ByStronic BTL3500 ByStar 4020 -- No Laser

[SAversa]

My work place has a BTL3500/ByStar 4020. I was cutting .125 aluminum last week with no issues.

At one point, the laser started to spit. I brought it to 0-point and changed the nozzle, as it had some slag built up. I used the hand tool to pulse the laser, so I could center the beam, but nothing happened. I tried this maybe 5-6 times.

I tore apart the entire head. Everything looked good.

I tried my 7.5" head, and had the same problem.

So, I shut the laser power down, started it up again -- nothing. I purged the lines several times -- nothing. Checked the gas, everything looked good.

The weirdest part...no error message. From the looks of it, everything should be working properly.

I called ByStronic. They had me purge the lines again, check the gas, open the resonator, check the lens and shutter. Everything was fine. The laser was even producing a beam inside the resonator...it's just not making it out to the cutting head.

I'm at a loss, and so is ByStronic. The next step is to get a tech out here, but that could be a while, especially since it's a short week because of the holiday.

Does anybody here have any tips or experience with something like this? I could use some help.

Thanks!

 

[Merrill101]

Probably won't help you, but we had an old Cincinnati laser that had a lens installed upside down and it was causing the beam not to come through the nozzle.

I wonder though, are you so far out of center that you are hitting the side wall of the nozzle rather than shoot through the hole? Check the inside of the nozzle for scorch marks.

Good luck to you.

 

[SAversa]

I actually thought the same thing about it being that far off of center. That's one of the reasons I tried with the 7.5" head. I knew that one was just calibrated, but it still was not working.

As far as the lens being upside down, that's not the problem. The head was cutting one minute, then stopped the next.

I think the strangest of all of this is the fact that there's no error message. The closest thing I get to an error message is when I turn up the power beyond 95%, I get "Overcurrent Tube __", then a variety of different tube numbers. One time it will be tube 8, then 11, then 6.

 

[SAversa]

How do I test if the shutter is opening and closing?

 

[krugtech]

do you have any errors on the laser control panel like beam protect cnc or beam protect laser or shutter locked? Try removing the nozzle and putting tape across the opening that the nozzle goes in. You can also try turning up the laser single pulse time and power. The 3500 watt laser was originally designed as a 2800 watt laser. if everything is perfect they'll make 3600+ watts but they're very finicky. You may have low quality gases, a vacuum leak or maybe it's time for a rebuild. Where are you located?

Chris Krug

http://krugtech.com/

Maximum Up-time, Minimum BS

 

[SAversa]

I have ultra-high purity gas, and no error messages. By looking at everything, it should be running properly. The gas was Tuesday of last week. It ran perfectly until last Thursday.

I was in the middle of cutting a piece, and it started to spit. I brought the laser to 0-point to change the nozzle, which had some slag on the tip. After I did that, I went to do a pulse to center the beam. (Mind you, this machine is from 1998). Nothing. I tried over and over, but the same result.

Thinking there was an issue with the head, I tore it apart. No problems. That was the 5" head. I tried the 7.5" head, same thing.

So, I ultimately ended up opening the resonator. It's producing a beam but, for some reason, it's not making it to the cutting head.

After exhausting our options on the phone with ByStronics, they are going to schedule somebody to come out to the shop. The problem is, that's 2+ weeks of downtime before they can get somebody here. In the mean time, we're falling behind in our work because the laser is not running.

The most frustrating part is not having an error message. I don't even know where to start. Apparently, ByStronic doesn't, either.

 

[itsmoked]

Sure sounds like a shutter issue to me.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[SAversa]

Unfortunately, I don't know how to test that or how to fix it. It just sucks we have to have our laser down for so long. We're using our CNC Router, but that takes 3 times as long. When you have 165 sheets of 6' x 11' sheets of Aluminum, it adds up.

 

[krugtech]

what country are you in? i have 25+ years experience with Bystronics and I have a reputation for solving the toughest problems.

Chris Krug

http://krugtech.com/

Maximum Up-time, Minimum BS

 

[SAversa]

USA.