How To Clean A Laser Engraver?

As the name suggests, laser engraver is an automatic power tool that uses laser to engrave on the surface of objects. Because of its powerful engraving and cutting functions, laser engravers have been widely used in various fields. Considering its excellent performance, the cleaning & maintenance of laser engraving machine is also very important. The following will introduce in details. What are the cleaning methods for parts and assemblies?

Laser Tube Cleaning

If the laser tube is not cleaned for a long time, it will cause some scale deposits inside. Roughly like the water stains in the electric kettle, if the water quality is not good, it may be more dirty. If it is too dirty, if the output port is blocked, the laser tube may burst, or the output power of the laser tube will drop.

There are generally two situations:

One is that the laser tube has been used for too long and the water quality is not good, resulting in a serious accumulation of scale in the cold water tube, which needs to be cleaned. Dilute hydrochloric acid can be used for cleaning, but it must be very dilute 3%. It is best not to pickle the metal head of the light outlet. Usually, you should pay attention to the cleaning of the laser tube water, and it is best to use pure water.

The other is that the surface of the photocell is too dirty or the lens of the laser tube is too dirty and displaced. Therefore, when adjusting the power of the laser tube, it is necessary to clean the photocell and the lens of the laser tube.

Let’s Understand the Cleaning Method of the Laser Tube and Focusing Lens:

Unplug the set of flat cables connecting the laser head assembly, remember the direction, and disassemble the laser head assembly. At this time, it can be seen that the sheath covers the focusing lens of the laser head. After removing the sheath, you will find that the focusing lens is connected to the focusing and tracking coils by four thin copper wires, and the photocell assembly is installed in the small hole directly below the lens. Wipe the surface of the photocell and focusing lens with a thin iron wire wrapped with cotton and a small amount of distilled water (do not use alcohol to wipe the surface of the photocell and focusing lens). At this point, the cleaning of the laser tube is completed.

Laser Mirrors Cleaning

The mirror should be cleaned with a special lens cleaning solution and carefully wiped with absorbent cotton. Be careful to avoid scratching the mirror with sharp objects. Work pieces on the lower surface of the focusing mirror of the focusing lens may also be contaminated by volatiles. When it is contaminated, it also greatly affects the output of the laser. Attention must be paid to fume handling and blow protection to prevent contamination of the focusing lens. If the contamination is carefully cleaned up, the following methods can be used:

  1. Remove the inflation tube, pressure ring and protective cover, and carefully remove the focusing lens.
  2. Use a hair dryer to blow off the dust on the surface focusing mirror and handle it with care.
  3. Carefully dip the clamped cotton ball into alcohol or special lens cleaner with tweezers, and wipe gently from the inside out. Wipe one at a time until the dirt is removed, so replace the cotton balls.
  4. When installing the focusing lens, be sure to keep the concave side facing down.

However, we should pay attention that in the process of wiping the mirror, do not rub it back and forth to ensure that the mirror surface will not be scratched by sharp objects. Energy output and sculpting effects.

Platform Cleaning & Maintenance

For the cleaning of the platform, it is mainly divided into two types of countertops, one is the honeycomb platform, and the other is the vertical knife platform. Because it is in the form of a hollow, the trivial and small materials cut will fall down, one is to block the platform, and the other is to block the air outlet. So the cleaning technique is,

First, clean the platform regularly to ensure that the gap between the platform is unobstructed and free of debris;

Second, regularly clean the trivial materials in the funnel to ensure the ventilation effect and prevent the trivial materials from entering the exhaust fan and causing damage to the exhaust fan;

Third, regularly check whether there is any debris at the air outlet and whether there is any debris in the exhaust pipe to ensure the normal operation of the exhaust fan;

Fourth, always check whether there is any debris in the exhaust fan to avoid the entanglement of debris, which will reduce the speed of the exhaust fan and cause damage to the internal accessories due to overheating.

Dust Cleaning

In the daily use of the laser engraving machine, a large amount of dust will inevitably be generated. After a long time, the machine will settle down. In order to better maintain and maintain the machine, how should we clean the dust in the laser engraving machine?

First of all, the dust on the tray of the laser engraving machine does not matter, you can clean it in any way, but it is not recommended to clean the dust inside the machine. Improper cleaning can easily scratch the laser head. In severe cases, the laser cannot be accurately positioned when reading and writing data.

Secondly, as long as the dust does not fall on the surface of the laser head, it will not affect the use. The safest method is to turn the laser engraving machine upside down (the laser head is down) and use a blower (a tool for cleaning the digital SLR CCD, very cheap) to remove the dust.

In addition, special attention should be paid to the replacement of water and the cleaning of the water tank (it is recommended to clean the water tank and replace the circulating water once a week).

Cooling System Cleaning & Maintenance

Make sure that the laser tube is filled with circulating water before the laser engraving machine works. The quality and temperature of the circulating water directly affect the service life of the laser tube. It is recommended to use pure water and control the water temperature below 35°C. If it exceeds 35°C, it is necessary to replace the circulating water, or add ice cubes to the water to reduce the water temperature (it is recommended that the user choose a cooler, or use two water tanks).

How to Clean the Water Tank?

First turn off the power, unplug the water inlet pipe, let the water in the laser tube automatically flow into the water tank, open the water tank, take out the water pump, and remove the dirt on the water pump. Clean the water tank, replace the circulating water, restore the water pump to the water tank, insert the water pipe connecting the water pump into the water inlet, and arrange the joints. Power on the water pump alone and run it for 2-3 minutes (to fill the laser tube with circulating water).

Cooling Fan Cleaning

After working for about 3-4 months, open the rear cover. At this time, the laser tube and fan should have fallen a lot of dust. At this time, wipe it clean and then install it.

Rails Cleaning & Maintenance

If the trolley pulley, slide rail, linear guide and other moving parts are polluted or rusted, it will directly affect the processing effect. Rails should be cleaned and lubricated regularly to prevent rust.

Bearing Cleaning & Maintenance

Some bearings require regular oiling (except oil-impregnated bearings). Wipe off the floating soil on the bearing with a clean soft cloth, suck the oil into the needle tube with a needle tube, and then slowly inject the bearing into the bearing with a needle, and rotate the bearing slowly when filling oil.

In short, by forming a good habit of regular cleaning, the service life of the core components and parts of the laser engraving machine will be extended, so as to better serve us, better exert its functions, and maximize the use effect.