Troubleshooting

Many common problems that occur with the laser can be solved quite simply and without much effort.  These problems include:

1. Poor letter quality.

2. Beam not firing.

3. Low power output

4. Jobs not downloading properly

All of the above problems can usually be fixed using the troubleshooting guide below.  

• Clean the laser!!!! - Many problems can be easily fixed by simply cleaning the machine.  Click here or see the installation manual for instructions on cleaning.

• Zero the table - If the material is out of focus with the lens, the laser will not burn as strong or in some cases not at all.

• Check the lens - Be sure that the lens is tight and secure in the lens carriage.  A loose lens in the lens carriage will cause letter quality problems such as shadowing and ghosting.  Also, take the lens out of the lens carriage and be sure that the ring inside the lens is tight and secure as well.

• Check all the cable connections - Be sure that all the cables are securely fastened in the computer and the laser.  Xenetech will not be able to communicate with the laser properly if the cables aren’t secure.

• Be sure that Xenetech is set up to send the jobs to the proper com port - In Xenetech, choose Page | Engraving Table Defaults...  Be sure that the com port listed is the same as the com port set up on the computer.

• Check each axis to be sure that there is nothing hindering movement - Any debris in the rails or something on the belt can cause the machine to stop moving for a second that can cause keypad error messages as well as do damage to bearings and/or rails.

• Check to be sure there are no jobs trying to download - Press Ctrl + Alt on the keyboard.  If there is a job downloading or a job in the buffer, a dialog will appear saying “Cancel Download”.  If the dialog appears, select yes. This should be repeated until the dialog does not appear again.

• Be sure that the computer has the latest version software - Please be sure to visit http://www.xenetech.com and download the latest version software.  It is important to have the latest version software installed in order for us here at Xenetech to accurately troubleshoot any software and/or hardware problems.

Troubleshooting

The following section describes some more common problems  with the laser and possible solutions.  

The laser keypad reads "Motor fault detect" or "Emergency stop":

• The motors come with a built in safety feature that halts the motor if something hinders its movement.  This message will be displayed when this occurs.

The laser keypad reads "Following error" or "Out of bounds":

• Following Error - This message indicates that the motor moved when it was not supposed to or the machine told the motors to move and it didn't.  For this matter, call Xenetech for assistance.

• Out of Bounds - This is more of a safety feature for the laser.  This message is given when the laser sees that it will engrave out of the boundary of the table.  Double check the X and Y offsets under the Laser Engraver Setup dialog.  The most common axis to give the Following Error is in the X axes.

Door open light on the laser keypad will not turn off:

• Check all three doors on the laser to be sure that the interlocks are making connection.

Problems with poor letter quality

• Clean the lens and mirrors

• Be sure that the rails on the X and Y axis are FREE OF DIRT AND GRIME.

• Be sure that the lens is tightly secure in the lens carriage.

• Check the belts and pulleys to be sure that nothing is hindering movement.

Laser rasters an image and vectors the outline afterwards:

• In Xenetech, select Line/Group | Hatch Fill Setup...  Under the Engrave Outline (polygon) section, select Don't engrave.

The laser rasters from left to right, but the material doesn't burn:

• Double check the settings in the Laser Engraver Setup dialog and be sure that you have the correct power and speed settings that you need for the material.

• Make sure that the lens and mirrors are clean.

• Check to see that the lens if focused to the material.

Error reading com port message displayed in Xenetech when a job is sent to the laser:

• This indicates that the job was sent to the wrong com port.  In Xenetech, choose Page | Engraving Table defaults...  Be sure that the correct com port is selected.  Click here if you would like a lesson in checking the com port settings.

Laser not engraving in the proper spot on the material:

• Clear home the laser.  If you use the set home option in the laser keypad, it will think of that as the home position until either the ClrHome option is used or the machine is rebooted.

• In Xenetech, choose File | To Engraver...  Check the X/Y offsets to be sure they are properly set.

Laser will not vector.

• In Xenetech, choose File | To Engraver | Setup Dialog | Advanced Laser Setup...  and check the vector pen minimum.  In order for the laser to vector an item, the cutter size for the item must be under the minimum.

Bitmap files will not vector.

• A true type font will vector only if the font is selected and wire frame is turned on.  The cutter size for the text must be under the vector pen minimum.

Laser will not buffer or stops buffering:

• In Xenetech, choose Page | engraving Table Defaults...  Be sure that the correct com port is selected.

• Hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and press the Alt key.  If there are other jobs downloading, a dialog will display asking to cancel the download.  In this case, select Yes to cancel the download and repeat until the dialog no longer appears.