Cleaning Co2 Laser Tube (cooling system)

[Gonch86]

Hi All

Does anyone know of anything I could use to flush though the cooling part of a Chinese CO2 laser tube?

I have recently started employment in small acrylic fabrication company which own to lasers cutting machines.
the other day I switched the smaller of the two on and the chiller unit began to alarm.
I checked the chiller unit first by running a pipe straight from the inlet to the outlet which cleared the alarm
I then followed the pipework through the laser machine itself and found no kinks or clogs.
I then checked the coolant running through the tube and it appears to be blocked.....

the tube itself has seen little in the way of maintenance by the looks of it as it's full of sediment. So I was wondering before I throw in the towel and ask my new employers to fork out for a new laser tube is their anyway of cleaning the blockage and the tube (chemically perhaps)? as it was still running well when I last used it (surprisingly).

I have tried running the chiller backwards or a few hours to clear the blockage also

Gonch86

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[GWKlaser]

Hi Gonch86

you can clean the laser tube with diluted hydrochloric acid 3%

or use some vinegar （maybe effect not as good as diluted hydrochloric acid 3%）


Maybe someone else here have better idea

[g.weike laser]

Hi,
if not too much sediment,then no need to clean,inside of laser tube hard to clean, before some customer ask us if need to clean the bugs inside,answer is no need

[cinematic2]

There is no need to clean as long as long there is a water (cooler) flow.
But if you insist you can do it using enything you want that does not dissolve glass.
Cooling circuit inside laser is the glass only.

[Gonch86]

Thank you for the advice

I finally managed to clear it using a 5%-10% solutions of hydrochloric acid solution "Trade4 Brick & Patio Cleaner" available from Travis Perkins merchants (UK).

I detached the tube filled the tube half way for an hour turning it occasionally then rinsed the tube out thoroughly.

I replaced the chiller water also

now the alarm on the chiller has cleared and the flow through the tube is back to normal.

Hope this helps anyone else with the same problem

[Gonch86]

I managed to solve this problem using 5%-10% hydrochloric acid solution. I purchased some Trade4 brick & patio cleaner from Travis Perkins builders merchants (UK) I checked the COSHH sheet online to make sure that it only contained Hydrochloric acid though.

I Detached the tube filled it half way while the tube was lying down I left it for 30mins then turned the tube over left for another 30 minutes then I Rinsed it through thoroughly

I then reattached it replaced the water in the chiller and now the alarm has cleared and the coolant flow is a lot better.

I hope this helps some one in the future...

[timatlightbox]

This has totally helped me all these years later with a similar issue, instead of HCl I'm using vinegar, thanks heaps !!