When the Laser Marking Machine Suddenly Loses Power

A sudden power outage can damage the equipment or cause data loss.It offers solutions for emergency power outages, maintenance tips, and advice on configuring power protection devices to help customers lower their risk of unexpected power outages and extend the service life of their equipment.

The problem of sudden power outages.

If the power goes out while a laser marking machine is in operation, the result can range from a work-in-progress being ruined, to the machine 's core components being damaged.And especially when the machine is in the middle of a fine cut, an unexpected power outage could cause the lens to be damaged by the buildup of heat.Even more troublesome is the fact that some equipment does not have automatic save functions, so that after a restart the parameters must be re-adjusted, wasting time and material.

And daily precautions are not to be neglected.

A reliable voltage stabilizer.

Voltage fluctuations are a common sign of an impending blackout.I suggest that you use an industrial-grade voltage stabilizer for your equipment, especially during times of peak power consumption, or if you have other high-power equipment in your workshop.Don't go for a home-use model just because it's cheaper--you need a professional model designed to withstand a 380-volt voltage fluctuation.

Backup power needs to be prepared in advance.

If your budget allows, it's worth getting a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for the laser marking machine.When choosing a UPS, two things should be kept in mind. First, the UPS must be able to supply power at full load for at least 10 minutes to allow you to save your data and shut the computer down safely. Second, the output waveform must be a pure sine wave to prevent damage to sensitive circuits.

Get into the habit of saving everything.

After every adjustment of parameters, don't be in a rush to click "Start" -first manually save the current settings.Many old hands have had this experience: the most painful thing about a sudden power outage is not the cost of repairing the equipment, but the fact that they had spent two hours adjusting the perfect parameters, and had forgotten to save the data.

The right way to act after a power cut.

First, don't turn it on.

When the power is restored after a blackout, don't turn on the equipment immediately.Allow the power system to stabilize for 3-5 minutes, and wait until the capacitors in the circuit have completely discharged.One user became impatient and tried to start the computer before the water had circulated, and ended up burning out the motherboard.

Check these two critical areas.

When you start it up again, check the laser tube connectors and the track sliders.If the power fails, there will be a surge of electricity, and this can cause oxidation at the interface. If the slider stops at an extreme position when the power fails, it will have to be manually reset when the power is restored.

It's a job that requires a lot of patience and attention to detail.

If the equipment supports the "resume carving from breakpoint" function, check the integrity of the file.Some CNCs automatically generate log files when they lose power, and these can be used to recover 90 % or more of the progress made, which is much more convenient than starting over.

Long-term maintenance tips.

The distribution box should be given a complete checkup every quarter. The key areas to inspect are the air circuit breaker and the terminal blocks.Before the rainy season or thunderstorms, the equipment is protected against moisture and lightning.Some experienced technicians will put some packets of desiccant in the control box, and this old-fashioned method does actually work.

Remember not to plug your equipment into the same socket as the cutting machine or the air compressor, which are "electricity gluttons.The most extreme case I've seen is where three machines share a single power strip, and the laser engraving machine becomes the victim of daily power outages.