I have been running my co2 laser for a couple of years now and I am wondering how much life I should be able to get out of the tube under my operating conditions.
I have a 130W (150w peak) co2 laser (RECI W-6 Tube) that I have been using since july 2021. 98% of the runtime has been below 40% power, roughly between 8-13mA and the coolant temperature never goes over 20 degrees Celsius. Currently there are no issues with the way it performs, but I know it’s not going to run forever and I wouldn’t mind some real world estimates on the lifespan of tube.
Cheers,
Rob
A good tube should last about 10k hours… or 5 years working 8 hours a day. Many people don’t get this for various reasons. A tube, in storage or not being used, also has gas breakdown, but it takes more time.
You can use them until they go out of TEM00 mode. At that point you can’t properly align them.
Good luck
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Thanks for the reply,
I have read a bit about laser spatial modes previously and was under the impression that it was lens failure that caused distortion in the beam shape. Will the gas chemistry also effect the beam structure?
I just assumed that the output power would decrease as the gasses degraded and it was the effect of heat & oxidation on the mirror & lens that distorted the beam.
When it comes to the science behind these things I am just a button pusher 
I performed a quick check on the beam quality and it left an even coloured ellipse on the test disk so I’m guessing I’m good for now. it’s not centered because the disk wasn’t centered on the mirror & it’s 6mm thick.
Again, thanks for the info, much appreciated 
Cheers,
Rob.
The only thing in the tube is a gas mixture, the mirrors in the ends of the tube are fixed into the glass during manufacture.
So it must be a degradation of the gases that cause the issue.
Here’s a link to some information… although mostly academic.
I’m in the same boat… I understand how it’s supposed to work …
Good luck