Im new to laser cutting / engraving so please forgive my ignorance . I have been told to use a coolant for my laser cutter . I live in sydney Australia so it doesnt get too cold here , even in winter . Can any of u legends give some helpful advice on the coolant i should use ?
no frost - no frost protection
We have had the first night frost yesterday, but my workshop is always heated, so I only use demineralized water. Others use distiled water with a little bit of algae kills and or get drops of dishwasher to break water surface tension, I use none of it. If the water is not exposed to UV light, it will last for a long time without problems, however, it should be changed once a year.
Greetings to Down Under
Thanks mate , really apprciate the advice . Im not so worried about it being too cold . I want to ensure the laser doesnt get too hot , hence the coolant . Will DM water sufice on its own ? Its hot here in Sydney at the moment , and coming into summer in december i anticipate warmer temperatures again . Ill have a beer for brother while i await a reply . Bless ya bud .
I assumed that you have a cooling machine…, if you want to use the laser machine seriously, ie. several hours at a time, you should get a CW 5000. Be careful not to buy a slightly cheaper CW 3000, it is not an active cooling machine, it cannot go below the ambient temperature! It’s been a long time since I’ve been to your beautiful country, but in the summer I experienced 42 degrees Celsius which caused sterin candles to topple over. I keep my CO2 tube at 20 degrees Celsius and it has done well for the first 3 years now.
Assuming the P2S is similar to the P2 (which from what I have seen it is) the laser should come with a bottle of coolant mixture.
This is what I have used and its performed without issues. Unless you have a reason to go with something else, I would use whats included with the machine.
I have not heard of anyone hooking up an external chiller to the P2 line since its all internal.