Issue description

The laser seems to be working but doesn't leave any noticeable mark on the surface of the material.

Troubleshooting

There are many factors that can lead to this issue. Usually, it's because the laser gets trapped inside or the processing parameters like power, speed, etc., or the type of the laser is not properly set. In the following, we will go through them one by one.

#1 Remove the lens protector

Please make sure you remove the field lens protector before laser processing.

• Every F1 Ultra comes with a protector for the field lens. If you happen to leave it on the lens during processing, the laser won't come out. 

• One easy way to tell is that, after power-on, if you see only the red dot on the baseplate and not the blue one at the same time, it's very likely that the protector is still on the field lens.

#2 Set the processing params

• Please make sure to set the processing params like power, speed, etc., properly before a processing.
• The default processing power or other params can be too low or don't fit the material you use. 

#3 Set the correct laser type

F1 Ultra has two types of laser sources: blue light and infrared laser, suitable for different materials. Make sure you use the right one.

• The blue light laser is suitable for non-metallic materials.
• The infrared (IR) laser is suitable for metallic materials. 

Note: Some materials may not react well with the laser due to quality reasons. It's recommended to use xTool official consumables for an optimized outcome.

 

#4 Check the dots

Before processing, it's crucial to ensure correct focusing.

• When properly focused, the red and blue dots should overlap on the surface of the material being processed, as shown in the image below:

 

• If the processing results remain unsatisfactory even after proper focusing (the red and blue dots overlap), it may be due to incorrect focal referencing. This suggests that although the red and blue dots overlap, they do not overlap at the correct position, leading to inaccurate focal length.

Follow the steps below to check and calibrate the focal length.

 

Align the dots manually

1. Connect your machine to XCS.
2. Access "Device settings" > "Device settings" > "Z-axis homing".
3. Click on the Homing button to reset the laser module by homing the Z-axis.

Note: After homing, do not change the height of the laser module again.

4. Pull down the green protective enclosure,  then click “Refresh.”

5. Observe the position of the red and blue dots on the baseplate through the camera feed.

• If the two dots overlap, the focal length is correct and no calibration is needed.

• If the two dots do not meet, adjust the ball head so that the red dot overlaps the blue dot.

Refer to this article or the video below for guidance on adjusting and calibrating the red dot for focusing.

 

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