Dying Tube Symptoms

[wmgeorge]

I have a 35 Watt G.Weike Storm 500 laser machine purchased new or I new received in May. Can the tube be firing the blue gray beam inside and drawing the rated MA and be bad, as low output?? Sometimes if it is working the cut will be very low output at first and then ramp up, all on the same vector cut line and going the same direction.


If so I want to replace the PSU and tube.

[Tech_Marco]

I'm sorry but I don't understand what was your question
Can you explain again.


Marco

[wmgeorge]

I'm sorry but I don't understand what was your question
Can you explain again.
Marco

Can a tube be drawing the rated milliamps and still have low output power? I can see the beam in the tube but very low output power to the work, mirrors are clean and aligned.

Could it also be intermittent, works one time and not the next?

[Tech_Marco]

Yes it could be possible to drive a tube with rated current and having lower output.
It could be leaking gas (usually lower current) but one can raise tube current by changing controller board. But that doesn't change the output power much though.

Another possibility is a bad lens located inside of the tube. It is made of ZnSe and there are two lens/mirror
A full reflection mirror is installed at the Positive side of the tube while a semi-reflective mirror is installed at the output end.

When a tube is leaking gas, the color of glowing inside of the tube will turn to lighter color. When it turned into light yellow, the tube is no longer functioning. If the current is "0mA", all gas gone and it is dangerous as electric arc (spark) could happen at the high voltage terminal.

When mirror is out of alignment (I mean the lens/mirror inside of the tube), you see bright growing like a new tube but there is no output at all.


Marco

[wmgeorge]

Just want to add, replaced the tube with a new one from LightObject and it works fine.