Here are The Edge Laser cutter maintenance routines. There is a regular schedule, but maintenance is only carried out when required. The tasks below are based on the maintenance established when we first took delivery of the Laser and have been sourced from the Trello Fab Lab Equipment Logs.
The RayJet lens is the most delicate part of the machine. It has a relatively soft Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) Lens, which is vulnerable to scratches from cleaning with dust on the lens, scraping, drop or thermal shock. Trotec Lenses are manufactured by http://www.iiviinfrared.com/, which as of 11/2021 is down. However there is a web archive of theircleaning handling page here
For a comprehensive overview of cleaning a ZnSe lens, check out the ULO Optics cleaning page.
The RayJet can take ether 1.5 inch or 2 inch lenses. We have been supplied with two types of lens - one fits on top of the lens holding nut (2 inch lens - black ), the other below (1.5 inch lens -red). The current lens is a 2 inch top mounted.
The mirror located in the lens housing is much more robust, but still requires delicate handling.
Before you start
You will need:
Cleaning Lens and Mirror
This procedure is adapted from the officialtrotec manual
Never use a cleaning tissue twice. Dust accumulated in the cleaning tissue could scratch the lens surface.
How often should this be done? Maintenance of the Atmos500 is essential to keep fumes and particulates from the Fabrication Lab air. The top filter is augmented by a thin layer of rockwool insulation, which is the regular consumable for the filter.
Before you start
Always wear gloves and a respirator type mask. Collect a bin liner from the cleaning store.
This is the base line measurement for the Atmos 500. Any time the filter components are changed refer to these settings.