How To Maintain A Laser Machine

By Author: Steven Glassner
Total Articles: 153
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Businesses invest a huge amount on laser machines. To ensure this investment benefits your business for longer, you have to maintain it wisely. Routine maintenance benefits in many ways like always receiving the perfect cut quality and increasing the life of the machine. To increase ROI maintenance plays a vital role. There is not much required to do on a daily basis. You can set different routine patterns to ensure every part is maintained regularly. Here is the list of parts that requires maintenance and how you should do it.

Optics Maintenance

When the machine is on, there are dust particles released and if they are not cleaned, it can contaminate the lenses. The dust particles can pile up and can cause poor focus. This reduces the power of the laser. Furthermore, it will result in poor quality of cut or engraving.

If the dust particles on the lens are not cleaned regularly, it can lead to cracking or burning of the lens. If this ever happens the machines need to stop and the lenses should be replaced. You can prevent such incidents by regularly cleaning the lens with rubbing alcohol and cloth. ...
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It is also a good practice to replace the lenses on regular intervals based on the usage of the machine. You can find good quality mitsubishi replacement parts, trumpf replacement parts, amada, prima, etc. online. You must always buy replacement parts from authorized dealers.

Water Chiller Maintenance

The laser machine heats up when in use. So, to maintain the temperature of the laser machine, water is circulated to save from overheating of the laser tube. If the water in the chiller is not circulating properly or the water is not changed regularly, it can result in failure of the laser tube due to heating. The repair can cost your business tons.

So, for maintaining the chiller properly, the water in it should be cleared of debris and it should be replaced every six months or earlier in case of heavy usage. Thus, with little attention that a water chiller needs, it can extend the life of your laser machine.

Rail and Track Maintenance

The parts that actually move while the machine is on needs to be clean in order to ensure that nothing interrupts the movement. Regular oiling is required, so that there is no friction while it moves. The X-axis rail needs regular oiling. The Y-axis of the rails consists of bearings so it requires lubrication to save it from premature failure. So, regular lubrication is required in the moving rails so that they can move freely and form beautiful clean cuts.

Cutting Head

The cutting head is from where the laser is emitted. It has a nozzle, and lens inside it. The nozzles get weared out after every use. So it is advisable to change them regularly. You can invest in good quality nozzles to ensure the quality of cuts. You can google “mitsubishi laser spare parts” or “trumpf laser spare parts” and you will find dealers selling those. Installation of the nozzle should be done by certified technicians only as they will know how to fix it properly. If the nozzle is not fixed properly it might damage the machine or the cutting sheet.

Some Maintenance Tips

You must have technicians who can design routine maintenance sheets based on the workload your laser machine has. There are some cleaning processes like cleaning the surroundings, lenses, etc. daily after every use. Also, keep in mind the manufacturer's direction for maintenance as different brands have their own way of dealing with the machine. If you work in shifts then the cleaning processes should be done after completing every shift.

Conclusion

To save laser machines for longer, the way you maintain it matters. The above article explains what parts require maintenance and how you can do it. Every machine has its own instruction manual which should be strictly followed. The maintenance routine depends on how long you will be using the machine. So customize your own maintenance routine from your technician and follow them religiously to keep your machine healthy.

Steve M Glassner is the General Manager of Alternative Parts Inc, the leading manufacturer and distributor of Amada machinery replacement parts. Steve is a Machine Tools industry enthusiast and frequently writes about various aspects of the industry.