This article covers routine maintenance for xTool X1. The parts that need maintenance and how often to service them are listed below.

Precautions

• Disconnect the power. Always power off the machine and unplug the power cable before you clean any part. Take particular care when you wipe a fan, to avoid a short circuit. The exception is a step that explicitly requires power, such as moving the baseplate or starting fan cleaning in the settings. During those steps, keep your hands and tools well clear of the lead screws and the travel of the baseplate.
• Let the machine cool down. After a job, wait for the lenses, the galvo module, and other parts to cool before you clean them.
• Using ethanol. You can use the official xTool Laser Lens Cleaning Kit instead. Anhydrous ethanol is flammable, so keep it away from open flames and high temperatures and work in a well-ventilated area. Dampen a swab or a lint-free cloth with a small amount of ethanol. Never pour or spray ethanol directly, as liquid could run into the cameras, the point laser assembly, fan motors, or the electronics. Wait until the ethanol has fully evaporated before you reconnect the power and start the machine.
• Handling lenses. Hold a lens only by its edge and never touch the optical surface with your fingers. Before you remove a lens, note which side faces which way and how it is installed. Once removed, place the lens optical-side up on a clean lint-free cloth, never directly on the bench. When you refit the focus lens, the convex side faces up, that is, toward the incoming laser.
• Cleaning lenses. Dampen a lint-free swab or a microfiber cloth with a small amount of anhydrous ethanol; use a microfiber cloth only for the field lens protector. Wipe in a rotating motion from the center outward in one direction, or in one single pass in one direction. Never wipe back and forth, because hard particles on the surface will scratch the coating.
• Judging lens damage. If a lens has coating loss, a crack, or a burn mark that will not wipe off, stop using it and contact the xTool support team for a replacement.
• How much grease to use. Clean the optical parts and cameras first, then lubricate the rails and lead screws. Keep grease and oil off lenses, camera lenses, and lens guards. Wipe off any excess after you apply it, so that it does not attract dust.
• Check the reassembly. When maintenance is finished, confirm that every lens, mount, and guard you removed is back in its original position and orientation and properly secured, then power on and run a test.
• Check the optical path. Steering mirrors are precision optical components and their position can shift when they are removed and refitted. After you remove and refit a steering mirror, you must check the optical path again and confirm it meets the standard before you put the machine back into production.

Weekly

Step block

Remove dust from the surface so that it does not affect measurement accuracy.

Baseplate

Clear away cutting debris that has fallen through, so that the laser cannot ignite it during the next job.

Air nozzle

Check whether processing residue is blocking the air outlet inside the nozzle, which would restrict the airflow.

CO2 focus lens

Wipe soot and dust off the lens surface with a lint-free swab or a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol.

CO2 second steering mirror

Wipe soot and dust off the lens surface with a lint-free swab or a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol.

CO2 third steering mirror

Wipe soot and dust off the lens surface with a lint-free swab or a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol.

Galvo module lens guard (wide-aperture, narrow-aperture, or dust hood for embossing, as fitted)

Wipe soot and dust off the surface of the guard.

Galvo module field lens protector (if installed)

Wipe soot and dust off the lens surface with a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol, so that it does not affect the processing result.

Galvo source window protective lens, galvo source steering mirror, and galvo module optical window

In the figure below, 1 is the galvo source window protective lens, 2 is the galvo source steering mirror, and 3 is the galvo module optical window.

Wipe soot and dust off each lens surface with a lint-free swab or a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol, so that they do not affect the processing result. Clean positions 1 and 2 only if a galvo source is installed.

Monthly

CO2 first steering mirror

Wipe soot and dust off the mirror surface with a lint-free swab or a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol.

Guide rail

1. Wipe off old grease and any wood chips or other debris stuck to it, and clean the wheel grooves with a microfiber cloth so that build-up does not make the bearings run roughly.
2. Apply grease evenly along the rail (recommended type: Molykote EM-30L), then wipe off the excess.

Bed motors

1. Brush processing debris and dust out of the lead screw threads with a soft-bristled brush. Then wrap a lint-free cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol around the lead screw and turn the screw by hand, or move the baseplate up and down, to clean the blackened old grease out of the thread grooves.
2. Apply a thin, even layer of grease to all four lead screws. Move the baseplate fully between its highest and lowest positions 2 to 3 times so that the grease spreads evenly through the threads, then wipe off the excess with a lint-free cloth.
3. Add two drops of lubricating oil to each of the four lead screws.
4. When you have finished, level the baseplate with a slotted screwdriver.

Distant-view camera

Wipe dirt off the surface with a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol, so that it does not affect the camera image.

Close-view camera and point laser assembly

Wipe dirt off the surface with a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol, so that it does not affect the camera image or the measurement accuracy.

Flame detection camera

Wipe dirt off the surface with a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol, so that it does not affect flame detection accuracy.

Exhaust fan

Clean heavy grease off the fan blades with a microfiber cloth dampened with anhydrous ethanol, so that it does not affect extraction efficiency.

Galvo cooling fan (if the galvo module is installed)

Start the cleaning function manually in the device settings: click Galvo heatsink dust removal.

Tools

• Slotted screwdriver (max. 11 cm long)
• Bubble level
• 3 mm Phillips screwdriver
• 2.5 mm hex screwdriver
• 3 mm hex screwdriver (shaft at least 20 cm long)
• Window lens key
• Lint-free nitrile gloves
• Air blower bulb
• Lubricating oil and grease
• Lint-free swabs
• Lint-free microfiber cloth
• Anhydrous ethanol (or the xTool Laser Lens Cleaning Kit)
• Soft-bristled brush
• Black metal business card

Video tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFycDlMY6FA