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CNCPete
21-06-2016, 06:43 PM
Hi , anyone from Ireland or in the uk using one of these machines.
Iv got a 220v machine , the lead has a IEC connector and US style plug with a European adaptor.
I don't want to use these adaptors.
Did you change this power lead to a standard uk IEC lead?


thanks Pete

Fred
21-06-2016, 10:52 PM
Of course.

Check the whole machine over carefully. There could well be far worse things than that needing attention. Mine had the HT lead to the laser (20kV) flapping around against the metal case. That's was also a few missing screws. I blew through the coolant tube to check it wasn't blocked and got a mouth full of water. It gave me some nasty disease from some parasite found in polluted Chinese rivers.

CNCPete
21-06-2016, 11:45 PM
Of course.

Check the whole machine over carefully. There could well be far worse things than that needing attention. Mine had the HT lead to the laser (20kV) flapping around against the metal case. That's was also a few missing screws. I blew through the coolant tube to check it wasn't blocked and got a mouth full of water. It gave me some nasty disease from some parasite found in polluted Chinese rivers.

That sounds nasty,i hope you recovered ok.
Ill make sure i have good look over the machine the best i can. I still haven't removed all the packaging, I thought it best get this power lead problem cleared up first in case i have to return it.
Did you use the ground connection on the back of the machine or does a proper uk IEC lead do the job?

Cheers

Doddy
22-06-2016, 06:44 AM
Check that the earth on the IEC connector is exported correctly to all parts (okay, be honest, add more bonding straps as you see fit), then ignore the earth connection on the back.

As I've mentioned elsewhere recently... check the inlet/outlet for cooling are the correct way around (inlet to the lowest point on the tube, outlet on the upper point).

CNCPete
22-06-2016, 04:25 PM
Thanks Doddy, I got few of these IEC leads about. Would I use one with a 13 amp fuse or lower? Are bonding straps easy to attatch or is there some skill involved.
Cheers

Doddy
22-06-2016, 04:45 PM
Standard "C13" IEC sockets are rated to 10A, only (the kettle-type are a different variant - "C15", by memory, though I might be wrong - and have mechanical interlocks to avoid the wrong plug/socket combos); So, standard PC-type leads should be protected at no more than 10A. In reality, I can't imagine the wiring inside the unit to be rated at that level - a visual should confirm. I'd be tempted to replace the fuse with a 3A.

Bonding straps?, just crimp a couple of eyelets onto the ends of some 2.5mm stranded copper wire with yellow/green insulation and bolt from a single star-point bolt fixed through the steel chassis (look to see if the ground stud provides a suitable earth), the other end onto each hinged/bolted panel (so, main lid, the removable control panel lid, and maybe the rear laser enclosure lid), having cleaned the paint off the steelwork on each panel (don't rely on the bolt to provide low-resistance path to the panel), tighten, then if you fancy, a dab of hammerite over the top to stop corrosion.

Of course, you're reverse engineering safety into the machine - for all my ramblings about these, if I'm honest, I normally live with the flaws.

CNCPete
22-06-2016, 05:23 PM
Thanks doddy,very helpful1875218763187621876118760187591875818757187 5618755187541875318764
Some pics of inside to see if things look ok. Still some bits of foam and other packing i still have to remove

CNCPete
22-06-2016, 06:20 PM
Check that the earth on the IEC connector is exported correctly to all parts

Doddy would this be done by plugging the machine in and then using a multimeter and checking different parts of the machine for continuity? I got a multimeter or have i got it all wrong.lol. thanks

Doddy
22-06-2016, 06:24 PM
Ah, brings it all back to me. Just thinking of a couple of the mods I did - I removed the curly airline and replaced with soft silicon, encased in a minature energy chain bolted to the inside of the front panel - just to avoid it getting tangled in the X/Y axis - There might be better ways to do this. Also, I 3d-printed a bracket to hold a single-axis red laser-line diode, centred on the final mirror, so that you get X/Y centre lines on the material under the mirror (you can't use a X/Ycross-hair diode, like I tried first, because the projected beam position is affected by the height of the material being cut)

Doddy
22-06-2016, 06:25 PM
Ignore this - next one includes quote for context

Doddy
22-06-2016, 06:27 PM
Check that the earth on the IEC connector is exported correctly to all parts

Doddy would this be done by plugging the machine in and then using a multimeter and checking different parts of the machine for continuity? I got a multimeter or have i got it all wrong.lol. thanks

Nope, that the earth is physically bonded (earth straps) to each panel. Relying on hinges and the like is... erm... frowned upon.

CNCPete
22-06-2016, 06:37 PM
Yea i just noticed the position of the laser dot would move with different material, I planned my air assist and dot to go together untill i noticed this so i might get the air assist and laser-dot from lightobject because i think that dot stays in the same line as the laser.

CNCPete
22-06-2016, 06:40 PM
No problem , ill try to get my head round all this and if it comes to it ill get someone to look at the machine first before i add any power.