I picked up a 2016 Boss laser LS2436 that needed a replacement 150w tube a couple weeks ago. Installed a new JK 150w tube, replaced and aligned mirrors. Currently I have the 2" FOL lens and nozzle installed. I am not getting the expected performance out of it. I run a 150w Universal Laser at work so I do have a reasonable expectation of what this machine should be capable of.
Current results with 1/4" birch plywood
350 mm/s 25% power, 10psi Air assist produces minimal engraving, more like light browning of the wood, no eroded material
20 mm/s 70% power, 25psi air assist (actually 100% power due to 70 being greater than the 46% controller limit I have set, see below) cuts roughly 1/3rd of the way through the plywood with a V’d cut groove
2" lens is clean, but not new.
At the moment I am honed into a couple things. My planned next steps are as follows
Re-verify alignment of laser at exit point of nozzle
Re-verify focus height from work piece to lens
Verify I am getting air output at the nozzle
Re-run my sweep to confirm min/max tube settings for 8ma minimum and 22ma max (tube factory tested 8ma for steady round beam, 22ma @ 150w output, 28ma @ 178w with published max of 34ma) My initial sweep showed minimum of 16% produces 8ma output from my power supply and max at 46% produces 22ma.
Swap the 2" lens/nozzle for 2.5" or 4"
What other suggestions do you guys think? Is there a reasonable way to reset this machine to factory new parameters? Being 2nd hand, I have no idea what someone may have messed with in the controller setup.
Boss doesn’t build the controller, it’s supposed to be a Ruida 6442 type. Boss buys them then configures them to work with a wide variety of their own machines. You can loose the Boss configuration doing a factory reset.
It’s always a good idea to backup these settings anyway.
You need to setup your lps to the correct current limit. This will sync the percent power (or current) to your software, a 100% power value produces 150W.
If you don’t do this, you’re power control will have a restricted range.
If you have:
properly operating tube
clean and aligned optics
proper focus
They just work.
Have you modified the controller as to power limits?
Thank you. IT is a Rudia 6442 controller and I have backed up the current config. I also reached out to Boss for a factory config file.
The IPS settings are exactly what I was looking for to be able to align my input of 100% = 150w and so fourth. I will make this change when I get home form work tonight.
In my machine you have to be a contortionist to adjust it.. I hate doing it because of how uncomfortable it is… Also mines on the bottom and the 20 turn pot is a bit inside of the hole. More difficult to get your screwdriver into the pots adjustment slot.
You can adjust for maximum current or maximum watts out. Mine is currently configured as watts out, not current. I know mine hits it’s full rated (working current) output at 13ma. At 100% power I’m getting 50W… I find it more easy to figure out what I’m doing.
Do you have an external ma meter?
This is my console, the ma meter is on the left, the right one is a volt meter.
Thanks. This is making allot of sense as being the root issue I’m facing. I had concerns previously about the tube rated point of 22ma being considerably less than the ~30ma that the prior tube was setup for. Dialing back the power supply will certainly better align from a controls strategy.
Pretty sure access to mine will be about the same as yours.
My machine has a ma meter, but no voltage. I do have several fluke meters and scopes, but the highest DC one I have peaks out at 1500vdc. If I want to verify the onboard ma reading, my only option would be isolation/inductance
Agreed. My day job deals with prototype electrification form machines to battery backup systems. We tap out at 1500vdc, but only due to the industry not having readily available tools and equipment capable of taking voltages higher on the DC side. We’re getting ready for a test that will operate at 1470vdc, fed into an inverter to take it to AC with a little over 22MW of standby power @ 480VAC. 777MCM cable is a fun crimp.
Nice work on the HV meter. I build vacuum tube amps on the side and really enjoy building things it’s not possible to buy
The meter has been modified, or I should say the encapsulated resistor failed. I can only assume that the epoxy filling shrank or grew enough to break the connection. I doubt your ohm meters can measure 600 megohms, none of mine can.
Made a very similar one with flat pack resistors with only the hot end insulated with silicone.
Audio, guitar amplifiers… my meters at home don’t go that high, but i have a couple megger ohm meters at work used for insulation resistance that do go that high. I also have milli and micro ohm meters as well as hi-pot meters that we use for measuring resistance through bolted joints.
