Typical cut settings apply more power than necessary, so you will never notice a failing tube until the power level drops below the absolute minimum required for a clean cut.
Because the beam is not shaped properly, it cannot be focused properly. The beam shape varies with the distance from the laser tube, so the effect on the material varies with the position on the platform.
As long as the beam cuts through the material, however, the laser seems to be working, even though it is getting worse.
I do not know the physics of gas laser operation beyond the level of a reasonably well-read, somewhat obsolete, electrical engineer.
The āmodeā of a laser describes the stable state of the energy resonating within the tube, which depends on the perfect alignment and condition of the mirrors inside the tube (not the outside mirrors we can adjust), with tolerances measured in fractions of the light wavelength. Any combination of mechanical stress, material aging, temperature variations, gas contamination, and other things I canāt even pronounce will suffice to wreck the laserās mode.
Here is a more technical description of TEM modes from Edmund scientific.
This link, also Edmund Scientific, explains the beam quality or M2. I suspect this is what gives us problems.
Remember a lens only duplicates the source, if the beam quality is not good, then you get strange results, such as difficulties in alignmentā¦ Unfortunately, there is no simple way to measure whatās going on inside the tube.
My tube went out of TEM00 mode over a 3 day weekend and didnāt have a lot of hours on it either.
Ever put a new bulb in and it didnāt work or only lasts a few weeks? ā¦ such is life.
Yes when I bought the laser, he came with the damaged laser tube I could not align the mirrors properly, and than I bought the new one and now I have a problem with it.
I have a reci 100 watt tube, is it typical for reci tubes to break so often?
Unfortunately warranty period on my tube expired.
The best for me now is to work with this one while it is working somewhat good until it fails completly.
Good luckā¦ itās not possible to do a correct alignment with a tube out of TEM00 mode. When mine went out, I ordered a new one and spent 5 days, aligning it more than once daily. My mode changed over time.
These are one of the best tubes you can get, Iām sorry youāve had a less than acceptable experience with RECI.
