I have been running my laser for months with no problems. The settings I am using are saved in my material library and have had no issues. Tonight i tried to run a job and it engraved but wasn’t as deep as normal. I attributed it to new mask, bumped my power setting by 10% and tried to run it again. Now no power is coming from the laser. If I pulse (button on the controller) it works, but if i run a job the amp meter and the power supply show 0 amps.The power supply shows that the coolant is running but says the laser signal is “Off”.
It sounds like a machine issue since it quickly developed and my settings haven’t changed, but at the same time since pulse works it sounds like maybe its a program issue. I am lost. Any ideas?
I am running a 100W GWeike CO2 laser with a Ruida 644XS controller.
I’d try sending a simple test file, not using your material library settings. Just a square using “Line” and one of the colours/layers you don’t use in your materials library.
How do you send the data to your controller? USB? Do you use “Send” or “Start”? Ideally we’d like more info. Some screenshots that sort of thing.
First thing I’d do is check that the wires are inserted and screwed down. I’ve see some of these that only the glue was holding the wires in and it became intermittent… However if it fires from the console, that would seen to indicate the hardware is working…
The percent power or pwm/analog (LPWM1/L-AN1 of CN5) goes to the IN terminal of lps. The L-ON1 line is the laser enable.
The Ruida should produce a pwm/analog signal anytime a layer is operating. The L-ON signal tells the laser to fire.
If you have a voltmeter you can measure both of these…
How old of a machine do you own? Could the tube be failing?
If you’ve bumped your power by 10%, I assume that’s big enough for your tube to lase.
Thanks guys. despite no alarms gong off and my power supply saying that i had coolant flowing, i checked my coolant level and it looked low and dirty. When i tried to empty it the whole thing was gunned up with antifreeze jelly. I flushed it, and replaced it with distilled water and now it is running like it should. I have no idea how the coolant could cause the problem with no alarms from the chiller or the laser going off, but it solved the problem and the test file proved it. Thanks guys.
You should check how the coolant flow switch is connected to the rest of the system…
It sounds like the water protect (coolant flow sensor) is wired to the P terminal of the lps… This prevents the lps from firing… the Ruida has no knowledge the lps is being inhibited.
The proper connection is via the Ruida water protect input… if the coolant fails, the Ruida will stop, display an error message… You can fix the issue and let the Ruida continue without a loss of position…
NOTE: you must wire P of the lps to ground with this change…
Make sense?
I don’t know what kind of coolant antifreeze you are using, but most is not suitable to laser coolant…