Water separator?
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Don Teeter
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Country: U.S.A.
- Laser Machine Make or Type: CO2 laser, RuiDa ACS RDC644XG controller
- Laser Power: 80W
- Laser Bed Size: 700 x 500
- Home Position: TL
- RDWorks Version: 8.0.32
- Ruida Controller: RDC6442
- Windows Version: 10
Ours is a new machine newly installed by another employee but I'm completing bring-up. I just read in the (completely generic) laser machine manual about a water separator for the compressed air. Is this something I need to install? I'm thinking to halt all usage until this question is resolved. Thank you.
Generic with Ruida RDC644XG controller, LASEA F2 80W CO2 laser tube
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Gene Uselman
- Posts: 2180
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2016
- Location: Suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
- Country: USA
- Nickname: Gene
- Laser Machine Make or Type: QC
- Laser Power: 130W
- Laser Bed Size: 900x1300
- Home Position: TR
- Control Software: LIGHTBURN
- RDWorks Version: RDw .19 & Lightburn
- LightBurn Version: Latest
- Ruida Controller: RDC6442
- Windows Version: Win 10 Pro
- Accessories: I have a combining lenses, pin tables [homebuilt], honeycomb tables , wireless remote, Modifed Ultimate Air Assist, home built non-powered rotary device, PrusaMK4 and Mini Prusa printers.
Are you using the small pump that is normally supplied with lasers or a larger shop type compressor? If a larger compressor, you should have a regulator/dryer. It is not an immediate issue tho, in my opinion- but should be done.
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Don Teeter
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Country: U.S.A.
- Laser Machine Make or Type: CO2 laser, RuiDa ACS RDC644XG controller
- Laser Power: 80W
- Laser Bed Size: 700 x 500
- Home Position: TL
- RDWorks Version: 8.0.32
- Ruida Controller: RDC6442
- Windows Version: 10
We're using shop compressed air, just ran a line over to the new laser cutter. I want to know more how it was done but I can't reach anyone, so I will default to just seeing that it's done right. To me this means a) how to learn what pressure to regulate it at (the regulator in place has a broken dial) and b) how many hours' usage before the risk that moisture on the lens causes a problem.
Generic with Ruida RDC644XG controller, LASEA F2 80W CO2 laser tube
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Jeffrey Aley
- Posts: 388
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017
- Location: Folsom, California
- Country: United States
- Laser Machine Make or Type: Kehui
- Laser Power: 50W
- Laser Bed Size: 500mmx300mm
- Home Position: TL
- RDWorks Version: 8.01.24
- Ruida Controller: RDC6442
- Windows Version: Win10 Enterprise
- Accessories: Spray bottle with water (for small fires)
Fire extinguisher (for big fires)
Hi Don,
Install a moisture trap if there isn't one in the line somewhere already. There's no spec for condensation on the lens - just keep it dry. The lens will heat up as the beam passes through it. So on the one hand, that should keep the lens dry, but on the other hand, warm glass + water = cracking.
There's also no spec for pressure. In general, you want airflow (CFM) not pressure (PSI), though these are obviously related. Maybe 30 - 50 PSI? The way the airflow affects performance is strongly affected by the design of the nozzle + lens combination which is installed. Russ has a number of videos about this. In summary, for best cutting performance, you want to push air down into the cut. This means a nozzle which ends physically close to the work (i.e. close to the focal length of the lens), and has a nozzle opening that is not too large in diameter.
Regards,
-Jeff Aley
P.S. Did you ever work for a large company in Folsom?
Install a moisture trap if there isn't one in the line somewhere already. There's no spec for condensation on the lens - just keep it dry. The lens will heat up as the beam passes through it. So on the one hand, that should keep the lens dry, but on the other hand, warm glass + water = cracking.
There's also no spec for pressure. In general, you want airflow (CFM) not pressure (PSI), though these are obviously related. Maybe 30 - 50 PSI? The way the airflow affects performance is strongly affected by the design of the nozzle + lens combination which is installed. Russ has a number of videos about this. In summary, for best cutting performance, you want to push air down into the cut. This means a nozzle which ends physically close to the work (i.e. close to the focal length of the lens), and has a nozzle opening that is not too large in diameter.
Regards,
-Jeff Aley
P.S. Did you ever work for a large company in Folsom?
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Don Teeter
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Country: U.S.A.
- Laser Machine Make or Type: CO2 laser, RuiDa ACS RDC644XG controller
- Laser Power: 80W
- Laser Bed Size: 700 x 500
- Home Position: TL
- RDWorks Version: 8.0.32
- Ruida Controller: RDC6442
- Windows Version: 10
Yes, I did.P.S. Did you ever work for a large company in Folsom?
Generic with Ruida RDC644XG controller, LASEA F2 80W CO2 laser tube
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Pete Cyr
- Posts: 1964
- Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2016
- Location: Suffolk Virginia
- Country: United States
- Laser Machine Make or Type: Boss 1630
- Laser Power: 100w
- Laser Bed Size: 16"x30"
- Home Position: TR
- Control Software: RDWORKS
- RDWorks Version: v8.01.18
- Ruida Controller: RDC6442
- Windows Version: Win 10
- Accessories: roller rotary attachment
Location - VA
Equipment - Boss Laser 1630
Power - 100W
Laser Bed Size - 16" x 30"
Home Position - TR
Full RDWorks Version - v8.01.18
First name - Pete
Equipment - Boss Laser 1630
Power - 100W
Laser Bed Size - 16" x 30"
Home Position - TR
Full RDWorks Version - v8.01.18
First name - Pete