So need a little help. My laser stopped cutting last night.

Lasers
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So need a little help. My laser stopped cutting last night. It was a sudden stop with no fade in power. I am thinking my power supply is blown but wanted to get people’s opinions

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Is “My laser stopped cutting…” referring to the entire machine or the laser itself?

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@donkjr just the laser the rails still move

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@3D_Laser OK
Please precede your answers using the numbers of the questions below.

Post a picture of your LPS showing the input connectors

… @ the panel
1.0 is the power switch on? Had to ask :slight_smile:
1.1 Does the laser fire when you push the panels Test Switch with the Laser Switch engaged?
1.2 Do you have interlocks installed?
1.2.1 Are the interlocks closed? If yes how do you know.

… @ the LPS
2.0 Does the laser fire with the test button that is on the power supply?
2.1 Is the LED on the power supply illuminated?

… measured @ the LPS
3.0 does the laser fire if you ground “L”, with interlocks closed and Laser Switch engaged?
3.1 What does the 24VDC on the LPS measure with voltmeter
3.2 What does the 5VDC on the LPS measure with a voltmeter

I will have other measurements when I see the picture of the LPS.

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…An then look also this post https://plus.google.com/+KonstantinosFilosofou/posts/9AF1i2hZjU2

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Power and laser button on
Does not fire when I press test
No innerlocks
Does not fire when I press test on the laser supply
Unsure about the led at work at the moment

Do not have a way to measure the power supply

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@3D_Laser ok pls check the led when you get home.

Please answer these questions by referencing the question #'s in my post. Makes it much less confusing.

It looks like the supply is bad but without measuring voltages cannot be sure.

Next step is to get cover off the supply and look for charred parts.

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@donkjr ​ it seems there is market for replacement psu’s. Might be a good opportunity for you to redesign the existing psu with some safety features like current/short/temp protection

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@Paul_de_Groot that might be viable once we find out exactly why these fail. I have recently been studying gas discharge in lasers and that characteristic makes LPS a bit different than a normal switcher.

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@donkjr cool let me know what you find out and happy to help you

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@Paul_de_Groot it was the power supply. I forgot I had a spear I hooked it up real quick and the laser fired. Now I just have to mount it and re align the laser

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@3D_Laser I am researching the cause of LPS failures, so if you want to donate it for failure analysis that will help the cause.

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@donkjr sure why just cc me on the results

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@donkjr gas discharge? I’ll have to keep an eye on the blog for future publications on that.

Here’s Don’s blog for anyone that is not aware. IMO some of the best engineering/research info on K40’s currently on the web. http://donsthings.blogspot.com/

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@Madyn3D_CNC_LLC thanks for the plug :slight_smile:
See appendix C: