The sweltering heat of summer is unbearable for humans, and the same goes for machines. Prolonged exposure to high-temperature environments not only causes inconvenience in machine operation and poor processing quality but also shortens the machine’s service life due to improper maintenance. To extend the service life of laser cutting machines, "machine owners" must take effective measures to cool down the equipment in summer.
- Before the arrival of high temperatures, inspect and maintain the internal pressure of the chiller. (Note: The pressure requirements vary across equipment from different manufacturers. It is recommended to consult the manufacturer for specific parameters before maintenance.)
- Regularly clean the dust inside the electrical cabinet of the laser cutting machine and check the working condition of the cooling fans.
- Use distilled water or pure water as the cooling liquid, and clean scale deposits regularly. This prevents scale from adhering to the laser generator and pipes, which would otherwise affect laser power. (Note: The method for scale cleaning differs among various types of laser cutting machines. Please perform the operation under the guidance of the equipment manufacturer.)
- Ensure the temperature of the cooling water does not differ significantly from the ambient air temperature. Generally, it is recommended to set the cooling water temperature at 30–32°C and control the temperature difference between the cooling water and the ambient temperature to be more than 7°C. Both the laser generator and optical lenses of the laser cutting machine rely on water cooling. When the cooling water temperature is too low, water vapor in the air will condense into droplets on the surfaces of the laser generator and optical lenses. This significantly reduces the laser output efficiency and adversely affects both the laser energy and the service life of optical components.
Regular maintenance of fiber laser cutting machines not only saves economic costs but also extends their service life. Therefore, paying attention to the daily maintenance of fiber laser cutting machines lays a solid foundation for their subsequent use. As summer approaches, let us take early action to cool down our laser cutting machines.
