Adjusting light / ray path

[Joanorsky]

Can anyone here give me some details on this?

I have a large machine with 100w CO2 tube.. i am making all the necessary preparations to make it's first test on Saturday. All electrical connections, earth-bound connections, chilling systems and exhaust tubings should be prepared by then.. but my question is.. how the heck should i align the ray path??

My tube is to be assembled on-site by me... so i expect that the alignment is off-course. As far as i understand by the machine manual.. i should align the reflecting mirrors by adjusting the controlling screws that i find in each support that holds these same mirrors. Also they mention some sort of paper dot burning to alight it.. but.. i really didn't understood it well. Isn't this a dangerous thing to be done with such power.. or.. to align these machines usually emit a low power beacon?

Any help on this.. would be highly appreciated! Some sort of step-by-step tutorial (for dummies would be better i guess.. eheheh)

Thanks..
John

[fantasy2]

There are some pictures around that show how it works with the paper. Just put it there and check if the burn of the cross gets better.

Oh and don't forget glasses and close the machine for safety!

[SkipW]

Here's a pretty good youtube video of the mirror alignment process. It starts at 5:26 of this vid and is continued on parts 3 and 4, I think. Hope this helps.

YouTube- Laser Engraver Setup Part 2

YouTube- Laser Engraver Setup Part 2

[Joanorsky]

Originally Posted by SkipW ...Here's a pretty good youtube video of the mirror alignment process. It starts at 5:26 of this vid and is continued on parts 3 and 4, I think. Hope this helps...

That is it!!!! Right on the spot!! That was exactly what i was looking for... Thank you so much!!!

I will post results after calibration..

[Joanorsky]

Funny thing.. this isn't so hard to do afterall.. unfortunately.. one of the step motor drivers burned out.. rats!!

So i guess that there will be a slight delay on the video posting regarding this machine working..

[SkipW]

Bummer about the stepper drive, John. It sounds like you are having the kind of luck that I have been having lately.

Glad you found the video useful. The beam alignment isn't that difficult to do, it just takes a little time to get it right.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Skip

[Joanorsky]

Well.. the problem on the step driver was a blown-up diode.. a current limitation diode to be more exact. I have replaced it by a new one.. and it will have to do till the new driver arrives. All axis are now working ok.. and tomorrow i'll do a few tests..

I will post the results here..

[Joanorsky]

Well the machine worked ok.. till this new diode blowned up again.. i've changed this diode about 5 times. Sometimes it works for a few hours.. sometimes it works a whole day.. but it always blows off. It is the P6KE68A (if anyone here had any similar problem with that.. and it is located on the X-Axis controler.

But.. i managed to do some tests on it.. so.. here are some photos of those same tests..

[SkipW]

Nice work there John, it looks like the laser is working perfectly. Wonder why it keeps blowing diodes? I'll have to leave that up to Zax, or someone who knows more about it than I do.

[zax15uk]

As you probably know, the protection diodes (installed in reverse) prevent back EMF from blowing the driver when the coil is turned off during stepping.

If they keep blowing it sounds like the diodes are under rated (possibly from over driving the motors). You can install diodes at the motor, in addition to the ones on the driver or try some higher rated diodes.

Zax.