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Troubleshooting Your Laser Cooling System

09/18/2020
Laser Cleaning

Temperature widely impacts the performance of your laser solution — whether it’s from operational or environmental causes. That’s why each mid- and high-power laser solution (which generates more energy and therefore more heat) is customized and designed to include a water chiller to help keep your system cool and running as expected. But, as with other parts of your system, the laser cooling system also needs routine maintenance. What’s involved? How often should it be performed? And, what are the warning signs that something isn’t quite right?

WHAT IS A LASER COOLING SYSTEM?

As the name applies, a laser cooling system is responsible for removing heat from your laser system by cooling it down. Typically, this involves using water or a water/glycol solution to transfer the heat to and from the chiller — requiring a reservoir or pumping system. This helps your laser system operate for long periods of time without overheating. This improves your productivity and increases your cost savings. As with other aspects of your laser, the cooling system needs routine maintenance to keep your process operational.

WHAT PARTS NEED MAINTENANCE?

The laser cooling system is comprised of a variety of parts that keep the laser solution cool. Each part of the cooling system requires its own maintenance — with some parts requiring daily monitoring while others can take up to a year before needing replacement. But, when there is trouble with one of these parts, it’s crucial that you replace or fix the issue before operating your laser system.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR LASER COOLING SYSTEM

MAINTAINING THE WATER CHILLER

The water chiller is often considered an interchangeable term with your cooling system. That’s because the other parts of a cooling system are used to maintain the chiller. The chiller draws excess heat from the laser — helping it maintain an efficient and stable laser output. As such, it needs to be routinely maintained every six and 12-months. At six months, water filters and water coolant will need to be maintained — with the entire system needing disinfecting every 12-months. While consistent maintenance can help prevent most problems, there are some things that can cause your sensor to identify the water chiller as the problem. This includes:

Tubing that has bent or split
Tubing that is kinked
Tubing that’s developing holes or is damaged

If the problem is a bent or kinked tubing, then simply un-kinking the hose can return the laser solution to operations. But, if the tubing has split from a kink, developed holes, or is damaged, then a replacement will need to be ordered and exchanged for the damaged tube. Failing to fix the problem can result in low beam quality, a drop in laser performance, and excessive heating of a variety of components.

MAINTAINING WATER FILTERS

Every six months, you should replace the water filter. This also involves wiping down the filter housing to remove any debris or mold that has developed. This ensures your filter will have a clean area to fit into and that nothing leftover will damage the new filter. In some cases, the water filter may need to be replaced early, so it’s always wise to keep a few extra filters in storage.

MAINTAINING LASER COOLANT

Similar to the coolant used in your air conditioning system, the laser coolant is used to cool the heat from the laser. Every six months, you’ll need to drain the old coolant and replace it with the new coolant. How much you’ll need will depend on your laser solution, and specific instructions can be found in your handbook.

MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE

Some maintenance is easier to do on your own than others. Changing the water filter is significantly easier than disinfecting your entire laser system. That’s why Adapt Laser provides maintenance services to help you ensure the longevity of your laser solution. In addition to disinfecting your laser system, we’ll also conduct the annual water service to evaluate laser performance. Whether you just need help with the yearly maintenance or need assistance with the bi-annual services as well, our team is here to help. Contact our team today to schedule our maintenance services.

WHATEVER YOUR NEEDS, ADAPT LASER HAS A SOLUTION FOR IT

Adapt Laser specializes in the know-how and application of laser cleaning solutions. We offer products with a range between 20 and 2,000 watts and provide training to ensure your employees can get the most from their laser cleaning solutions. We’ve equipped a variety of industries and companies with laser cleaning solutions — including military and defense for the US Air Force and Navy — and hundreds of organizations trust our state-of-the-art laser cleaning solutions.