Just been doing some mods, including fitting in the Saite Cutter head, with a Znse 18mm 50.8mm/fl lens and I can’t cut a thing?
I actually cannot even mark cardboard!
First I though the mirrors were unaligned, so went round and checked them, all fine.
So I took the lens out and, test fired…and that worked …So, what ever I’m doing wrong seems to be with the lens and I though I would ask here before trying anything else (as its tea time anyway!).
Have I just put the lens in up side down? (convex facing up, flat facing down)
Or have I mounted it in the saite cutter head wrong? (I unscrewed the inner sleeve, popped the lens inside the bottom of the head, and then screwed the inner sleeve back in till it was holding the lens in place, then inserted the whole assembly into the rectangular block.
Your focal point has most likely moved with the new head as the lens is most likely at a different position in the head than the stock one. I had the same issue going to the Lightobjects head. If you have a 50.8mm lens then the focal point is 50.8mm from the bottom of the lens to the work piece. Check and see what your current measurement is.
Think the focal length is set right. I measured from the lens to the end of the air assist and then cut a wooden block to make the distance 50.8mm when the block and nozzle were touching a work peace…and could easily be adjusted for multiple thickness of workpiece.
Also tried a few mm up and down, but could not even mark the cardboard I was testing on, using the full sweep of the power pot.
I know I as issues when I changed my cutting head. The beam was hitting the nozzle because the cutting head wasn’t straight and the beam was to low that might be something to check out
@3D_Laser I had that issue when I first installed the head, but was able to line it all using a rubber O’ring. though I didn’t do any test cut then as I didn’t have all the part for air assist.
Think everything laser wise is lined up as if i take the new 18mm Znse lens out the laser will pass through and hit the bed…its just when I put that lens back in…nothing???
If you have a 3d printer, print a spacer ring to allow you to use the original 12mm lens in the head, and see if that works. If it does, then it is a bad lens. Other than that, I am out of ideas.
@funinthefalls I think the new head actually came with a couple of milled out washers for fitting the stock lens…if not I 3D print one and give it a go…if it enrages me so much I go to throw it in the bin, I will divert it into an padded envelope addressed to you!
But I hope its just a case of me doing something really wrong, or a bad lens that can be replaced.
You might have gotten another focal like 101.6mm, 63.5mm or 38.1mm. Jut put a piece of paper/cardboard angled to get from 20mm from the head to over 110mm from the head (remove the bed and support it on something on the other side) and try to cut a line at 5-6ma. You might discover the real focal length of the lens.
@Mircea_Russu Thanks Mircea, had no luck with cutting a line on an angle, so took the lens out and used the second method you posted…Focal length came out as 38mm (not the 50.8mm), So my focal point is inside the air assist, and totally useless!
At least you know what the issue is and you can contact the seller for a refund or replacement. And have the knowledge that you did everything right. I should have thought of the idea that they shipped the wrong lens, I got focused on what you could have done wrong and forgot that the seller could have been the issue.
One you get the cutting head all set up can you put a piece of tape where the laser should come out and test fire. If it doesn’t hit the tape your alignment is off
@funinthefalls Yes, I so used to it the problem being something I have done! Didn’t even think to test the focal length, just assumed what was written on the box was in the box! a lesion learnt.
