Laser Marking Machines: 5 Common Causes of Poor Performance

The decline in the laser marker's precision may have to do with a problem with the scanner system.The guidebook includes five commonly encountered faults and their solutions, covering such practical techniques as galvanometer adjustment, lens cleaning, and motor inspection. The guidebook helps users quickly locate problems, improve equipment efficiency, and reduce downtime.

Why has the accuracy of the laser suddenly deteriorated?

When laser marking machines lose precision, many users first assume the machine is broken. In fact, the problem is usually with the galvanometer system.The mirror is the core component of the laser.Don't rush to the repair shop. Follow these troubleshooting steps to solve the problem yourself.

Check the lens surface for contamination.

Check the condition of the lens.

First you turn off the power, and use the flash of a mobile phone to shine obliquely on the mirror.If there are fingerprints, oil stains or dust, just like a blurry picture taken with a dirty phone camera, these impurities directly interfere with the path of the laser beam.

Professional cleaning operations.

Dip a cotton swab into anhydrous alcohol and wipe the lens in a spiral motion from the center outward.Don't use a paper tissue to wipe it, or the coating on the lens could be scratched and you'll have to pay a lot of money to replace it. After cleaning, leave it alone for five minutes, then turn it on and test it.

The mirror is then calibrated to ensure that it is not out of alignment.

Simple cross test.

A cross is drawn on the software, and then the actual marking is done and the diagonal length measured with a gauge.If there is asymmetry of more than 0.05 millimeters, the mirror has to be readjusted, just as a mobile phone screen that is crooked needs to be recalibrated.

Dynamic calibration techniques.

After entering the calibration interface, follow the on-screen instructions to place the calibration board.Make sure the light is not too strong, and that the table is not vibrating. The best time to calibrate is when the workshop is not busy.

Are the electrical connections loose?

Check for poor connections.

Gently shake the data cable after the vibrating mirror motor to see if there is any slack in the connection.I've encountered many cases where the problem was dust in the workshop, which caused rust to form on the contacts, leading to unreliable signal transmission. In such cases, a simple de-rusting treatment is all that is needed to restore normal operation.

The replacement test.

If you have a spare cable, try replacing it.Don't underestimate this line. Last year one customer was about to condemn a mirror galvanometer motor worth NT $ 100,000 to the scrap heap because the line was old.

It depends on the weather.

Temperature alarm value query.

Open the system log and see if there are any recent temperature alerts.Mirror motors get "irritable" if the temperature exceeds 45 degrees. Their accuracy can fluctuate even more than the weather.

Optimizing heat dissipation.

Leave a ventilation space of 20 cm or more around your equipment. Clear the dust from your cooling fans regularly.When it's especially hot, you can put a fan in front of the control cabinet, and the temperature can go down by 3-5 degrees.

Software parameters set traps.

Check the delay time parameter.

If the laser switch delay time is forgotten when changing the material, it will cause the start and end points to be off.He suggested that each material be assigned a separate parameter template, which would make switching from one to another as easy as switching from one WiFi network to another.

The company has also released a new version of the driver.

If a user installs a 2015 driver software with a new galvanometer, it is like adding 92-octane gasoline to a race car.Many of the patches in the quarterly updates on the official website are aimed at improving accuracy.

Do it yourself or get a factory to do it?

If the problem persists after going through the five steps above, it is recommended that you contact the manufacturer and send a video of the problem.But according to our statistics, more than 80 % of the precision problems can be solved by these methods.Next time you encounter a blurry label, don't let the equipment take the blame!