LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

Hello,

has anyone done or seen a CO2 tube mounted vertically on CNC router?

No mirrors, no adjustment, just one lens – and at least 10% more power at the nozzle. The laser tube mounted on the Z axis together with a tube holding the lens and the nozzle with air assist.

Flexible HV wiring, silicon hose for water and air assist coming from top to minimize the friction. To prevent possible crack of the cooling glass helix, only low acceleration must be done.

Cheers

Udo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=136HqrXOMpw

I t still has three mirrors, but #1 and #2 are within inches. Only #3 moves in reference to the tube.

I´ve seen that already, but it´s not what I mean. The subject is "no mirrors" to get high efficiency and low maintenance (only one lens).

There are diode lasers available for CNC routers and a few people on the Vectric forum have them. I don't think a vertical glass tube would be a good idea on your router. Flatbed lasers place the tube on the gantry- everything is a tradeoff.

A Glass laser mounted on the gantry of a CNC is not likely to last long. The jarring shock or abrupt changes in direction would impose a moment that would probably fracture the tube and or cause an internal damage to the the tube. Unless a tube specifically engineered to be used in such an application it would not last long if at all.

That would be somewhat mitigated by proper X and Y orientation. As long as your X is the vertical movement of the head on the gantry your Y would not be moving hard and fast as in engraving. I would also not see using this type of system for that kind of work, more large objects and some space savings. A true vertical configuration as he was asking for is a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion. The only thing something like that would be even considered for would be slow speed cutting.

I've been playing around with the idea of something like the one shown in the video. Note: We are almost exclusively cutting in the 14mm/s to 20mm/s range. Pretty hard to shock a tube at those speeds. The only question I would have is for the manufacturers about operating a tube in the vertical position at working temps. Would it have any effect on the material used to mount the full and partial mirrors inside the laser tube?