How to Clean Co2 Laser Tube

Cleaning is very important for the service life of pipes. Your laser tube loses about 9 - 13% of its laser capacity through the lens and mirror. When they get dirty, this may increase significantly, and the additional power loss on the working surface will mean that you need to reduce the working speed or increase the laser power. In either way, the laser will work harder or longer than required, thus shortening the service life of the electronic tube. Generally, there is no need to clean it. When a new laser tube starts to be used, it is best to use purified water for refrigeration at the beginning, so that the service life of the laser can be extended to a greater extent. If pure water is not used, some calcification precipitation will be generated in the glass after a long time. As we all know, the laser of laser engraving machine is generally made of glass tubes, and its cooling method is water cooling water circulating cooling. It is conceivable that there will be some precipitation in the waterway over time. In addition, frequent high-power operation is bound to shorten the service life of the laser tube. 

External Cleaning of Glass Tubes

Generally, the glass turns yellow because of oil stains in the air and alkali in water vapor, such as scale. In addition, if glass glue is added to the glass or its surface, it will turn yellow after sunlight

Some customers reported that there would be a smell of burning silk after using the laser tube, and the surface color of the laser tube would turn brown. This is because static electricity will be generated in high-voltage environment, and static electricity will produce adsorption phenomenon. There is a lot of dust in the working environment, especially in the case of long-term carving wood, this discoloration will be more serious, but this will not affect the normal operation of the machine. This is not the fault of the power supply or the laser tube. As long as you pay more attention to the hygiene of the working environment, this situation can be avoided. If the laser tube has changed color, you can wipe the outside with water or alcohol.

Internal Cleaning of Glass Tubes

After working for a period of time, there may be a lot of dirt (such as impurities, dust, microorganisms, etc. in the cooling water) attached to the inner wall of the CO2 laser tube. This will prevent the coolant from taking away the heat in the tube, resulting in a decline in laser power and beam quality. Worse, the laser tube may also be completely damaged by heat.

Regularly remove the dust and sundries on the laser tube and the water cooler to ensure that less dust pollutes the laser tube. However, if the interior of the glass tube has been polluted, it needs to be cleaned in time. Someone will clean it with hydrofluoric acid solution, but this method is not feasible, because hydrofluoric acid will be corrosive to the glass. We most recommend using vinegar or hydrochloric acid to clean the glass tube.

First of all, it is necessary to disconnect the positive and negative wires as well as the water inlet and outlet of carbon dioxide with the power off. Then pour out all the water in the laser tube and stick it on the laser beam outlet with adhesive tape to ensure that the output light is completely free from pollution during cleaning. Input vinegar or hydrochloric acid into the water inlet of the laser tube until it is full. Then let it stand for half an hour, shake it slightly, and then take out the liquid. Put it carefully on the table, wait for 30 minutes, shake it well, and then take out the liquid from the test tube. Then rinse the laser tube with purified water. After that, if there is still some dirt adhering to the tube, repeat the previous steps. After cleaning, wipe the water at the laser tube, beam outlet and high-voltage end, especially the water on the electrode, with absorbent material. Remove the adhesive tape from the laser output window and check whether the optical element is polluted. If there is any pollutant or water left on it, please clean it correctly and carefully, and then install it on the machine according to the installation instructions.

Final Thoughts

In this way, the laser tube will be in the best working condition and its service life will be extended. At the same time, it also saves some costs for enterprises.