertaking. The lead-screws are pinned between an upper and lower frame. Therefore, the frame must be dismantled to install the blocks. I am trying to find out the specs on the lead-screw. Looks like a trapezoidal 12mm with a 3mm pitch RH. Since I need to go through so much work to replace the blocks, I am considering purchasing brass or steel ones.

    In the mean time, the next day I put a block of wood under the bed and shimmed it into position. Started cutting again – same program – same settings. This time, I got a much poorer cut. After the cut I was left with about 0.5mm of flash. I adjusted the speed to 2.5 and everything cut as planned … just took a little longer. Cut a little while longer and quit for the night.

    Next morning, turned on the machine and was greeted with a blank control panel / LCD screen. Backlight worked. Buttons worked. Program worked. Just nothing displayed on the panel. Cut another part and again, I had about 0.5mm of flash. Slowed the program down to 2 and it ran fine – but now I was up to a 10 minute cut. I reset the system a couple of times, but I could not get the screen to display anything. I shut everything down and sent my latest laser update to Weike.

    2 days later, I turned everything on and the panel lit up. Nothing changed – everything working – No idea what caused the problem.

    So it was back to cutting parts. Started running – and again, the part did not cut through. This time I was left with 1-2mm uncut. I had to slow the speed down to 0.75 to get a good panel. My original 6 minute cut was now taking almost 25 minutes.

    Thinking that maybe some screws were loose on the mirrors (because I had experienced loose screws before), I took a stab at adjusting them. Putting a small piece of cardboard in front of the #2 mirror and pulsing the laser for 2 seconds put an almost imperceptible mark on the cardboard.

    It is apparent that the problem is not with the alignment – but with the CO2 tube itself.

    I have sent my findings to Weike. They told me I was not using the correct settings to cut 1/4" ABS. They asked that I set power=100% and speed 10-15. Tried power=100 and speed=10. It barely marked the ABS (less than a 1 mm cut). They then asked for some videos of the laser tube, a test cut of a piece of paper, and pictures of the control panels. It has been about 48 hours – and still not a word from Weike.

    Trust me, I was not expecting a flawless machine. I have designed and built two 3-axis CNC routers from scratch. Nothing goes as planned. But one would think that if your business is building CNC laser equipment, one should have a better control of the manufacturing process.

    Has anyone else had these kind of problems with Weike laser system?

    Has anyone had this kind of problem with a new laser tube?

    And to answer the obvious question, the system has never been run without water-cooling. There are no bubbles in the tube. The chiller I installed beeps incessantly until it detects water flowing (ie for about 3 seconds during start up, or if you pinch a hose).

    I have also looked through the settings in the control panel. Very limited control settings – and nothing appears to be amiss – nor has anything changed since I cut my first part.

    I am open to suggestions … but I can only assume that I have a defective (ie leaking) tube.


    Last edited by KeithOKC; 06-27-2015 at 12:18 AM.
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w, Thunder Laser Mars-130 (130w), Signature Rotatory Engraver


  3. #3
    Registered
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    41
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: G Weike Storm 600 Review

    We got a LC1512 big machine. The bed was bent. There is not support from G Weike. It is so disappointed.

    KL-4530 CNC, KL-6060, 5 3D printers, CNC Fusion Converted LMS Milling Machine, 60w Laser Cutter


  4. #4
    Registered
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: G Weike Storm 600 Review

    Following up on my original post ...

    In response to my problem with the laser output, I was asked by Weike to send a video showing a test of my laser output. I performed this test just before mirror #2 (because it is one of the easiest to get to. I was also asked to video the control boards. Regarding the video of the control board ... no problem there. Regarding the video of the laser output ... they asked for another video - this time before mirror #1 ... continuous video feed showing the tube, location of the test paper, picture of pushing the laser button, picture of the meter output, etc. Sent that off and I got another reply. That was not good enough, the manufacturer of the laser tube wanted another video. This time, remove the video tube from the machine and perform a series of tests. They sent me a link to a 56mb download showing exactly what I needed to show in the video. As an aside, when I sent them videos, I compressed the video from the 50-100mb generated into something more manageable (ie 3-5mb). They sent me a link to a 56mb video which kept crashing when I tried to download it. I asked if they would compress it. The next day I received a link to a 55.3mb download - the original "compressed" into a rar file. I guess they figured that compressing it from 56mb to 55.3 would solve my problem. Regardless, I eventually got the original file downloaded and created my new video.

    Once they received the video, the response was "The tube manufacturer will not honor the warranty - but we will send you a new tube". Note that it was about 2 weeks from the time I notified them that the tube was defective until they agreed to send a new tube. On the positive side, they did replace the tube. They mailed it on Tuesday and I received it on Friday. VERY fast service what the tube issue was settled. The tube I received looked virtually identical to the one I was replacing ... ie the one labeled 32 watt that I had been told "Peaked at 40 watt" which is why they were selling it as a 40 watt tube" The new tube is labeled was also labeled at 32 watt, however, it also has a peak power designation of 34 watts clearly written on the side of the tube.

    KEITHOKC - With regards to the nylon blocks ... the lead screws are metal. The plastic blocks are threaded on the metal lead screws and support the bed. Yes, I agree, a metal block would be much better. A molded nylon or delrin block would have been better than what they used. This block appears to be made by drilling and tapping a piece of HDPE. Not accurate. Not durable. The threading was very sloppy. Personally, I do not have a problem with a plastic support block. But this was not adequate by any standard.

    "You get what you pay for" ... yes, I do agree with the sentiment of that statement. But, to be honest, I was limited by my budget. There are many parts of this machine that are of reasonable quality. There are also some items that are just plain lacking - and frankly, there was no reason for it. I would have been more than happy to pay a couple of dollars more to get a decent bearing.

    And along those lines, I was told that they would ship new bearings with the tube. I got the tube ... but no bearings.

    I tried to confirm what the bearings were. I measured trapazoidal, 12mm, 3mm pitch. They told me it was a 15mm lead screw. Correct me if I am wrong ... would a 15mm lead screw measure to 11.99mm? Does that not seem more like a 12mm lead screw. In addition, I could not find a "standard" lead screw that measured 15-3 ... but there is a 12-3. And that was the response I received from the "Engineering Department"

    I guess that does a lot to explain the reasoning behind the bad bearings.

    As it stands now, I have installed the new tube. While I was waiting for the tube to arrive, I ordered and received a new 100watt Mahoney laser power tester. The first thing I did after receiving the tube was to run a test. At mirror #3, the new tube - clearly marked at "32 Watt" tube with a peak output of 34 Watts, tests out at 28 watts. 12% below the rated output and no where near the 40 watt output that was originally advertised. Note that the test is based on "FULL" power - ie pushing through 27-28 ma of power. This is above the recommended 22ma specified on the machine.

    UPDATE - After talking with the manufacturer of the laser power meter, they instructed me to perform the test at the output of the laser ... not at the third mirror. So, I performed another test and this time it recorded the power at 32 Watts. This makes me feel much better. Although it is not the 40 Watt power that I was told would be in the machine ... it does test to the spec written on the tube.


    Based on the way the machine is performing, I would bet that the output of this tube is identical to the original tube I received. The first day I received the machine, the original tube cut 1/4 thick black ABS at 52.5% power (to keep the tube below the required 22ma limit) at a speed of 5. The new tube performed exactly the same ... 52.5% at speed of 5. Anything faster, and it would not cut through.

    I was told by the manufacturer that it should be able to cut 1/4" ABS at a speed of 10. Maybe if it was a 40 watt tube instead of 28 watts, it might cut at that speed.

    But, I guess I should not grouse too much. I finally do have a tube ...they did honor the warranty. Hopefully this will last longer than the last one. At the moment the machine is running. I still do not have a clue why the old one failed - nor apparently does the manufacturer. Looking at the laser light in the tube, the old one looks no different than the new one. Maybe the internal mirror failed? Who knows? As I use this machine, I do plan on testing the output levels to see if the tube holds its power. Though I guarantee that the next tube I purchase will not be from the same manufacturer. It will also be a 40 watt tube (assuming I can get it in the machine. Another thing I will note, this tube is about 3/4-1" shorter than the one that was in there. The spec shows it at 800 mm - but it also appears that the machine will hold a 850 mm tube without modification.

    As of right now, I am still waiting on bearings though I might just bite the bullet and buy or make my own. I cant believe that the bearing I make could be any worse than what I received.

    Last edited by jp1957; 07-14-2015 at 07:27 AM.


  5. #5
    Registered
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    135
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    Sorry to hear this. Sounds like they really did a poor job.

    Quote Originally Posted by jp1957 View Post
    Following up on my original post ...

    In response to my problem with the laser output, I was asked by Weike to send a video showing a test of my laser output. I performed this test just before mirror #2 (because it is one of the easiest to get to. I was also asked to video the control boards. Regarding the video of the control board ... no problem there. Regarding the video of the laser output ... they asked for another video - this time before mirror #1 ... continuous video feed showing the tube, location of the test paper, picture of pushing the laser button, picture of the meter output, etc. Sent that off and I got another reply. That was not good enough, the manufacturer of the laser tube wanted another video. This time, remove the video tube from the machine and perform a series of tests. They sent me a link to a 56mb download showing exactly what I needed to show in the video. As an aside, when I sent them videos, I compressed the video from the 50-100mb generated into something more manageable (ie 3-5mb). They sent me a link to a 56mb video which kept crashing when I tried to download it. I asked if they would compress it. The next day I received a link to a 55.3mb download - the original "compressed" into a rar file. I guess they figured that compressing it from 56mb to 55.3 would solve my problem. Regardless, I eventually got the original file downloaded and created my new video.

    Once they received the video, the response was "The tube manufacturer will not honor the warranty - but we will send you a new tube". Note that it was about 2 weeks from the time I notified them that the tube was defective until they agreed to send a new tube. On the positive side, they did replace the tube. They mailed it on Tuesday and I received it on Friday. VERY fast service what the tube issue was settled. The tube I received looked virtually identical to the one I was replacing ... ie the one labeled 32 watt that I had been told "Peaked at 40 watt" which is why they were selling it as a 40 watt tube" The new tube is labeled was also labeled at 32 watt, however, it also has a peak power designation of 34 watts clearly written on the side of the tube.

    KEITHOKC - With regards to the nylon blocks ... the lead screws are metal. The plastic blocks are threaded on the metal lead screws and support the bed. Yes, I agree, a metal block would be much better. A molded nylon or delrin block would have been better than what they used. This block appears to be made by drilling and tapping a piece of HDPE. Not accurate. Not durable. The threading was very sloppy. Personally, I do not have a problem with a plastic support block. But this was not adequate by any standard.

    "You get what you pay for" ... yes, I do agree with the sentiment of that statement. But, to be honest, I was limited by my budget. There are many parts of this machine that are of reasonable quality. There are also some items that are just plain lacking - and frankly, there was no reason for it. I would have been more than happy to pay a couple of dollars more to get a decent bearing.

    And along those lines, I was told that they would ship new bearings with the tube. I got the tube ... but no bearings.

    I tried to confirm what the bearings were. I measured trapazoidal, 12mm, 3mm pitch. They told me it was a 15mm lead screw. Correct me if I am wrong ... would a 15mm lead screw measure to 11.99mm? Does that not seem more like a 12mm lead screw. In addition, I could not find a "standard" lead screw that measured 15-3 ... but there is a 12-3. And that was the response I received from the "Engineering Department"

    I guess that does a lot to explain the reasoning behind the bad bearings.

    As it stands now, I have installed the new tube. While I was waiting for the tube to arrive, I ordered and received a new 100watt Mahoney laser power tester. The first thing I did after receiving the tube was to run a test. At mirror #3, the new tube - clearly marked at "32 Watt" tube with a peak output of 34 Watts, tests out at 28 watts. 12% below the rated output and no where near the 40 watt output that was originally advertised. Note that the test is based on "FULL" power - ie pushing through 27-28 ma of power. This is above the recommended 22ma specified on the machine.

    Based on the way the machine is performing, I would bet that the output of this tube is identical to the original tube I received. The first day I received the machine, the original tube cut 1/4 thick black ABS at 52.5% power (to keep the tube below the required 22ma limit) at a speed of 5. The new tube performed exactly the same ... 52.5% at speed of 5. Anything faster, and it would not cut through.

    I was told by the manufacturer that it should be able to cut 1/4" ABS at a speed of 10. Maybe if it was a 40 watt tube instead of 28 watts, it might cut at that speed.

    But, I guess I should not grouse too much. I finally do have a tube ...they did honor the warranty. Hopefully this will last longer than the last one. At the moment the machine is running. I still do not have a clue why the old one failed - nor apparently does the manufacturer. Looking at the laser light in the tube, the old one looks no different than the new one. Maybe the internal mirror failed? Who knows? As I use this machine, I do plan on testing the output levels to see if the tube holds its power. Though I guarantee that the next tube I purchase will not be from the same manufacturer. It will also be a 40 watt tube (assuming I can get it in the machine. Another thing I will note, this tube is about 3/4-1" shorter than the one that was in there. The spec shows it at 800 mm - but it also appears that the machine will hold a 850 mm tube without modification.

    As of right now, I am still waiting on bearings though I might just bite the bullet and buy or make my own. I cant believe that the bearing I make could be any worse than what I received.


    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w, Thunder Laser Mars-130 (130w), Signature Rotatory Engraver


  6. #6
    Registered
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: G Weike Storm 600 Review

    Update ...
    I have been working with the manufacturer (G Weike) regarding the problems with the depleting laser output. They have been responsive and have been taking my issues seriously. I have full confidence that the problem will be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

    It appears that the primary problem with the machine (the almost complete loss of laser power over about 30 days time) is the result of a defective batch of laser tubes.

    Again, with the response that I have received to this point, I feel that the problem will get resolved.

    I cannot ask for much more from the manufacturer.

    Last edited by jp1957; 08-15-2015 at 10:10 AM.


  7. #7
    Registered
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: G Weike Storm 600 Review

    Continuing with my trials and tribulations with by G Weike Storm 600 Laser Printer.

    As mentioned in my prior post, I had some difficulty with the control panel on my laser printer. The controller that came with it was a LNC-LS240A. Approximately 1 year after purchasing the new Storm 600 printer (May 2016), the control panel/controller screen quit working. The actual controller is working – but the only way to drive it was by issuing commands direct from the controlling PC. 100% of the problem appears to be in the push button control panel.

    Contacted Weike to get a replacement controller / control panel. Apparently it was out of warranty after 1 year – even through I reported a problem with it 1 month after purchase. Sent them $150 for the new control panel … waited almost 4 weeks for the replacement … but apparently they were unable to get replacement controller. Told me that those controllers were “bad”, they are no longer using them, and the controller they are now using is a ST908. From what I have been told (by Weike) this is a rebranded Ruida RDLC220. So, I had to come up with another $50 (now $200 total) for a new controller and control card.

    In July 2016 I received the new controller and control card (ST908/RDLC220) I spent 3-4 weeks trying to figure out how to wire it. First, the connector plugs were not included in the package. Next, they were unable to tell me how to re-wire the machine because no one at the factory had any idea how the LNC-LS204A was wired or labeled – and the labeling on the old controller did not match the new controller. Regardless, I was finally able to re-wire it and get it operating.

    The software was another problem. It took almost 2 weeks to get me software that would actually recognize the printer and interface with it. But, I finally received something, it installed and I thought all was great. The program is called CNCLaser – Version 8.00.30.

    Don’t get me wrong, this program has a lot of features and just about anything you need for laser cutting and etching … BUT … the software has a problem with etching. Simple etching (letters, solids, etc.) works fine. Pictures do not work properly. Lights are dark, Darks are darker. This is regardless of speed or power. To get what would be considered a descent image, the image has to be very light.

    Trying to darken the image at all (ie so you can see it from a few feet away … or so it doesn’t get washed out in the sunlight), it basically gets blacked out. There are two settings that control the print density. Selecting “Scan” (etching) – and into the advanced submenu, there is an option for “Dot Interval” This setting controls the spacing between the dots on the same scan line. The other option with Scan is called scan mode / “Interval”. This setting controls the spacing between lines. So, theoretically, setting both parameters to 1mm would print rows of dots 1mm apart – and each dot in the row 1mm from the previous dot.

    Again, I said theoretically. The “Interval” command works correctly. I can control the spacing between the rows just fine. The “Dot interval” command does not work at all. Regardless of the setting, I cannot control the spacing. The effect is a very dark line.

    I have also visited the Ruida website, downloaded their RDWorks (called RDMiniSetUp) software for the RDLC220 and it is exactly the same. It drives my board, but the software has the same defect with regards to Dot Interval

    The LNC-LS240A board and software had very few options. Photographs printed at a what could be best described as low resolution. However, because it printed “dark” the effect was an acceptable image that could be seen from a distance (across the room). The ST908 prints at a very high resolution. The effect is a light image that cannot be seen from any appreciable distance. When you darken it, it destroys all of the contrast in the picture.

    Weike sent me newer RDWorks software – and I have tried downloading updated software from Ruida. Although the software loads, the drivers included with the software do not work with the RDLC220 board.

    From what I can tell, the RDLC220 / ST908 requires FTDI drivers. I have downloaded the latest drivers from the FTDI (Future Technology Devices International) website. The new drivers work great with the original ST908 software – but not with the new software. I can only assume that the newer software (RDWorks 7 or 8) is looking for a completely different driver.

    I have been talking with Weike since I received the board in June. Been very patient – but just this week they have quit responding to my emails. Basically when I came to the point of “I have a controller that is less than 6 months old – the software has never worked with it – it is basically useless – get me some software that works or refund the money I paid for it” I have tried to contact Ruida – but have not gotten a response. Pretty much at wits end.

    I have tried different computers … different operating system (Win XP, Win 7, Win 10) … different drivers … multiple versions of software … changing image quality (high and low DPI) … different speeds … different power … basically everything I can think of.

    Is anyone else using a ST908 controller or a RDLC220 controller? If so, are you able to etch photographs … good quality … dark. Do you have control over the Dot Pitch (spacing between consecutive dots).

    Am I missing something?

    Is there a better controller out there? Something that works with the software that comes with it? Does anyone have any experience with the AWC708C (Light Object DSPX7)

    After paying $200 for a new controller and software I’m not looking forward to purchasing another - but I need something that will etch a descent picture.

    HELP!

    I know ... a little long winded ... just trying to give everyone a feel for what I am facing and what I have tried.



  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: G Weike Storm 600 Review

    Does anyone have setup instructions in English for the Storm600?



Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


About CNCzone.com

    We are the largest and most active discussion forum for manufacturing industry. The site is 100% free to join and use, so join today!

Follow us on


Our Brands

G Weike Storm 600 Review

G Weike Storm 600 Review