John McMaster's notes from repairing and calibrating misc units. For more information contact john@mcmaster.tech

Note: New Wave Research was acquired by Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. (ESI)

Tilt plate

These often get separated from units so we made some reproductions. Want one? Contact john@mcmaster.tech

Variations:

An LCS-II: observe 2 mounting screws
An ezlaze: observe 3 or so mounting screws

An LCS-II unit:

Ball bearing
- 4.73 mm (0.19" => probably 3/16")
- Maybe this
Pivot set screws
- Qty: 2
- Use 2.5 mm driver
- Special machined screw w/ bearing on end
- Bearing: 3.3 mm OD (0.13")
  - Sub bearing?
- Thread: M5
- Total length: 9.3 mm
- Threaded length: 7.2 mm
- Material: stainless
- Kevin: glue ball bearing on the end
  - 4 mm bearings
Spring SHCS
- Qty: 2
- M4 x 20 mm
- Material: stainless
- Belleville washers: 14
  - Arrange as 7 pairs stacked against each other
  - Maybe this would work?
  - Material thickness: 0.46 mm (0.018")
  - Total thickness: 0.67 mm (0.026")
  - ID: 4.33 mm (0.17")
  - OD: 8.4 mm (0.33")
Set screws
- Qty: 2
- Use 2.0 mm driver
- M4 x 8 mm
- Material: black steel

Objective

Canonical objective for these is Mitutoyo M Plan Apo. Could something else work?

Candidates:

Search terms
- "M Plan Apo"
- LWD objective
- long working distance objective
Mitutoyo M Plan Apo
B&L Industrial
- Wrong thread
- Not infinity
- Seem to have a weird design, as explained in the US3471218A patent
- ...but cheap and might be good enough
Optem
Seiwa
Sigma Koki
USMCO
USMC
V-Technology
Parco
Nikon Engineering
New Wave
- As in NWR? Are these intended for ezlaze?
Correct Tokyo (Seiwa)
Olympus BHM
- Correct thread size
- Very cheap
- Incorrect focus length (180mm, instead of 200mm)
- LWD variants
  - LWD M S Plan
    - 20x (WD=7mm)
    - 50x (WD=3mm)
- non-LWD variants with maybe enough working distance (only 20x and up)
  - M S Plan
    - 20x (WD=3mm)
    - 50x (WD=0.47mm)
  - M D Plan
    - 20x (WD=1mm)
  - M D Ach
    - 20x (WD=1.1mm)
    - 50x (WD=0.45mm)
  - Neo S Plan
    - 20x (WD=3mm)
    - 50x (WD=0.5mm)
  - Neo D Plan
    - 20x (WD=1mm)

To test:

Inspect objective
Run image quality test (MTF?)
Long duration test...maybe 1000 shots at max power?
Inspect objective
Run image quality test (MTF?)

Results

Compatible:

Mitutoyo M Plan Apo

Okay (seem compatible from initial testing, but no extensive tests done):

...

Incompatible:

Edmund Optics HR (source: McMaster tried the 10x)

Cabling

DB25

Has a slot instead of a round cable hole
3M 3485-2300

Power connector

Got blank shell and cut slot w/ hacksaw. Then melted new plastic in to close up the side

Noisy/slow crystal/filter selection investigation

Symptom: the filter wheel that contains wavelength selection and high/low takes longer to settle than usual and overshoots a few times before settling down

Thoughts:

Motor problem?
Pot problem?
PID parameters can be adjusted? Are there any trim pots?
No spare units to scavenge parts off of

Motor

1616E012S T 265

Repair / calibration

Uneven cut

 With the uneven cut, is possible the laser is misalign and will need to
 be optimize and realign.  The possible misalignment can cause by the
 Q-SW (pocket cell) is deteriorating and may need replace.  For the XY
 aperture shutter, we will replace both Motors and Potentiometer.

Flashlamp replace

Flashlamp rated for 30 million shots. Skeptical replacing it was going to help, but tried anyway. Didn't seem to improve power output. Maybe its the uneven cut issue above?

7/32" allen key for side of flashlamp housing

2 mm for screwing cover in for the long buried screw near the HV generator

1.3 mm allen for the short ones

mcmaster original lamp says: LL7039/88

Lamp part numbers:

New Wave Research 0002-0036
LL7039
- Printed on lamp: LL7039/88
- Who's part number is this?
- Total length: ~78 mm
- Arc length: ~46 mm
- Diameter: ~4.97 mm


Vendor / part	Date	Price	Lead time
1 EU, opt 1	2019-09	£122.00	10 weeks
1 EU, opt 2	2019-09	£185.70	10-12 weeks
1 US	2009-12	$215	2 days May be wrong part. Not sure if billing is correct
2	2019-09	$245	2 days
3	2019-09	$197.36	2 days

Spare lamp box says "Lamp no: LL7039"

https://usermanual.wiki/Document/LaserLampsIPLlampls.1504005633/view: Laser SOS Group, Continuum Minilite 10, 20, early models, 203–0037

Suggested vendors:

https://www.tjslasers.com/flash-lamp-flashlamps-Nd-YAG-Lasers
https://www.lasersos.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Laser-Lamps-catalog.pdf
- LL6811 Medilite 1
- LL7886 Solo PIV 0002-0036, Tempest, Gemini

2019-09-25

Visit Kevin, got:

2x ezlaze laser head
1x ESI power meter head
1x power meter head w/ controller

Tests on my ezlaze:

DB25 only: motors twitch at startup. Interlock lit red, cannot turn on
Both connectors: motors twitch at startup. Interlock lit red. However, press "ON" moves from red interlock to yellow emission
When hitting "ON", a loud relay is heard in the controller

Kevin-1 (K1):

Missing tilt plate
Missing tilt plate screws
No camera adapter
Motors do not twitch at power up
Unable to bring out of interlock
Missing shutter
LCSII....ah not exactly the same

Kevin-2 (K2)

Motors twitch at startup
Bent power connector. Was able to bend back into shape
Mounting plate screws but no mounting plate
Has shutter
EZLAZE 532/355
Beam profile uneven (as seen through laser glasses). TODO: point at camera?
Sensor 3" from laser, 10 sec average
- 500L: 65 uJ
- 1000L: 124 uJ
- 500H: 192 uJ
- 1000H: 382 uJ

ESI power meter

Battery: Everyday 504, NEDA 2220, 15V

2019-10-28

Documenting backlog. Especially around Pockells cell / EOM repair

Open question about q-switch polarity. Tried putting my (mostly bad) EOM in my laser forwards/backwards and positive/negative polarity. Only forward positive configuration fires. Not sure if polarity reversal is bad

Scrapped ezlaze Kevin had in dire shape to get sacrificial q-switch. Housing very different, but core looked the same. Unfortunately, does not seem to work in my original laser. Also tried reversing it, but didn't help. NOTE: Kevin has a second identical loose EOM assembly. We should try it

Played briefly with transferring fluid from sacrificial larger EOM. Had issue with bubble, also still unclear if fluid matched correctly

Pockels cell research:

Probably made by Qioptiq, but may be branded Gsanger or LINOS

Due to a series of acquisitions, Qioptiq

has an impressive history and pedigree, benefi ting

from the knowledge and experience of LINOS,

Point Source, Rodenstock Precision Optics, Spindler

& Hoyer, Gsänger, Optem, Pilkington, Avimo and

others.

Did a lot of research on the fluid. Index matching fluid (IMF) is required due to the high efficiencies required to make a cavity resonate.

https://microwiki.org/media/qti/qti_an_dry_pockels_cell_vs_wet_pockels_cells.pdf

Great paper on IMF choices
TLDR: FC-43 for most applications, but more exotic choices if you don't care about carcinogens and/or cost

Ordering:

quantumtech.com: "We have index matching fluid $175 for 30ml bottle and available from stock. We charge for repair would be approximately $400. "
Tried to order FC-43 from Sigma, but they denied my order
- https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sial/77299
- Heptacosafluorotributylamine (Fluorinert™ FC-43)
- 5 mL: 52.60
- 25 mL: 235.00

ezlaze

mcmaster unit

User:Mcmaster/Brainscope

IOA unit

TODO: add pictures (if someone gives them to me...)

eBay ntxsupply unit (EZ-LAZE 532/355)

"New Wave Research EZ-LAZE 532 / 355 Power Supply & Control Panel & Foot Pedal"

Need power supply, this unit sounds very similar to mine and has the right connections. In negotiations to try to get this.

Overview:

Control box:

Power supply:

eBay outback6 unit (EZ-LAZE 532)

"G102838 New Wave Research EZ-LAZE/532 Laser w/Power Supply & Controller"

A possibility, but its a complete system which means it will command a higher price...probably harder to break it up just to get the PS

Overview:

Controller:

Pedal:

Power supply:

Laser head:

eBay express_test unit (EZ-LAZE LCS-II 532/355)

System looks a little different

ezlaze2

cl.cam.ac.uk

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~sps32/laser_cutter.pdf

Has a great teardown and some really useful info about system problems

ezlaze3

Source: Main Features

   Air-cooled architecture

No cooling water
Compact, Lightweight
No maintenance required

   Selectable wavelengths allow cutting
   and machining of a wide range of materials:

1064 nm, 532 nm, 355 nm or 266 nm

   3-axis control of cut size and orientation.
   From 2μm x 2μm (with 100X objective)
   to 50μm x 50μm (with 50X objective).
   Rotation through 180°.
   Simple operation via remote control box
   with a 6.5cm x 7.5cm LCD screen displaying
   menu-based commands or via RS232 interface.
   Precise energy control over a wide range.
   Internal LED spot marker.
   Compatible with most major brands
   of FA microscopes (Mitutoyo, Motic, Seiwa).
   3 Operating modes:

Single shot
Continuous (1 Hz)
Burst (max. of 10 sec. at 5 Hz).

Standard configuration includes:

   Laser Head
   Standard Energy
   XY Shutter (Std. Resolution)
   Power Supply
   Remote Control
   2.4m umbilical
   Video spot marker
   Foot switch

Options:

   High Pulse Energy
   Rotating Shutter
   High Resolution Shutter
   Motorized Polarizer
   Horizontal Mount Laser
   Head with Robot-length
   Umbilical
   Internal Spot Marker
   Microscope & Accessories

QuikLaze

I asked for a ezlaze manual and was given a quicklaze manual...w/e. Looks like they share a lot of common components

Interesting excerpt from manual: The QuikLaze is designed to operate on specially modified Mitutoyo FS60Y and FS50 and Ready products A-Zoom and S-Scope microscopes. Become familiar with your microscope before attempting to install the QuikLaze.

The quicklaze power supply looks pretty similar to the ezlaze power supply...possibly compatibile