So I’ve totally redone my setup 3 times. I’m a bit depressed with it. I’ve even gotten a new lens to to put in the light object head. Granted it’s a Chinese one that cost me $20 (good one is on order). The only stuff I cut is 3mm mdf, before I replaced the head with the light object head on min power (5/6ma) on 25mm sec I could do it in 5 or 6 passes. Now it’s more like 15-20. I’ve tried the old head, tried the new head/old lens, and new head/new lens.
What power setting / speed do you guys use for 3mm mdf cutting? The reason I’m asking is to get a target to tune the machine.
I havent done mdf yet but i cut 3mm birch ply(similar) at 8mm/s@15ma 1 pass. How are you controlling the signal to the laser psu? do you know the pulse duration? i would think an outrageous number might have this kind of issue but only conjecture.
if you can run a test to see how many passes @10ma or 15ma. max tube power from manufacture is 23ma usually and I believe they strike around 4ma so maybe the lower voltage is fluctuating in intensity too much?
When my k40 was new, I did this short video cutting 6mm MDF from Home Depot in two passes. Stock lens and head. I haven’t cut MDF in months so I don’t know if the laser can still do it. It been a very long time since I bothered to clean the lens and adjust them. I mostly just do engravings on the laser. I use my CNC to cut MDF and ply instead.
It’s a stock machine but for the cutter head. How does one know the pulse duration or change that? Curve up, realigned three times. Focus is 50.8 with a 18mm znse. Amount of time on the laser is less then 100 hours and I usually cut at 1/3 power.
so that means still stock controller then? if it worked before then it should be fine. do you still get output at the mirrors when holding up a piece of paper? trying to figure out to which point your beam loses power between the various mirrors.
Each mirror seems to be the same. I cleaned each mirror as well and this seemed to help. Right now I can cut 3mm mdf at 8-9ma at 5mm/s on 5 passes without air asst. Or 8-9ma@25ms on 8 passes. I prefer the faster movement as it help with charring.
when you check all four corners of the work area with a piece of tape covering the laser head hole, (entry before the last mirror, not nozzle side) is there only one spot on it or multiple? Is it hitting the middle of the hole or is it off-center? a picture of said tape would help visually confirm your calibration is properly set.(and of reflection point on mirrors while your at it ) I know a lot of this has been suggested but you know how troubleshooting works…IT makes you go through all the steps with them regardless
