With the rapid development of the economy, competition among companies and enterprises in various industries is extremely fierce. Therefore, in order to quickly increase production volume and ensure continuous production and operation of fiber laser cutting machines in enterprises, most machines work under extremely unfavorable conditions such as severe wear and tear, strong corrosion, high pressure, and high temperature. The daily maintenance and repair of machines are often overlooked, resulting in a serious reduction in their lifespan. Therefore, IPG fiber laser machine maintenance and repair work is particularly important.

In order to ensure that machinery and equipment can frequently achieve production efficiency, extend the lifespan and service cycle of the equipment, it is necessary to carry out moderate maintenance and upkeep work on the equipment.

It is an important measure to tap into the production potential of enterprises, and also a basic material foundation to ensure that production tasks are completed or exceeded in a large, fast, good, and cost-effective manner. When it comes to fiber laser cutting machine maintenance, we believe it is a headache for many customers because although the maintenance cost of general equipment is not very high, it may accumulate over the long term and create an equivalent situation with the equipment.

Moreover, regular maintenance is also very troublesome and often forgets to maintain. In general, metal IPG fiber laser cutting machines do not encounter significant problems during operation. However, it is necessary for everyone to regularly maintain and upkeep the equipment, and pay more attention to some details during the operation of the equipment.

The price of laser cutting machines is not low, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions. So extending the service life of the IPG fiber laser cutting machine as much as possible can better save production costs and win greater benefits. 

1. IPG Fiber Laser Maintenance

The following will mainly explain from six aspects:

1) Replacement of circulating water and cleaning of water tank

Before operating the machine, make sure that the laser tube is filled with circulating water. The water quality and temperature of the circulating water directly affect the service life of the laser tube. So it is necessary to regularly replace the circulating water and clean the water tank. This is best done once a week. 

2) Fan cleaning

Prolonged use of the fan in the machine can accumulate a lot of solid dust inside the fan, causing significant noise and hindering exhaust and odor removal. When the suction of the fan is insufficient and the smoke exhaust is not smooth, it is necessary to clean the fan.

3) Cleaning of lenses

There may be some reflective and focusing mirrors on the machine. Laser is reflected and focused through these lenses before being emitted from the laser hair. Lenses are easily contaminated with dust or other pollutants, causing laser damage or lens damage.

So clean the lenses every day. While cleaning, pay attention to:

A. The lens should be gently wiped and the surface coating should not be damaged;

B. The wiping process should be handled with care to prevent falling;

C. Please make sure to keep the concave surface facing downwards when installing the focusing mirror.

4) Guide rail cleaning

As one of the core components of the equipment, the guide rail and linear shaft are used for guiding and supporting purposes. In order to ensure high machining accuracy of the machine, it is required that its guide rails and straight lines have high guiding accuracy and good motion stability. During the operation of the equipment, a large amount of corrosive dust and smoke are generated during the processing of the processed parts. These smoke and dust accumulate on the surface of the guide rail and linear shaft for a long time, which has a significant impact on the machining accuracy of the equipment and can form corrosion points on the surface of the guide rail linear shaft, shortening the service life of the equipment. So clean the machine guide rails every two weeks. Turn off the machine before cleaning.

5) Tightening of screws and couplings

After a period of operation, the screws and couplings at the joints of the motion system may become loose, which can affect the smoothness of mechanical movement. Therefore, during machine operation, it is necessary to observe whether there are any abnormal noises or phenomena in the transmission components. If any problems are found, they should be strengthened and maintained in a timely manner. At the same time, the machine should use tools to tighten each screw one by one after a period of time. The first tightening should be around one month after the equipment is used.

6) Inspection of optical path

The optical path system of the machine is completed by the reflection of the reflector and the focusing of the focusing mirror together. There is no deviation problem with the focusing mirror in the optical path, but the three reflectors are fixed by mechanical parts, which has a high possibility of deviation. Although deviation usually does not occur, it is recommended that users check whether the optical path is normal before each work.

The above explains the maintenance and upkeep that we need to do on a daily basis. What should we do when the IPG fiber laser cutting machine system really malfunctions and alarms?

2. IPG Fiber Laser Problems & Solutions

- Check the power supply and working environment

Ensure that the laser is powered on, check if the power cord and fuse are intact, and if the power indicator light is on properly. If the power indicator light is not on, it may be due to a broken fuse or an open circuit in the circuit. It is necessary to check and replace the fuse or repair the circuit.

- Check the optical path and laser output

If the laser has no laser output in working mode or the laser is intermittent, it may be necessary to adjust the optical path. Check if the optical path is offset, clean the relevant water tanks and pumps, and ensure smooth water circulation.

- Check network connection and software settings

If there is a problem with the connection between the laser and the computer, check if the network connection is stable and if the laser has been correctly added and set up in the LaserNet software. Ensure that the indicator light on the computer network port is lit and that the IP address is set correctly.

- Check the laser tube and light guide joint

If the light output is abnormal or the light guide joint heats up, it may be because the laser tube is not properly installed or the light guide joint is loose. Check the working voltage of the laser tube. If there is aging, it may be necessary to replace the laser tube or damaged components.

- Check the fiber and fiber optic head

If red light enters the optical fiber normally but is not visible, it may be due to fiber damage. Check the resistance of the optical fiber and its stability during twisting, as well as whether the temperature of the fiber head and optical head is normal. If there is a high temperature alarm, it may be due to high humidity or temperature in the environment, and it is necessary to improve the working environment.

If the above steps cannot solve the problem, it is recommended to contact the supplier or professional technical personnel of the IPG fiber laser for further investigation and maintenance.

Other information about laser cutting machine for your reference：

How To Choose Laser Cutting Machine Model? [Power & Plate Thickness Table]

What Is Laser Cutting? Working Principle And Application

Laser Cutting Quality Control: Important Factors And Solution