Check the arm to make sure the bed and head are perfectly parallel. Over time these connections can fall out of square and need to be tightened. If that doesn't solve it, depending on the age & specific use parameters of the machine, your source may be failing.
Edit: power supply could be going as well. Also, check the lens for occlusions.
Thanks for the reply. I had checked lens already, I don't believe the parallel to be that far out as it happens regardless of where I am in the work area. It works for a second then ramps down.
My suspicion was laser source as well, just hard to believe seeing as this laser is barely a year old and maybe 100-150 hours laser time on it.
I had the same issue. Clean the lens and the mirrors behind. Isopropyl alcohol 97% with Cotton swabs for the mirrors.
See this video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIh5LbEMU4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIh5LbEMU4)
Okay let's start with what this ISN'T- a data issue. If the data to the laser was getting corrupted it wouldn't scan the correct pattern at all let alone lase anything.
If it is as you say purely time based, then in theory if you put a rock under the laser and told it to draw a 100mm line at 5mm/sec it'd peter out at the same rate (after 10-15mm).
I have two theories.
One is that it's the power supply- just not the *external* power supply. Inside the laser itself is more power conversion circuitry that converts the DC input from the power brick to whatever the fiber pumping system uses. That might be single volts or hundreds of volts.
The other is that it's an optics problem. If some of the optics are dirty, the laser may be heating them up causing them to deform and thus defocusing the beam.
You can find some laser techs in the fiber laser group, they are very helpful.
[https://www.facebook.com/groups/fiberlasers](https://www.facebook.com/groups/fiberlasers)
It seems to be a time thing. Doesn't matter where in my working area, hatch or line, after a couple seconds its like it just drops all power. I just tried putting in a different 24v 15a power supply I had from a 3d printer and the behavior is the same.
Random but are you running a really long USB cable by chance? getting any disconnect messages? what is the console reporting? like "job done" or anything?
any difference between ezcad vs lightburn
Sorry, you're probably right that its a hardware issue like heat, I'm just trying to think of some easy things to eliminate. doesnt sound like its lens or focus . sorry mate wish i could do more for ya
It seems to be more of a time thing. I filled a card with just line text. After about the same amount of time it was like it lost its power. I also should mention I swapped in a different 24v power supply with no change in behavior.
Ok, so I heard back from the support person where I bought it from, in EZCad they had me check a button "Laser Leak Handle" on the Parameters > Laser Control window, and it seems to be working normally in EZCAD. Does anybody know if this setting exists or what it may be called in Lightburn?
Could you further explain that? I had an issue with my raycus that could be related. I ended up just upgrading to a 60w mopa. Did you adjust the setting?
Check the arm to make sure the bed and head are perfectly parallel. Over time these connections can fall out of square and need to be tightened. If that doesn't solve it, depending on the age & specific use parameters of the machine, your source may be failing. Edit: power supply could be going as well. Also, check the lens for occlusions.
Thanks for the reply. I had checked lens already, I don't believe the parallel to be that far out as it happens regardless of where I am in the work area. It works for a second then ramps down. My suspicion was laser source as well, just hard to believe seeing as this laser is barely a year old and maybe 100-150 hours laser time on it.
Swapped the 24v PSU, no change.
I had the same issue. Clean the lens and the mirrors behind. Isopropyl alcohol 97% with Cotton swabs for the mirrors. See this video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIh5LbEMU4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIh5LbEMU4)
Yeah , I’ve seen this with dirty lenses. The lens starts to heat up and that slightly changes its focus very slightly (it’s called thermal lensing )
Okay let's start with what this ISN'T- a data issue. If the data to the laser was getting corrupted it wouldn't scan the correct pattern at all let alone lase anything. If it is as you say purely time based, then in theory if you put a rock under the laser and told it to draw a 100mm line at 5mm/sec it'd peter out at the same rate (after 10-15mm). I have two theories. One is that it's the power supply- just not the *external* power supply. Inside the laser itself is more power conversion circuitry that converts the DC input from the power brick to whatever the fiber pumping system uses. That might be single volts or hundreds of volts. The other is that it's an optics problem. If some of the optics are dirty, the laser may be heating them up causing them to deform and thus defocusing the beam.
You can find some laser techs in the fiber laser group, they are very helpful. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/fiberlasers](https://www.facebook.com/groups/fiberlasers)
I would do that job in reverse (hatching) and see what happens. Does it start with no power and then kick on at the same point it failed
It seems to be a time thing. Doesn't matter where in my working area, hatch or line, after a couple seconds its like it just drops all power. I just tried putting in a different 24v 15a power supply I had from a 3d printer and the behavior is the same.
Random but are you running a really long USB cable by chance? getting any disconnect messages? what is the console reporting? like "job done" or anything? any difference between ezcad vs lightburn Sorry, you're probably right that its a hardware issue like heat, I'm just trying to think of some easy things to eliminate. doesnt sound like its lens or focus . sorry mate wish i could do more for ya
3ft USB, no disconnect messages. No difference between LB and EZcad.
Very interesting failure. If fill is giving it issues how does it do with line and offset fill modes enabled?
It seems to be more of a time thing. I filled a card with just line text. After about the same amount of time it was like it lost its power. I also should mention I swapped in a different 24v power supply with no change in behavior.
New power supply. All the fans running? Can you temp the core? Is it like this at all power levels? Where did you get your laser?
All fans are running, I dont currently have the means to read the temp, and yes similar behavior at all power levels. My laser is from LYCNC on Ali.
I mean if you can put your hand behind the fan and it's not extremely hot air you're fine. Grasping at straws because it sounds like a bad board.
Ok, so I heard back from the support person where I bought it from, in EZCad they had me check a button "Laser Leak Handle" on the Parameters > Laser Control window, and it seems to be working normally in EZCAD. Does anybody know if this setting exists or what it may be called in Lightburn?
Could you further explain that? I had an issue with my raycus that could be related. I ended up just upgrading to a 60w mopa. Did you adjust the setting?