So I got an Ortur Laser Master 2 S2 less than 3 months ago of Amazon, and from the get go I thought my laser was really weak compared to the reviews and all the cutting projects people are doing. I noticed that on ever project I have completed it takes alot longer than what others reccomend for settings. I would always have to decrease the speed. Anything faster than 30mm/s you dont get anything. I started to think this was normal and engraving thin bamboo cutting boards at 15mm/s at 100% was working just fine. Just recently the machine is not powerful enough. I have had to drop down to 5mm/s at 100% to get the same results. Can someone advise me if this is normal or if my machine is defective.
So far I have completed the following steps
re-installed the lates Lightburn Software / firmware 1.1.04
Typically speeds when working with diode lasers are expressed in terms of mm/minute, rather than mm/second. When you are comparing speeds did you factor in that difference?
Some level of power drop-off is typical with use/age of diode. However, a dramatic drop-off may be an indicator that the diode is on its way out. I suspect the life on yours may have been shortened due to consistent and prolonged duty at 100% power. How many hours of usage do you think you have on the laser at 100% power?
Heat is the real killer so if you’ve pulled power on the fan immediately after completing a burn instead of letting the fan turn off on its own can accelerate degradation.
This covers a maintenance item that would be a typical cause of power reduction.
Also, you may want to make sure that the laser focus hasn’t changed in some way.
One other thing to check is that “S Value Max” in Device Settings is configured to 1000 to match $30.
Your laser should be warranted for a year in the case the diode is indeed giving up the ghost.
You can read more about the controversy around running at 100% duty here:
Thanks for all your input, really appreciate you reaching out. Let me try to answer your questions as best as possible.
No. I did not factor that in, and I really though it was mm/s I’ll have to double check that.
I have completed probably 20 cutting boards between 80 and 100% most took about 4 to 5 hours each. So maybe about 80 to 100 hours so far. Seems like a lot.
Checked this and confirmed S Value Max is 1000 equivalent to $30
I’ll be looking into that thread you posted thanks.
Wouldn’t surprise me if you experienced degradation at those durations but still seems pretty quick. The thing is extreme overheating once is more detrimental than many periods of moderate overheating. I had one diode show extreme degradation after less than 30 hours of use at similar power levels so there’s likely manufacturing variance that can be a factor in longevity.
Wow that’s just insane… so does that mean I have to get a new laser already cause 12 hours to engrave a simple picture sounds like ridiculous time for a 6” X 6” picture. I think I’m going to have to contact ORTUR for the warranty if that’s the case.
Whether you need a replacement laser module will be based on the level of degradation. A test pattern will give you a good idea of that.
You may end up in the same boat with a replacement, though, if you continue at the same settings. Bamboo is actually a very difficult material to burn. You may benefit from a higher power diode running at a lower power level.
This is very weird, because I have been engraving bamboo and teak since I got the machine and it was doing just fine… but then again I was running at 80 or 100 power.
You think there are any upgrades I can make to my laser? And is there a way to actually test the diode?
Possibly just run a normal test pattern on cardboard or something similar. Will give you a good sense of overall diode strength.
Going to a higher powered laser may allow you to engrave at lower power without losing too much speed. You want focus to be tack sharp and the focus dot to be as small as possible so look for smaller dot sizes.