How to do a good job of cleaning and maintaining the laser lens in the optical cylinder

Optical barrels are consumables in the optical path system of a laser cutter. In order to minimize the cost of use, the optics barrel should be cleaned in strict accordance with this specification. During cleaning and replacement, protective mirrors should be carefully placed, inspected and installed to minimize contamination or damage to the lens. After installing a new lens, the protective mirror of the optics barrel should be inspected periodically and cleaned promptly.

Use the following precautions on a daily basis:

1. Before removing the protective goggles, make sure that the area around the optics barrel window of the cutting head is clean and that there is no fan blowing in the direction of the cutting head to prevent dust from entering the cutting head and causing internal dust. contamination when removing the protective goggles.

2. Do not expose your fingers, but wear dust-free finger cots or rubber/latex gloves.

3. Do not touch the film layer or the mirror when holding the lens. Hold the lens by the edges and then place the lens on a wiping paper.

4. Avoid talking over the lens and keep all contaminants as far away from the work environment as possible.

5. When cleaning the lens, try to operate in a dust-free environment (anhydrous ethanol and other cleaners will only dissolve dust and will not damage the lens).

Step 1: Flexible cleaning of lenses of lightly contaminated optical barrels (dust, fiber particles)

Blow off the contaminants scattered on the surface of the lens with a blow bag or clean air. If this step does not remove the contamination, proceed to step 2.

NOTE: Avoid using air hoses in the shop as they usually contain large amounts of oil and water. These contaminants can form a harmful absorption layer on the lens surface.

Step 2: Flexible cleaning of lenses of lightly contaminated optical barrels (smudges, fingerprints)

Dip an unused special cotton swab into a cleaning agent such as acetone or anhydrous ethanol, gently wipe the surface of the lens (do not rub hard), and then slowly drag the wet cotton onto the surface of the lens so that the liquid left on the wet cotton can evaporate immediately. This will leave no trace. If this step does not remove the contaminant, continue with step 3.

NOTE: Only cotton swabs with plain paper swabs (Q-tip brand swabs are recommended) or polyester fiber swabs are recommended, as well as reagent grade cleaners such as acetone and anhydrous ethanol.

Step 3: Moderate lens cleaning for moderately contaminated glasses (saliva, oil)

Dip an unused cotton swab into 6% distilled white vinegar, wipe the lens surface with a little pressure, then wipe the excess distilled vinegar from the lens surface with a clean,  dry cotton swab, then soak the swab in acetone to gently wipe the lens surface to remove all of the acetic acid. If this step does not remove the contaminants, proceed to step 4.

Step 4: Strongly clean the lenses of a heavily contaminated (tilted) optic barrel

(NOTE: Step 4 cannot be used on new or unused laser lenses. Use this step only if the lens has been heavily contaminated in use and acceptable cleaning results and normal use cannot be obtained after performing Step 2 or Step 3. (4 cannot be guaranteed).

If the lens is heavily contaminated or soiled, it may be necessary to use an optical polishing solution to remove contaminants from the lens surface.

1. Shake the polishing solution container well before use. Pour out four to five drops of polishing solution and drop them onto a cotton ball. On the surface of the lens to be cleaned, gently move the cotton ball into a circle with the weight of the cotton ball (do not press the cotton ball!) ), please keep rotating the lens to avoid over-polishing in one direction. The time required to clean the lens should not exceed half a minute. If you notice a change in the color of the lens surface during this step, indicating that the exterior of the lens film layer has been corroded, stop cleaning immediately.

2. After using the polishing solution, soak an unused cotton swab in distilled water and then gently wipe the lens surface with it to thoroughly wet the lens surface and remove as much of the polishing solution residue as possible. Do not wipe the lens surface dry. This will make it more difficult to remove the paste residue.

3. Quickly moisten the cotton swab with anhydrous alcohol and then use it to thoroughly clean the lens surface. Cover the entire surface with the tip of the swab to remove as much of the polishing fluid residue as possible.

4. Wet the swab with acetone and clean the surface of the lens to remove all anhydrous alcohol and polishing fluid residue left during the cleaning process. For final cleaning with acetone, gently drag the swab onto the lens surface to wipe away the original traces until the entire surface is wiped clean. Then use the swab for the final wiping operation. Move the swab slowly to ensure that the surface behind the swab dries immediately to eliminate surface streaks. Certain types of contamination or damage (e.g., metal splashes, pits, etc.) cannot be removed. If the lens surface of the optic barrel is contaminated or damaged and cannot be cleaned and repaired, the lens of the optic barrel should be replaced with a new optic barrel to ensure a quality cut.