Time passes, and the wind has already had the flavor of winter. As the weather gets colder (especially in the north), when the ambient temperature begins to drop below 0°C, the water circuit of the equipment will freeze and cause damage. This is a test for fiber lasers and laser equipment
When the water inside the laser condenses into ice, its volume will increase, which will cause pipe blockage, cracking of the water cooling plate inside the laser, cracking of the QBH fixtures and crystals, and cracking of the water pipes and water pipe joints in the laser water circuit, causing a series of problems such as device damage or leakage and short circuit damage to fiber lasers and other laser equipment components. In severe cases, the laser will be scrapped and cannot be repaired, thus affecting shutdown and production, causing huge losses to customers. The following are some of the damages caused by the failure to timely antifreeze the laser:
The damage caused by freezing of the laser is so great, and the damage caused by freezing to the laser is not covered by the laser warranty.
It can be seen that antifreeze protection for lasers and laser equipment is important in the cold winter.
There are three antifreeze measures for lasers: add antifreeze liquid; drain the water inside the laser and the output head; keep the water cooler running (not recommended). According to different actual situations and the principle of economic applicability, the following two operations are explained in detail:
When the temperature is below 0°C and the laser equipment is not used for a long time or needs to be transported by express, it is necessary to drain the water inside the laser and the laser equipment to prevent freezing. The details are as follows:
01 Remove the water pipe behind the laser and open the ball head valve to let the water inside the laser flow out,
02 Use 0.5MPA (5 kg) clean compressed air or ammonia to blow air to the main circuit water outlet. Blow for 3 minutes and stop for 1 minute, repeat 4-5 times, observe the changes in the water mist at the drain outlet, and the complete drainage step is completed when there is no water mist at the drain outlet. Finally, close the ball valve of the laser and use a plug or tape to seal the water pipe joint to prevent dust from falling.
03 Pull out the 6-inch inlet and outlet water pipes of the QBH output head from the machine tool.
04 Use 0.2MPA (2 kg) clean compressed air or xenon to blow air into a 6-inch thin water pipe, and the other 6-inch thin water pipe is facing downward until there is no water mist in the downward water pipe. Then use tape to seal the inlet and outlet water pipes. During this operation, be careful to prevent water from dripping onto the laser head and other lines.
When the temperature is below 0°C and the laser equipment needs to be used normally, we need to set the low temperature water of the water cooler to 24-26°C, the high temperature water to 26-28℃℃, and add different proportions of antifreeze to the cooling water. It is recommended to use regular American Clariant antifreeze. Poor or inferior antifreeze will not only fail to prevent freezing but also corrode the internal water pipes of the laser. The specific proportion of antifreeze can be adjusted according to the actual situation:
The operation of adding antifreeze is as follows
01 Turn off the water cooler, disconnect the power of the water cooler, open the drain valve to drain the water
02 Pour the antifreeze and clean cooling water into the same container according to the reference table.
03 Stir the two solutions in the container evenly. Please mix the antifreeze in other containers and pour it into the water cooler. Do not add the antifreeze directly to the water cooler.
04 Add the stirred solution to the water tank of the water cooler, power on and let the water circulate until the liquid level reaches the requirement.
Note:
After the weather warms up, please drain the antifreeze in time and use clean cooling water for circulation cleaning when the temperature is stable above 0°C.
