Air Assist Upgrade (Part 8)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- The second upgrade and second most important when cutting materials is air assist. Basically a little 3psi pond pump won't let you reach the maximum potential of your laser... you need way more... something like 20psi or so for optimal performance.
In this video I'll describe how I upgraded my air assist system from the stock pond pump to a California Air Tools Ultra-Quiet 8 Gallon Air Compressor.
I paid full price for my FL-690 Laser from Coco via her facebook group. I do not get paid in any way for publishing videos related to laser or any of the brands mentioned in this video aside from the amazon affiliate links below.
TOOLS / MATERIALS
■ California Air Compressor: amzn.to/3oJ4MTA
■ Manual Valve: amzn.to/3viXad4
■ Coco Song Lasers: / cocosonglasers
■ Chinese Lasers - Air Assist Upgrades and Support (Look for Matthew Ross): / 468664667399243
PwnCNC Is a member of the amazon affiliate program
Become a Patreon Member!
/ pwncnc
FILMING GEAR
■ Sony a6600: amzn.to/3eyp9xV
■ Sony Remote: amzn.to/3gHESxs
■ Wireless Microphone Comica CVM-WS50 : amzn.to/3c61CEE
■ GoPro 8: amzn.to/3lCgUEd
■ GoPro MAX - Waterproof 360 : amzn.to/2PfJHCE
■ Neewer 61"/155cm Camera Tripod : amzn.to/3r3MqMt
■ Neewer Lights : amzn.to/3178R9b
Find Me On The Internet:
■ Website : pwncnc.com
■ Instagram : / pwncnc
■ Facebook : / pwncnc
■ Facebook Group : / pwncnc
■ Twitter : / pwncnc
■ Blog : pwncnc.com/read
■ UA-cam : / pwncnc
■ Thingiverse: www.thingivers...
I was looking at the valve set up you purchased. It looked like there was a ‘tee’ fitting where it directed air, two ways. One way is through the electronically controlled valve that had a manual switch to override. The other side of the ‘tee’ looked like it went through a manual flow control valve? If that is the case, that would have been the reason for you still having air going to the nozzle regardless of the electronic valve being off. I’ll research the kit you got as I’ve been looking to design the exact thing. I would have thought the idea of the kit you bought was to have constant air supplied, so there was air when only engraving, then the electronic valve would turn on automatically, for higher pressure air, for when the laser was going to cut? The manual flow control valve can be adjusted, to regulate whatever flow is ideal for just engraving.
The in-line regulator/water trap you had is a good idea, so you can set the ideal pressure for cutting. I imagine you have a tap on the feed in to that regulator so there’s only air feeding while using the laser, to save the compressor constantly cutting in? I guess you could even have a second electronically controlled valve before your valve components that would do the same thing?
I added a second solenoid to a similar kit and used 2 switches which cuts off air altogether when not running. The ruida has a separate 24v output that can be used for this or a relay. One switch is the manual/auto and the other is high/low/auto. I have also found those little regulators still allow too much air if psi is above 15 so I added a second one inline to get it down to the levels I wanted without needing to adjust the main flow, the bypass should only needs to be strong enough to keep smoke off the lens, it really helps reduce stains when engraving.
This is how I did mine as well. Works great without issue.
That is awesome thank you for the detail. I try to install kits as-is then after i know the "steady state" go back and modify them if i think it's needed. This sounds like a really nice mod to make here.
I used a second air solenoid valve to control the small amount of air that is needed to keep the lense clean when the laser is running a program but air assist is off. But all air is off if not running a program. Completely automatically. But air assist come on automatically if checked in lightburn.
Did you have a chance to document that... it sounds like a very useful mod to these kits.
@@PwnCNC I didn't. But I can get the info and post it. It was a modified air assist kit from cloudray.
Same, I’m planning on putting in a delay timer so it continues to run for a short period after finishing.
Hello Scott, this is my plan right now, I have the Cloudray Ultimate Air Assist Kit mounted and bought already a pneumatic magnetventil 2V025-08 24VDC PT1/4 2/2 way (normally closed). But I'm not sure how to hook it up. Can you give some instructions on how you did it? Thank you!
Looks like a pretty slick setup, thanks for the rundown! I've got a cloudray ultimate air assist kit coming which I'm looking forward to getting set up
I'll have to look closer into the CloudRay... that looks extremely similar to the one i picked up. Does it come partially assembled? in my video (4:13) that piece that's partially assembled came that way from Matthew. It helped me not having to study over the design before assembling.
Thanks to a friend... turns out the rotary (upcoming video) that came with my laser is extremely close, if not exactly, a Cloud Ray Rotary (www.cloudraylaser.com/products/mechanical-parts-rotation-axis-engraving-model-a?variant=16219338211379).
I always thought that you should have constant air the whole time the job is in progress....not only to assist in cutting be ensuring no smoke/debris is able to accumulate on the focus/mirror(s)? Even run it for a bit after the job finishes until extraction has done its thing. I could be wrong tho.
You're correct... when i researched why the air assist kit always has a slow continuous stream of air, it was for this exact reason... to keep the lens clean as it's jogging.
Have you tried this air assist to cut thin metal? People use nitrogen and oxygen assist to cut metal with co2 lasers, seems like normal compressed air, which is ~78% nitrogen, ~21% oxygen, should work too.
co2 lasers will not cut metal.
@@genecollier576 I see many instances of people discussing/using a CO2 laser with oxygen assist to cut metal, e.g ua-cam.com/video/ZnuSO7eIkVY/v-deo.html
Do you have the link for the ultimate air assist?
Matthew can help you from his facebook group: facebook.com/groups/468664667399243